Only believe the „Thus saith the Lord“
/ Ewald Frank
5. My testimony - In connection with William Branham
It was August 1955, when Bro. Branham came to Germany and Switzerland for meetings. What we were privileged to see here in Europe during those days was at least similar to that which is recorded in the Gospels and in the book of Acts. Truly, sinner repented of their sins under great conviction, the sick were healed visibly, and those who were bound were set free by the power of God. There was much rejoicing as a result of what we saw the Lord and do among His people. The blind received their sight, the cripples were made whole and all manners of miracles took place. It could be said that no one was able to do these works unless God was with him.
Right after the first service, it was my desire to meet this man of God; just to have few words with him. I had never seen him before and did not know anything about him or his ministry, but in my heart there was a deep love for this man of God from the very moment I saw him. I went to the hotel the next morning after that first Sunday night service. Before we shook hands, he pointed towards me, as I was standing at the reception- desk, and said, “You are a minister of the Gospel.” Then he turned to his left, where my wife was standing near the entrance and pointed at her, saying, “And this is your wife.” We then came towards each other and shook hands.
Never had I seen a man like this, he was so humble that I was thoroughly ashamed of my own lack of humility. After a short time of fellowship, we departed and he wished us God’s blessings. I left the place with tears in my eyes, thanking the Lord for His mercy and goodness. I knew right then and there, that Bro. Branham had an extraordinary ministry, but did not know of the special commission he was given by the angel of the Lord on May 7th, 1946. What I saw during all the days of the meetings was almost too wonderful to be true. It was like in Bible days again. The crowds were estimated to be between twelve and sixteen thousand people. This was a mighty visitation of God in Central Europe.
In the years that followed even a deeper desire was created in me to hear this man of God preach and see God-given authority that this man was speaking by, left a deep impression upon me. When he said to the blind, “Receive your sight in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ!”, that blind person was no longer blind. When he said to those crippled on stretchers, “You are healed by the power of God … Rise up in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth … Take your cot and go home!”, then it was so. The word of God spoken by this man never
returned void, but always accomplished what was said. Never have I seen, before or since, a man with such divine authority and with such vindication by the Lord.
In the year 1958, I attended the “Voice of Healing” convention in Dallas, Texas, because Rev. Gordon Lindsay had announced Bro. Branham as the main speaker. Here it was where the Lord opened my eyes to the special prophetic ministry of this man of God. It was not hard to see the difference between all the other evangelists and this prophet of God. There it was on the third day of the meetings, when I said, “Now I must know what this man teaches and what he believes, because I see God is with him.” The brethren Leo Mercier and Gene Gold, who were taping the sermons, gave me seven tapes to take with me. What I heard in those sermons was very new to me; many vital Bible subjects were dealt with. My heart was burning while listening to this man of God speak. To me, the Bible became a new Bible. Hereafter, I received all the tapes as they were preached in Jeffersonville, Ind., U.S.A. Great spiritual blessings were experienced by listening to the taped messages.
Then came the day I will not forget. It was April 2nd, 1962, when I heard the mighty and penetrating audible voice of the Lord. It was at the breaking of a very nice morning. The night was over and the sun was about to rise. As I was looking towards the window, the voice of the Lord came from up, but from the right, saying the following word, articulated precisely with overwhelming authority in the German language, “My servant, your time for this city will soon be over. I will send you to other cities to preach My Word.” I fell over to the left, because the voice came from the right. Only after some time I could very slowly raise myself up. Thereafter I was taken outside my body, standing in another dimension, also seeing my natural body. My arms were hanging at my side, with the palms open to where I was in the spiritual realm. I could watch myself open my mouth and hear my reply, “Lord, they will not hear me. They have everything in plenty and will not listen to me.” Just after a moment of silence the voice of the Lord spoke again the following word, “My servant, the time will come when they will hear you. Store in food …, for a great famine is coming. Then you will stand amidst the people and give out the food. Do not establish local churches and do not publish a song book, because it is a sign of denomination.” I testify that these words are the truth before God and man. I can even recall and repeat the tone and the exact way the Lord spoke. While hearing the voice, I noticed especially the authority. I knew that it was an absolute and final command. I thought, if that voice speaks again, the whole world would come to a stop. There were no emotions of rejoicing or jumping, but rather a reverence and awe in the presence of the Lord.
Certain things like vegetables and flour were named in connection with storing of the food. Therefore, I believed at first that it was meant in the natural. But in December of the same year, I reached the place, where I had to have an answer from the Lord regarding the meaning of my experience. I decided to fly to the United States and ask Bro. Branham about it. Arriving at the airport in Louisville, Kentucky, I called Bro. Branham. To my disappointment, Billy Paul answered the call and told me that Bro. Branham had left, and he didn’t know when he would return.
I was very discouraged, as this was a Saturday and I had hoped to meet Bro. Branham on the weekend. On that Sunday morning, I went to the Tabernacle in Jeffersonville for the service. Suddenly a brother gave a prophecy saying that I had not come in vain, but would meet the prophet and would be told the things that I needed to know. Oh, that lifted the burden from me! Pastor Neville called upon me to share a Word with the church. The next day, Bro. Branham returned and fetched me from the YMCA Hotel in Louisville with his own car. Two other brothers, Banks Wood and Fred Sothman, were sitting in the back seat while Bro. Branham was driving. We had dinner together and then approached the moments which mean so much to me. At the table the two brethren just mentioned were sitting opposite each other, and I was sitting opposite Bro. Branham.
Bro. Branham then was carrying on a conversation, mentioning the meetings in Germany and Switzerland and continued, until I got my chance to say just these words, “Bro. Branham, may I ask you something?” those were the only words I could speak, and Bro. Branham replied immediately, Bro. Frank, may I tell you what the Lord has spoken to you?” Many times I was a witness, when the supernatural gift was in operation in the ministry of Bro. Branham. But it was altogether different, when my turn came. Bro. Branham repeated what the Lord had said to me thousands of miles away, word for word in the precise order the Lord has spoken. I was so impressed and amazed by this supernatural gift that my speech failed me and I could only listen, as Brother Branham continued.
After he told me what the Lord had spoken to me, he continued and said, “Bro. Frank, the famine is not a natural famine, as you thought, and the food is not a natural food.” He said, “God will send a famine of hearing His Word, and the food you are to store in is the revealed Word of God for this hour, which is kept on the tapes.” He went on and said, “Wait with the giving-out of the food until you get the rest of the food that belongs with it” etc.
No one can express what such an experience can do to you. The same God, who had given revelations to the prophet Daniel, gave this revelation to Bro. Branham. At the time of this interview, I was not aware of the fact that Bro. Branham himself had been commissioned to put food in store, as he has mentioned on several occasions, even in the seventh seal message. After knowing what the commission of the Lord was, there were long years of waiting until my turn came. We were receiving all the tapes with that precious food and stored up as much as we could.
After Bro. Branham was taken to be with the Lord, it happened the day after the funeral that the words, “Wait till you get the rest of the food and then the time of the giving-out will be” came to my remembrance.
Right then I knew with absolute certainty what I had to do, according to the confirmed commission given to me. Right there in Jeffersonville an inner voice spoke, repeating the words, “now your time to give out the food has come.” At that stage I was not aware of the direct scriptural ministry, as being part of the plan of salvation. But God certainly did. According to Amos 8:11, He promised to send famine to hear the Words of the Lord. And in Mt. 24:45-47 our Lord spoke of the food to be given out in due season. From verse 36 the subject is the coming of the Son of man. Right now the fullness of the Word is revealed, therefore, we are giving out the full course of God’s prepared meal. Man again lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
It is not possible to go into detail on the matter, but the Lord, who had spoken, has also fulfilled to the letter what He said to me. The true Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, as it was revealed to the prophet of the Lord, our dearly beloved Bro. Branham, has become the fresh food to multitudes in Europe and throughout the world. He was commissioned to put the food in store. God was responsible to send a famine, I am under the charge to distribute the same. I am a personal witness of what has happened in 110 countries, and only eternity will reveal the impact and the results that this God-given message had on the true children of God in this generation world-wide.
In every way possible, we have given out the food. The sermons of Bro. Branham have been translated into many languages. We are pleased to be of service to you by the grace of God. It is ordained of the Almighty that you should be acquainted with what God presently does according to His promised Word in our generation. He is ready to bring His work with the bride church to completion. May we all have part in it.
Take your stand on the Word of God, as others have. God bless you. By His commission
Bro. Frank