HISTORY PAGE
WHY THE HOLY
ORDER WAS CALLED CHERUBIM AND
SERAPHIM
AND THE EARLY HISTORY
Through the Holy inspiration,
which was a standard form of the Holy Spirit
Write in the beginning
of the New Faith, the Church was named "SERAPH" and later "CHERUB" was
added, believing that they are twin angels around the throne of God
Isaiah 6:2,4; Gen. 3:24.
In An attempt to answer
the question, why one has to go into history.
Unfortunately, the history
of the church - Cherubim and Seraphim - can be described as informal and
so there are several discrepancies in the chronological details about the
establishment of the society. This normally affects the events that
lead to the naming of the society. However, the general consensus
is that Saint Moses Orimolade Tunolase, the "Baba-Aladura", named the society
on The 9th of September 1925.
Before then members of
the group had been speculating on the befitting name for the New Society.
Most of the members of the society were Christians from various Orthodox
churches and they were suggesting names that were common in their churches
like Love Divine Society, Ancillary Soldiers of Christ and many others.
Saint Moses Orimolade called
on all the members to fast for three days and pray to God to give the society
a name. During the three days running, members were meeting regularly
in the evening to relate visions and dreams any of them mighty have had.
On the third day, a lady, whose name was not identified, came to report
that she saw in the sky, the previous night letter "SE" and unfortunately,
the cloud would not allow her to see the rest of the letters. Another
members said, according to Pa Phillips, that he saw letter "RA' Like the
first lady the cloud would not allow him to see the rest of the letters.
The members could not reach a beautiful decision that evening and Saint
Moses Orimolade dismissed them to go home and pray more about it.
The following day
fell on Wednesday 9th September 1925 the members met for their usual evening
devotion and prayers; after which deliberation resumed on the name of the
new society. There Reverend J. C. Barber, a Clergy of the United
Native African Church (U.N.A.) from Ode-lrele Okitipupa division interpreted
the previous day vision and dream to be references to the word "SE-RA-FU"
(Seraph). Immediately this was said, Saint Moses Orimblade Tunolase,
the "Baba Aladura" rose and stood in the middle of the assembly and said
to the Four Corners of the room.
"In the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, this society is named "SERAFU"
(Seraph). The whole members responded with shouting of Hallelujah,
which signified that everybody has accepted the name. Since then,
the society was formally known and called "Seraphim Society" - Wednesday
9th September, 1925. The society bore this name until May 1927 when
Cherubim was added to be fully known as Cherubim and Seraphim Society.
It can be seen that the society's name remained the same in spite of various
odd divisions and developments.
This is an indication
that 'God has planed, nobody can uproot'. The new society was called
Seraphim so as to enable Christians practice or follow the foot-steps of
Seraphim above, in worshipping and in praising God daily without blemish.
-
That all members on earth should
remember the Oneness of Seraphim and Cherubim above.
-
That, members should remember
that they should learn how to be in the world and not to be of the world.
-
That, members should learn
how to respect human dignity, for 'God is all in all and man is best of
all'.
-
That, members should know that
the society is an institution of higher spiritual learning open to all
nations and races who wish to dedicate themselves to the building of a
new society for a new, ages of human excellence in the spirit to universal
love and world services.
-
That, members be educated as
Cherubim and Seraphim above so that they would be able to seek sincerely
the interest of the church which Christ Jesus has planned himself as a
living organism.
-
That, members will learn about
the result of the individuality of life and proliferation of religion.
-
That members should know and
be encouraged in the)cultivation of spiritual intuition and the practice
of meditation as all aid to rationalisation including traditional study,
function in soul consciousness at the alpha level of mind-brain rather
than partially memorised facts about religion we belong to.
-
That members should be aware
of destiny, recognition ot the full human potential and an awakening to
the possibility of a perfected human culture growing out of perfected human
being.
The foregoing revealed that
the society is a spiritual society rather than worldly society.. The society
is an Institution where to learn Holistic Education.
In the beginning Church
was organised for all Christians who would like to worship God in spirit.
It was a society, a pattern in line with the groups in and out of the throne
of God, worshipping daily. They are the models of worshippers, which
God has created for His own personal glory and He (God) wanted man to follow
their footstep; but man fell short of the glory.
When Christ saw that the
Church which He (Jesus) had organised and had actually planted Himself
as the living organism, were turning round about the platform of the glory
of God. They put man knowledge first instead of God's. It became
no longer at ease. Jesus must look for an alternative. He must
ameliorate the mess in the society. He has planned Himself, Jesus
has no pattern of worship. He went out to teach, preach and healed
all sorts of spiritual and physical illnesses. Jesus began His teaching
from the simplest method to enable His hearer understand Him' Jesus did
not mention any doctrine, which Satan is using now to confuse Christians,
apart from the word 'FAITH'. Faith was the paramount doctrine which
Christ presented but, alas! Churches has removed faith and substituted
it with doctrines, which cause a lot of arguments that lead to separation,
in which every Christian group is claiming superiority over the other.
The materialistic to the
core sets in unannounced, into the society Christ purchased with His blood.
Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, rebuked Peter who started the
idea of doctrines.
Paul's method of approach
to evangelism was an example of Jesus Christ. For example, when Paul
was in Athens, he did not behave as the holiest or too holy to meet the
Athenians. He accommodated them until such a time when he made them
to know what they called 'UNKNOWN"'. The idea Peter and his associates
brought into the Church in Rome could be described as 'Things of the world,
rather than things of heaven's'. Christians had forgotten that, the
fact of the Bible is different from the Truth of the Bible. The fact
of the Bible goes along the line of intellectual Concept.
The
Truth of the Bible which Cherubim and Seraphim taught their early converts
were taught in the beginning of the early Apostolic Church, rather than
the administrative procedures that quench the spirit of togetherness, by
then, the spirit that guard and guides were predominant.
Their prayers were not
stereotyped. Their extra-phenomena lingered with the Pentecostal
rhythm, and what happened, the result was the Pentecostal powers and its
blessing were bestowed upon the believers.
History
revealed that Saint Moses Orimolade Tunolase was not the first to be seen
with the Pentecostal power in this age, only their efforts did not materialised.
With the spirit of togetherness the power of revelation was in the highest
degree. Another thing that was spectacular in, the beginning of Cherubim
and Seraphim, was 'Freedom of Worship". There was total freedom of
worship, example of this is their white robes, that is the society's uniform
put on by every member. There is no particular class among Cherubim
and Seraphim when members put on their gowns, it is difficult to know who
is who.
Secondly, another
thing, which can be seen spectacular in the Cherubim and Seraphim, was
their oneness. By then, members could not afford to play double game
and if one did it, revelation would point him out. Their togetherness
and oneness was convenient.
Thirdly, the spirit of
straight-forwardness, the result of Oneness, the fruits of the spirit as
it was recorded in the Corinthians could be seen.
Lastly, members were not
allowed to join cult, it was abomination to see any member of cherubim
and seraphim to join Secret Cults. Cherubim and Seraphim members
were comrades to one another. They joined hands together as it is
in Heaven to praise God.
Saint Moses Orimolade was
conscious of his call and was working towards the call. He listened
to God's message and acted immediately. Orimolade dedicated himself
and so when Abiodun went into trance, he was called to the high assignment
which high priest in Lagos was unable to do. Orimolade was an example
of humility, which one could see in his daily life. Even on divine
revelation, Orimolade accepted the message and acted accordingly, not by
shouting or show off. It was when Abiodun came that revelation began
to be said openly. Orimolade made' his converts to know that Seraphs
are Divine singers -The Throne choirs, while Cherubs are Divine Military.
It is
worth mentioning that God told Orimolade that if the society could practise
their togetherness for a period of 5 years, Angels would come face to face
to the members at their worship periods. Alas! After 3 years, confusion
set in the new society. The visions and Divine Revelations, which
were the pride of the society, turned round to up-root and painted the
joys and the pride of the society black.
It was interesting to remember
that, the good news of the society, Cherubim and Seraphim. On the
level of involvement in prayers, fasting, preaching, witnessing and healing
through the efficacy of prayers, got to the Governor - General of Nigeria,
who sent him a new bicycle, to enable him go about his evangelistic campaign.
Given one a bicycle in those days in Nigeria, is like giving a motor car
today. Orimolade and his associates did wonders by then only by singing
and praying. With their songs and prayers, all sorts of hazards and
powers of darkness felt the impact of the power that surrounded the society.
. The beginning of confusion
was known and could not be hidden. The occasion was when Christiana
Abiodun, now the late "Olori" Queen of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification
of Nigeria and Overseas, went to Ondo, the usually evangelistic tour, that
Mama Ijesha predicted that Christiana Abiodun has been contaminated and
so Baba-Aladura should not entertain her. Baba-Aladura knew when
Abiodun should have arrived. Orimolade asked, 'Has she not come?
The Satan messengers answered 'she has not come'. People of Lagos
ironically, called "LAGOSIANS" set in their tricks for Orimolade and Abiodun.
The two parties went into their traps. From thence things were failing
apart gradually, until the division became unamendable.
It must not be forgotten
that Cherubim and Seraphim are not a society of the world, where human
thoughts are important. It is regretting to note that people did
not know that the society is a divine group of people or creature for special
duty for God. To this end, Jesus is the Head of the Society in Heaven
and that of the Earth. Holy Michael is the Captain. At that
time when Orimolade called his people of his desire, to have a Captain
of the Society; Orimolade in his usual manner of approach, said, my children,
whom did you wish could be the Captain? Many people thought Orimolade
would pick or appoint one of the rich men among them.
The day Orimolade would
appoint Captain, he turned to the East, West, North and South in prayers
and said, 'in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
"We appoint Holy Michael as the Captain of the Society - Cherubim and Seraphim.
That day a lady went into trance and sang a song, which run thus:-
"Okunkun su imole kan si
tan
Laarin Egbe Serafu
Maikeli ni Balogun Egbe
na
Samona lojo na.'
'Yoruba language version'
"Thou Conqueror St. Michael
Hasten descend below
On this Victorious day
Delay no longer,come"
This song was recorded and
used annually during the annual celebration of the Captain -
Holy Michael.
The first spiritual administrative
set up made by Orimolade was the Bible studying group on Thursday.
Secondly, the Prayerist Band to meet on Fridays. Thirdly, Orimolade
carried out the injunction of Jesus Christ - Witnessing, preaching, and
healing of all sorts of maladies Evangelism, and lastly, Orimolade organised
an intensive prayer for all walks of life.
One thing stands
out clearly of the society. Cherubim and Seraphim it is not for material
gain or power. You cannot play double game, it win eventually have
adverse result. It is like the words of Jesus Christ on the teaching
about the Kingdom of God which is not of the world. People who thought
of material gain and wish to become captain because of their riches went
back. History must repeat itself as it was in the case of the disciples
of Jesus who left him as a result of not working towards their aims.
Moses Orimolade,
who was once a warden or sexton of C. M. S., Methodist and in many other
Orthodox churches, in various towns he visited, knew the attitude of the
Priest and, members of these churches. In the evenings, Orimolade
preached, witnessed and healed aft sorts of disease, His experiences in
those churches made him to be aware of the task ahead of him.
In the beginning of the
society, members were endowed with diverse spiritual powers that can do
and undo. It was like a church Saint Paul referred to in his letter
to Galatians.
It is worth remarking that
the power of speaking in tongues came to the society as a result of over-coming
witchcraft and unfamiliar spirit that have now found their ways to the
society. The language confused them and they could not go further
in their witchcraft art. The power was given to conquer aft powers.
Note, that possessor should
not be a liar and ruffian. Members should know that the society is
controlled from Heaven, on the level of "together". It is a divine
law that helps.
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