PROPHETIC WORDS

A POWERFUL DECLARATION OVER NEW ZEALAND

by Ian Johnson

This prophetic word was released on 6th March 2012 but is reposted now as the Lord is wanting it brought back to our attention.

In 1814 the Gospel was first preached in New Zealand by Samuel Marsden and translated by Ruatara a Rangatira from Ngapui. To get the full impact of the story we need to go back a little in history.

Ruatara was an inquisitive man and a chief with lots of Mana. He went to Sydney as a crewman on a trading ship sometime in 1810 and was treated very badly by the ship’s owner and Captain. Cast off the boat in Sydney and weak from lack of food and proper care Ruatara was discovered on the street coughing blood by Rev Samuel Marsden, who was in Botany Bay ministering to the convicts and settlers.

Marsden took Ruatara home and he and his wife nursed Ruatara back to health. During his time in the Marsden home Ruatara received Jesus and the message of the gospel. He stayed with them and learnt much about the Bible and the ways of the Lord. Ruatara and Marsden became close friends, Marsden inspiring Ruatara in the ways of the Lord, and Ruatara inspiring Marsden to reach out to the Maori people of New Zealand.

Marsden first applied to the Church Mission society to take a team to New Zealand with the gospel in 1810, but because of an incident in the Hokianga with the trading vessel "Boyd", where the crew had been attacked and killed, the Mission society, afraid for the life of their missionaries, refused Marsden's request.

The call to go to New Zealand burned in Marsden's heart and he made many more requests for a vessel, crew and mission staff but always received a refusal. Marsden was however determined that it was the will of God and began to raise funds to buy a vessel and go anyway.
 In 1813 Marsden was able to purchase the ship "Active" and showed such determination in going that he gained the blessing of the Mission society.

I have outlined the brief history above because it leads to the declaration made by Marsden on 25th Dec 1814 at Oihi Bay in the Bay of Islands. 
The "Active" had arrived in the bay on 22nd Dec 1814. Ruatara had gone ashore to settle the local Maori and to convince them that Marsden was carrying a message they needed to hear. When Marsden came ashore on the 25th there was a vast crowd assembled to hear the message which was translated by Ruatara. The sermon ended with a declaration spoken by Marsden and interpreted by Ruatara.

The Declaration was:

"Today the good news of the gospel has been heard in the land of New Zealand. May the glory of this gospel never depart while there is yet breath in the land."

This is a powerful prophetic declaration over New Zealand! Also, it was done in partnership, spoken in English and Maori, and the sound of this still resounds in the airways of New Zealand.

It took some time for the gospel to gain momentum in the land but with the arrival of Henry Williams it started to prosper. The gospel was preached by missionaries in the Northland and Auckland region, but the message was carried south by Maori themselves so that by 1860 over 63% of Maori in NZ were Christian. The spanner in the works came with the land companies and some bad military advice and men such as General Cameron and Governor Grey.

On Sunday night in Mt Maunganui at the Freedom Centre the Lord led me to reaffirm Marsden's original declaration in English and in Maori. The Lord's presence descended into the meeting and the power of God hit the Maori interpreter who began to get oil on her hands and forehead as a sign. I don’t want to focus so much on what happened, although it was very significant. I want to focus on the fact that the declaration attracted the Lord, and there were many manifestations of His love and power.

I feel that it’s significant, and is a window of opportunity to re-establish the purpose of God for our nation. I encourage you to reaffirm the proclamation, and where possible, do it in partnership – in English and in Maori.

Something of the power of the declaration is about to break open over our land.

TODAY THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL HAS BEEN HEARD IN THE LAND OF NEW ZEALAND. MAY THE GLORY OF THIS GOSPEL NEVER DEPART WHILE THERE IS YET BREATH IN THE LAND.

The Maori is:

"I enei ra kua rongona nga mihi nunui mo te karaipiture, puta noa i te Motu o Aotearoa. Kia kaua te kororia o tenei karaipiture e ngaro atu i te manawa o tenei whenua."

Amen.

BIO