Blou Rokke – A Latter Rain Cult

Blou Rokke (Blou Rokkies) – The Latter Rain Mission of South Africa

ORIGIN:

The Blou Rokke religious cult had its beginnings in South Africa under the leadership of Maria Martha Fraser whom they call their founder. Their golden jubilee publication, Spade Reên Sending van S.A., 1927-1977 (hereafter SRS), tells on page 11 of “how a Holy Spirit Light (Spade Reên/Latter Rain) was poured out in December 1927 to Maria of the Blou Rokke and ten other Blou Rokke believers after a nine month period of prayer and fasting.” According to her the Lord revealed in this prophecy that “he would establish a work where all the gifts of the Holy Spirit would operate freely, a work after the Lord’s heart, where sin would not be able to persist.” ^{(M. Fraser, Faith of Life, p.13)} In one of many other revelations or visions she was shown the distinctive blue dress which gave rise to the nick name Blou Rokke / Blue Dresses. SRS also states that the difference between Latter Rain and other pentecostal movements is more in degree than in essence. (p.12)  ^{—http://spadereen.org.za/index.php/af-ZA/meer-omtrent-ons/ons-geskiedenis-3}

The Blou Rokke aim to:

1. Comply with the full Gospel of Jesus Christ, to bring it to others and inspire them so that they can walk according to it.

2. Strive towards holiness and a spiritual rebirth so as to reach the life in Christ which is required of a member of the Bride of Christ at His return.

3. As the Holy Spirit is the Teacher of this congregation, He must at all times be given the opportunity to reveal the will of God through the spiritual gifts.

4. To strive towards a continuous outpouring of the New Testament Spade (latter) rain.

5. Extend all possible help to those who strive towards worthiness so as to escape the forthcoming perils over this earth and be worthy to stand before the Son of Man.

6. As members of the body (with Christ as Head) be submissive in childlike manner to Him and to trust in Him not only for the spiritual but the material as well.

Mrs Fraser was a member of the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) church before the split into the Blou Rokke cult. This was brought about by her accusing the AFM of “not only stifling the Spirit of God, but also of individual moral findings on the part of its lesser officials. According to her own account the various prophecies or visions were always justified [and so] she met with increasing opposition from the leaders of the AFM.” ^{(Walter J. Hollenweger, The Pentecostals, Hendrickson Publishers, 1988:140) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Faith_Mission_of_South_Africa}

These all led to the eventual intervention of the leaders of the AFM. An ultimatum was sent to Mrs Fraser and her followers to cease their various practices, some of which were the uncovering of sin and publication of the Spade Reên Boodskapper (Latter Rain Messenger). Naturally Mrs Fraser and her faithful soon to be Blou Rokke followers refused and they were excommunicated. Eviction, with force and the help of the police, from AFM chapels followed. The public auction of their properties, for the most part built with their own money, and the restriction by the AFM that such properties must not be sold to Latter Rain members, did not deter them and they proceeded to acquire a piece of land in 1928 on which their first “faith home”, Jatniêl – a name supposedly given by God, arose.

In December 1976, Mrs S.J. Smalberger, then moderator of the Blou Rokke, cut the ribbon at the official inauguration of their magnificent temple. Just a year later a second home, Jizreel, was opened in Pretoria. By 1933, according to their own sources, they had spread across the whole of South Africa (See here for all locations Latter Rain Missions in Africa and Europe). At these as at other Blou Rokke faith homes which stand as “light houses of prayer, spiritual education and edification” around the world they accommodate married couples and single people to which they, among various other material needs, also provide meals in the community dining room, do the laundry and repair residents’ motor vehicles. Most of the fresh produce and dairy products are produced on their Blou Rokke properties. All their literature, mostly written by the late Dr A.V. Krige, who left the University of Stellenbosch in 1929 to join them, are given away free. He is credited with the establishing of their own printing works at Jatniêl.

Blou Rokke – Latter Rain Mission of SA – Jatniêl Temple in Benoni, South Africa

VISIONS LEAD TO DOCTRINE:

After Maria Fraser’s supposed divine healing in August 1920 she just longed for day and night contact with God. During a train journey a few days later to Benoni she became aware of an extremely bright and piercing light shining in her compartment. A heavenly peace came over her and she came to the conviction to stop wearing any jewelry or modern clothes. At this time she also received a strong need to pray and spent hours during the nights on her face in tears and prayer and learned the necessity and importance of the confession of all of her sins. It was also revealed to her that she should be baptised in water where after she also received the baptism of the Spirit.

It was during these prayer sessions that God revealed to her one of their central doctrines; the confession of sins before a witness.  In 1926 she received from God guidance to introduce the gifts and offices of the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:11-16) in all congregations to the perfection of the saints to enable their more complete functioning. Later, in March 1927, she was called by the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and interpretation, to meet every morning at 10:00 in prayer so that God could educate them in His ways. During one of these sessions she tells of how she was taken up in the spirit and shown an altar with burning coals and an angel touched her lips, exactly like Isaiah (Is 6:6,7). This was when she was commissioned by God with a specific message to the heads of the Pentecostal movement which eventually led to the split and actions described above.

One source states that Dr A.V. Krige, in response to a letter to him, said they have no doctrines and that the difference between Blou Rokke and other Pentecostals, like the Full Gospel Church, is that they allow the Holy Spirit complete freedom to lead, teach and control them, in their personal lives and especially in their services and prayer meetings. Nevertheless, from their various writings we can safely conclude that they do have some doctrines.

New Revelations:

From what we have already touched on it is clear that with them as with many other sects and cults revelations are characteristic and play an important, oftentimes crucial, role. Such revelations led to the splitting away from the AFM, the purchase of specific places for faith homes, their name, the distinctive dress, the confession of sins before a witness, the revelation of sin by the Holy Spirit, etc. Opposed to this the Word of God teaches that God had revealed Himself once for all through His Son Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1) and that it is confirmed in 2 Tim 3:16,17.  No new revelations will follow or are necessary and all additions to His Word are sin and punishable (Rev 22:18,19). Please also read Jeremiah 23:32-40.

Baptism:

They believe in adult baptism through immersion into water but with a difference. The Holy Spirit showed the Blou Rokke that those wishing to be baptised and who are approved to receive baptism are baptised according to their own preferences: single or threefold immersion. Fraser, however, believed that the Blou Rokke church should recognise threefold immersion.’

Blue Dress:

After a long period of fasting and prayer the Lord showed her “the ‘blue dress’, telling [her] that He wished [them] to wear that, as the Lord wanted us to be isolated from the world and honourably clad. Together with the blue dress with its long sleeves, its high neck with collar, [they] should wear black shoes and stockings, but nothing was to be made of silk. ^{(M Fraser: Faith of Life: 21-22, as quoted in Holweger: 141)} The blue dress was laid down for the six weekdays and the same in white for Sundays.” ^{(This sentence is missing in the English and Afrikaans versions but contained in the German version of Fraser: Persönliche Ehrfahrungen (Personal Experiences): no date: 24, Holweger: 141)}  In their Jubilee publication it is stated: “The white dress symbolizes purity, righteousness and peace, and the blue does not only refer to the colour of heaven but the Jewish history where the high priest wore a breastplate as part of his official dress with the twelve precious stones which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The colour of the stone for Judah was turquoise. (Emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond see: Ex 28:18)  Each tribe had its own colours (standard/banner); that of Judah was blue like heaven.” The question is then asked: “Now what relationship does the tribe of Judah has with the blue colour?” They answer: “We know that the Lord Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah and when a person is re-born he becomes co-heir with Christ (Gal 4:4-7) and are thus spiritually born into the tribe of Judah. If we are then born spiritually why can we not make the colour that represents Judah our own?”

Doctrines:

They do believe in the primary orthodox Christian doctrines, like the Triune God, salvation only through the Name of Jesus Christ, a heavenly home for all those in Jesus Christ, hell as a place of eternal torment for those who rejected the blood of Christ. Their beliefs seem to indicate that salvation for them is not through grace alone but also by works. This is clear from the blue dress and separation idea, the continuous confession of sins before witnesses and the doing of good works.

The Blou Rokke also practice the cleansing of areas by going about the grounds, buildings and rooms on a regular basis and symbolically ridding such places of demons or demonic influences and calling the blood of Jesus down on such areas. Nowhere in the New Testament church can an example of this practice be found. This is exactly what the Apostolic and Prophetic movement do, they call it spiritual mapping or territorial spiritual warfare Angus Buchan does this as well including all those in the New Apostolic Reformation. The New Apostolic Reformation is another name for the Latter Rain Movement – See this article : Latter Rain – Has it Poured into Your Church?

See here for more info on Blou Rokke:  http://spadereen.org.za/index.php/af-ZA/meer-omtrent-ons/wat-ons-glo-3

CRITIQUE:

It was stated above, more specifically by Dr A.V. Krige in his response to a letter to him, that they allow the Holy Spirit complete freedom. The question is: Does the Almighty God need man’s permission to act in any church meeting, the life of any individual or at any moment anywhere? The Bible is clear on more than one occasion that the Holy Spirit acts as He wills (Acts 2:4, 14; 13:2, 4; 1 Cor 12:4-11), but always in complete harmony with the will of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit also did not come out of His own free will but the Father and the Son sent Him.

John 14:16,26  “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

When we as mere humans call on Jesus Christ it must not be to fulfill our selfish desires supposedly provided by the Holy Spirit as this would be tantamount to Simon the sorcerer who, when he saw what the apostles did, desired to buy this power. (Acts 8:14-23) God is supreme and sovereign. He acts according to His perfect will as and when it pleases Him. He has never been a marionette that we can manipulate by pulling one or other string.

The Blou Rokke practice of an individual being separated in a room where he or she is put under great psychological pressure to search for and dig deep in the self to find any possible hidden sins and then to confess these before two or more witnesses is a gross distortion of verses like:

Luke 12:2, “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”, and

James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

When we look closely at these two verses they use in support of their practice which is totally not biblical we notice a typical cult practice: Take two or more scriptures, use them completely out of context, then connect them and so get support for your point. The first verse deals with what would happen at the second coming of our Lord. Whatever people did during their earthly life will all be exposed – even the most innermost thoughts. The second does not speak about sins but about those things a person did that caused another person to be hurt in one way or another.

More light is cast on this by Jesus’own words in:

Matthew 5:23-24, “‘Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.'”

Does is make sense that this gift is what we read in:

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Not only is the Bible clear on the issue of the confession of sins but Jesus told us what to do:

Matthew 6:6  “‘But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.'”

This ties in with Mark 6:7 “…who can forgive sins but God only?”

A clearer example cannot be found than in:

Luke 18:9-14: “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'”

God deals with our sin that we bring to Him (Ps 32:1-5) in a very different way as we see in:

Micah 7:19, “…thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” and

Jeremiah 31:34: “…I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

After all, this is exactly why the Son of God became a Man – to pay for all of our sin, past, present and future -in Him (Jesus Christ) we are justified before God. That is why the Roman system of confession before a priest-and we have the same in this group – is wrong and unbiblical!  It becomes a never ending circle of confession upon confession – what assurance can man give?  God knows the heart of man (Matthew 12:25), that is why He says to those who think they are righteous:

Is 57:12 “I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.”

It is clear that confessing sins to and before earthly priests/witnesses means nothing and is heretical – it has to be taken to God and Him alone. We cannot trust our feelings. When we feel down it could force us to think that it is one or other sin we have not confessed and so back into the room we go to search for and confess something that does not exist under the watchful eyes, alert ears or probing words of the two or three witnesses so that we can come out of there feeling better, uplifted and healed. Gone are the days where a person is convinced in his heart by the Holy Spirit that he is a sinner and then goes to God in deep reproach to confess his sins, which God graciously forgives and does not think of anymore. No we have to play our part and really feel that our sins are forgiven. And so we run to one or other person that practices deliverance so we can be helped to work through all our sins of the past – so that we can arrive at a point where we can truly feel clean and that our sins are now behind us.

Can we no longer accept the fact that when we have accepted God’s grace, confessed our sins and left it at the foot of the cross, that Jesus’ blood covers
all sins? Why do we still want to play a role in this process and not accept God’s words? Look at Ephesians 2:89 again: “For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Can you imagine the amount of control or influence that can be obtained over a person when you know his or her innermost secrets?

IN CLOSING:

In contrast to many millions of genuine Christians and like so many other members of sects, the members of this Blou Rokke group are also very serious about their beliefs and how they go about it. Like other cult members they are an example of zealousness and sincerity to many Christians. However, it is not sincerity or zealousness that guarantees a person access to God’s heaven, but having a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

Source:  Sentinel 1st Qtr 2003, Ned Geref Kerk-Edleen – http://www.docstoc.com/docs/71686627/32-Sent1002-_2002-Blou-Rokke_p6