Because he did not own a tent of his own, he had to rent them like many of the other evangelists. However, it was his desire and hope to ultimately own one, as is evident by these statements of his,

 

“We are really expecting someday for God to give us a tent or something that we can have services in.” “Accept God's Gift” (53-0219).
 

“I been thinking recently about maybe having a--starting buying me a tent, a good size tent...” “What Is That In Your Hand” (55-1120).
 

On January 1, 1956, William Branham claimed that God showed him the following “vision” of himself in a “great huge tent”,

 

“Then He taken me from there, and I seen a great huge tent. I never seen such a--a tent. And it was packed and lined everywhere with people. And I walked out to the... Looked like I was standing above the people, looking down, where I'd just made an altar call; and hundreds and hundreds of people were weeping and rejoicing after they had accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.

And I looked, and then heard a man get up and say, "Call the prayer line." And people begin to line up over on this side, the left from where I was looking down towards the platform, and they lined all the way up and down the street for a prayer line. I noticed to my left, which would've been to my right if I was on the platform, a little wooden building. And I seen that Light, that all--they have the picture of, you know, that's always in the meetings; I seen that Light leave me, and go to that building, and go in that building; and a Voice said to me, "I'll meet you in there; that'll be the third pull."

I said, "Why?"

He said, "Well, it won't be a public show like the other." And I came to.” “Why Are People So Tossed About” (56-0101).

 

William Branham apparently believed that the “vision” could be fulfilled if he borrowed $100,000 to buy a large tent, as is evident from these statements he made a few weeks later on February 13, 1956,

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“And now, turning right back around, after owing, being in debt now fifteen thousand dollars in California, I'm borrowing a hundred thousand dollars to go with this tent. That means that I'm–I'm–I believe what I'm talking about. Yes, sir. It's from the Lord; it's from the Lord.” “Hidden Life With Christ” (56-0213).

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Notwithstanding his clear intent to purchase the tent with a $100,000 loan, he led people to believe that it was rather the Lord who was going to give him the tent by stating the following on April 3, 1956, 

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“One of these days I want to pitch that tent the Lord's going to give me, right outside of this side of Chicago... those things are not mythical. In contact with the Holy Spirit...when I come under His anointing, and He takes me away and shows me things, I just got perfect confidence that it's just exactly right, 'cause it's never failed. And He will never say one thing outside what's written in this Bible. That's right. You watch it. Through the years, He's never said one thing at any time, unless it was absolutely Scripturally based on the Bible, THUS SAITH THE LORD.” “Shepherd of the Sheepfold” (56-0403).

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In the eight years that followed, William Branham still had not received a “tent from the Lord.” During that period, he made the below statements that not only contradict his assertion that the Lord was “going to give” him a tent, but demonstrate that he actually did not have prophetic insight and ever know that the Lord would give him one, 

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“I'm going to try to get me a tent or something...” “The Queen of Sheba” (58-0503).

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“And then some time ago I was in a vision, and I saw a large tent. Oh, it was a mammoth, big affair. . . .But now, I don't say that He told me it would take place. Where I've seen in the vision, was in a tent.” “Lifting Him Up Out of History” (58-1001).

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“And some of these days, the Lord willing, I'm going to get a big tent...” “What It Takes To Overcome All Unbelief: Our Faith” (60-0729).

“I'll come back someday, the Lord willing. I'd like to bring a tent and set it up out here somewhere...” “Why?” (61-0125).

“Someday I hope to get a tent that I've been wanting to get for so long.” “From That Time” (62-0713).

“I would like to have a time if God permits before the end time, when I could set up a tent...” “A Testimony On The Sea” (62-0720).

“I've asked the Lord, if it be His will, let me get a tent, set it up, and we don't have to rent anything.” “The Voice of the Sign” (64-0214).

 

William Branham died on December 24, 1965 without ever first getting a “great, huge tent” from the Lord. As such, his “prophetic vision” failed despite his claims above and below that none of his visions has ever failed,

 

“But when you speak, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD,' it's not you. Watch on the platform. Have you ever seen it fail? THUS SAITH THE LORD is perfect, never has failed. And as long as it is THUS SAITH THE LORD, it can't fail.” “Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir?” (62-1230E).

“A vision has never failed. Now I'm going to tell you, Jean, it's THUS SAITH THE LORD! See?” “The Evening Messenger” (63-0116).

 

“Now, I'm an old man now, and I've--I have never one time, and can call the world to a--to a standstill, and ask them, 'Put your finger on one thing that He ever told me as THUS SAITH THE LORD, in the Name of the Lord, but what was absolutely the truth and fact, and come to pass,' out of the thousands times thousands of things.” “Spirit of Truth” (63-0118).

 

“And I remember I went there in Arizona and everything; I was trying my best to... scared to death. I went to Phoenix meeting. And you remember I preached the sermon, "Sirs, What Time Is It?" You remember that? I said that I seen that, I said, "Before it comes to pass, remember, THUS SAITH THE LORD, something's going to happen." You've probably got the tapes in your library of tape now. And there I said, "You remember now the visions that never fails. Something's going to happen. Remember.” 

“Trying to Do God a Service Without Being the Will of God” (65-1127B).

 

“Now, those things are not mythical. In contact with the Holy Spirit, I'm an illiterate person. That's true. There's nothing to me. But when I come under His anointing, and He takes me away and shows me things, I just got perfect confidence that it's just exactly right, 'cause it's never failed. And He will never say one thing outside what's written in this Bible. That's right. You watch it. Through the years, He's never said one thing at any time, unless it was absolutely Scripturally based on the Bible, THUS SAITH THE LORD.” “Shepherd of the Sheepfold” (56-040).

 

“Many, many years before it happened perfectly on the dot... And it's never failed, and it won't fail, because it's THUS SAITH THE LORD. And it's not contrary to these Bible. It's got to be.” “Once More” (63-1117).

 

“I prayed for a woman at the platform who had a horrible stomach disorder and could not eat nothing. And the Holy Spirit told her, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD ...' You have your record here, if you want to see what He says. Said, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, you're healed of that stomach trouble.'

When you hear that come forth, brother, I lay my life right there, it's going to be just that way. I'm forty-five years old, seen visions since I was a baby, and have never seen one time or challenge anybody to mention one time that it never spoke in that way, that it did not come to pass just exactly the way He said it. That's right. Just ask anywhere; take any recordings you want to and find out. When you hear Him speak out like that, it's not exactly exactly that way. “Divine Healing” (54-0620E).

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