In late August, we were driving my daughter, Rebekah, up to start her Freshman year of college. It was about a six hour drive from our home to the San Fransisco/Oakland area north of us. About halfway up on the highway, the Holy Spirit came upon me like Ezekiel talks about as “the hand of the Lord”. I have learned from experience that this was important, so I waited on the Lord. I felt like a heavy weight of God’s hand was on my whole body. I was encouraging my daughter about the coming year and went over into the spirit of prophecy. For the next half an hour, I prophecied over her and a cloud of glory filled our car. Then, suddenly, right in the middle of this, I found myself in a small fishing boat in the middle of the most beautiful mountain lake that I had ever seen! It looked like I was up in the Swiss Alps, with huge mountain peaks surrounding us covered with snow. It was so breathtaking, I just sat in amazement. It seemed like everything was in super hi definition. It was perfect! I just sat in astonishment and looked around. I was still aware that we were driving, but this was like being “inside” of an Imax movie. I new that this must be a part of heaven. Suddenly, I heard a voice that interrupted my reverie,
“Hey Maury, you want to catch some fish?”
I turned to see where the voice was coming from, and saw a funny looking man with a hat on that was covered with fishing lures that were stuck in it all around. He looked so happy sitting in the boat next to me as he cast his line way out into the lake.
He said, “This is my favorite lake for fishing. I always catch the big ones out here.” Then he reached down and found a rod a reel and gave it to me. “I wanted to invite you to go with me today. Cast it out! Maybe you’ll catch a big one too.”
I said, “Ok. Thank you. Who are you?” I cast out my line and was amazed out how it went right where I wanted it to go without even trying.
“My name is Billy. Billy Branham.” I said, “you are?! Do you mean William Branham?”
He said, “Yep.” Then his rod suddenly bent violently forward as a fish hit his line. “Allrighteeeeeee!!!!!!!!! I think I got me a BIG one this time!!!!!” He began to fight that fish as he reeled it in. He seemed to be so delighted that I just stared at him as he pulled a huge bass out of the lake and it flopped in the boat.
“I got to send ya back, big fisheeeee!!!”, he cried. Then he looked at me and said, “Maureee, I don’t like to kill the fisheees, even though I could eat them. I just love to catch them, though.” I could hear that he had a little southern accent. It was like watching a kid having the time of his life.
Then he said, “The Lord wanted me to give you a message. It’s time!!! It’s time for the fullness of my message to come forth. Maury, you’re more than just a fiddle player. You have been ordained to help me carry and complete my message.”
I said, “What message?”
He said, “The message that God gave to me. You know, not everything I said and taught was right. But, by God’s grace, there was entrusted to me a message concerning the times that you are now coming into in the earth. There’s a great revival, coming, don’t you know? They were trying to turn the worship to me, and God wouldn’t allow it, so I had to go home. But there are 25 of my sermons that contain my MESSAGE.” When he said that last word, he seemed to shout it so loud that it echoed back and forth between the mountains on each side of the lake.
Then he cast laughed really heartily, and cast his line out again. I said, “Brother Branham -” and he shouted back, “My name is BILLLEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” There was that echo again, even louder this time. “Call me BILLY”. I replied rather sheepishly, “Ok. Billy…”
“Now, I want you, Maury, to listen to those 25 tapes of mine and learn my message. Will ya do that?!!” He said it kind of rough, like I didn’t have to if I didn’t want to. But I knew it was right, so I said, “Yes, Billy. What are they and where are they?” Then he said, “AW! That’s easy, just talk to Stevey. He knows. He’ll give them too you.” Then he suddenly turned and looked right at me so intensely and said, “It’s time for the coming of Elijah to the earth. But it isn’t just one man….There are going to be a thousand of them at first, and then 12,000 for the Grand Finale. All heaven is waiting for the GRAND FINALEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will began after the Jewish New Year, just two weeks from now. Will you take this mantle? I said, “Yes, sir…if it is God’s will.”
“Son, you’ve drank the cup of suffering for the past seven years. You have qualified before the Almighty. Now you shall see that God is a miracle working God in the earth. He’s not DEAD….He’s ALLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The whole mountain lake seemed to just reverberate for several minutes with that last shout.
Then the vision ended. It was now dark and we arrived at Rebekah’s dorm room and moved her in shortly thereafter.