Shiloh, the morning star of glory

By Bishop Wellingtone G. Kusema 

As the sun rose, east of the majestic Chimanimani mountains situated in the beautiful Eastern Highlands of the mystical land of Zimbabwe, splashing its glorious rays abundantly over the magnificent uplands and plains of Manicaland, a small party of men left the village, en route to dig a grave for Mrs. Portia Hamudikuwanda who had passed away three days earlier. 

An unusual funeral 

By noon time, the small party of grave diggers had finished their depressing job, then quickly made their way back to the Hamudikuwanda homestead, where the rest of the mourners were gathered for Portia’s funeral wake. But as they arrived back at the homestead, a most astonishing spectacle awaited them.

As they entered the compound, their ears were greeted by the din of mournful as well as celebratory voices. At the same moment, their eyes fell upon a most unbelievable sight, right there in front of them, sat Portia on a mat, alive and surrounded by a frenzied crowd, all-consumed in a riot of joy as well as confusion. She sat at the center of the little village compound, relating to the mourners her  unusual story. 

“I AM your God!” 

‘As I was walking in the most beautiful place I have ever seen, intending to cross over a bridge to get over to the other side of the river where I could see my father-in-law calling me to join him there (he died a long ago time ago), searching frantically for a place to cross this river before me, I suddenly heard a voice speaking to me,’ she was saying. She then went on, ‘The voice said to me, ” I AM your God! I AM the Spirit.

I walk in the Spirit. I live in the Spirit. I work in the Spirit. Where are you going? Who told you to come here? Nobody should be punished for the sins of another man, never!” My late father-in-law was now beckoning me frantically to join him on the other side of the river, but he was not looking at me directly, he was facing sideways.’ The voice which spoke to her was all powerful and it seemed to work against the intentions of her late father-in-law who was calling her over to join him on the other side. 

“Mutumwa Paul, resurrect your disciple!” 

‘When I had found the bridge at last, I hurried to cross over and join my father-in-law who was on the other side, but now, the voice spoke again with great power and authority saying, “Mutumwa* Paul, resurrect your disciple! Mutumwa* Paul, resurrect your disciple!” As I looked to my right hand, I beheld standing there, a man wearing white garments, a white cloak drapped over his shoulder. He held a shepherd’s staff in his hand. This angelic being scooped some water from the river with his hand and showered my face with this water. Immediately, I came back to, only to see all these wailing people gathered here.” This was on the third and final day of her death, when they were getting ready to go and bury her. 

Having witnessed such a powerful miracle, the grave diggers quickly destroyed the coffin that had been prepared for her burial, and threw it into her intended grave then covered it with soil. They then proceeded to plant an Avocado tree over her empty grave. This tree continues to grow to this day, a testimony of the power of life over death in Jesus’ name.This story of Portia Hamudikuwanda who was brought back to life in October 2009 in Mutare, Zimbabwe, is similar to that of another lady from the Eastern Highlands as well.

She too passed away for three days, only to be brought back to life by a Supernatural Being who sat upon a heavenly throne and whose  name was called Shiloh. We continue to receive many profound stories of divine deliverance at the behest of this Shiloh. These two are just the few of the many we continue to receive. This Shiloh’s supernatural heroic exploits are many and they continue to defy reason and logical scientific explanation! But what exactly is happening? Who or what is this Shiloh? 

Shiloh 

Star of Shiloh, is the column of your paper’s religious correspondent. It is this Shilohic title of your correspondent’s column that has awakened my interest in the religious events related above, which events have an unmistakable bearing to Shiloh, one way or another. Shiloh, this beautiful word has generally captured the attention and imagination of many people the world over for a long time.

Certain celebrity couples for example, have sired offsprings and christiened them with the same name. Pop stars of certain musical genres have alluded to the title Shiloh, in their lyrics. But is this word’s appeal only superficial or does it hold a much deeper meaning than that attached to it by pop musicians and the so-called celebrities? I will attempt to explain its paramount significance in detail.

Biblical Shiloh 

From a Judeo-Christian stand-point, the impotance of the word Shiloh goes much deeper, it transcends the superficial attachment, which many of those in showbizz (and indeed the general populace) have developed, with the word Shiloh today. Situated north of Bethel on the eastern part of the highway that went up from Bethel to Shechem, (on the south of Lebonah), Shiloh was the name of an important Old Testament religious center. Judges 21:19. 

In the days of Eli the priest of Israel, the Tebernacle was set up at Shiloh. Eli and his sons presided over the priesthood, with the Tebernacle (the structure of centralized worship) already established at Shiloh. The principal sanctuary of the Israelites in the time of the Judges was at Shiloh. Joshua 18:1.Therefore Shiloh was an important Jewish religious town of its time. Shiloh was the name of a place not that of a person. But how did the name come to assume such importance? How did it come to be referred as the name of a person rather than aplace? 

Jacob’s prophecy concerning Shiloh

In the book of Genesis 49:10, we read of a particularly perculiar prophecy which Israel (Jacob) uttered concerning his son Judah. As Jacob (on his death bed) came to bless Judah, we begin to see Shiloh being referred to as a person not a place. In the details of this prophecy, Jacob declares that the scepter of the priesthood would be in the hands of Judah, up to, and until when, Shiloh comes.But who is this Shiloh? Because up until now, we have known Shiloh to be a place not a person. And how does Shiloh come to be linked with Africa and indeed the end time proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ? 

The Davidic Cushitic prophecies 

In the book of Psalms 68:31, king David prophesied, “Princes shall come out of Egypt, Ethiopia shall soon stretch her hands unto God.” The prophet Zephaniah gave forth a similar prophecy in Zephaniah 3:10, “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.” Both king David and Zephaniah’s prophecies speak of a great spiritual awakening on the African continent. In biblical times Africa was known as either Ethiopia or Egypt. So, these two prophecies and of course numerous others in Holy writ testify to the great spiritual awakening that would visit the African people in the fulness of time. Has Africa had her Shilohic visitation yet or when shall it come to pass? 

The Bright and Morning Star 

Revelation 22:16 says, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” In this scripture Jesus Christ is identifying himself as a star, the Morning Star. And the prophecies of the Bible point to Jesus the Christ as He who would come and liberate mankind from the bondage of sin. But the same Christ is referring to himself as the Morning Star in Revelation 22:16. Has this revelation of Christ as the Morning Star been fulfilled in our times? Has the Shilohic visitation been ushered on the African continent in fulfilment of the time and prophecy? 

The Star of Shiloh, 25th of December 1956 

The wheels of prophecy have come full circle, because one of the mysteries of Old Testament prophecies was revealed to Paul Mwazha of Africa on the 25th of December 1956. God explains His deepest mysteries to the most humble and simplest of people to confirm the words of the apostle Paul of Tarsus to the Corinthians who said, “And base things of the world, and things which are dispised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are:That no flesh should glory in his presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:28,29.

In these end times, when the nations of the West have as a result of their wonderful material development, had their spiritual perceptions and their spiritual susceptibilities blunted through the agency of a captivating and absorbing materialism, God has revealed His hidden mysteries to Africa.

The continent regarded as the most abased economically, socially or politically. Prior to these events of 1956, the Lord Jesus had appeared to Paul Mwazha seating in a rock, (symbolizing power) at a palce called Guvambwa southeast of Harare the Capital of Zimbabwe in 1934. he appeared the same year seating inside a well (symbolizing salvation).

On 17th February 1956, the Lord again appeared while riding on a cloud (symbolizing glory) and the Holy Spirit declared Zimbabwe to be His place of Spiritual Glory, His end time Zion.This has been done for the salvation of all mankind that, ” ….no flesh should glory in his presence.” 

God revealed to four different people living in different places what was going to happen to Paul Mwazha that day, 25th December 1956. The narratives of all three men and one woman, which God had revealed in seperate dreams, were identical in all respects. All of them had been  shown prophetic previews of Archbishop Paul Mwazha of Africa praying which a select group of individuals praying on Chirasauta mountain situated southeast of Harare the capital city of Zimbabwe. In the prophetic oracles of all four, they witnessed the Holy Spirit come down on him mightly as he spoke in tongues on that mountain. 

God’s glory on the mountain top 

Thus Paul took seven men and went with them atop Mount Chirasauta in the afternoon at around 3.00 pm. As they were praying inside a rock  enclosure, Paul was greatly overcome by the Holy Spirit and began to shout, “Shiloh! Shiloh! Shiloh!” At that point, he was lifted by the Holy Spirit and he was placed at the top of a rock where it was not humanly possible to climb. As he sat there looking eastwards, he noticed at this point the Eastern Star become clearly visible during daytime. The Holy Spirit spoke in many tongues as he called out, “Shiloh! Shiloh! Shiloh!” referring to the morning star that was shimmering in broad daylight. 

As Paul wondered why the morning star would come up at this time of the day, God demonstrated to him that the star he was seeing was a sign from Heaven. The star began to set slowly in the eastern horizon until it disappeared. As the Holy Spirit enveloped him with even greater power and glory, he noticed the star reemerge from the eastern horizon and rise slowly right up to the point when he had first noticed it.

When he summoned his colleagues up to witness this magnificent spactacle, the star flashed once and disappeared and the others helped him get down from where the Holy Spirit had placed him. as they descended from the mountain through the rock enclosure where they had prayed earlieron, they noticed the rocks covered with some white granules reaching up to their knees at certain places. the group was engulfed by the Holy Spirit and began to talk in tongues. Some in their excitement began to call it manna, and suggested they take some home but Paul restrained them from calling it manna or taking it home with them. 

As they came to the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a prophetess, Amai Gwavava, who hailed them saying, “I want to let you know in the name of Jesus that you had the most profound experience ever on the mountain. The Lord showed you a wonderful revelation and that one of you, Mwazha, is truly a servant of God.” The Divine Cimmission of Paul Mwazha of Africa Part 1. It is important to note that Paul had never used the word “Shiloh” before. this was the first time when the Holy Spirit directed him to utter thus concerning the morning star. 

Jacob’s prophecy fulfilled 

In this appearance as the bright morning star in broad day light, the Lord Jesus Christ was announcing his divine presence to his servant Paul Mwazha of Africa. Paul’s utterance of the word Shiloh is also an acknowledgement of this divine presence which signified the fulfillment of the Jacobite prophecy of Genesis 49:10. That Star of Shiloh (of 25th December 1956), is the same Morning Star of Revelation 22:16, who is Jesus the Christ. Shiloh therefore, becomes Christ’s Messianic title. Unto Christ, would all the nations of the earth would gather for salvation according to Gen. 49:10. Shiloh becomes Christ personified with all the salvific qualities made manifest in him. 

His appearance to Paul Mwazha on 25th December 1956 marked the transfer of the scepter of the priesthood from Judah as foretold by Jacob, to a son of Cush, a Cushite in Paul Mwazha of Africa fulfilling the Davidic as well as Zephanian prophecies. In the book, The Divine Commission of Paul Mwazha of Africa Part 2 is recorded the vision of the two doves (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) which crossed a spiritual line of demarcation from the West and landed in Africa.

Those doves chose to remain on the African continent despite many attempts to attract them from the continent thereby cementing the testimony of the priesthood coming to Africa. A Royal Priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, after the order of Shiloh who has sent His Messenger, Paul Mwazha of Africa with an everlasting Gospel to preach to those who live on the earth. 

*Mutumwa means Messenger of God 

P/S: There will be a Big Sabbath service at Leicester on the 31st of July. All are welcome to hear the glorious Gospel of the blessed God revealed to his servant Paul Mwazha of Africa in The African Apostolic Church in these end times. For further information call on: 07534083906