Only Eight People Saved

In cases when the Bible did not fully support William Branham's theology, rather than adjust his theology, Branham frequently chose to adjust the Bible.  Either by adding words to the Bible, taking words away, or mixing the words from different passages with different meanings, Branham invented new "verses" with meanings that suited his stage persona.  Such is the case with his invented Bible verse, "As it was in the days of Noah wherein eight souls shall be saved, so also shall it be at the coming of the son of man".  

In the fall of 1957 as William Branham began to enter the isolationist phase of his destructive cult, Branham slowly began to introduce this new verse.  He began this transition by comparing the Second Coming of Christ to the Great Flood, calling special attention[1] to the fact that only eight people were in the Ark of Noah from Genesis 7 in the Old Testament.  On some occasions, after leading his listeners to this conclusion, Braham claimed that he did not know how many people would be saved.[2] As early as 1961[3] however, Branham began claiming that the Bible stated that only eight souls would be saved at the Second Coming of Christ, and strategically worded the titles of his sermons to fit this agenda.[4]

Just when the revival's going, and the Spirit of God is moving, God is moving with the people, then when He gets that crop out, weeded out, that's it. That's for that generation. Remember, He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, wherein eight souls were saved, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." See? Each generation will just produce so many. And that's the way you see it today. Everywhere it's just a dying away, a falling away. sin is collapsing in everything.
Branham, William. 1962, Jun 28. A Greater Than Solomon Is Here. 

This new verse was the result of combining two passages from the Bible, one from Matthew 24 and one from I Peter 3.  Both had significantly different contextual meanings. The first, Matthew 24, is describing the sudden coming of Christ that will catch many unaware.  The contextual meaning of the passage is found in the previous sentence, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man".

Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

The second, 1 Peter chapter 3, describes God's patience and faithfulness to protect even a small number of people.  The contextual meaning of the passage is also found in the first sentence, "when once the longsuffering [patience] of God waited in the days of Noah"

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.