Circular letter 12/2003
/ Ewald Frank
Limba: englezÄ
Alte limbi
4. God ’s decisions
God is free in His decisions.HE alone chooses His messengers.The call to service and a commission are solely His doing.Through the course of church history we know about very special men who in their day were sent to the church. In our time — whether it is received or rejected — His choice was indeed William Branham. Because of his divine calling he had the task to turn the hearts of those who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ back to the original faith of our fathers,to the original teachings and practices as we know them from apostolic times. On June 11 th, 1933, at about 2:00 p.m., similar to what Saul experienced at midday, he heard the voice from the supernatural cloud which came down like a brightly shining star, visible to over 4,000 people. At this baptismal service on the Ohio river he was told, “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, the message that is given you will be a forerunner of the second coming of Christ.” In at least 40 sermons Brother Branham repeated word for word the commission given to him. With special emphasis on the precise wording he repeated it at a ministers ’ meeting in 1959 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was simultaneously translated into the Spanish language. At that occasion he added the statement, „Not that I would be the forerunner,but the message was the forerunner!” The altered version — “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Jesus Christ, you are sent with a message to forerun the second coming.” does not coincide with the original wording of the commission. Whoever propagates it, perhaps does it with the intention to make people believe that with the ministry of Brother Branham the Work of God has come to its end. People neglect to see that the actual spreading of the message took place only after he went home.
All who are familiar with the end-time message accept Bro.Branham’s ministry for this last church age. To him it was given to reveal all the mysteries hidden in God’s Word from Gen.1 to the last chapter of the book of Revelation. It is all included:the fall — the original sin in the Garden of Eden — as well as the entire Plan of Salvation, also the teaching about the Godhead, Water Baptism, the LORD’S Supper, right to the Return of Christ. Not a single matter was excluded in his proclamation. But in his time the world only knew him as an evangelist, as a man of God with a special gift of healing as well as the gift of discernment and revelation. Only a few years before he went home, around the time of the opening of the seven seals, he was commissioned to store in the spiritual food. Not a single time did he say that he would be the one to also distribute that food. As with everything else, we also have to be careful and pay close attention to what exactly he said.
Also in my case, if I may be free to mention it, the ever true God gave me personally the commission by addressing me with His commanding, all- penetrating Voice. There is no need for me to repeat everything the LORD spoke at daybreak on April 2nd, 1962, as it is generally known. For Brother Branham to have confirmed this calling on December 3rd, 1962, in the presence of the brethren Woods and Sothmann, the exact way it happened, repeating word for word in precise order, makes me for ever grateful. I am also grateful for the three brethren who had it upon their hearts to fly to the USA to verify my experience with the two witnesses, Fred Sothmann and Banks Woods. It was our Brother Detlef Mehnert, Brother Di Prossimo from Belgium, and Brother Didier from Paris. Without knowing when the time would be, I was especially listening to Brother Branham’s sermons preached from 1963 to 1965, as all his sermons were being sent to me since 1958. At the same time I searched the Scriptures to see if all things coincided with them.
Never did the thought occur to me that Brother Branham would be taken home before the time for me would come. In the contrary, I just took it for granted that his ministry would continue for the preparation of the Bride Church, until her completion. Strange but true, during the watch-night service on December 31st, 1965, which was attended by 120 believers, suddenly a prophecy was given with the statement, “My servant, I have put My sword into your hand!” I just could not believe it, as I remembered that the sword, which is God’s Word, was placed into Brother Branham’s hand. Not until January 5th, 1966, did the news reach us that Brother Branham was taken to glory on December 24th, 1965, after being involved in a traffic accident just six days earlier.
When arriving for the funeral service at the cemetery in Jeffersonville at Easter time 1966, Rev. Pearry Green said, “Hi,Brother Frank, you know what we are here for?” My answer was, “Yes, because of Brother Branham’s burial.” He replied, “No,we expect the resurrection of the prophet!” After my arrival I was taken to the funeral home and was perhaps the last one to see the remains of the man of God before the coffin was finally closed. At the cemetery Rev. Pearry Green was singing with all the mourners, “Only believe, only believe …”, as it appeared he could not or would not stop singing. I only wept, I could not sing at all. I just did not understand what was going on. The conviction that Brother Branham was supposed to rise, I could not share. Of course, all who were present were very disappointed, because they were led into a false hope, and the burial had to take place. All who glorified William Branham instead of looking upon the LORD Jesus Christ were utterly disappointed. God permitted it, so His servant was taken home. HE shall never give His Glory to anyone, and only what is promised in His Word is in His Will and can come to pass.
At the evening of the same burial day, after arriving at my hotel room, despite my grief a heavenly peace and unspeakable joy filled my soul. This time it was not a loud voice, but nevertheless very clear words the Spirit of God spoke in my heart, “Now your time to give out the food has come!” These words repeated themselves several times. The next day I called the brethren for a meeting: Billy Paul Branham, Pearry Green, Roy Borders, Lee Vayle, Roy Roberson, and of course Banks Woods and Fred Sothmann. I was the one who suggested in this gathering that now the sermons of Brother Branham, which were only on tape, must be printed, so that we could use the printed version for translations into other languages. Brother Roy Borders was unanimously appointed for this task. In the following years I translated over 200 sermons into the German language and also saw to it that they were published in a number of other languages. I do two things, as I was commissioned: I preach the Word of God, going from city to city, and also give out the stored food, the way it is contained in the messages. Perhaps it should be pointed out once again, that the brethren in the USA expected the resurrection of the prophet. Utterly disappointed, every one, without exception, would have gone home and the world would have never heard about a message.