What is happening in this picture?
This is William Branham, and this picture was taken on January 24, 1950, at Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas. This image, captured by photographer James Ayers during a revival meeting, shows a visible light or "halo" over William Branham’s head. This photograph has become one of the most well-known and frequently referenced images associated with his ministry.
This light was speculated to be a glare or simply a light on the stage, but those around William Branham said they felt the presence of the Lord that night so strongly that they knew that couldn't be a lens glare but the Pillar of Fire itself. Naturally this caused a lot of speculation and arguing on whether it was a glimpse of the supernatural or just a lens glare. The photo was taken to George J. Lacy, a professional examiner of questioned documents and the head of the FBI fingerprinting department at that time, and was asked to authenticate the photograph. After analyzing the negative, Lacy concluded that the light was not the result of a photographic error or light hitting the lens but was indeed present when the photograph was taken. In his report, he stated that the negative had not been tampered with and that the light source was genuine and unexplainable by natural means.
His findings verified the integrity of the negative but did not offer a scientific explanation for the light itself. So if it was actual light present over William Branham's head, is this the Pillar of fire?
Let's step back for a moment.
Throughout history, God has always sent a timely message to guide His people, often delivered through prophets who were chosen to speak His Word for their generation. Just as Noah, Moses, and Paul each carried specific messages for their time, today we are called to walk in the light of God's present truth. Scripturally we believe we are living in the "last days" as prophesied in the Bible. So understanding what God is doing today, and what His message for this time, is crucial. While some have looked to men as prophets, as seen in denominations like Mormonism and others, our focus should be on the Word of God itself. Just because someone says they are a prophet or someone else says that a person is a prophet isn't reason enough to believe that. It must be a scripturally vindicated "Message". Examining the life and ministry of William Branham and looking for a vindicated prophet will leave you with questions upon questions, we must look at what the Message is and look for a scripturally vindicated Message.
The Bible gives us clear evidence that God will send a prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, before the spirit of Elijah and Moses come in Revelations chapter eleven. This is prophesied in the Old Testament, specifically in the book of Malachi:
John the Baptist partially fulfilled Malachi 4:5-6 by coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17) to prepare the way for Jesus' first coming, turning the hearts of the fathers to the children. However, the prophecy also speaks of a future fulfillment before the "great and dreadful day of the Lord" (Malachi 4:5), which did not occur during John’s ministry. The second part was not fulfilled by Jesus either because this second part is to happen before the great and dreadful day of the Lord which is at the end times. This final fulfillment is expected at the end times, when the full turning of the hearts will occur before God's final judgment as described in Revelation 11.
The spirit of Elijah appears multiple times throughout scripture: first in 1 Kings 18, where Elijah calls Israel back to God during a time of idolatry; then in 2 Kings 2:9-15, where Elisha receives a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Lastly, in the New Testament, Luke 1:17 shows John the Baptist coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" to prepare the way for Christ’s first coming, fulfilling part of the prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6. In total, the Bible speaks of the spirit of Elijah coming five times throughout history.
This prophecy in Malachi reveals that, just as the spirit of Elijah was sent in times of crisis in Israel’s history, there would be another “Elijah” figure who would come before the final judgment. This messenger’s purpose is to call people back to the Word of God, turning their hearts toward the faith of the early fathers (the apostles), and restoring them to their rightful relationship with God.
The New Testament contains several warnings and indicators that we are living in the final stages of human history—the "last days." The apostle Paul speaks about this in multiple passages:
Paul outlines the moral and spiritual decline that would characterize the last days, and we can see many of these traits prevalent in today’s world.
Here, the Bible confirms that we have been in the "last days" since the time of Christ, indicating that the culmination of human history and God’s plan is imminent.
William Branham was born in 1909 and became widely known in the mid-20th century as a preacher and healer who drew multitudes to his meetings. What made William Branham stand out was his discernment (This video shows the difference between his ministry and other preachers of the time). These miracles were not like other fanatics and theatrics, but genuine touches from the Lord. My Grandfather sat next to a man healed in one of these meetings from lung cancer, something he knew was not theatrics, but a genuine miracle. The other defining feature of his ministry was his firm stance on sticking to the Word of God, avoiding denominational influence. Unlike other ministries that often associated with denomination or the other, or built new sects or churches, William Branham’s ministry emphasized returning to the pure, unadulterated teachings of Scripture.
His healing ministry was extraordinary—thousands of miraculous healings were documented at his meetings, and many were drawn to him because of the supernatural signs that accompanied his ministry.
Many believed that William Branham’s healing ministry was a direct fulfillment of this verse. The "healing in his wings" was symbolic of the supernatural gifts that God used through Branham to draw people to Christ.
Now we come back to the picture above. William Branham’s "Message" was not about creating a new denomination or fostering divisions among believers. His purpose was to point people directly to Christ and His Word, avoiding the man-made traditions that often creep into religion and fractures the church. Like the prophetic spirit of Elijah, William Branham called people away from religious formalism and back to the simplicity of the Gospel and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
This verse is often interpreted as the eagles (true believers) gathering around the carcass (the Word of God). In Branham’s ministry, he emphasized that believers must come face to face with Christ through His Word, not through human systems or denominations. His call was to gather around the “carcass,” the revealed Word for this hour.
William Branham constantly pointed people, not to himself, but to the fact that Christ is the Word, and only through the Word and the Holy Spirit could people truly come into fellowship with God. He believed that the bride of Christ (the true church) would be gathered not around any particular organization, but around the living Word of God as revealed through the Scriptures.
Those who surrounded William Branham in the 1960's believed that he was the fulfillment of the messenger prophesied in Malachi 4:5-6 and Revelation 10:7. His message was to bring believers back to the Word, warning them of the dangers of denominationalism and man-made doctrines. He taught that the true Church of God is not found in organizations or buildings but in individuals who are filled with the Holy Spirit and who live by the Word.
William Branham taught Christians not to follow a man or a system, but to look for the unveiling of the Word in our day. As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:5 (KJV), where Peter speaks of a mystery to be revealed in the last times: "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
His ministry was this exact message of restoration to Christ. He did not bring reformation, but restoration between the believer and Christ and His Word. His message revealed the final mysteries of God and preparing the Bride of Christ for the rapture. His teachings focused on the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit and aligning oneself with the Word of God in preparation for the second coming of Christ.
At the end of the day, we walk in the light as He (Christ) is in the Light. We aren’t following a man—we’re following Christ and His Word. It’s not about denominations, traditions, or systems of belief that have developed over the centuries. It’s about what Christ Himself said and what He’s doing today.
We look at Scripture, we look at the life of William Branham, and we look at the message he delivered—and we call it for what it is. We don’t want to be like those who were outside Noah’s ark when the rain started when their eyes were opened but it was to late, or those who saw Jesus but turned away because they were listening to the Pharisees. We want to recognize what God is doing right now and follow His voice.
This isn’t about putting William Branham on a pedestal—it’s about hearing God’s call through him, just as He used other prophets throughout history. God used William Branham to speak to this generation, calling His Bride—you—back to the pure Word of God. He wasn’t pointing people to a denomination or an organization but to Christ Himself.
Scripture tells us to follow His voice and His Word for our day:
Let’s stay focused on walking in the light of God’s Word, hearing His voice for this hour and following Him. Christ is calling His Bride in these last days, and it’s not about a man—it’s about the message of Christ, the Word, being revealed in this time. In a day and age filled with countless fakes and alleged supernatural signs, you have to make the call. Just as the pillar of fire appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus and over the disciples on the day of Pentecost, was that the same pillar of fire over William Branham’s head?
If you would like to learn more about William Branham and the Message he brought, please reach out to us.
William Branham, 64-0719E Going Beyond The Camp, "More and more I am made to believe that people are not getting to Christ. Now, I am here to try to help in every way that I can and make my statements as clear as I know how to make them. And you suffer with me if you will. As I look and preach across the nation and watch the people, I'm fully persuaded that the people are not getting to Christ. And I believe that it's the enemy that's throwed this hindrance, because the reason I believe this, He is not the object that they have been pointed to. They have either been pointed to a dogma, or a doctrine, or a party, or experience, or a sensation, or something like that instead of being pointed to Christ the Word. That's why I think that people are resting their eternal destination upon some dogma or some sensation, like some say, "I danced in the Spirit!" "I spoke with tongues!" "I felt fire run over me!" And do you know, all those things can be impersonated by the devil? There's just one thing that he cannot impersonate; that's the Word!"
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