“Los Angeles” Prophecy
Among the many prophecies that William Branham led people to believe he made during the course of his ministry was his alleged prophecy of Los Angeles, California sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
In 1964, he made the following personal prediction that the tragic event would happen,
“Look at the earthquakes over here in California. I predict, before the coming of the Lord Jesus that God will sink that place. I believe that Hollywood and Los Angeles and them filthy places over there, that God Almighty will sink them. They’ll go beneath the bottom of the sea.” “Who Do You Say This Is?”, 12/27/64.
But in 1965, he went beyond merely predicting the event would happen to leading people to believe he had prophetic insight and revelation from God that it would occur by stating the following,
“Nations are breaking; the world is falling apart. Fifteen hundred mile chunk of it, three or four hundred miles wide, will sink hundred—or maybe 40 miles down into that great fault out yonder one of these days, and waves will shoot plumb out to the state of Kentucky. And when it does, it’ll shake the world so hard that everything on top of it will shake down!” “A Thinking Man’s Filter,” 8/22/65.
“In a few days a great earthquake's going to strike on the west. And it won't stop. California, Los Angeles will sink. It's going down. It'll slide right into the ocean." And two days after that, the Alaskan earthquake shook Alaska.” “Works Is Faith Expressed”, 11/26/65.
“I remember just my last message in California where I thought I’d never go back again, when I predicted Los Angeles will go beneath the ocean. And thus saith the Lord, it will. She’s done; she’s washed; she’s finished. What hour? I don’t know when, but it will be sunk.” “The Rapture”, 12/4/65.
“Look here. Do you know what the Lord says about Los Angeles and these places here? "She's gone." You remember what I told you about two years ago, how that earthquake would come in Canada, up here in Alaska? I also tell you that "Hollywood and Los Angeles is sliding into the ocean. California, you're doomed, not only California; but you, world, you're doomed. Church, unless you get right with God, you're doomed." THUS SAITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. Have you ever heard me use that Name unless it come to pass? Ask you. You've known me twenty years. Did I ever tell you anything in the Name of the Lord but what come to pass? If everything I've ever told you would happen, happened, say, "Amen." [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] See? I tell you, now is the hour, you better be getting right, all of us.” “Leadership”, 12/7/65.
Did God ever reveal that L.A. would sink to William Branham?
By stating, “thus saith the Lord” and “thus saith the Holy Spirit”, William Branham appeared to have received special knowledge or revelation directly from God about the tragic event.
He also appeared to have exclusive insight and supernatural prophetic ability. Did he, however, truly have greater knowledge of the expected event than what people, including scientists, already knew and predicted would happen in California?
Not only was his knowledge of the expected event not unique, special or extraordinary, but
he made the above strongest predictions and “thus saith the Lord/ Holy Spirit prophecy”
after hearing two scientists on television establish the complete likelihood that a portion of California would break off and sink. This is apparent from these statements of his that he made on July 11, 1965,
“Since that earthquake, there is a two or three-inch crack that come in the earth, starting in Alaska, goes around through the Aleutian Islands, comes out about a hundred and fifty or two hundred miles in the sea, comes back up at San Diego; takes in California, or Los Angeles, and comes out again just below the northern part of California there, a little place called San Jose, just below there. And this scientist was speaking, being on a interview. We was watching on television. And he said, "Beneath that is just a churning lava." And he said this; he said, "That is... A chunk will break loose," and said, "and it will..." And this inter--man on--scientist interviewing this chief scientist, said to him, said, "Well, that could then all sink?" He said, "Could? It's got to." Said, "Well, 'course, will probably be many, many years from now." He said, "It can be in five minutes from now, or it can be in five years from now." He just 'lotted five years. But just as I surely was standing there under that Inspiration, put judgment on that west coast, and then followed it right up here with the sinking of Los Angeles; she's gone! That's right. It will happen. When? I don't know.
But, oh, what happened? You know, we only got six continents now. We had seven; that one that sunk between Africa and the United States... Oh, it's historical; you know about it. Now, if that goes down, then I want you to watch when... . . .
And, of course, the Salton Sea is about two hundred feet below sea level, and if that big churning, that earth swallowing in like that, with hundreds of square miles, hundreds and hundreds of square miles sinking into the earth, that'll throw a tidal wave plumb to Arizona. Sure, it would.” “Ashamed of Him”, 7/11/65.
Had there been no scientific or other information to alert William Branham of the potential and likelihood of such a catastrophic event occurring in California, would he have ever made or been able to make the claims he made about it? Had he never heard the two scientists on television say that a chunk of the state was definitely going to break loose and sink, would he ever changed his mere prediction of Los Angeles sinking into a “thus saith the Lord/Holy Spirit” prophecy?
Note how he contradicted himself above by stating, “It will happen” and “if that goes down.” Also note how he further contradicted himself by stating that he did not know when the tragic event will occur and stating that it will happen before his son, Billy Paul, is an old man, as is evident below.
Scientists no longer believe that California is going to fall into the ocean.
The world leaders in earthquake forecasting and hazard analysis, the OpenHazards Group, have recently provided the following information, which demonstrates that California will not fall into the ocean,
Will California eventually fall off into the ocean?
No. The San Andreas Fault System, which crosses California from the Salton Sea in the south to Cape Mendocino in the north, is the boundary between two tectonic plates — the Pacific Plate and North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is moving northwest with respect to the North American Plate at approximately 46 millimeters per year (about the rate your fingernails grow). The strike-slip earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault are a result of this plate motion. The plates are moving horizontally past one another, so California is not going to fall into the ocean. However, in about 12 million years, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be adjacent to one another! (emphasis added).
Contributing source: USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) likewise has stated the following,
Will California eventually fall into the ocean?
No, California is not going to fall into the ocean. California is firmly planted on the top of the earth’s crust in a location where it spans two tectonic plates. The San Andreas Fault System, which crosses California from the Salton Sea in the south to Cape Mendocino in the north, is the boundary between the Pacific Plate (that includes the Pacific Ocean) and North American Plate (that includes North America). These two plates are moving horizontally, slowly sliding past one another. The Pacific Plate is moving northwest with respect to the North American Plate at approximately 46 millimeters per year (the rate your fingernails grow). The strike-slip earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault are a result of this plate motion. There is nowhere for California to fall, however, Los Angeles and San Francisco will one day be adjacent to one another! (emphasis added).
Did God ever reveal when L.A. would sink to William Branham?
William Branham specifically claimed that Los Angeles would be under the ocean before his son, Billy Paul, was an old man. This is evident from the following conversation he had with Billy Paul while outside May's Department Store in Los Angeles on one occasion,
“Billy, where are you standing?”
“Downtown Los Angeles,” Billy Paul replied.
“Where are you standing?”
“In front of the May Company, downtown Los Angeles,” replied Billy.
“Billy,” he said, “I may not be here, but you won’t be an old man until sharks will swim right where we are standing.”
—The Acts of the Prophet, Pearry Green, page 119.
Despite William Branham's prophecy that Los Angeles would be under the ocean before Billy Paul grew old, the prediction did not come true. Billy Paul lived to 88, and the prophecy failed to materialize during his lifetime.[1] In addition, May Company Department Stores closed in 2006, rendering it impossible for sharks to swim where they once stood.
Letter to Billy Paul Branham from former “message” pastor James Manuel inquiring if what William Branham told Billy Paul outside May's Department Store is true.[2]
Dear Billy Paul Branham, 1/28/17
I am James Manuel from Cape Town, South Africa. I came in contact with the message of Brother Branham in late 1972, and was baptised in the name of Jesus Christ according to Acts 2:38 early in 1973. Since then I enhanced and believed the End Time Message of Brother Branham with all my heart.
My wife, Crystal knew nothing else as she was only a young child when her parents accepted the message. My children were raised in the message and they knew nothing else.
I left the message in 2012 after a 5 year search for answers which never came. The only responses I got from everyone I communicated with, including Joseph Branham, was robotic in nature. In other words, I had to ignore what I saw, and accept the evident discrepancies in the words and/or message as truth by faith, because Brother Branham said so.
You are probably in the most favorable position to answer this question which bother me in no uncertain terms. I heard you tell the story of how you and your dad were standing in front of May's department store in downtown Los Angeles. You dad wanted to know from you where you were standing, and you replied, "Downtown LA", to which he replied, "be more specific". You said, "in front of May's Department Store", to which he replied, "Billy, I may be gone, but before you are an old man, sharks will swim where you stand."
Brother Billy, you are over 80 and definitely not a young man any longer. Do you still feel it will happen as you told us all those years? Or.....is it a story you invented to keep us loyal and expecting?
It is important for us to know because if it is the truth you told....it would mean Brother Branham gave a false prophecy. If it was not the truth, you have a responsibility to set the record straight.
I trust that you will get this letter, and that we shall see a response from you personally to put this prophecy/story to rest.
Thank you in advance for your favorable response.
God bless you.
Your brother in Christ,
James Manuel
Billy Paul Branham's response to James Manuel's 1/28/17 letter.[3]
From: Billy@Branham.org
I stand on exactly on what Brother Branham said, and it was not a story I made up and shame on you for thinking such a thing so I doubt you would believe me or not but I will witness to you just the same it is exactly what he said and I'm not an old man as yet, and won't be until that happens.
Bro. Billy
Footnotes:
[1] The obituary of Billy Paul Branham here establishes that he was, in fact, 88 years old when he died.
[2] James Manuel's 1/28/17 letter to Billy Paul Branham that he shared on his Facebook page, “William Branham-the message, then and now” can be viewed here.
[3] Billy Paul Branham's response to James Manuel's 1/28/17 letter (as sent to Curtis Walling on 1/29/17 on Facebook) can be viewed here.