Sid: Now I’ve only dreamt about what my guest has heard; my guest is the last living link to Azusa Street Revival. Those that aren’t familiar with the Azusa Street Revival this happened in California; the most improbable situation a warehouse; a one eyed black preacher; before there was integration of races, and the shekinah glory showed up in this warehouse and almost everyone that walked in walked out healed! My guest Tommy Welchel met some of the elderly survivors; remember now this was 100 years ago. He met some of these survivors and they told him firsthand what they saw; how they prayed; what the results were. So he really is the last living link. Now Tommy you were told that your destiny was to make this known. What occurred over 100 years ago? Who told you this?
Tommy: She’s getting pretty old now her name is Jean Darnell. She said “That one day I would put these stories in print.” And that was in 1966; I’d been listening to the stories for 6 years but I couldn’t tell them for 40 years.
Sid: Why?
Tommy: Well, there is a little story behind that I had a visitation from the Lord in my hiding place.
Sid: What was your hiding place?
Tommy: It was a little secret place I made for myself up at the attic at Pisgah. If I didn’t want anybody to bother me I would go up there and hide.
Sid: Alright Pisgah was a place where a lot of people that were involved in the revival…
Tommy: Quite a few.
Sid: It was almost like a retirement home.
Tommy: Yes it was; it was called the Pisgah Home.
Sid: And that was in California.
Tommy: Right next to Pasadena.
Sid: Okay.
Tommy: And there a man by the name of David du Plessi told me to go up if I wanted another encounter with Jesus. The first one I had He got close to me and I fainted.
Sid: (Laughing)
Tommy: I got overcome and I passed out.
Sid: So you made up your mind that you’re not going to faint this time or the next time.
Tommy: Right, so I got up there and I’m praying and all of a sudden my alarm goes off and I turn it off and the little room in there is light as day. Well, there were no lights up there; at that time there were no electricity up in the loft; there is now. But I thought the light; I knew who that was. Well, I looked to the right and here’s this beautiful robe; I can’t describe to you how beautiful that robe was; snow white and it glowed. And I knew who it was; I leaped up and threw my arms around His waist and stuck my face into His stomach. And all of a sudden I feel this hand stroking the back of my head. He said my name one time He said “Tommy.” And then He said “Be patient and be obedient over and over” And then all of a sudden He’s gone and it’s daylight out there.
Sid: Now what did He want you to be patient for that He impressed it so much that He said “Over and over?”
Tommy: Well, when I had left Pisgah I would want to so badly to tell some of these stories and every time I would start I’d hear that voice. “Tommy I said to be patient and obedient.” Well, I’d freeze and I couldn’t tell them.
Sid: When did He release you to tell these stories?
Tommy: In 2006.
Sid: Any idea why 2006 versus; 1995 or 1990?
Tommy: It was the 100th year of Azusa Street.
Sid: So what did that mean?
Tommy: In 40 years after I had quite listening to the stories. I guess it was His timing.
Sid: I understand that in 1909 there was a series of 3 prophesies about something that would happen 100 years from Azusa Street Revival. Tell me about those prophesies.
Tommy: Well, the first was Mary Woodworth-Etter. She’s the one that had the revival in 1913 down in Echo Park, there in Holly Park. She prophesied that soon before the second coming of the Lord there would be a great revival. A huge revival that would have in place. And then William Seymour just before 1910 got up in the altar and made a prophesy that in about 100 years there would be another revival like unto Azusa Street return with miracles and the shekinah glory. And to this there would be no end until the coming of the Lord. But it wouldn’t be in one place or with one person; it would even be in some homes with families and they would be healing the sick and performing supernatural miracles.
Sid: Now there were three people that prophesied; who else?
Tommy: Charles Parham who had the big revival in 1901 in Topeka.
Sid: In Topeka; right.
Tommy: He was in New York City and they tell me almost simultaneously he was making that same prophesy in New York City and this was 1909. They didn’t have the communications they have now so they didn’t together and make this up.
Sid: So approximately 100 years from the Azusa Street Revival there would be another revival. Now would the miracles be greater than what we saw at Azusa Street?
Tommy: They said greater.
Sid: Okay, they would be greater; they would be just before the appearing of the Lord and they would continue, whereas in Azusa Street they stopped after about 3 ½ years.
Tommy: Yes.
Sid: Now let me take you back to the beginning of Azusa Street and remember Tommy was just a teenager. He met the elderly survivors that had firsthand seen what occurred in Azusa Street and we’re going to see greater. But someone that intrigues me a lot is this William Seymour. He was the most unlikely person a one eyed black preacher.
Tommy: Very much.
Sid: Now at that time there was segregation of churches.
Tommy: Yes.
Sid: What did he do about it being black; he wanted white people in there to see this great move of God’s Spirit; what did he do?
Tommy: It was the first integrated church in America that I know of. Seymour got kind of fanatical. If he come down from his apartment to the service and there were 20 or more of the same color sitting in one place he would separate them. He would not tolerate any kind of segregation he wanted them all integrated.
Sid: And was it true that when he started this revival he would come down and put a box; what was it cardboard?
Tommy: No, wood.
Sid: A wood box.
Tommy: It’s boxes they ship food in.
Sid: Okay and he put it over his head; why did he do that?
Tommy: He told signs is an obedience to God; and I believe it was just humble obedience.
Sid: And then he wouldn’t take, listen to this, he would not take this wooden box off of his head until he knew what God wanted to do.
Tommy: Until God spoke to him.
Sid: Tell me I’m so curious about this William Seymour; tell me some of the things they told you about him that they saw firsthand.
Tommy: Well, Seymour there’s sometimes they said he would come down and now it wasn’t all the time but sometimes; he looked at a whole area that were laying there in cots that were brought from the hospitals. And he looked up and he says “Every one of you if you want to be healed you can in Jesus Name your healed; get up and take up your cots you’re healed.” Every one of them; he said there was about 3 dozen; got up rolled up their cots; did not go back to the hospital.
Sid: Do you know much about the education of this William Seymour?
Tommy: Seymour was not highly educated; he was the son of slaves; he didn’t get much of an education. Back then in the south they didn’t educate the blacks very well. You know they were prejudice they thought blacks couldn’t learn anyhow. That was a lie.
Sid: So God picked a one eyed black man to lead the greatest revival in the history of America. God will use whoever is available. Well, I’ll tell you what we’re out of time today… Now on tomorrow’s broadcast Tommy I want you to tell me how this great man of God William Seymour died from a broken heart not physically broken but emotionally broken and what he did that I believe stopped the greatest revival that ever hit America so we don’t do it again.
Tags: its supernatural, Sid Roth
Tags: its supernatural, Sid Roth