THE 5TH OF JULY The 5th of July, a day well known by all Pou o Te Haahi and most Morehu, The main reason for this, because of three main Kaupapa that happened on this day, in three different years. It is a day of sealing and binding, a day of breaking and removing, a day of completion and fulfillment. A day used in many sermons by the Apotoro. Lets start with the first Kaupapa, ‘Te Hiiritanga o Te Haahi’, on the 5th of July 1925. In the early beginnings of the Maramatanga all Ministers and Churches were welcome and present in Ratana Pa. T.W.Ratana was open to all denominations, as his followers were all members of the different churches and he believed that their goal was the same, to spread the Word of God. Because there were so many churches and views, at times there was disagreement among them on some issues and what T.W.Ratana was preaching to his followers. Some ministers were there to investigate and disrupt, as some church leaders felt threatened by T.W.Ratana as he was taking their followers, which led to churches excommunicating T.W.Ratana’s followers. T.W.Ratana was informed what was happening to the Morehu, but encouraged them to stay in their churches, as they were all branches of the same tree, which was Jehovah. The Morehu wanted their own church and asked T.W.Ratana, but he reminded them he was to unite all people under the one God Jehovah, and all denominations had to be one with God. He had taken two Kawenata around the country and many had signed it, to put the past behind them and unite under the one True God Jehovah, which was his goal. “He Kawenata whakakotahitanga tenei i te Iwi Maori, tane, wahine me nga tamariki ki raro i te maru o Ihoa o nga Mano o te Matua, o te Tama, o te Wairua Tapu me nga Anahera Pono.” “No reira ka oati pono matou, te hunga ka haina nei i o matou ingoa ki tenei Kawenata, ka whakarerea e matou nga mahi tohunga me nga atua Maori me ona whakahaere pohehe katoa, a, ka whakapumau kia kotahi Matua mo matou i tenei ra, ake, ake, ara, ko Ihoa o nga Mano, ko te Matua, ko te Tama, ko te Wairua Tapu me nga Anahera Pono, hei arahi i a matou ki te huarahi o te tika o te pono i nga wa katoa Amen.” (WM52) On the 21st of May, ‘Te Ra o Te Kakenga’ the Kawenata was sealed (Hiiritanga) with Jehovah. For the next two months there were to be meetings on the Marae, discussions on what to do, the different denominations were finding it hard to work together and their followers were starting to argue. The 31st of May ‘Te Ra o Te Petekoha’ The Morehu gathered on the Marae to discuss the issue, T.W.Ratana came out of his house and said to them choose one church we should go with and I will support you, he went back inside to let the Morehu make up their mind. From inside his house he could hear them debating, when he went back outside to ask for the answer they were still divided, but the majority had spoken about having their own church, Kaupapa and Tikanga. T.W.Ratana returned into his house to meditate on the issue. The Morehu went quiet and wondered what was going on, some left the Marae and returned to there tents and some even decided to go home. When he came back out he said to the Morehu, yes you will have your own church, and it will be known as ‘Te Haahi Ratana’. “E wha nga topito o te Ao, ko te Raki, ko te Uru, ko te Tonga, ko te Marangai. E wha nga Pou o tou Maramatanga, ko te Matua, Tama, Wairua Tapu me a Ratou Anahera Pono, Ko Ratana te tangata, ko Ratana te kainga, ko Ratana te teihana, ko Ratana te Haahi.” (WM63) A Church was to be formed for the Morehu, T.W.Ratana had already known this, because it was revealed to him during the 8th of November, but the Morehu had to want it as it was to govern and organize them on this earth in the spiritual work. Now they had to pick a day when they would ask Jehovah to action the church of the Morehu, and the 5th of July was chosen. On the 5th of July the Morehu gathered on the Marae for Sunday Whakamoemiti, at 11:00am. They had been gathering for the whole week discussing issues to do with the church, but today it was going to be sealed to Jehovah so that he would be the root or origin of the church. It had been raining all week right up to Saturday night but the rain had stopped the sun was shinning through the clouds it was a peaceful morning. T.W.Ratana started with Inoi Whakamoemiti to Jehovah and asking Jehovah to give strength to the Church and the Morehu and His Spirit confirm and seal this Kawenata Tapu that they are making with Him. As the choir sung ‘E te Matua kua ruia nei’ a light sun shower fell from a clear sky. T.W.Ratana then spoke to Morehu, about the Love of Jehovah and how Jehovah had agreed that a Church be formed, like his prophet Moses had organized the House of Israel and the Priesthood in the past, the Morehu also were to take up the work of their ancestors. He then spoke of a dream he had, where Jehovah had revealed to him a Temple, and instructed him that he was to build one here in Ratana above the place he was to reveal to him. That this Temple was not going to be like the Temple’s and cathedrals of the world, it was going to be a place were the breath of Jehovah could rest on earth. He then said to the Morehu, that opposition would come before them from the other churches, but not to worry and leave the criticism for him to deal with, as the Ratana Church was formed to spread the Maramatanga o Ihoa, and the root of their Church was in Heaven and sealed with Jehovah. “Ka mohio mai ai koutou ki nga wehewehenga o to koutou haahi kei te Rangi, ara, mihini whakakaha, whakamarama a koutou e rima – ko te Matua, Tama, Wairua Tapu me nga Anahera Pono me te Mangai. Ko te wahanga o taua mihini ano kei runga i te mata o te whenua e rima – ko Ratana te tangata, ko Ratana te Paa, ko Ratana te kainga, ko Ratana te teihana, ko Ratana te Haahi.” (WM68) He said to the Morehu that the Paipera Tapu was a good source of information about Jehovah especially the writings of David which he encourage the Apotoro to take note of. He then said to the Morehu our Apotoro will have a new uniform, which would carry four colours, “Ko enei kara – he puruu, ko te Rangi tena, he Ma, ko nga Kapua ena, he Whero, ko te Kapura, he Papura, ko nga Anahera.” He then had Iwiora Tamaiparea come out and show the Morehu their new uniform. “Ko te ahua o nga Kahu nei he penei ano i o nga minita haahi Ingarangi nei. Ko te kahu mangu i tite te roa ki te tangata he papura te ki to tatou. Ko te mea ma he ma ano. Ko te ripene mangu, whero. Ma, kakariki ranei e tautau iho nei i tetahi taha o te kaki, he papura tera ki a tatou, a, kei runga hoki e mau ana te tohu o nga pine o Te Roopu o Te Mangai i raunatia nei te Ao. Kei waenganui o taua ripene, kei te takiwa ki te kaki ko te whakaahua o te Ra e tiaho ana ki nga wahi katoa. Kei muri i te tuara e pikau ana ko te kara whero me te puruu penei tonu i o nga pakeha i puta mai nei i nga Kareti nunui o Ingarangi; ki te kite nga minita pakeha nei tera e kohaehae no te mea ka neke ake koe i a ratou.” (WM68) They then sung ‘Hoia o te Haahi o Ratana’ and Iwiora Tamaiparea finished with this kupu. “Ka hanga e ahau taku hahi ki runga ki tenei kamaka. Ka hoatu e au ki a koe nga ki o te rangatiratanga o te Rangi. Ko tau e here ai i te whenua ka herea ano i te Rangi. Ko tau e wewete ai i te whenua ka wetekina ano i te Rangi.” (WM69) The 5th of July 1925 is when we were given the green light from Jehovah for the newly formed church known as ‘Te Haahi Ratana’ it is the day the Church was sealed and fastened to God in Heaven out of reach to any man, never to be shaken or broken. The 2nd Kaupapa ‘Te Takahi a Te Whare Paremata’ In 1928 after the completion on the Temepara T.W.Ratana announced that he would be traveling around the country undoing what the Tohunga of old had put on the land, which was lifting Tapu. Tapu had restricted the Maori people from moving forward; it was also responsible for the deaths of many Maori, who had ventured into Tapu areas. He had lifted Tapu in the past, but now he had time on his hands to remove Tapu that would take some work. One of those Tapu or barriers, was the House of Parliament, he had travelled there in the past to plant a flower in the gardens of Parliament, with a view of returning later. The House of Parliament had been a barrier for the Maori people in the past and the Governments of old had past Laws that had restricted Maori and at times caused harm, by taking their land, which lead to a lot of Maori suffering and losing their Mana. On the 5th of July 1934, T.W.Ratana and 4 of his close followers at about 4am in the morning after going to the Temepara, started their trip to Wellington. Before he had left he had said to Te Whaea to take care and watch over his son Hamuera, for he was going to the lions den. He said you will know when I arrive in Wellington. When they arrived at about 8:30am just out side Wellington, Hamuera cried out in pain as he lay on his bed, Te Whaea said to the Morehu who were present “It has begun”. That morning as they prepared, T.W.Ratana explained what was going to happen and that E.T.Tirikatene and Apotoro Mete Kepa would accompany him through the House of Parliament. At about 2pm, T.W.Ratana entered the gardens of Parliament, he could see the Geranium he had planted and the birds and the bees, and he whispered to his group and said: “when I have finished the birds and the bees will pollinate this garden and the seeds of the Geranium will spread to the four corners of this country.” They then walked towards the doors that lead into the House of Parliament. Above the door was the emblem of the British Empire, the Crown of England, the Lion and the Tiger. As he stood there he turned to his group and spoke to them about Samson and the Lion and the riddle: “out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet.”(Judges 14:14) He then turned to the emblem and said: “E Te Raiona nei me Te Taika me te Karauna, he tohu nei koutou no te Emepaea o Ingarangi, ka tu nei ahau i runga i a Koe, a ko koe hoki te mea Kaha, taku kupu ki a pata mai ano te mea reka i roto i a koe, ki ahau ara ki Te Iwi Morehu.” (WM 534-540) Then T.W.Ratana, E.T.Tirikatene, and Apotoro Mete Keepa entered Parliament and made their way down the corridor to the Debating Chamber (Lower House), there T.W.Ratana sat on the seat of the Speaker of the House and spoke these words: “E Koe e te tuuru nei, tena koe, kei runga nei i a koe e noho ana te tangata hei paahi i nga Ture moku, ture pai, ture kino. E nga tuuru katoa nei, ko koutou nga kai whiriwhiri moku. Taku kupu ki a koutou, ki atu ki o koutou kaupapa e noho ana i runga i a koutou ki a tika a ratou mahi. Kaua e tukua e koutou nga Ture kino, ki a pa ki Ahau. Otira ki te hangai he ture kino, Moku, me pa te titaha ki te putake o te rakau ki a maroke ki te puta te hau, ka hinga, ka akiria ki te ahi pungarehu, pu nehu. Noreira e nga tuuru nei tena koutou.” (WM 534-540) He then spoke to the seat of E.T.Tirikatene: “E te tuuru o Tirikatene, tena koe kia piki ano te maia ki a korua ko to kaupapa ko Tirikatene, ki a tiaho ano nga mahi a tou kaupapa ki runga i te Motu.” (WM 534-540) They then went to the other Debating Chamber (Upper House) and he repeated what he had said in the Lower House. They then made their way to the Maori Affairs Room, where E.T.Tirikatene had documents laid out before T.W.Ratana on the table and T.W.Ratana pointed to the documents that needed to be addressed first and which ones to leave for him to deal with, he then began to pray. They then went to the Caucus Room of the Government and T.W.Ratana sat in the Chairman’s seat and repeated what he had said in the Debating Chambers. They then went upon the roof of Parliament and there T.W.Ratana began to Pray, he said to Jehovah that he had delivered His message to the House of Parliament and Takahi nga Ruuma, now he asked that the Heavens open and rain fall upon Parliament. And as the rain began to fall he spoke these words: “Mutu mai reira, ka tae ki roto i te Whare tira o Te Paremata, ko te waahi tera, o te teteatanga o nga niho o te raiona, nga niho koura, niho taimana, kei reira katoa.” (WM 534-540) As they went back inside the bell rang for the afternoon session of Parliament, E.T. Tirikatene returned to the Debating Chamber and T.W.Ratana and his small group headed home. During their time in Wellington, Hamuera was sick and in pain, Te Whaea was there by his side and when the rain fell in Wellington, Hamuera had come out of the mysterious fever, by the time his father got home he had recovered and was sitting up in his bed waiting to welcome his father home, and the Morehu were amazed at his recovery. The 5th of July 1934 is seen as the day, that the barrier that had been placed before the Maori people was removed, the curse had been broken, it’s the day that T.W.Ratana removed the teeth of the Lion so that the Morehu would not be hurt or punished by the House of Parliament, but instead be blessed with sweet fruit in the future. It is the day that brings to mind the riddle of Samson. “Out of the eater came something to eat, out of the strong came something sweet.” The third Kaupapa ‘He Tohu Kororia Hareruia kia Ihoa’ On the 8th of November 1934 T.W.Ratana spoke these words: “Ka riro a taua tamariki e pai ana i riro mo Te Ao, he wa tona e tutuki ai te kupu nei”: - “ Kotahi Iriiri, kotahi Matua, kotahi Whakapono, kotahi Hepara mo te Ao katoa.” (WM 552-555) On the 25th of January 1935, T.W.Ratana announced that a memorial stone was to be built, Glorifying and Honoring Jehovah and his presents and authority here on earth and it was to stand before the Temepara. It was to out line the work that had been done in the name of Jehovah of the Multitudes. On the 5th of July 1935, the Morehu had gathered in Ratana Paa for the unveiling of the Tohu Whakamaharatanga, He Tohu Kororia Hareruia the Archway before the Temepara. It was a sunny day; the bells of the Temepara were ringing calling the Morehu. Nga Pou and the various groups and the Morehu assembled on the Marae and marched down to the Temepara behind the two bands of the Pa. As they stood before the Archway at about 11.30am T.W.Ratana began with a prayer, he then turned to the Morehu and greeted them and said: “Kua kite nei koutou i tenei Tohu mo Te Arepa, Te Omeka me Hamuera, he kikokiko nei ratou, i kite ano koutou, i noho tahi ano me koutou ka rite te wa kia tangohia atu ratou, ka noho mai ratou i te Wairua.” (WM 589-595) The choir then sung ‘Ko te Rangi me te Whenua”, then T.W.Ratana said another Prayer, giving praise to Jehovah and pledging that Jehovah was the source of life, and that the fruits would come from Him to the Morehu, the work had been done and the foundation had been laid and was written on this memorial. He greeted his family and Nga Pou o Te Haahi and unveiled the Archway: “Ka poua tenei Tohu, tutuki atu ana ki Te Papa e te Rangi, tona teitei, tae noa ki tona mutunga mai, ki runga ano hoki i te Papa whenua ki te hohonutanga, tae noa ki tona mutunga mai. Ka hiiritia nei i tenei ra ki mutunga mai, e hiko ai tou Kororiatanga ki nga Koata e wha o te Ao. Kua hurahia i tenei ra ma tatou e kite nga hua apopo ake nei.” “Ko Te Arepa te Timatanga, ko Te Omeka te Whakaotinga, ko Hamuera te Whakamutunga e mutu ai. ‘Full Stop’, koia ka ara ko tenei taonga, kei te Wairua te mahi i naianei, ma nga hua e whakaatu ki a koutou.” “Nga Tohungatanga, Poropititanga, Matauranga, Kiingitanga kei roto i te Kapu o Te Ringa, kua mutu i tenei ra. Heoi ano te kupu ki a koutou ki te Morehu, e amo i tou Ripeka, e mau hoki i tau Peara e tena e tena o koutou. “ No reira ma koutou e tu nei whakaranea atu enei kupu ki nga Morehu kei runga i Te Motu, no te mea ko koutoute hunga i whakapono, koia ka tatu mai ki mua i tenei Tohu, otira, tera ano tetahi tamaiti kei waenganui i a koutou. (WM 589-595) He then turned to his family then Te Raupo started her waiata, which were the words on the Archway and were joined by the Whanau and the Roopu Raupo. T.W.Ratana then opened the two gates of the Archway and went through to the Temepara. The Reo played ‘Koutou katoa ra’ and T.W.Ratana spoke to the people these words: “Waihoki ki a rongo mai koutou, nga Morehu, ‘KUA TUWHERA MAI TE TATAU KI AHAU I TENEI RA’, otira ma koutou hei kite i nga ra e tu mai nei te hua o tenei taonga e tu nei i mua i to Koutou Temepara.” “E AMO tena i tona, RIPEKA i tona RIPEKA, waihoki i tenei ra, ka tapiritia atu ko tenei, haria e tena e tena o koutou, tau PEARA, tau PEARA, whakatuputupungia. Kia tika ta koutou AMO i o koutou RIPEKA, kei huri ake ano, o koutou Ripeka, kei kawhiu ano i a koutou.” They assembled again in the Temepara at 5pm and T.W.Ratana spoke to the Morehu these words: “I puta taku kupu i tenei ra, Tohungatanga, Poropititanga Matauranga, Kiingitanga kua mutu.” “Koia ka mohio mai koutou e nga Morehu, ko nga mana me nga kaha o nga Kiingitanga, kei roto i te Kapu o te Ringa o Ihoa.” T.W.Ratana reminded the Morehu that the hard work was completed Te Arepa and Te Omeka had been established and the old saying: the Bible in one hand and the Treaty of Waitangi in the other had been fulfilled and written on the Archway. The 5th of July 1935 was the day the hard work was finished and completed. It was the fulfillment of the old prophecies of the Bible, that the Door was now open to the Morehu, the seeds have been planted and the fruits would follow, it was the day the Morehu were given their freedom. So the 5th of July is remembered here in Ratana Pa year after year with Whakamoemiti at 11am, where the Morehu, the descendants of those who stood on the Marae in 1925 and those Morehu, that stood before the Archway in 1935, gather each year in the Temepara Tapu and give Praise and Prayers of Thanksgiving to Jehovah for the fruits they have received from the work which is written on the front of the Archway.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 18:48:37 +0000
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