Document text
SHOUTING FOR HEAVEN
Brother Fisher is not much given to laughter —laughing
and foolishness are fine things for most people, but they
take a lot of time from the work of the Master yet he
begins to smile when he thinks of his early childhood. His
round, youngish face li8hts up with remembrance. Brother
Fisher liked his kinfolks very much.
"I can still recall Grandpa Billy. He was the one I
admired the most. I think my preachin' came from him. He
was a real old man when I was just a sprout, but triey tell
me in his young days he'd get to town on Saturdays he
was really a farmer, not a preacher and hold the crowd
around his wagon for hours while he straightened out some
point of scripture to suit him and answered the people's
questions 'bout the faith.
"He was a fine old fellow. All of us kids use-ta look
forward to spending Christmas with him and Grandma. I can
remember now how there'd be such a crowd there durin' Christ-
mas-time that three or four of usld have to sleep in the
same bed, with pallets down on the floor for the overflow.
We never got much for Christmas besides some hard candy, but
what we'd enjoy most would be the oranges and bananas. That
would be the only time we'd ever get any fruit of that kind.
I never will forget one year when my uncle Charley bought a
whole stalk of bananas and brought them home to Grandma's.
"US kids would always hang up our stockin's Christmas
night in spite of the fact that even the two -year -olds knew
there wasn't any Santa Claus. Grandpa didn't think it right
to tell children lies about anybody comin, down from the
North Pole.
"I can still remember Christmas mornin's at Grandma's,
and specially breakfast time. We had to take it in turns
at the table. Grandpa, Dad, and my uncles and the oldest
of the boys would eat at the first table. Grandma and
Mother and Aunt Rosie would do the cookin' and servint. I
can still see the big platters full of fried eggs and the
big platters of ham. There'd be one bowl of ham gravy and
another bowl of cream gravy. Plate -full after plate -full
of hot biscuits would be brought to the table.
"I can see Dad now. First he'd slide about three eggs
off the platter into his plate, then he'd fork out a good
size piece of ham, and right side of his eggs he'd lay open
a biscuit or two and over them he'd pour heaps of rich
golden ham gravy. With knife in one hand and fork in the
other he'd go to it. Mom always told Dad he ate too fast,
but, honestly, Dad could get more pleasure out of satin'
than anybody I have ever seen. He'd always have to top
the meal off with a few more biscuits and some of Grandma's
preserves or jam or jelly, or maybe some more gravy. Dad
bein' not so religious was about the only one that drank
coffee. He would always ask for about ten drops more of
that jay-va.
'When you compare Christmas of our time back there at
Grandpa's with the ones of today, it seems more hard than
it actually did then. But as far as that goes, our entire
life was a lot different than today. I was the next to the
oldest boy in a family of four boys and four girls. One of
the girls died, though, while she was very young. We were
always poor, but so was everyone else we knew, so we didn't
mind.
"For us, farmint wasn't so good. We didn't have but
just a7stwo-horsefarm. The country was awfully hilly too.
It was back about 1904 and '05 that we started hearin' so
much about the good wages bein' paid in the cotton mills,
specially in and around Gastcn County. So in 1909 Dad de-
cided to sell out his little bit of equipment and move us
down to Gagtonle. Of course we kept the cow and a few chickens,
but sold all the rest to raise enough cash to get started on.
I was still goin, to school at the time, but my older brother
quit school and went to work in the mill.
"We had always gone to a Baptist church back up in the
mountains and though I had never been saved I did consider
4
myself a Baptist. Oh yes, I can remember some grand times
we lise-ta have there at that country church back home.
Mother was a member and a very active one, too, but Dad, as
I said before, didn't take much hand in church affairs. He'd
go with Mother all the time, but that was about the extent
of it.
"There was one thing that Dad would take a hand in,
though, and that was the regular all -day singin's and dinners
we use-ta have out in the grove on the hillside back of the
church. If you've never been to one of those things you've
missed somethint. People from miles around would drive over
in their wagons. Singers from all different churches would
enter the contest. Well, they'd bring their families and
just loads of fried chickens and cakes and pies and baked
or boiled hams. It seems each family would try to out -do
the other in bringin' food. At the close of the mornin'
singin, program they'd spread all their table cloths in a
row on the ground and there they'd lay the feast. Boy, what
a feast it'd be: Yes sir, that was one church affair that
mother didn't have any trouble at all gettin' Dad to take
part in. He liked to sing too, and always said his outfit
should have gotten the prize banner for the home church.
6;
"When we moved to GasZolot-ia all of us thought of it as
a big city. The people dressed differently than we had up
in the mountains. Why, when we went to church up there all
we needed was a clean pair of overalls and that was good
enough, but we sorta felt out of place in a city church
with everybody dressed up in store-bought clothes. That in
itself was one reason we started goint to a tent revival
that The Church of God was holdint. We felt more at home
and wasntr ashamed of our clothes. The services that they
held were something like ours had ueen up home but somehow
there seemed to be more power in their meetints than we'd
ever had. Of course we had seen shoutint before, but not
the kind that they were doint there.
'I never will forget the night I was saved. We'd been
attendint the revival for several nights and had witnessed
a number of souls saved. After about four nights I felt
the pull of the altar. Well, I didn't go up right away. I
never will forget when Mother came from her seat up near the
front back to where I was sittin' with some of the neighbor
boys, and I can hear her now saying as she looked at me
with tears runnin' down her cheeks, ASon, give your heart to
the Lord, now'O
"I made a step toward the aisle, and, with her arm
around me, mother and son walked down the sawdust trail to
lay my sins and burdens at the feet of Jesus.
"He was there that night a s surely as there is a God.
There on that crudely built altar I poured out my soul to
Him. I had been under conviction for two or three nights,
and my built-up emotions and feelints came surgint out as
I sobbed and cried for the blood of Jesus and its cleansing
power. It wasn't long before I felt that He was there,
extendin, His holy hand and biddin' me to follow Him. Then
I knew that the debt had been paid and my slate was as clean
as snow. Oh, my, was I happy! It's good to think of that
hour even today, and to know that it was from that moment that
life started all anew. Why, yes, to the person that doesn't
have that feelinit, all that sounds light and unimportant, but
to me it's real as real as a headache is to you or a
sorrow is to one who has lost a loved one. It's real!
"Durin, the next few days and weeks I talked to many
of those in the church. They were happy for me and encouraged
me in my new-found happiness. Though I was just a young boy
of sixteen they treated me as a brother and made me appreciate
the joys that were to be had in Christian fellowship. Every
night I attended the services, enjoyin' more and more the new-
found life. But, as I listened to the older ones speak of a
further blessint, that of the Holy Ghost, of sanctification,
I was interested in receivin' that, too. Others not satisfied
with mere conversion were nightly spendint hours on their
knees prayin' for sanctification, and I began, too, to ask
the Lord for the further blessinl. I prayed and praised Him
for days and nights, trustin' and listenin' for His voice,
and at last it came. What it was? I don't know how to tell,
except that well, I just gave my whole self away to the
Lord and was submissive to His every impulse and let Him have
His way. What I did I don't remember, but they say I was
joyous in the spirit."
There was a long silence while Brother Fisher lived it
7
over. The old ecstasy was in his face. He clasped and
unclasped his hands. At last he continued.
"From that time on I knew that my life was to be given to
the Lord. Mother had always wanted me to be a preacher, and
now I firmly believed the Lord was callin' me to preach the
word.
*my education at that time was what you might call a
tenth or eleventh grade by today's method of gradinl. I had
heard of the Holmes Bible School at Greenville, South Caro-
lina, and had a sudden longint to attend
father didn't have any money to spare, but with
willintness and ambition and fervent prayers a way was found
for me to attend.
"The two years I spent there would furnish lots of
readin, for any story, but to make it brief I will say that
through lots of prayer, study, dish washinl, sweepinl, and
work, I finally got through.
*After finishint the Bible School I returned to Caotonia.
That was in 1911, when I was licensed as a minister. I had
found so much real joy and happiness in the Church of God
that it was to this faith, and not the Baptist, that I had
decided to devote my life's work.
"It wasn't my good fortune to get a church immediately,
but it was durin, one of the revivals in which I assisted,
did I meet Miss Myrtle Johnson, of FlaNtomm She was the
daughter of Mr. E. R. Johnson, a Bamwbe,mr.storekeeper. Her
sincere devotion to the Lord and interest in the church was
known to everyone, and it was said that should she and "that
young preacher' get married they ought to make a wonderful
pair. Well, whether their predictions were true or not is
for them to say, because we were married on November 29, 1911.
"Partially because namtaa was the home of my wife, and
because there wasn't an organized church of our faith in the
town, did we decide to move there and endeavor to establish
one. When we arrived we lived with her parents for a week
or two until I could find a job which paid us enough to live
on.
"There was where I got my cotton mill experience. For
five years I worked in the mill and paid our own way, givin'
back to our little home-gatherin, church any donations they
made from time to time. After a few years we had rented a good-
sized frame house, and after removin' the partitions we nad a
place somewhat resemblin, a church. When we began there had
been no members, but from the beginnin' as we gathered in
different homes in the evenin's, our little meetin's grew.
Many of the fellow workers in the mill attended and some of
our greatest victories for the Lord was with some of the
hardened sinners of the mill who had never been church-goin'
men because of their clothes, which might not be as good as other
people's.
"In fact I think you'll find that to be the reason there
is such a large number of sinners around the mill sections.
They are self-conscious about their appearances and standint,
when they are not on 'mill hill./ The result is that they
don't go to church and become hardened and look with scorn
I
and holler 'hypocrites'. However, there in 14emten not only
did we enlist many of the mill workers and their families,
hut we brought together some of the others that weren't 'eon
mill hilli: and all worshipped God in Christian fellowship.
Oh, yes, you can reach people like that when you go about it
right. Only the highest of the high and the lowest of the
low are the untouchables.
"The Lord blessed our efforts and by 1920 my faithful,
lovin' wife and I had begun to realize our hopes of 1912.
Never acceptin' anything for our services, always puttin'
our pay back into the church, we finally had enough to build
us a church.
"I might say here that in the ChurCh of God the practice
of tithing is wholeheartedly endorsed. Our people, even
though they don't make lots of money, give generously and
regultly. Not believin, in picture shows, ball games, and
things of the world on which others spend so much of their
money, they give it to the Lord. I can recall now when we
took up a subscription there in the house weed been usin'
as a church, the money that was offered that day was, I
venture to say, more than any city church gets today with a
thousand -person attendance.
"All of our members/ that could, donated as much labor
on the building as they had time for. The result was that
material was almost our only cost. I am proud of that church,
10
since it served as the beginnint of what now is the largest
and the finest in the whole Church of God international or-
ganization. The buildint that was erected then was replaced
in 1936 by the beautiful structure of today. Mrs. Fisher
and I left there in 1923. Proudly we viewed an active roster
of three hundred members as the result of our twelve years
of work for the Lord. After our departure the church continued
to grow and prosper. In 1936 a larger building was needed and
beint moved by the Lord, gave a
donation which well covered over half the entire cost of the
new $181000 structure. Though some might look on it as being
too fine for simple, humble workers to feel at home in, there
is still the same powerful message and joyous worship avail-
able in this beautiful tabernacle as there is in the most
humble brush arbor.
"In 1923 we undertook another job for the Lord, that of
j3
pastorint, or rather establishint, a church at Be4ftestm There
were nine members to begin with and no church building. Our
procedure was practiOly the same as it had been before. We
started holdint services in the homes. By this time our own
family had been blessed with three children. Our oldest,
Ruth, born in 1913, had grown up rapidly, it seemed. She
was gifted musically and played the mandolin beautifully.
She played regultly in our services. Bopmilts-in 192$1when
eciat--0
she, fifteen, met and married John Steere, a
fine young man that attended our church. She was young
for marriage but they both seemed so much in love there
wasn't much chance of stoppint tem. John was a good worker,
too, and already was workint in the mill, so we gave our
consent. They have gotten 'long fine.
"We had a son named Peter, born in 1915, who was also
takint active part in church work. He was plannint to finish
school and to do as I had done, go to a Bible school and be
a minister. He was a great help in our Sunday -school work
and in helpint out with the singint.
"Then in 1922 our second daughter, Velda, was born.
When we left Itlamtign she was only a baby and takint care
of her prevented Mrs. Fisher from takint as active a part
as she would have otherwise.
flmy work outside the church there at Belnee4 wasn't as
good as it had been in Fl,tutton and we found living conditions
a little more complex than before. But, through prayerthe
Lord helped us by givint me a part-time pastorship over at
Shallgur4w, Between the pay at the two churches and whatever
I could earn at odd jobs at the mill, we managed to make
out until we could build up both churches. Ruth, havint
gotten married and left home, there only remained the four
of us.
"The Lord's work progressed and soon we found the two
communities growint spiritually. Dunn' the next seven years
we built churches at both places and pastored both until
1930. Our work reached a point where we found we could serve
the Lord better elsewhere. We in 1930 raised enough money
to buy a used tent. For two years we held meetin's in
Geta-ber and towns around. Those were fruitful years for
Christ. Hundreds of souls were saved. Night after night
there would be new joys discovered. Yes, it was two of the
happiest years of my entire ministry.
"By this time, 1932, the Church of God organization as
a whole had grown and prospered wonderfully. Few people
realize our church is as large as it actually i. It has a
very interestin' history. It started way back in 1884 in
the mountains over in Monroe County, Tennessee.
"A Baptist missionary preacher, Rev. Richard G. Spurling,
became dissatisfied with his church. He believed that the
creeds and traditions of the church were bendinl and burden
soma in their effect on the members. He finally had a
meetinl and put this question before the congregation: 'As
many Christians as are here present who are desirous to be
free from all man-made creeds and traditions, and are willin'
to take the Lew Testament, or law of Christ, as your only
rule of faith and practice: givint each other equal rights
and privileges to read and interpret for yourselves as your
conscience may dictate, and are willin' to get together as
the Church of God and to transact business as same, please
come forward.' Only eight people followed the preacher in
his new stand and left the Baptist church. For ten years
Reverend Spurling pastored the little group which grew very
slowly. His son, also a minister, joined int and it was he
that carried on the work when the elder Reverend Spurling
passed away shortly after the church's conception.
13
"The first noted rise in the new Church of God was as
a result of a revival that five of the Tennesseans held over
in Cherokee County, North Carolina, at the Shearer Schoolhouse.
They preached a clean gospel and urged the people to seek
and obtain sanctification as a
upon the hearts of believers.
and the country was stirred up
second work of grace wrought
The people became interested
for miles around. Many were
saved and sanctified. The regular churches of that community
became very antagonistic toward the revival and one church
was reported to have expelled thirty members at one time
because they professed Holy Life, which doctrine the church
denounced as heresy.
"The revival really started "the faith" in North Caro-
lina because after the Tennesseans had returned to Tennessee,
those who had been converted carried on the work.
"A Sunday school was organized and regular services
began and went forward at such a pace that it seemed like
a continuation of the revival. The people earnestly sought
God and the interest increased until suddenly like a mighty,
rushin/P wind the Holy Ghost began to fall on the humble,
sincere, sanctified believers. During the meetint one after
another fell prostrate under the power of God and soon quite
a few came through speakint in other tongues as the Spirit
gave the utterance.
"The news spread like wildfire and people came from
miles around to see the manifestations of the presence of
the Lord. Dunn' the meetints many were healed of diseases.
14
The influence of these meetin's was felt throughout the
communities and soon meetin's were sturted in adjoinin,
counties. However, the Devil wasn't goin, to take a
beatint lying down. Soon a storm of persecution broke out
upon the movement. In one case a mob of over a hundred
men, among which were ministers of other faiths, deacons,
stewards, a justice of the peace and a sheriff, raided and
burned the tabernacles where hardened sinners were bein'
saved everyday.
"The revivals and the persecutions continued and very
often Reverend Spurling would come over from Tennessee and
try to tell the people of the need of an organization among
them, but could never manage to effect the idea. As the
movement spread, false teachers crept in, and led many of
the humble, sincere souls into error. Factions began to
show themselves and fanaticism took possession of many of
the less informed. The movement had gained so much momentum,
and without proper guidance, that it was difficult to re-
cognize it as the one originally begun by the late Reverend
Spurling Sr. It remained for some one to take charge and
to do something about the much needed government, so on
May 15, 1902, an organization was formed at the home of
W. F. Bryant, a Cherol4e County businessman.
"The main decisions of procedure were to advance
cautiously and attempt to further the study of the New
Testament by all the members everywhere, so that those who
had been led into error might see the light. The reformed
-15
faction of the movement was to be known as the Holiness
Church of Camp Creek. This order began to grow, and per-
secution of its services and influence was lessened. In
1905 another meetin' was held and there were twenty-one
delegates representin' churches throughout western North
Carolina, north Georgia, east Tennessee, and South Carolina.
At this meetin' the organization began to take shape, and
thereafter each year these meetin's have grown. Soon after-
wards at one of the meetin's the name was changed to The
Church of God, which it has today.
"As I have said before, few people realize the size
of the organization. Why, at our last year's convention
held at Chattanooga, Tennessee, there were over ten thousand
people there. That's quite a different meetin' than it was
back in Cherokee just thirty-three years ago. Yes sir, today
we have churches in thirteen foreign countries, hundreds
here in America, a trainin' school, an orphanage, a modern
publishin' house, missionaries we send to other countkies,
and just about everything or anything any other church has,
includin' a well -organized church government. I was well
pleased when my son John, after finishin' high school, went
to Bob Jones College over in Cleveland, Tennessee, and
finally was licensed as a minister. Now at the age of
twenty-three he is State Officer of the Young Peoples En-
deavor, a branch of our church government. His headquarters
is here but he is seldom ever able to at home.
"We haven't been here long, only about five months.
16
You see our church government, like many others, controls
where we preachers are to go and when. Since we had the
tent back in 1930 I have been sent to a number of places/
14P Sill fill amp
until the time came for here."
Brother Fisher ("all men are brothers") admitted that
"ws" who organized the congregations and built the churches
were "the Lord and I".
"I'm proud of our church," he says, "in spite of the
fact that the intellectuals and would-be high element call
7
us Holy Rollerelandl"fanatics." You will find that the
basis for their scorn is due to the fact that they put their
worshippin' on a strict intellectual basis, void of all
emotional elements, whereas we solicit and give way to the
emotional blessin's of the spirit. Should they submit to
Christ as fully and as tensely as we, then they would probably
understand. Then, too, they criticize our speakin' in un-
known tongues. All they would have to do is to read their
Bible and learn that in Acts IZ-the GaiLleans spoke in
tongues and were fluent in languages they had never known.
One of our missionaries, while in China, witnessed a young
Chinese boy under the influence of the spirit, and though
the boy could normally speak only the Chinese language, the
Holy Ghost gave him the temporary gift of perfect English.
17
"Many people wander about our creeds and morals. I
might say that in daily livint our philosophy is one of
restraint, while the trend of the modernist is that of givint
way to impulses. You will find that our behavior resembles
that of the early Quakers in many respects. For instance,
none of our members are allowed to smoke or use tobacco in
any form. We are definitely against the use of alodhol in
any way. Our members are not permitted to attend picture
shows or theaters or ball games or dances. Neither do we
believe in showint unnecessarily any parts of our bodies,
such as appearint on bathint beaches. While attendint our
church you will notice that none of us ever wear any orna-
ments or jewelry of any kind. Even though to the average
person these restrictions might seem unnecessary, we look
upon 'em as beint sane,
havior.
"Our religion, I believe, means more to us than religion
means to many. First, we seek a new birth. After that, we
go a step further and receive a second blessint, which is
sanctification. We know as well as others that some of our
members fall dawn in their efforts to live right. After all,
they are only human, and ever since the day of Eve humans
have been known to err.
"You know, durint my time as a preacher I have had some
interestint experiences. I have seen many "cases" so to
speak. For example there is the case of Odus Baxter over
sensible, commonsense rules of be-
-18
there at Fae.m4eia.. Odus had a large farm his father had left
him and he was a hard worker. He'd deal in stove -wood in
the winter time and buy and sell live stock and do about all
he could to make money. His family was large --I'd say there
was at least ten of tem. In spite of the fact that Odus
was a money maker he was also a money spender. He and his
brothers had always been heavy drinkers, and it got so to
the last that Odus got to be the worst of the lot. Why, at
times he would go off from home on a spree and spend two or
three hundred dollars and stay drunk for a week or two. If
he ran out of money, why, he'd just borrow some. Every one
knew that he would pay his debts and that he owned the big
farm, so it wasn't any trouble to get money.
"But first thing he knew he had everything mortgaged
up to the hilt. Times got bad and his drinkin, got worse,
and soon not only was he in a bad way financially but physi-
cally as well. He had drunk so much that his nerves had
been ruined and often would he get the D.T's and almost tear
up the place.
"I can remember one night we were havin, services at
my father-in-law's house and right durin' the middle of a
song the door opens and in staggers Odus Baxter. He was
full of liquor, as everyone could easily tell, but as we
all knew him and knew that he was all right when he was
sober, we just went right on with the services and he sat
quietly over in the corner. It was near the end of the
-19
services that he made any move. He held up his hand and
says, Mill yo--ytall lesh me shay shumpint?,
Mile didn't know what to expect, but he was told to go
ahead and he says, 'You know, I've got shum good outta thish.
I hope y' all have.'
"With these words he makes his way out the door and
wanders on dawn the street. We learned later that from our place
he went on down to a carnival and climbed up on a horse on
the merry-go-round and it took seven men to drag him off and
to lock him up in the calaboose.
"It wasn't but about a week afterwards that Odus again
came back to our services, and this time he was sober. He
had about come to the end of his rope. His business matters
were in terrible shape, and on top of that his family of
growin' children were gettin very loose and out of control.
Everything was at the bottom. Odus for some reason stayed sober
long enough to realize this and came to me one night -and cried
just like a baby.
A
"Well, that night when I gave the altor call, he came
up to the mourners' bench. None of his family had come to
the church with him. He stayed on his knees for hours. We
all stayed and prayed with him. After a while he came through,
and oelieve me, if anyone could have seen the look on that
man's face they could never doubt the power of the Lord.
That was one victory for Christ that I have always been
thankful for. Later he told me that he promised the Lord
that if He would help him to overcome his ways and get back
20
on his feet, that he would give a tenth of everything he
made to the Lord.
"Well, soon Mrs. Baxter was comin' to the services and
it wasn't long before she, too, was converted. The two of
them soon had all the children joinin, up on the side of
the Savior. His brothers couldn't believe him when he re-
fused to drink with them any more. One day they were to-
gether and they saw me comint and one of them opened up a
bottle and threw some on Odus, thinkin' I would believe he
had been drinkin'. When I walked up he quickly told me
what had happened and that they were tryin, to make it hard
for him to do right, but for me to know that he hadn't been
drinkin, and wasn't ever goin' to. fie kept his promise and
became a very active church worker, and the tenth that he
gave to the church was returned manifold in the way of
additional blessin's. It seemed that his crops were better
than any of the others around there and there was a different
spirit among the family and every one seemed happy. Within
three years time the mortgages were gone and he had additional
property and was gettin' along wonderfully. And today when I
look back upon the plight of that family at one time, and
think of how the boys and girls of that family were headed
toward ruin, how they were saved from maybe a life in the
pen, or from a life of crime, --yes, when I think of all
that might have happened, and look at haw happy they are
today, then you can imagine why I am glad that I am a preacher
servin, the Lord. That is only one case, though, and there
21
are many, many of tem.
"I have always been so wrapped up in the work that I
pay little attention to outside things. I never even took
the trouble to vote but once, and that was for Alf Landon
in 1936. That don't mean I'm a Republican. I vote for the
man, not the party. I don't care what ticket he's runnin' on.
"In fact, I think that's what's wrong with things. They
put party first and princip4s and statesmanship last. Why,
right now, just because Roosevelt is askin' Congress for arms
appropriations for national defense all his enemies are
against it. All religious people try to promote peace and
pray for peace, but religious people may as well face facts.
As long as there are military dictatorships there will always
be war. As bad as I hate to think of it, there is another
war comin'. They say that the last was to be a war to end
wars. But, you mind me, that war was the opposite. The
treaties made at the end of that world war will cause a much
larger and more terrible war in the next few years. And
even though I voted against President Roosevelt I do agree
with him in wantin' to protect our homes and the right to
live in a land free to worship God as we want to. God has
given us this land and liberty, and I don't think it's any
more than right to stand ready to defend it against the works
of the Devil.
"Now lon't ask me what I think about Hitler --after all,
-22
I am a preacher! I might say though that he has in prison
one of our missionaries over there now for preaching the word
of God. Any natural reaction to an act of that kind should
give you an idea of my opinion of him.
"Yes, the poor jews are being treated terribly. It looks
like ever since the Sews crucified Christ they have been
damned. You remember Christ is referred to as being the
King of the Tews? Well, if you'd think back, from the time
they killed him they haven't had a king since. You know, they
play an important part in God's plans of time. I can look
at it as a whole, and it reminds me of a man and a fruit tree.
According to the word, it seems, this man found a limb that
bore forth but little fruit so he cuts it off and in its
place he grafts on another kind of branch. Then later, as
I see it, the man regrafts the original limb back into place.
The Gentiles have ruled the world since the Crucifixion and,
according to the way I interpret the word, they will continue
to do so until 2000 A. D., at which time the Jews will receive
a leader. That means through all this persecution they will,
at last, sixty-one years from now, reestablish themselves.
If I am correct in my prediction, this leader will be the
Anti-christ that the Bible speaks of in Revelations. Let
me show you this map that I have here. It's a map of time
from the beginning, from chaos to the Garden of Eden on
through time according to the Bible."
Brother Fisher unrolled a map about twelve feet long.
-23
It extended across the floor from one wall to the other. On
his knees he pointed out the different stages in which the
world has passed and is to pass.
Reading from left to right, time to the present took up
about half he map. The future, as interpreted from Revela-
tions by a deceased Church of God preacher from a little town
in Tennessee, filled the right-hand six feet of the map.
Only the first drawing has anything resembling a clear
meaning to the lay mind. It looks something like a diagram
of an eclipse of the moon --the outer crescent being labelled
"Original," the next crescent "Chaos," and the full moon con-
taining a picture of the sun rising over what must be the
Garden of Eden, with the nude figure of a long-haired woman,
arm extended, lying under a tree; a recumbent happy lion and
a browsing buffalo. The next era is shown by a picture of
Noah's Ark upon the waters, with the words Holy Ghost, Sanc-
tification, and Justification printed on the boat, and two
men sinking into the sea, where a third rests despairingly
upon the bottom.
Next is a pyramidal Tower of Babel, its base inscribed
7> "Us a name". Following it is a circle enclosing a tent taber-
nacle, over which stone tablets bearing Roman numerals I -X
rest on fiery clouds spouting tongues of lightning that strike
the tent in several places; the scene is watched by a malevolent
serpent coiled about a cross. Beneath that picture, a unicorn
24
with a broken horn (Greece) tramples upon a slain beast
labelled Medo-Persia.
Above the tent symbol, a hydra-headed dragon cranes its
necks in all directions; by some trick of the drawing, whether
by accident or design, two of the heads have a beatific ex-
pression, two seem to be smiling shyly, and the other three
look merely smug. The symbol of the seven -headed beast, in
different forms, is used three or four times in the Future
is
section of the map, but that 'it the only time it appears
in the era of the Old Testament. The key explains that it
is A Wonder in Heaven". Another *fonder in Heaven is
symbolized by a crowned figure, crudely drawn, standing on
a crescent moon pointed downward and radiating lightning
from all its parts.
The picture called The Church in the Air shows a comfOrt-
able-looking throne set upon clouds beneath the arch of a
rainbow. A flaming altar in the clouds is captioned Souls
under the Altar.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are shown in squares
connected like a comic -strip sequence. The first man, astride
a spotted horse, is a bowman shooting an arrow. The key calls
this picture The Sealed Book, and Brother Fisher explained
that it also represented the Anti-christ. The second horseman
brandishes daggers and represents War; the third, upon a black
mount, holds scales, and he is Famine. The fourth, an emaci-
-25-
ated creature on a long spavined horse, weakly beats off
human -headed bats. He is Death and Hell.
Five angels lean down to trumpet to some lower region.
From the trumpets, lines something like unclosed cones contain
the messages from the angels; the first is Hail--Fire--Blood,
second, Burning Mountain, third, Wormwood, fourth, Sun -smitten.
The fifth angel is twice the size of the other four, and his
trumpet blasts, in type two inches high, WOE--WOE--WOE.
Other symbols of equal mystery lead up to a reproduction
of the first drawing, the Garden of Eden, without the "Origi-
nal" and "Chaos", to reveal that "it shall be as it was in
the beginning."
"I love this map," Brother Fisher said. "I wouldn't
part with it for anything in the world. I'd like to give a
series of lectures on it in the church. But our people
wouldn't like it. What they want is somethin' to shout about."
Apale:a..0(4.
4„, ektvZrzr.