[Lesson Index] [Prayer-School Mini-Series Index] [Prev Lesson] [Next Lesson]
About H. A. Baker And His Ministry
H. A. Baker and his wife Josephine were missionaries to Tibet, China and Formosa. He is the author of multiple books, including Heaven and The Angels, The Three Worlds, Plains of Glory and Visions Beyond the Veil. He would not allow his works to be copyrighted because he wanted to assure that they were available to all believers for all times.
The Bakers lived in the interior of China for many years "For the express purpose of guiding man out of the darkness into the land of endless light." [1] He was no stranger to things of the Spirit, having been "baptized in the Holy Spirit" before he became a missionary. He described it this way, "The baptism of the Holy Spirit made Jesus and life in Him very real, and heaven and eternal life had also become living realities." [2]
The Bakers operated an orphanage in the Yunnan Province, starting in the early 1920s, and they ran it for ten years. This is the orphanage where the Chinese beggar children experienced a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit and had their visions of Jesus, Heaven, Hell, the second coming, etc. H. A. Baker recorded their experiences in his book Visions Beyond The Veil. The book may leave you with the impression that he was merely an observer and had no supernatural experiences of his own. H. A. Baker often "happened" to be in the right place at the right time (by the Spirit's leading) to interview and document testimonies of those who had visions, visitations or other types encounters with God. He was also an avid researcher, and his books reference many tracts, articles and publications of people who had visions or who literally died and were raised from the dead.
H. A. Baker was deeply effected by the experiences of his "kids," and that is evident in his book Heaven and The Angels, which was published about ten years after Heaven's visitation to his orphanage. Apparently, he also had his own encounters with God, though they were not as dramatic as the visions his kids had. He described some of them in his books. Let me share one of these with you:
A few years ago I visited Shanghai in connection with the printing of The Three Worlds. In that book I had tried in my imperfect way to describe the ravishing beauty of the jeweled lights of every hue shimmering from the wall of the city of God.At the time of my visit, Shanghai was called the City of Neon Lights. After living many years in the interior of China, Shanghai was to me a city of heavenly wonders. For the first time I looked upon the neon lights of various colors that embellished the streets and buildings of that city. Often did I find myself standing in the busy streets gazing with entranced wonder at those beautiful lights. Although I was in the midst of hurrying, crowding traffic, I was not in it. My mind, at any rate, was caught up to the New Jerusalem. [3]
Introduction (Written By H. A. Baker)
The children and young people upon whom came this outpouring of the Holy Spirit and through whom came these visions and revelations were members of the Adullam Rescue Mission in Yunnanfu, Yunnan Province, China. For the most part, these children had been beggars in the streets of the city. In some cases they were poor children with one or both parents dead and had been brought to the Home. There were also some prodigals who had run away from their homes in more distant parts of this or adjoining provinces.
But from whatever source they came, these children, mostly boys ranging in ages from six to eighteen, had come to us without previous training in morals and without education. Begging is a sort of "gang" system in which stealing is a profitable part. The morals are what would be expected of a "gang" in a godless land.
The Bible is carefully and daily taught in the Adullam Home, and the gospel is constantly preached. Since the children coming into the home have always been open to the teachings given, before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit recorded below, some of them were doubtless converted, while many had a very good knowledge of the main themes of the Bible.
All who received the Holy Spirit knew enough to believe in one God and to trust in the blood of Christ for salvation. They also prayed for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They sought Christ. We did not see anyone seeking visions or any of the manifestations that were received day by day as all single heartedly prayed and praised the Lord Jesus. He alone was sought and magnified throughout all the weeks of the Spirit's outpouring.
In this visitation from the Lord all were treated impartially. The oldest and the youngest, the first arrivals and the latest comers, the best and the worst, all sitting together around their common Father's table were alike treated to His heavenly bounties.
This giving of the Promised Spirit was clearly a love gift of grace "apart from works" or personal merit. It was not something that was worked up. It was something that came down. It was not the result of character building by man from below. It was a blessing of God that came from above.
The Experiences Herein Related are Unexplainable on Natural Ground
The experiences of these Adullam children that are herein related cannot be explained on natural ground, because:
References