The Seven Thunders in South Africa
From 1973, certain pastors and ministering brothers in South Africa traveled to different destinations in the United States of America. Edgar Roscoe frequented churches abroad but was particularly impressed with those associated with the Seven Thunder movement under the leadership of Joseph Coleman. Mintoor de Kock traveled to more conservative message churches like Tucson Tabernacle, where Pearry Green was pastor. Abu Layman and Andrew Campbell traveled to similar churches and even made a turn in New York to visit Joseph Coleman's church. It was Edgar Roscoe who returned to the churches in Cape Town with a report that Joseph Coleman was spot-on and that his doctrine was solid and in line with the teachings of Brother Branham. He assured us that the New York church was alight with the Holy Spirit and that a revival was underway, not seen anywhere in the world.
Slowly but surely, literature from Joseph Coleman made its way to the people, and we became aware that there was something happening, of which we knew nothing about. Edgar Roscoe garnered enough support from pastors all over the country to invite Joseph Coleman and his family to our country. This happened in 1979 and it was the first of many.
Joseph Coleman had an amazing ability to take any quotation of Brother Branham and make it live. He also had an outstanding ability to twist what Brother Branham said to fit what he was teaching, and this was new to South African message believers, but they did not disappoint. Many were impressed and persuaded. Because we were used to having white preachers come here from America, the people took to him immediately because he was a black man. Please bear in mind our country was in political turmoil at this time, and there was a definite divide between black and white, even in the message. Be it as it may, Joseph Coleman's first services in South Africa were a resounding success. Also, they created an opportunity for many of our people to visit the church in New York when they had conventions, and some even became family of the Colemans, but that is a story for another day. Slowly, things built up, and a Seven Thunder movement was spearheaded by Edgar Roscoe in South Africa. Overnight, he became a celebrity, and he gave it his all.
Edgar Roscoe was always a dynamic preacher, but when the Seven Thunder revelation struck him, he became the 'darling' of the movement's ministers thanks to his charisma. He was an instant draw card and traveled extensively to many countries around the world to preach the Seven Thunder Bride's Revival.
In South Africa, something was brewing. The Seven Thunder movement was building momentum, and ministers from everywhere started embracing this 'new move' of the Holy Spirit.
"Deo Gloria '83" was the culmination of a buildup engineered by proponents of the Seven Thunder Movement that saw a 'revival' sweeping through our country like an unquenchable wildfire, changing the landscape of The Message for good. Like a net being cast to catch fish, all kinds got entangled in it, and the drama that unfolded later cannot be ignored.
Deo Gloria, situated in Barkley West, Kimberley, near the Diamond Mines, was the venue of the first Seven Thunder Convention in December 1983.
No one expected what transpired there. Pastors from all over the country accompanied their people to witness firsthand what they had heard. By this time, the Seven Thunder Movement had gained enough traction; it was moving forward at a great pace. People were leaving their 'dead' message churches to become part of the number and pastors not aligned to this 'new move' saw the negative effect it had on them.
The main attraction at this convention was the man himself, Joseph Coleman. This man carried such an aura that it could not be ignored. Before he could finish a sentence, the people were there at the front, out of their seats, screaming, and praising, clapping hands and falling on the floor, (slain).
Every time Coleman said SEVEN THUNDERS GIVE RAPTURING FAITH, there'd be a roar of thunder as people responded, clasping their fists, and in full agreement, scream and shout, some moving almost to the pulpit.
Eventually, Coleman did not have to say much. He would raise his fist and throw a proverbial punch and the people would respond by doing the same. Every time he said "SEVEN THUNDERS," it triggered thunderous applause from his audience, until they could not contain themselves and started 'praising' and 'worshipping' continuously, until they could not be stopped.
People were lying spread across the floor, and the ushers had a hard time assisting them. Every service that followed had the same effect, and the ministers had to stop midway through their sermons because the 'anointing' was so immense and the response from the audience was overwhelming.
BUT......the aftermath of this convention was so different from any convention I ever attended. People changed overnight, and the quiet 'dead' ones were revived, and they pushed an agenda, and the pastors of many churches were not ready for it. My pastor at the time, in the message, was Harold Beckett of Bible Tabernacle, situated at the corner of Jubilee St. and Third Avenue, Welcome Estate. It was a semi-conservative church. Not too quiet, and not too noisy, with strict church order in place.
We've had all sorts of ministers grace our church with their presence, ministering in different styles and with differing doctrines. Harold Beckett was always accommodating, friendly, and tolerant, and he had a good balance. He was wise enough not to 'close' his door to visiting ministers, but also not to accept everything they said.
He would always address the church after a visiting minister left, and build on the positives he derived from the sermons and find a balance in what they said and convey that message to the church. Many families from our church attended Deo Gloria '83, including most of the church board and senior men. Everyone was curious and excited to be at this convention because by now, we had seen videos of some of the actions of churches in other parts of the world.
Harold Beckett decided to accompany his people to this convention and get first-hand experience as it transpired. I have to mention, he is a tall person, head and shoulders above the rest, so it is impossible to miss him. Harold was sitting on the stage with other pastors and ministers who also attended.
When it came to the end of the service, the stage where the minister could not minister any longer, and the 'Spirit' took control, one of the people who were lying on the floor right behind Coleman was Harold Beckett. This giant of a man was either 'slain by the stone in little David's sling', or it was a public show, never witnessed before. Because.... Instead of praying for the people, like the other pastors did, my pastor was laying with his face 'glued' to the floor.
Was Harold Beckett slain by the 'Spirit'? Was he just tired of all the noise? Or did he fake a 'spiritual' experience? What happened after all the people returned from Deo Gloria and took Bible Tabernacle by storm was amazing, breathtaking, confusing, and sad. Things were just never the same at Bible Tabernacle, and for the first time, I saw that Harold Beckett had to take a stand and decide on the way forward for his church.
When the people returned from Deo Gloria '83, they were all changed. They were noisy, disorderly, and women were running to the front with fists in the air, and breasts swinging from left to right, as they took control of the services. Young children were changed entirely. It seems like a spirit got hold of them, and Harold Beckett had his hands full. The children were swinging their hands in the air and calling for worship and praise, while they (the children) went from person to person rebuking the quiet ones and calling them no praise demons. "Raise your hands, raise your hands", they would chant, dancing around like fairies. I mean, if it was only a few people doing this, one could understand, but virtually the whole church was surrounded with people who were once quiet, but now, through some foreign spirit, were alive, noisy, and completely out of order. The deacons were all in on it, and they just went with the stream.
Senior men like Freddy Esau, and Stanley Shubert were the main culprits because immediately after they returned from the convention, they departed to Kimberley to get more of the 'Spirit'. I remember they used one of my cars for that trip. Then there was Charles Alexander and his family, the Clark family, the Arendse family, and many others who were so impressed and changed that they swore they could never be the same again. Eventually, Harold Beckett had had enough, and he took drastic action. He spelled out in no uncertain terms what his revelation of the Seven Thunders was, and told them straight that he would not have any of this noise and disorderly behavior in his church.
But.....those who were caught in this Seven Thunder Wave interpreted this as direct opposition to the move of God we all came to know as the Seven Thunder Revival. The battle lines were drawn, and what ensued after this was nothing short of a 'spiritual war' between the North and the South. Edgar Roscoe got personally involved, and Harold Beckett was known in that movement as the worst 'villain' at the time.
Deo Gloria '83 produced a crop of message believers and ministers, not seen previously in South Africa. Vic Abrahams, a humble brother, was the host pastor of the convention, but the main 'organizer' was a young man whom I regard, even today, as my friend. His name is Howard Palm. He is affectionately known as Brother Owen. Vic Abrahams was more of an introvert, and Owen Palm was the extrovert. While Vic was the pastor, it was more Owen who called the shots, so it was not surprising that his sister Diane Blair prophesied that Owen should leave his high-salaried job at De Beers Diamond Mines and go full-time into the ministry. This was welcomed by proponents of the Seven Thunder Movement, who enjoyed substantial support from message believers across South Africa. In fact, the prophecy was endorsed by Joseph Coleman and all ministers associated with the movement.
Soon after, Owen left his job and became a 'traveling' evangelist. He, together with Edgar Roscoe and other ministers, traveled to conventions in various countries, and he was very popular among the movement's believers. Vic Abrahams remained at the helm of the Kimberley church, which became one of the biggest proponents of the Seven Thunder Revival, but would it stay this way? Also, Edgar Roscoe had his brother-in-law, Raymond Thompson, as associate pastor of his church.
While Roscoe was globe-trotting, it was Raymond Thompson who kept the 'boat' afloat at home. Raymond Thompson, who up to that point had always been in the background, began establishing himself as an able minister with an excellent understanding of the revelation of the Seven Thunders. In Port Elizabeth, Pastor Peter Twynham embraced this revelation, and his church was on fire with people revived, and it looked like there would be no end in sight. Slowly but surely, the Seven Thunder Revival was gripping South Africa, and pastors opposed to this move of the 'Spirit' had their work cut out for them, because people were leaving their churches.
Sadly, the people were ordered by their pastors not to associate with other message believers who do not believe the revelation of the Seven Thunders. The pastors who embraced this movement insisted that only the true Bride of Christ would catch this 'revelation'. The others were the foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps. To get oil, they had to come to the oil merchants, who were the churches that preached the Seven Thunder revelation and were part of the Bride's Revival. The Seven Thunder Revival caused loved ones to separate, and the love among the believers vanished forever. It brought division, strife, hatred, pride, false predictions, and empty, invisible promises.