South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA

By

Margaret Kilner



AFRICA is one of the largest continents in the world. It is divided into many states, and the boundaries of these are often defined by rivers. For instance the Zambesi River which is approximately 15 degrees south of the equator and other rivers in that area, have their source in ancient Ethiopia. This brings us to the regions of Rhodesia (now named Zimbabwe) and South Africa. Smaller protectorates are also in that region, bordering the two major lands named.




The southern tip of the continent (South Africa) is a country of contrasts and complexities. Its terrain contains mountains and valleys, gorges and waterfalls, bushland and deserts, wild coast-lines and sand dunes sheltering beautiful beaches. It would be impossible to single out any one area as the most beautiful but several are portrayed in travel guides to this quite amazing continent. At the southern most point the Cape Peninsular has a back drop of mountains, the better known being Table Mountain with Lion's Head, Signal Hill, and the Twelve Apostles alongside. Along the coast-line 'families' of whales can be observed as they make their way North to fresh breeding grounds. A worthwhile trip along the Garden Route towards East London and Port Elizabeth affords the traveller opportunities to soak in further contrasting scenery of land and seascapes. Arriving in Durban the visitor is swept into a hive of activity both in the city and along the coast. Bathing, boating, seal watching, dolphins dancing, fishing and many other water sports can be indulged. Both the South and North coasts have much to offer.

Leaving the coast-line to travel North agriculture, industry, including mining for gold and diamonds, and there are areas rich in metals and minerals. Game Reserves and Conservation areas are popular for holiday makers with excellent accommodation provided.

The architecture generally in South Africa portrays much of the Dutch culture, with gabled houses. Most dwellings have well laid out gardens and fruit trees add to the beauty in the spring rnonths and following on with summer fruits.

The first settlers in South Africa were the Hotentots and Bushman. Not much can be said about these people who are no longer in existence at least in the areas of our study, but their brief history can be traced through art works discovered in caves.

When the pioneers disembarked in South Africa the land was uninhabited. These people had arrived from Europe and the United Kingdom - they were law abiding people generally of the Protestant Faith and upheld Christian ethics as they settled into this unknown land. At the same time the Bantu-negroid people began to invade from northern states. It must be said therefore that there are no indigenous peoples among these inhabitants. These tribal people even in those early days came to 'claim their land'. Some of them did become labourers in the developments which evolved and they were treated reasonably well although due to their arrogance, firey disposition and warrior-like ways, trouble ensued between the white settlers and black invaders.

Every child was taught the history of The Great Trek (1836) which was a massive movement of people, many travelling in ox-carts, at times, over some extremely difficult terrain.These people opened up vast areas of uninhabited land which became part of an extensive development programme. A rich and prosperous country soon emerged.

At that that time South Africa was governed by one party and law and order was evident. As the country grew it divided into four provinces Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. Each had their own government. When a Union was later formed it brought the provinces together but maintaining the original names. For a long time there were only two major political parties. The United Party which was made up of mainly English speaking people, and the National Party of Afrikaans speaking people. The language of Afrikaans is based on a mixture of Dutch, German and English. Most South Africans are bilingual (that is changing to 'trilingual' at present).

The United Party had a long and prosperous term of office. In some respects they were more tolerant of the black people and gave them employment in the domestic field particularly. Their opposite number disliked the black people and kept them in a very low rating.

Having a considerable number of different Bantu tribes together often led to faction fights in the township areas allotted to them, and on occasion it would overflow into the towns. There was rioting and devastating demonstrations. These townships provided by the Government provided homes for the black workers who commuted to the cities for work. The houses were basic and originally had no piped running water, inadequate sanitation and little electricity. When these facilities were upgraded some of the primitive black people not understanding the use of mod cons seemed to prefer their original way of life.

One cannot deal with this subject without mention of Nelson Mandela. He was an active member of the African National Congress. He was tried and sentenced for treasonable offences as were other senior members of that party. They were incarcerated on Robben Island a few kilometres off the coast of Cape Town. The island was once used as a leper colony and a cemetery reveals that history. The island is flat and uninteresting with few trees or anything of beauty small bushes being the main vegetation. The prison dominates the island but is now used only as a tourist attraction. A few administration buildings can be seen. Visitors must be accompanied round the island and guided through the prison. An ex-prisoner undertakes this chore and seems to have pleasure to include graphic descriptions of the punishments meted out to prisoners even for minor crimes or disobedience to the governors of the prison. In one room there is an obelisk staging photographs of important prisoners, that includes Nelson Mandela and his friends who all now hold office in the South African Government.

When Mandela was released from the prison and housed in Cape Town to complete his sentence, he was given many home comforts and a computer and spent his rime drawing up the strategy for a New South Africa to be ruled by blacks.

Following several years of a National Party Government leading it, pressures from the ANC and others (from many parts of the world), the policy of Apartheid was slowly coming to an end. Apartheid means 'separation' and was enforced during the United Party regime. The Reforms at First were gradual but then accelerated.

By the time Mandela had been released the black population were taking full advantage of their freedom. He had promised them good houses, expensive cars and many luxuries of life. What they did not understand was that they had to work for these, and what they couldn't afford to buy they stole. This was the beginning of NEW SOUTH AFRICA.

Two national elections have been held in South Africa in ten years. The ANC have won them both. To ensure the majority of votes, blacks from neighbouring states have been bussed into the Republic and given the vote. Most of these have been dumped overnight and have no money and no housing. Shanty Towns spring up in prominent places in every city and town. Every voter regardless of colour or domicile is finger-printed at the polling stations. The method of proportional representation is used. In the last election twenty-three parties were contending.

The crime rate in the New South Africa is one of the highest in the world. This includes killings, maiming, theft, hi-jacking, arson, and rape. The latter is the most serious in some respects because AIDS is rife. It is a well-known fact that this deadly disease is carried by Africans from all over the continent. Rape may be black to black or black to white the endeavour is not only to cause suffering but to diminish the unwanted in the population.

Schools and Colleges by law admit all races, regardless of learning disabilities.These unfortunates are forced into groups by others in order to disrupt completely the education system. Some white teachers have been sacked, others have given up because of the stress of unlawful situations. Schools have been vandalised and campuses resemble a rubbish tip in parts.

It is most obvious that black rule is out of control, the economy is nil and to quote one person 'South Africa is now a third world country'. Human rights means nothing, the black person who it has been said is backed by Russia, is out for everything he can get no matter who is hurt on the way or what discomfort is caused.

The New South Africa is not interested in the past - to assist the obliteration of history, vast changes are being made. It was the whites who worked in developing and preserving a beautiful country and it is now on the slippery slope down, with neglect and devastation. Once street names and names of towns and cities, airports and buildings etc. portrayed something of its history. They are now being given unpronounceable and, to some, meaningless names. The City of Johannesburg is now called IGOLI for Johannesburg and Gauteng for the Transvaal.

Out of this dark and sinful situation it can be reported with some pleasure that there are pockets of the provinces which are still a joy to behold, untouched well preserved and at peace with God and man. You obliterate the history, you may destroy a city, but the terrain will always be there in its pristine beauty.

Contrasts and complexities - so much more could be written but space here does not permit further indulgences.

The question may now be asked "why should anyone single out South Africa for any reason?". If we turn to the Holy Bible the answer will be obvious. The prophet Zephaniah not only identifies this location and its people but God by His Holy Spirit has written very clearly that there is a future. The prophet writes:

3:10 'From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed shall bring mine offering'

3:12 'I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shalt trust in the narne of the Lord'

3:19 'Behold,at that time I will undo all that afflict thee and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out and I will give them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to sharne.'

David, the author of most of the Psalms, in the second of these which describes a situation which is, and has arisen in many places where God's chosen and elect people dwell. It is appropriate to remind readers of his words, here, as we have the New South Africa in our mind.

Verse one, 'Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed saying: 'let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us'. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision'.

All those who have an interest in this wonderful country should take time to look into the precious Word of God and its message for that nation today. The daughter of His dispersed will have an offering to bring to the Lord, even the sacrifice of praise from her lips. When His people humble themselves before Him and hear His voice then we shall witness not the new South Africa as it is today, rather an Old South Africa, revived, refreshed and redeemed.

There two National Anthems sung in South Africa, First the Bantu KOSI SIKELE AFRIKA which translated indicates a call to God for deliverance, and second in Afrikaans UIT DIE BLOU VAN ONSE HEMEL, which translated indicates out of the blue of the heavens.

This land will not be wiped out or destroyed, God who is Faithful has His hand on His People and He will hear their call. May it be soon.

SOUTH AFRICA IN BIBLE PROPHECY

By

Pastor L. Brooke (Pretoria)

THERE are many prophecies in the Bible predicting various Empires and countries, such as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome (covering over 1000 years) and right on to present times and beyond, so we should not be over-surprised if there should be prophecies in the Bible relating to South Africa! We could also refer to quite a number of present day prophecies relating to South Africa, but for the tirne being we will confine ourselves to Biblical prophecies. We could consider three or four, but perhaps, for the present, we will restrict ourselves to two such prophecies quoting quite a number of verses for clarifying what we want to present:

Zephaniah 3:8-13

Verse 8: "Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them My indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy."

This is surely an "end time" Scripture - like you would find in Joel Chs. 2 & 3, Zech. Chs. 12 & 14, Ezek. Chs. 38 & 39, Matt. Ch. 24, Luke Ch. 21, 2 Peter Ch. 3, Rev. Ch. 16, etc, - perhaps all Armageddon Scriptures.

Verse 9: "... that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent." Surely also an "end time" Scripture.

Verse 10: "From BEYOND the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants, even the daughter of My DISPERSED shall bring Mine offering."

Looking carefully at the map I have supplied, the prophet Zephaniah looks south past Palestine, past Egypt, past Ethiopia, past the rivers of Cunene, Cubango. Cuando, Zambezi, etc, etc., right down to Southern Africa - even to South Africa where I live!

And the Lord calls these "the daughter of My DISPERSED!" As the book of Zephaniah was written in 630 B.C. this could never refer to the House of Judah (the Jews) because they were not dispersed into Babylon until about 26 years later on - 604 B.C. (II Chron. 36:19-21). So this "daughter of My dispersed" could only be the House of Israel (10 Tribes) who were dispersed into Assyria in 721 B.C. (II Kings 17:5-6,18,24) - that is 117 years before Zephaniah Chapter three. So therefore the white people represent some of the House of Israel, and this is confirmed by Verse 13 which calls us a "remnant of Israel"!

But in Verses 11 to 13 the Lord speaks very sternly to these white Israelites in South Africa, and demands that five things must GO!, and two things must COME!

Verses 11 & 13: "In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against Me: for then will I take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty in My holy mountain ... The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth..."

These five things must GO! - pride, haughtiness, iniquity, lies and deceitfulness! These two things must COME! - "bring Mine offering!" - God wants us to Repent and present ourselves unto Him! We must love GOD!

Verse 12: "I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and THEY shall trust in the name of the Lord"!

We Europeans must love our NEIGHBOUR as well as love GOD, and help all the peoples in South Africa to "trust in the name of the Lord!" This is again confirmed in Verse 9 in another translation -

Verse 9: "For then will I give to the peoples a pure lip, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one shoulder."

In other words the Lord wants all in South Africa to stand 'shoulder to shoulder', and together serve the Lord and one another. If the peoples of South Africa will do this, then the Lord promises "they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid!" Is not this what South Africa needs? Is not this God's answer for all people in South Africa?

Isaiah Chapter 18

We are told to whom Chapters 15, 16, 17 and 19 are addressed - Moab, Moab again, Damascus and Egypt, but no such designation is given to Chapter 18, so for this and other reasons it has been looked upon, by commentators down the centuries, as one of the most difficult chapters in the Bible to interpret and understand! However let us proceed to look at this short chapter of seven verses, also using alternative translations:

Verse 1: "Ho to the land shadowed on both sides, which is BEYOND THE RIVERS OF ETHIOPIA"!

This is identical to the wording and designation of Zephaniah 3:10! - "From BEYOND THE RIVERS OF ETHIOPIA"! In other words this chapter is to people in South Africa!

Verse 2: "That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels drawing (or using) water (steamships?) ... whose land the rivers have DIVIDED!"





This is just what the mass of rivers of Central Africa have done! - South Africa has been separated from Ethiopia and North Africa by the Cunene, Cubango, Cuando, Zambesi! etc etc.

Verse 3: "All the inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when He lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when He bloweth a trumpet, hear ye"!

So after speaking about South Africa in verses one and two, the Lord calls upon all nations to observe what He is going to say; and then in

Verses 4-6: the Lord defeats the enemy.

Verse 7: "In that time shall the PRESENT be brought unto the Lord ... whose land the rivers have DIVIDED"!

So the same people as in Verses 1 to 2 "whose land the rivers have DIVIDED," are to bring a PRESENT to the Lord - or an OFFERING to the Lord as it says in Zephaniah 3:10. So I believe both of these Chapters - Zephaniah 3 and Isaiah 18 - are calling upon all in South Africa to be reconciled to God, and to one another, and love and serve Him sincerely with all of our hearts, and He will help us in all ways needed. So will we be able to set a right and godly example to other countries in Africa, and help them to likewise serve the Lord. What a challenge and God-given mission awaits South Africa! May we not fail Him and others! South Africa's National Anthem requests ... GOD BLESS AFRICA



Lord bless Africa,

May her spirit rise high up;

Hear Thou our prayers,

Lord bless us.



Descend 0 Spirit,

Descend 0 Holy Spirit,

Lord bless us

Your family.



Lord bless Africa

May her spirit rise high up;

Hear Thou our prayers,

Lord bless us

Your family.

Editors Notes: 1. 'My people', called by my name (ISRA-EL). 2. Southern Africa - Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho. 3. II Chronicles 7:14

REMEMBER BLOOD RIVER

By

Alan Campbell

(This article is based on a transcription of a message preached at Orange Street Church on 21st November 2004)

HAVING looked at the Angels of Mons this morning we are now going to see what God did on behalf of another section of our Israel people, the Afrikaaner People, our blood kinsfolk in Southern Africa, hence our title.

All the sections of our English speaking people and other related Scandinavian and Holland Dutch people all have great dates in history that we can remember.

Being from Northern Ireland, we remember the events from 1690 when God sent William of Orange to deliver us from the Stuart Monarchy, from tyranny, and the arbitrary power of Romanism. So we have our little saying "Remember 1690!" We think of our American cousins who have their battle cry of "Remember the Alamo!" - how they were overwhelmed by superior Mexican forces but how that became a rallying cry and how they recovered Texas and brought it back into the United States.

Now we are going to look at this part of the Israel people dwelling in the Southern tip of Africa. The significance of which I hope to show you by the time we are finished. Because they too had a defining moment in their history; that defining moment was the 16th December 1838. It was the year of the Battle of Blood River.

Who were these Afrikaaner people, who are these Boer people who are so despised and ridiculed, especially today in the world media and the world press? Who were these people? They were, of course, a section of the dispersed House of Israel living on the Southern tip of Africa.

They had been gathered there from a number of different backgrounds. The initial settlement in what is now Cape Province had been by Holland-Dutch people, who had come there in the early 1600's.The Holland-Dutch people went to the Southern tip of Africa, settled in the Cape Province at the same time as Scottish settlers went over and settled in the Plantation of Northern Ireland or Ulster and the same time as the James Town settlement and the Pilgrim Fathers were planting the seed of Israel in the North American Continent.

God was working to a plan and purpose; we read it there in Deuteronomy 32:8 where it says that when He fixed the bounds of the nations, He did so with a place in mind for Israel's sons. What did that mean? It meant that God had reserved the very best parts of the earth, with the agriculture, minerals, geographical and weather patterns that were best suited for them - these best places were reserved for the Israelite people when they would be ready to go there.

Now I believe all of those places (this is just incidental) were visited by Israelites at the time of Solomon's great Empire when his ships sailed to all sorts of places, but that's another story.

But then subsequently God put as we do, when we're selling a property a sign "sale agreed" - no more bidders - you can't move on to or take that property.Well God did that in places like the continent of Australia, North America, Southern Africa - all of those places He kept them empty. Do we ever wonder why the Chinese or Japanese didn't migrate across the Pacific and colonise Canada and America from the other side? Or why did they not go south and take Australia and make it an oriental empire? The simple reason was that those places were reserved - (God had fixed the bounds of the nations) - with the gold and the diamonds and all their wealth - with a "sale agreed" sign, waiting for His own Israelite people to come and take over these territories that God had reserved for them.

So the Dutch people went in the early 1600's. Then in 1685 Louis XIVof France revoked the Edict of Nantes which was the Edict that had granted religious freedom to the Huguenot or Protestant French people and they suffered horribly and were persecuted. They fled, some of them coming to London, (this church was a Huguenot church in its origin) and at one time in the 1700's nearly one third of the then population of London was made up of French Huguenot refugees. A few of them went up into Germany, some to Holland and many of them went to Cape Province, where there is a Huguenot monument in a place called Franschhoek. This monument depicts -(they knew who they were, you see, identity-wise) - it depicts a woman with great wings fleeing down from France down across the oceans to the tip of Southern Africa with the open Bible in her hand.

What is that based upon? Revelation 12 where in symbolism the woman Israel was given wings of a great eagle wherewith she might fly into the wilderness or empty spaces to a place of safety, fleeing from the persecution of the Romish-based system. These French Huguenots knew who they were, and one of the very earliest books written on our Israelite Identity was by a Huguenot clergy man, Dean Abbedie.

Later on there was a certain infusion of Judah-German people but not to any great extent. But the merger of those Huguenot, Holland/Dutch people produced what we call the Afrikaners and their language is a compound language made up of French and Dutch and so on. Of course those Dutch settlers, we know, were of the Israelite tribe of Zebulon - Holland is Zebulon. The French Huguenots were undoubtedly of the tribe of Rueben so the settlement was essentially Israelitish. More about that later.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain took over Cape Province and Cape Town and there was conflict - we can't deny that there has always been inter-tribal conflict in Israel.There was conflict between these Boer people, these Afrikaaner people and the British Authorities.The Afrikaaners felt that their culture, their way of life and their language and everything to do with it was being suppressed and put down. So in the 1800's a group of them known as the Voortrekkers left Cape Colony in their little covered wagons, just like the wagons that went into the Wild West in America. Their purpose was to move up into the interior of what we call South Africa today and there to establish their own free states to protect their language, culture and their way of life. They travelled in those covered wagons, sometimes over dreadful landscape, over, I think it's the Drakensberg Mountains and other places, things that no one but pioneering Israelites would have dared to do. But they had that certain something in them by the Spirit of God that was driving them on.

Now let me say something that is not politically correct, that people will not believe today. There were no native people; there were no coloured or black people in those regions at that time. The only coloured people in Southern Africa at that time were bush men or Hottentots.

As the Afrikaaners were moving up, it is true to say that, because of tribal upheaval further north, the Zulu and Bantu and other dark peoples were moving down but this means that they were both moving into the region at the same time. Despite distorted history, let no one tell you that the land was stolen from the coloured people and similarly don't let anybody tell you that America was stolen from the Indians or Australia from the Aborigines - these are myths of history.

So they were moving up at the same time as the Zulus were moving from the opposite direction. On February 5th, I think it would have perhaps been in 1838, the leader of the Voortrekkers called Piet Retief made a very foolish mistake. He sought to negotiate a peace treaty or agreement with the Zulu king Dingane.

Of course Israel has always been warned not to make treaties or agreements with the heathen because the heathen will break the agreement, and that is what actually happened. The treacherous Zulu leader and his followers murdered Retief and those who were with him. The Zulus then attacked en masse and they killed many, many Voortrekkers in other places all through the ensuing months. But in the month of November the Voortrekker selected a new leader a man called Andries Pretorius, a man of God, a strict Calvinistic man, a man who knew God's word.

He was the new leader and it is in his honour that the city of Pretoria is named. But on the 16th of December 1838 the Voortrekkers found themselves surrounded by tens of thousands of Zulus. The Zulus were going to finish the job they had started and were going to wipe out the last of the white settlers who were coming into the land.

There were 460 Voortrekkers and an estimated fifteen to twenty thousand Zulus. Even if the Afrikaaner peoples had rifles, muskets, the overwhelming Zulu numbers would have led to their downfall and destruction. What did they do?

They prayed together, and they formed their wagons into what they called a laager, or circle. Inside that circle of wagons - and those could easily have been set ablaze and destroyed - for that was all the physical protection they had - were 400 odd Voortrekkers, God's Israel people - people that honoured God and HisWord and knew who they were - men, women and children, plus 900 oxen and 500 horses.

Outside were the natives baying for their blood - fifteen to twenty thousand of the fiercest Zulu warriors armed with their assegais, their spears and their clubs and machetes, ready to destroy the settlers. Around their necks, hung necklaces of human skulls and bones from previous attacks that they had made. In the forefront, the special warriors, the key shock troops of the Zulu army of King Dingane, the Impis, they were put right to the very front - the odds were overwhelming.

Inside the circle of wagons the Boer Voortrekkers prayed and they made a promise, they made a vow, they took an oath to Almighty God and this is what they said:

"If His protection is with us we will give Him the honour and the glory and we will share this miracle with our children for generations to come and we will keep this day forever as a Holy Sabbath. "

That was the promise, that was the vow, that was the oath of Blood River that God's Israel people, the Voortrekkers took.

The attack began and, my friends, before sunset that night, under the fiercest and wildest attack of the very bravest of the natives that could attack them - at the end of it - 3,000 Zulus lay dead around the unbroken circle of wagons. The river ran red with blood to such an extent that it is known to this day as Blood River.

Within the compound, within the laager no Voortrekkers died! 3 were wounded and that was the height of their casualties. The God of Heaven who we read in Deuteronomy said "Fear not for the Lord your God shall fight for you", did it one more time. Just as He did it and blew away the Spanish Armada, just as we learned about the Angels of Mons and the White Cavalry, God performed a miracle of deliverance on behalf of our Israel people in the Southern tip of Africa - the Zebulon people and the Reuben people and the people who had gathered there.

Now this is the interesting bit - you remember this morning when I read to you that when the Germans were interrogated after the White Cavalry incident they recounted what they had seen. Now some of the surviving Zulus were captured and those Zulus were interrogated as to what they had seen. And what did they say when they were put under questioning? They said that they had seen an army of luminous white shinning beings hovering on a cloud above the circles of wagons and they actually appeared to be shooting down at them, at the Zulus. What had these people seen? They had seen the heavenly hosts of God deployed for the deliverance of His people.

I think it's marvellous. When I read these stories, I am moved no matter how many times I have heard them, that God would see fit to do such a mighty miracle. And He did, my friends, and we know what happened: the Voortrekkers were followed by many others; they opened up the interior of what is now South Africa. They established the two Afrikaaner speaking republics, The Orange Free State and the Transvaal which existed for many more years until they were incorporated into the Union of South Africa. None of that would have happened; the Zulus would have wiped them out - who knows what the future would have been but for the intervention of Almighty God.

Now all those years - that's 160 to170 years - the Afrikaaner people have observed, as they promised, December the 16th as the day of the Vow. They have kept it as a Holy Sabbath to their God. They have the most beautiful monument built there to the events that took place and they gather there from all over South Africa - perhaps not now in the numbers that they once did because of changed circumstances, but they gather there for a religious service of thanksgiving. Every year they kept it as they promised as a Holy Sabbath to thank God and to let everyone know that they were there a vine planted in that part of God's vineyard according to His purpose and God had preserved them. He had fought for them and the very same Angels that we read of this morning in the Book of Kings, intervened on their behalf. Remember what we read: Elisha was trapped in Dothan and his servant went up on the walls and he saw all of the Syrian armies round the city and he said "Oh my master what shall we do?"

What did Elisha do? He rebuked the fear and the doubt and unbelief and he said "0 Lord open that servant's eyes." You know what the servant could see then - the mountains all round the city full of the angelic fiery hosts of the Lord. God preserved Elisha in Dothan using the heavenly hosts. God preserved the Afrikaaner people trapped in the laager of wagons at Blood River, God preserved Britain's armies with the Angels of Mons and the White Cavalry. God calmed the channel waters in 1940 to bring home our soldiers trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk - who would have been slaughtered and led into terrible captivity in Germany. God intervened time and time and time again my friends.

Why did He do that? Because He promised! We read it there - what did old Zechariah say, prophesying: "to perform the oaths, the promises He had made to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob". God keeps His word!

But the trouble is, my friends, that we do not keep our word. And because we have turned away from God in Britain and because the Afrikaaner people turned away from God and forgot His holy laws, statutes and judgements, we are both under the power and dominion of our adversaries at this moment in time. We are in a terrible mess in Iraq. I watched an American General on television recently, saying they will have to send more and more troops in. He says if they leave Fallujah in the morning - and Fallujah is a battered ruin - the terrorists as he called them will flood back in. Have we stopped it by mass bombing it? No! The terrorism has spread to other cities once again.

What's happening, why is there no divine intervention, why are the angel forces not fighting for our armies now? Because we have forsaken the God of our Salvation just like we saw how Israel captured Jericho by sticking strictly to the plan of God But when Achan stole the wedge of gold, speaking of materialism and the philosophy of greed, when he took the Babylonish garment which represented false religion, there was sin in the camp of Israel. And when they went up to the battle of the city Ai they were scattered left, right and centre because they were not walking with the Lord.

The Covenant was conditional on obedience, if we love God and we honour Him, if we obey Him He will fight our battles. Not just nationally but individually. If some of us are facing a battle today - maybe there is turmoil in our home or in the workplace or in business, maybe there is turmoil in our health and we have got a bad verdict from a doctor - yet God says He will fight all the things that come against us. God will step in and intervene on our behalf today.

What has happened, my friends in lovely South Africa? Well, ten years ago because they surrendered to world pressure, blackmail and propaganda, the land was turned over, not just to anybody and everybody - it was turned over to the ANC and it has an ANC government today. That government, of course, you can call it ANC if you want to ''African National Congress", but in point of fact it was turned over to Marxists - Marxist that's the thing to remember. Communism is not dead and finished as yet and the leaders of South Africa today are people not just with a Marxist past they have a Marxist present.

Do you know that since they took over - of course it is not reported here because it doesn't suit the world media - possibly over 1,000 Boer Afrikaaner farmers have been killed on their farms. Not just shot my friends, I wouldn't read the dreadful accounts to you today, in many cases horribly tortured and mutilated because just as has happened in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) the intention is that every farm will be taken over and destroyed and everyone of those people will be driven from the places they have lived, some of the families going right back to 1600's.We should help those who are needy, who are poor. We're air lifting all sorts to Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan and other places. Do you know that some of our own Christian Israelite people are starving in Southern Africa. They need our help they are our kinsfolk.

Last year we read about the Rhodesia Christian Group - the terrible accounts of our own people some of whom fought for Britain in WW2 - starving, unable get food. We published it in our Kingdom Tidings and we encouraged people to send money to help them. Who else even mentions them, how many people in Britain know? Rhodesia was just written out of the headlines - people don't know what's happening there.

Do you also know today that in the name of so called "affirmative action" there are many of our own Christian Israel people queuing at soup kitchens in Johannesburg and Pretoria, driven from their jobs to make place for others in the land that they developed. That there are orphanages for little abandoned Afrikaaner children today but who is sending finance to help them? Oh our people there who rejoiced in the victory that God gave them at Blood River have come on the hardest times of suffering.

Zephaniah's prophecy in the Old Testament tells us:

"From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid." - Zephaniah 3:10-13 (AV)

Now let's place those people, from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia - now if you had a Bible map an ancient map like Ptolemy's maps and you were Zephaniah and you were looking southward from Jerusalem, you'd be looking down right through the African Continent. Prophecy divides that continent into 3. We have the states of northern Africa running from Morocco to Egypt - prophecy calls that prophetic Libya. Then we have what I call sub-Sahara, Equatorial or Black Africa - dare we use that phrase not in a racist fashion but merely to describe it. That is what prophecy calls the Bible Ethiopia not just the little kingdom we used to know as Abyssinia but the whole of that area. Then there are 4 rivers that cut off the southern tip of Africa - those rivers are the Zambezi, the Cunene, Cubango and the Cuando rivers, and if you had a map you could see that they virtually cut off the southern tip.

So when Zephaniah looks from Jerusalem, he looks over the prophetic Libya and he looks beyond the prophetic Ethiopia and he sees beyond those rivers a third portion of Africa - The Land beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. Who peoples that land? Bible prophecy says it is inhabited by the Daughter of my Dispersed my suppliants. Who is the daughter of my dispersed? Latter day Israelite descendents of the so-called Lost Ten Tribes. So on the other side of those rivers looking south are the remnant of Reuben and Zebulon and, of course, the Ephraimite English speaking people who also went and settled in Natal and Cape Province. So they are there beyond the rivers where prophecy said they would be.

They are called God's suppliants, what does that mean? A suppliant is one who calls on God in prayer, so they are Christian Israel people and even if some of them be only nominally Christians they are still God's Christian Israel people dwelling where prophecy said they would be found.

And they are not in a very good way - they are a suffering people, they are in a bad, bad way - in point of fact Isaiah talks about a similar prophecy elsewhere (I think it is Isaiah 18) - he talks about them being a people scattered and peeled, meted out and trodden down. They've lost their power and the pride of their power is broken with the heathen the Communist ANC ruling over them today. If you look at the modern South African flag, there is like a black triangle merging in pushing back the other colours. Do you know what that is? It is the black spear of the nation and the spear of the nation was the ANC - they are the terrorist wing - and that is the black Communist spear of the nation pushing in the other colours, the colours of the old flags of the Boer Republics. And so that flag is saying we have broken, penetrated and pushed back the power of the Holy People.

But you see what God says - He says if they call upon Me, I will turn the tide. He says, regarding these people, the day is coming when they will not be ashamed anymore and they will bring my offering - I think I'm right in saying that in the Hebrew it means an offering fitted for a king. What offering can they bring? To forsake their sin, to separate themselves and to live in obedience once again to God's Holy Laws and Commandments, Statutes and Judgements, they are going to do that!

Ezekiel the prophet looks down towards the same area, and God says "Look at the trees in the Southern Forest" - all these little nations which are ravaged to day by civil war, and famine. Did you see the Locust plague? I preached last Monday night in a town back home about this and the next day it was in all the news programmes about the locusts coming through devouring the greenery across Africa.A lady was on the phone to me and said it was on the news just like you said it was. You know sometimes you listen and you don't always believe me when I tell you things, but when you see it the next day on the screen!

An AIDS epidemic is decimating the populations, with civil war, and the advance of Islam slowly southward into places like Kenya and our former Imperial Colonies once our restraining hand is lifted.

But God says look I'm preserving a people on the other side of those rivers and God's not finished with them yet. The oath that their forefathers took at Blood River shall not be forgotten. God took them at their word and when they said they would do this, God honoured and delivered; the same God that delivered them will yet deliver them from their foolishness. Just as Piet Retief made a mistake of negotiating terms with the adversary so our friends there have done the same and have negotiated with their foes. It has brought them under judgement and terrible things might yet happen to them but God will preserve His people, His suppliants on the other side of the rivers. God will work a miracle yet.

So we have seen again, as before, the hand of God in human history honouring His oath that He would fight for His Israel people and deliver them when they would walk in obedience. Isn't it marvellous? Unseen Angelic Hosts all around us even now fighting for us, standing up for us - God says the angel of the Lord encompasses, round about them that fear Him.Daniel says in that day shall Michael, the great Prince, stand up that standeth for my people Israel. When will that be? In the time of trouble, in the time (Daniel 12) of the scattering of the power of the Holy People.

Our power is scattered today - just walk round central London to see how far it is scattered - come down here late at night and have a walk around to see our power scattered. See the wicked people that reign over us, in our government today.

God will deal with all of that. You are not to lose heart, you are to take courage, God will turn the tide. He gave these lands to Israel and He will deliver us and He will revive us again. He will pour out of His Spirit if we just keep faithful.

A little verse keeps coming to me in recent days - the Lord quickened it to me "Cast not away your confidence." So don't go by what you see, don't go by what you feel, don't go by what you're hearing, the spin doctors and the politicians and the clergymen of today, of this age and generation. Rather go by the Word of God and we will see the God of miracles move on behalf of His people once again.