What is the Third Pull ?

In 1956 Brother Branham described a vision, he had, where the Angel of the Lord was showing him how to fish. This represented three phases of his ministry - he called them "pulls", like you would do while fishing. The first pull was a sign in his hand, the pattern of "bumps" indicated the disease a person had. The second pull was the revealing of the secrets of the heart. This was never wrong. The third pull, (which catches the big fish), is the opening of the Word, the Seven Seals, and the revealing of the Mysteries, lost since the first century.

We have included the text of the vision he relates, as well as the link to the complete message.

See also The Third Pull. (PDF)

Our Part in the vision.

There is an interesting account in the Scriptures in 1 Kings 19:15-16 where The Lord speaks to Elijah and gives him three things to do.

1. Anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

2. Anoint Jehu to be king over Israel.

3. Anoint Elisha to be prophet of God.

In verses 19-21 of that chapter we see Elijah anointing Elisha. Then in 2 Kings 2 we see the "death" (catching away) of Elijah. It seems that Elijah didn't do the other two things.

In 2 Kings 8, we find that Elisha anoints Hazael to be king over Syria. In 2 Kings 9, Elisha calls one of the children of the prophets - and has him go and anoint Jehu to be king over Israel.

The mystery is that God gave the commands to Elijah, but they were carried out by Elijah, Elisha, and a believer. But God attributes these things to the spirit of Elijah.

In the same way the Elijah of this day was told things and it appears that they have not been fulfilled, and he has left the scene, but the Elijah spirit in believers is able to carry out and bring to pass the "Word of the Lord".

Thanks to Pastor A. Ruegg, Tauranga. for this enlightening section.

Third Pull Vision.

51 Now, you mark this down. Watch it come to pass. See? And as I --I started to reach down, I was gone again. Then when I come to, I was standing by the side of a beautiful lake, something like your lake out here in the summertime, when it's real pretty and green. And there were fishermen all around the lake, and they were fishing, but they were catching small fishes.And I looked out into the lake and those great beautiful Rainbow trout out there, and I said, "I know this is a vision, but I can't understand those trout." But I said, "You know, I believe right down in my heart, I can catch those." So I picked up the string, but instead of it being a string, it was a fishing pole; and just then, the one behind me said, "Now, I'll teach you to fish, how to catch those."

52 And so He took... And He said, "Tie on the lure," and I snapped the lure on. He said, "Now, throw way out (Now, listen close.)--way out into the deep." He said, "When you do, now, let the lure sink down first," and then said, "Pull it slow." Now, that's really a fisherman's technique.So I... He said, "Then when you do, now, you'll feel some nibbles at it, but don't tell nobody what you're doing. Keep it to yourself." And said, "Then when you--when you feel it nibble again," said, "pull it just a little--a little bit, but not too hard." He said, "And then it'll pull away from the little fish, and when they scatter, that'll attract the attention of the big fish, and they'll grab it." And said, "That's the way you'll catch it." And He said, "Then when they bite on the third time, set your hook for the--the catch. I said, "I understand." Said, "But keep still. Don't tell nobody. Keep still." And I said, "All right."

53 And I had the lure in my hand, and all these fishermen turned out to be ministers, and they all come around saying, "Brother Branham, I know you can catch fish." Oh, of course, that made me feel real good; I said, "Oh, yes, I'm a fisherman; I can catch fish." And He said... I said, "Now, here's the way you do it. And I said, "You throw it way out," and I went way out into the--to the deep water, and I said, "Now, those little fish are fine, brethren, but we want the big ones too." And I was--I said, "You see, when it sinks down... Now, see,, there it is; just about where it should be. Now, see, there's--see, there them's little fish." I said, "Now, when it's stretched again, I give it a great big jerk." And when I did, I pulled the whole lure out of the water. And when I did, I caught a fish, but I wondered how he ever got the lure in his mouth, 'cause it looked like the skin was stretch over the lure, about the same size as the lure.And I thought, "Oh, my."

54 And just then, this One Who'd been talking behind me, stepped around in front of me. It was Him, the Angel of the Lord. He had His hands folded. He looked at me, said, "Just what I told you not to do."I said, "Yes, that's right." He said, "You see, that first pull was when you used to put your hands on the people and tell them what was their trouble." Said, "The second pull was when you'd know the secrets of the heart like I told you." And said, "Instead of you keeping that to yourself, you tried to explain all about it and tell people, and when you did," said, "you didn't know nothing about it yourself, and how could you explain it? And you caused a big bunch of carnal impersonations to rise up, and you see what you've done." And I said, "Lord, I'm sorry." And I--I said, "Oh, I--I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do."

55 And I was pulling the line like this, and I was trying to straighten my line out; and He looked at me; He said, "Now, don't get your line tangled up in these kind of times."I thought, "Maybe He's going give me another try." And I was--I said, "I'll sure be careful," and was winding my line in, and seen it taken up all right; and then when He said that, just then I felt myself go higher, way up. And when I was set down, then I was beneath and standing up above a great tent; I never seen such a tent. And I'd just made an altar call, seeming like, down at the altar; and when I was down there, I looked, and there were hundreds of people standing around the altar weeping because they had accepted the Lord Jesus. And they were just weeping out loud. And I said, "Oh, that's more like it," like that.

56 And a real kind gentleman walked out to the platform, said, "While Brother Branham is resting just a few moments," he said, "we'll call the prayer line." And he said, "Everyone with prayer cards beginning with a certain number, stand over on to the right."Well, I noticed the prayer line, seemed like it went all around the tent and out and down the street, such a prayer line. I looked over... Which was then to my left, and there it would be to my right if I was standing on the platform, it would be that way. There's a piece of canvas stretched there, and in that--behind this canvas was a little square building about twelve foot across and twenty foot long, something like that. Well, I stood and looked at that.

57 And I seen them bringing a lady upon a stretcher, and there was a lady there taking her name and things with a--on a--on a paper. And so, there was a-- someone come and got her and pushed her through. And the next man came through was with crutches. I see them go through that little building, and on the outside the lady come out screaming to the top of her voice, pushing this stretcher. And then--then there was another lady on the other side, looked like kind of a dark-haired woman, and she said, "What happened?"She said, "I just don't know. I couldn't tell you what happened." She said, "I've been paralyzed for twenty years, and looky. I--I feel like I never was sick." And just then out come the man, leaping and jumping with his--with his crutches in his hand. And I--I looked at that.

58 And just then... Now, here's something. Notice close. There's a difference between the Angel of the Lord and that Light, because I heard something a moving, as it does when it comes at the platform at night, kinda like a--[Brother Branham makes a sound "whew"--Ed.] and like a fire whipping around--licking blaze. And It left me, and it went right down over the top of that audience and went and stood over the top of that little building, then settled down on top of it. And then when it did, this One that was standing by me, behind me, the same voice, the Angel's voice, He said, "I'll meet you in there, and this is the third pull, but nobody will know nothing about it."And I said, "Well, I don't understand why in there. Why there?" He said, "It will not be a public show this time." I said, "I don't understand going into that closet, like that." And He said, "Is not it written by our Lord, when thou prayest, be not like the hypocrites who like to be heard before men, but enter into a secret closet and pray to the Father Who seeth in secret, and He Who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly?" It's perfectly to the Scripture; every time it is. And I said, "I understand." Then He took me to this place and set me down in this room where I was at, and then He told me what to do for the third time.

From 56-0408A What is a Vision.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:1-4