William Branham: A Man Sent From God?
William Branham’s 1950 biography A Man Sent From God was crafted to rebrand his persona as a “Moses-like” divine healer, standardizing a May 1946 angelic visitation as the moment he received a special healing gift and portraying his Jeffersonville church as wholeheartedly supportive. This version conflicts with earlier and later stories in which Branham claimed angelic encounters from childhood, described receiving his gift by a vision instead, and later even revised the book with extra supernatural elements like a “Pillar of Fire,” exposing major discrepancies in his “life story.”
William Branham's "Life Story" was published and sold in 1950 in a book entitled "A Man Sent From God" as an attempt to rebrand his stage persona and "divine healer" back story, advertising the "Moses" version of his stage persona[1] and to introducing the alleged "angelic visitation" story.[2] According to this version of the stage persona, Branham's first alleged angelic visitation was in May of 1946, at which time he was given an alleged "gift of divine healing".[3] In previous versions of his stage persona, such as the one described in the 1945 publication, "I Was Not Disobedient to the Heavenly Vision", Branham received his alleged "gift of divine healing" by a vision and had a largely popular healing ministry.[4] Other versions of his stage persona — even shortly after A Man Sent From God was published — claimed that he had encountered "angels" all his life.[5]
As a boy, I had a very peculiar thing happen as a little lad. I was called one day after school, about seven years old, by an Angel, which told me never to drink, or to smoke, or to defile my body."
- Branham, William. 1952, July 20. Life Story (52-0720A).
All these things came to their climax when in may of 1946 {...} During this first of many visitations, the Angel conversed with Brother Branham for about half an hour, explaining the ministry.
- Lindsay, Gordon. 1950. A Man Sent From God.[6]
According to the "A Man Sent From God" version of his "Life Story", another angelic visitation occurred in 1955[7] to further empower Branham with what was advertised as the "climax" of his ministry, which combined with Branham's sermons, included a symbolic link to the Nation of Israel.[8] Though the 1945 "I Was Not Disobedient" tract admitted that the congregation at the Branham Tabernacle would "no longer eat the bread of life anymore",[9] this new version of his stage persona as depicted in "A Man Sent From God" painted the picture of a church body that accepted his ministry.
Beginning Again With A Fresh Anointing
After the visitation of the angel, Brother Branham returned to his home with a Fresh Anointing upon his life and ministry. The Angel, by showing him the Scriptures, answered his questions and dissolved his doubts. He knew now that this was a Scriptural Ministry, fulfilling endtime prophecy.
On Sunday evening he spoke in his tabernacle at Jeffersonville and told the Saints of the coming of the Angel and his commission. The people of his church believed in him and loved him. It is to them we go at this time for the continuation of our story of the course of events which were now unfolding rapidly and would soon plummet Brother Branham onto the stage of a national and international ministry.[10]
After the death of Ella Branham, William Branham's mother, the text of A Man Sent From God was altered to include additional details supporting the "Moses" stage persona. A "Pillar of Fire", for example, was added to the chapter describing William Branham's "peculiar birth", and the chapter itself had several additions.
The young mother and father watched in astonishment as the Pillar of Fire came into the little cabin, moved across the room and stopped directly over the sleeping child. Little did the mother know that this little five pound infant would be used of Almighty God to deliver His people from sickness and bondage.
- A Man Sent From God. Revised Version.[11]
Interestingly, a few years after Branham's "A Man Sent From God" was published, Robert L. Sumner published a book by the same name describing the ministry of Rev. John R. Rice.[12] Rice was an evangelist from Texas who preached several doctrines that Branham would claim to be "divine truths" that were "revealed to him" in his ministry.
Peculiar Birth and Childhood - A Man Sent From God (Modified Version)
Peculiar Birth and Childhood - A Man Sent From God (Original 1950 Version)
