by Col Stringer

G’day partners and friends!
 
Sunday the 31st of October heralds a historic day on the Christian calendar.  Here are several facts about that day.
 
* John Eckhardt brings out in his book ‘Moving in the Apostolic’ (page 76), Martin Luther received his divine revelation of ‘The just shall live by faith’ on October 31 1517. That revelation was the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation, the revival that swept Europe and changed the world.
 
* Sunday 31 October is also the day that the Welsh Revival commenced in 1904. Evan Roberts led a movement that saw hundreds of thousands of people come to Christ all over the world

www.jesusloversincleveland.org/English/journal/vol3no10/welshrevival.htm
 
But the importance of this date for Australia, is that it also marks the Anniversary – to the very day – our Light Horsemen forefather’s charged on Beersheba. This was the victory that laid the groundwork for the liberation of Jerusalem from 400 years of Muslim rule.  (The city had been captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1517).
 Much has been recorded about Australia’s Light Horsemen from a historic and military angle, little, to my knowledge, has been produced showing the Biblical significance of what took place. These young men, from the youngest nation on earth, were the chosen vessels of the Lord, a modern David’s Mighty men. They were the vanguard in the liberation of the Holy Land and God’s chosen city – Jerusalem, from 400 years of Muslim domination.
           
The Liberation Of Jerusalem – ending 400 Years Of Muslim Rule

Entering battle in what was known as Palestine, the Light Horsemen soon proved more than a match for their Turkish foes. However they found themselves faced with a predicament – a solid line of Turkish defences from Gaza to Beersheba. If they were to liberate Jerusalem, they first of all had to deal with this seemingly impenetrable wall. Despite many battles in the searing heat (and few victories) the Turks were just as firmly in control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land as they had been for the previous 400 years.
 
Beersheba – Well Of The Oath
The key to the battle were the Gaza-Beersheba fortifications. Beersheba, meaning ‘well of the oath’, so named by Abraham and mentioned in the book of Genesis. The well had provided water not only for Abraham, but for Moses, David and countless other Bible characters. Any army approaching its life-giving wells has to march for days through the waterless Sinai desert. Then came the fateful day of October 31, 1917. The generals were desperate, 58,000 British infantry with tank support had been driven back into the desert and with the sun about to set and with no water for many miles, disaster stared them squarely in the face. The Australian Light Horse Commander Chauvel’s orders were to storm Beersheba; it had to be won before nightfall at all costs. The situation was fast becoming grave as the British were in urgent need of 400,000 gallons of water for their men and horses.
 
Chauvel concocted a bold plan. Why not let his 800 horsemen charge the Turkish artillery? A cavalry charge across 6,000 yards of open terrain straight into the face of the massed Turkish guns and against odds of 6:1 against them. It all sounded like a recipe for disaster. No wonder the German Officer commanding the defences described the Aussie Light Horsemen as “madmen!”
 
The young men mounted their magnificent ‘walers’ and lined up to face the Turkish guns, their faces bronzed and tanned from the desert sun, their emu plumes fluttering in the breeze, rifles swung across their backs and bayonets in hand.        History was about to be written – these men were about to commence the liberation of Jerusalem! God was about to use his secret “key” to unlock the doorway to Jerusalem that had been firmly closed for 400 years! The key to the doorway were the precious water wells of Beersheba!  
 
Riders Of Destiny
 
The “mad Aussies” charged magnificently across the dusty plains, so fast in fact that the Turkish artillery could not keep pace with them and they were able to slip under their field guns. As they leapt the trenches laced with machine gun bullets, a magnificent cheer went up from the British ranks, such was the magnificence of the feat. Although outnumbered and outgunned they charged on.
           
The Turkish guns blazed at those hazy horsemen but they came steadily on. At one mile distance they emerged from clouds of dust, squadrons of men and horses taking shape. Captured Turkish and German officers described how they never dreamed that mounted troops would be mad enough to attempt rushing infantry protected by machine-guns and artillery.
           
Beersheba – the gateway to Jerusalem, was opened that day, not by the Crusaders, or Napoleon, not by the British or US Armies – but by the Australian Light Horsemen! The rest is history. These “Aussie” Light Horsemen had achieved what 58,000 British troops with tanks could not do, what even the Crusaders or Napoleon could not do! They had opened the doorway to Jerusalem against unbelievable odds. Jerusalem, after 400 years of occupation was about to be freed!
 
As one Israeli later put it: “Had Beersheva not been captured that day then we Israelis may not be here today.”
 
Visions of Angels
 
Before the battle for Jerusalem a feeling spread among the troopers and padres that  biblical  prophecy  was  about  to  be  fulfilled. One of  the  most extraordinary aspects of the liberation of Jerusalem (largely as a result of the Anzacs involvement) was the claim by many of the men that they had seen visions of angels:
           
“From General Sir Harry Chauvel down to the officers and troopers, visions of ancient buildings, strange animals, lighted villages and angelic beings were witnessed en masse.
           
The stories of hundreds of men were corroborated through cross-checking  examinations.  As  there  was  no  logical explanation, officially the incident was recorded as ‘lack of sleep’……..Reports of angelic beings  appearing  during  the  fighting occurred right up to the cessation of hostilities in 1918. They are too numerous to detail…Statements  were  also  taken  from  captured  enemy officers who had witnessed the same  manifestations. General  Allenby  called  for  detailed  reports  and  interviewed witnesses  himself.”  (The AIF in Sinai and Palestine- page 155).
 
So as Australian believers we have much to remember and celebrate on this historic Sunday!
I call you blessed in Jesus name!
 
Col Stringer