People who lean on other people to speak for God are easily deceived. A great illustration of this can be seen in the story of a Japanese army officer in World War II.1
In 1944 a young Japanese intelligence officer named Hiroo Onoda was sent to the Philippines to go behind enemy lines during the war to gather intelligence and conduct guerrilla warfare. His orders from his commanding officers were simple: “You are absolutely forbidden to die by your own hand. It may take three years, it may take five, but whatever happens, we’ll come back for you. Until then, so long as you have one soldier, you are to continue to lead him. You may have to live on coconuts. If that’s the case, live on coconuts! Under no circumstances are you to give up your life voluntarily.”
He and three other men comprised a small cell gathering intelligence and conducting guerrilla warfare in the jungles of the Philippines. In August of 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allies, ending the war, but Onoda was so deep in the jungle that he was unaware of it. A couple of months later Onoda and his guys came across a paper flyer saying “The war ended August 15th. Come down from the mountains!” They decided that it was Allied propaganda, so they continued to fight the war following the instructions they had been given. The people on the island became fed up with being shot at by Onoda and his men so they hired a plane to drop flyers all over the jungle instructing them to surrender because the war was over. Once again the guys believed it was the Allies trying to trick them.
More flyers and photos of other soldiers with the families back home were dropped in an effort to convince Onoda that the war was over. There were even pleas from loudspeakers begging them to give up, but Onoda maintained that it was all just a hoax. His cell continued to perform their sworn duty, but they became very paranoid and isolated themselves even more. Over the course of time, Onoda’s three comrades died, and he was left alone.
Thousands of people over the years attempted to find Onoda, but he masterfully hid himself. After Onoda was hold up in the jungles of the Philippians for twenty-nine years, a college student on a world tour decided that one of the things on his travel agenda would be to find Onoda. Low and behold, he was successful! Once again, however, Onoda did not believe that Japan could have surrendered. He was still waiting for his commanding officer to come and get him. So the college student went out and found Onoda’s former commander who was now retired and working in a book store, and brought him from Japan to Onoda. The old man told Onoda the war was over and to come on home. This, of course, came as a crushing blow to Onoda who had wasted most of his life believing a lie!
There is freedom in grace. We are no longer under the bondage of the priestly system where only one man can hear from God. Under the New Covenant all will know Him, from the least to the greatest.
(from pages 292-293 of Unveiling Jesus)
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Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1Daven Hiskey, “A Japanese Soldier Who Continued Fighting WWII 29 Years After the Japanese Surrendered, Because He Didn’t Know”, Today I Found Out, 2-9-10, website: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/02/a-japanese-soldier-who-continued-fighting-wwii-29-years-after-the-japanese-surrendered-because-he-didnt-know/, accessed 6-10-14
