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ProQuest Information and Leaming 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 USA. ‘800-521-0600 ® UMINOTE TO USERS This reproduction is the best copy available. UMrA STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BIBLICAL FASTING AND FINANCIAL PROSPERITY By ROBERT WAYMON RODGERS May 2002 AN APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of DOCTOR OF MINISTRY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND MISSIONS ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITYUMI Number: 3062598 Copyright 2002 by Rodgers, Robert Waymon Allrights reserved. UMI UMI Microform 3062598 Copyright 2002 by ProQuest Information and Leaming Company. {All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Leaming Company 300 North Zeb Road P.O. Box 1346 ‘Ann Arbor, Mi 48106-1346Copyright © 2002 by Robert Waymon Rodgers All Rights ReservedA STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BIBLICAL FASTING AND FINANCIAL PROSPERITY Robert Waymon Rodgers Supervisor abe Klononsth Magee babar Dean of Doctoral Stuc i APPROVED B) DA’ hoo.Disclaimer The beliefs and conclusions presented in t! Applied Research Project are not necessarily those of the administration of Oral Roberts University, the Graduate School of Theology and Missions, or the faculty.ABSTRACT Robert Waymon Rodgers, D.Min. A Study of the Relationship Between Biblical Fasting and Financial Prosperity William Buker, D.Min. In this research project. Robert W. Rodgers addresses the biblical discipline of fasting. After a brief introduction dealing with generalities on the subject, he points out ‘common misconceptions and weaknesses in the modern Church in relation to the subject. Chapter one of the project presents not only his thesis that fasting is an integral component of disciplined, New Testament style living, but that it carries concrete and even measurable benefits for those who practice it. These benefits take the form of spiritual and emotional renewal, increased health, and financial well-being. The focus of the study is upon this latter area. The setting for the study is Evangel World Prayer Center in Louisville, Kentucky, pastored by this researcher. This church is the largest Assembly of God in its state, with a highly diverse membership numbering in the thousands. The thesis is demonstrated through polling of this church's membership done during recent periods of fasting and prayer. The second chapter is devoted to the biblical bases for the thesis. Drawing heavily from Old Testament narrative, the researcher points out that there are many examples of fasting in the Bible. In many of these cases there is a striking correlation between fastingand a material increase that follows. The same is found to be true in the New Testament, Since there is to Bible text that explicitly states that “fasting produces wealth,” the researcher operates from the implication of the text. Rather than present an instrumentalist view, he argues that the spiritual chastening that comes through fasting ‘matures the devotee, opening the way for God to entrust him or her with more blessing. Chapter three is a survey of fasting in other pertinent sources. After a review of fasting in American history, the researcher briefly covers subjects such as fasting as a health practice and medical implications, fasting as presented by other Christian writers, and fasting in other world religions. Chapters four and five deal with the research carried out by the researcher in his home church. He explains his methodology, outlining two major periods of fasting and prayer which ran from the fall of 2001 through the end of January 2002. Surveys were taken at the beginning and end of each of these periods to gauge the effect of the spiritual disciplines applied upon their finances and general quality of life. A brief overview of the results most germane to the thesis are presented. The surveys show a marked improvement in the finances of many who participated in the fasting. Chapter six closes the work with various concluding thoughts and reflections. Various appendices including the survey apparatus and its results follow.DEDICATION This applied research project is dedicated to my loving family: To Margaret, my loving wife, who has stood with me in the ministry in good times and in bad. Margaret, we have fasted together many times, and seen the miracles of God. Thank you. I also dedicate this work to my children, Rachel, Justin, and Jessica. Thanks for loaning out Dad so he could get this done.PREFACE A year after I was called into the ministry, I made a trip to Seoul, Korea. There I visited with Dr. Cho, pastor of the world’s largest church, and his mother-in-law, Madam Choy. I was astounded at the size and success of the church, and when I asked Madam Choy what their secret was, she pointed skyward and said, “Pray, pray, pray,” and then to her belly and said, “Fast, fast, fast.” I saw their commitment and passion for God through fasting, and that this was normal for them. Dr. Cho's church now numbers over 700,000. I was so impacted by this experience that when I returned to the little church I was pastoring in Lexington, Kentucky, I began to fast one day a week. I continued this for the next 5 years. During that period the church grew from around 20 members to over 350. Years later | assumed the pastorate of Evangel World Prayer Center, The church was deeply in debt, owing millions of dollars, and had many other administrative problems as well. God spoke to me to fast 7 days, and He would speak to me. I did, and He spoke to fast 7 more days to hear His voice. I did that, and He told me to go 7 more. It was my first 21 day fast, but not my last. That year we began to fast 3 days a month as a church. ‘That year thirty-seven were healed of cancer and our money doubled. I firmly believe that prayer and fasting are the most powerful church growth tools in the world today. Drawing from Scripture (New American Standard and King James Versions), history, medical evidence, and research experience from my home church, I present my case that fasting is a must for the modern church.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I would like to acknowledge, first and foremost, the members of Evangel World Prayer Center. Without their incredible dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ and obedient spirit in regard to fasting, no test group would have been available to realize a study of this nature on this scale. ! am honored to serve such a spiritually dynamic body. Appreciation also goes to those who helped me finish the written project. Special thanks goes to David Thomas, who helped with research and final editing. Darlene Miller ‘was invaluable in her processing of the raw data gathered from the survey, as was JoAnn ‘Scheich, my personal secretary, who has helped me, not only with this final project, but through the entire academic process. Pat Thomas, office secretary at Evangel, helped with typing, processing, and general organizational work. Finally, a word of thanks to my daughter, Rachel, a senior at ORU and a sympathetic companion to her dad while he was on campus working on his doctorate. Thanks go to her for research tips, typing help, and other forced labor. I would like to thank Kenneth Mayton, Ed.D.; Thomson Mathew D.Min., Ed.D.; William Buker D.Min., Ph.D. (Cand.); and Dan Hedges, D.Min, for their constant support and input. Thanks also go to Gerry Farrow. To those in my cohort, with whom I have formed a strong fraternal bond in Christ, I express my appreciation and admiration for what they have done in me over the last three years. Among them stands out my special brother, Richard Roberts, a friend to me in every sense of the word. ixCONTENTS PREFACE. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... LIST OF TABLES. xiv Chapter 1, THE PROBLEM. Introduction. Statement of the Problem... Purpose... Hypothesis Setting of the Project. Background and Significance. Definitions of Terms... Fasting. Prosperity. Limitations of Study... Assumptions. 2. BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL BASE . Old Testament. Moses and Manna: The Forced Fast.. Famine and the Patriarchs....‘Yom Kippur: The Great Fast. Isaiah 58 and the Chosen Fast... Hannah and Samuel: A Multiplication of Children... Jehoshaphat and the Great Army... Elijah and Elisha: Prophets of Divine Multiplication . Joel, Fasting, and Restoration... New Testament... The New Jubilee: Good News for the Poor.. ‘The Spiritual Feast and the Harvest. 49 The Miraculous Feeding. 3. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE. Fasting in American History. 57 Introduction.. Pilgrim Fasting... The First Great Awakening... The Second Great Awakening: Part I..... The Second Great Awakening: Part II. The Civil War Era...... Conclusion. .. Medical Support for Fasting... Fasting in Current Christian Thought... Exeursus: Prosperity and the Christian. Fasting in Other Religions. Conclusion.4. METHODOLOGY... Procedure. Data Analysis. 5. PRESENTATION OF RESULTS... ‘The Ironman 40 Day Prayer Revival... Fasting... Tithing and Other Giving.. The 21 Day Fast. Fasting. Tithing and Other Givi Testimonies. 6. RESPONSES TO FINDINGS Interpretations of Results... Conelusions.. Recommendations... To Improve the Project... For Further Research... For Implementation in Ministry. Theological Reflections.Appendix A. THE IRON MAN 40 DAY PRAYER REVIVAL SURVEY APPARATUS . 132 B, THE IRON MAN 40 DAY PRAYER REVIVAL SURVEY RESULTS.. 134 C. THE 2! DAY FAST SURVEY APPARATUS.. 17 D. THE 21 DAY FAST SURVEY RESULTS 2179 E. PROMOTIONAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS... 222 BIBLIOGRAPHY......... 239 VITA... xiiiLIST OF TABLES Table Page 107 1. Type of Fast among Church Members, by Gender and Ethnicity 2. Tithing Levels at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender. 3. Tithing levels at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender. 109 4. Financial Status at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender... 5. Financial Status at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender. 6. Level of ing at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender... 7. Level of Giving at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender. 8. Income Assessment at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender....112 9. Income Assessment at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender... 112 10A. Comparison of Tithing Totals by Practice Before and After Ironman......113 10B. Comparison of Tithing Totals by Practice Before and After Ironman......114 11. Type of Fast by Gender........... AS 12. Giving Status Totals by Practice Before and After 21 Day Fast.... 13. Before and After Financial Status by Gender. 7 14. Before and After Level of Giving by Gender... 117 15. Before and After Income Level by Gender. 16. Summary of Pre- and Post-Test Results by Percentage. xivCHAPTER | THE PROBLEM Intro. The practice of fasting has a long history both within and without the Church. The fact is, fasting is variously mentioned in the sacred writings of all major world religions, and as a consequence has been widely practiced throughout the course of history. Up to modem times, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and many other groups— including many cults and even forms of witchcraft—are known to practice fasting in one form or another according to the respective norms of each particular group. In short, fasting has been around a long time and is widely recognized as a religious or spiritual discipline. Statement m In spite of its long history and broad acceptance as a form of spiritual devotion, fasting remains a mystery to most people. What is the purpose of a fast? What does the “faster” hope to accomplish through this act of self-denial? What relation does fasting have to the larger context of the adherent’s faith? As simple as these queries are, the fact that “fasting” is a foreign word to most Christians at a level of praxis speaks volumes about the present condition of the Church. The benefits of fasting have not been taught inthe pulpit, in spite of the fact that for every time prayer in mentioned in the biblical witness, fasting is mentioned once. There are reasons, beyond the ignorance and neglect mentioned above, for the spiritual vacuum in the Church in regard to fasting. There have been abuses. As noted above, many groups that lie outside Christian orthodoxy and are even openly hostile to Christian tenets aggressively teach and practice fasting as part of their religious program. Even within the Christian tradition there have been difficulties. For many Protestants fasting is associated with the Catholic Church’s ascetic excesses and conjures mental images of monks sleeping on cold stone beds, self-flagellation, and long periods of self- inflicted starvation. In this light it is seen as a vain attempt to improve one’s spiritual condition at the expense of the body, something pointedly refuted by Paul (Col 2:23). To fast is often regarded as a practice from the Dark Ages when the true biblical faith was hidden by inclinations toward fanaticism and paganism. Despite these natural apprehensions, the truth remains that fasting stands within the scriptural witness as one of the foundational disciplines of the Christian faith (e.g. Matt 6:1ff). For this reason alone, fasting has endured and will endure. Yet for those seeking understanding and spiritual depth in their daily Christian lives, dogmatic truths are not enough to sustain consistent practice. The thirsty heart continues to ask: Why did many heroes of the faith—both OT and NT—fast? Why did Jesus fast? And (most importantly) why must one fast and what are they to expect by doing it?Purpose ‘Answering these questions fully, even within the restrictive parameters of the Christians faith as this study proposes, is the stuff of libraries, not dissertations. To address every aspect and ramification of fasting is far too great a task here. Rather, itis the purpose of this study to explore one particular area, the possibility of a correlation between fasting and the daily existence of everyone that practices it. As will be developed in the following pages, itis the objective of this study to explore the relationship between the prosperity level of Christians and the fasting they regularly practice. That is to say, it will examine whether those who fast are supernaturally prospered as a direct result of their actions. ‘One may tender the question, “If fasting leads to prosperity, why would more people not be willing to practice it?” The answer to this very obvious question is similar to the answer to other, similar ones concemed with spiritual issues: Why not indeed? There are many reasons why people tum away from the light to pursue darkness, away from freedom to stay in their chains. Laying aside the philosophical tangents that could potentially arise from such a discussion, let it simply be posited here that the primary reason more Christians do not fast is that they are ignorant of the prospering virtue that a fast brings to the life of a sincere worshipper of God. This assertion arises from various grounds. It is observable within most Christians circles and through simple inquiries that most see fasting as a worthy but general discipline. Although most see it as more intense than prayer (or even a heightened form of prayer itself), paradoxically there isa lack of specificity that surrounds it. One need only observe the Lenten observances of the Catholic Church to see the aimlessness of the discipline in the general populace. The4 result is that fasting becomes a drudgery, a nuisance, a burden, and (above all) a mystery. Many people do not know why they are doing it. The situation is perhaps more grim in Protestant circles. The fractious nature of the Protestant traditions by definition precludes conformity, and there is no single authority structure to enforce practice. Each group, then, does as it sees fit. Fasting is seen a valuable for drawing near to God, but few do it, and those who do are sometimes seen as extreme. Most books that deal with fasting are introductions or apologies, pleading with the Church to pick up the torch and cun with it. Few to none address the issue of why one should fast, beyond the simple assertion that it is obedience and the general if laudable observation that fasting draws us closer to God. Although obedience is certainly a worthy motive, it should not be the end but rather the beginning. Christians should develop an intelligent faith. More to the point, they need to understand, when possible, the reasons for a command and the results of obedience to it. In this case, the profound ignorance in the Church today conceming the cause and effect relationship between fasting and prosperity—both at a personal and corporate level—has led to spotty adherence to the discipline and widespread economic repercussions that are not and have never been the will of God. The purpose of this study is to explore the issue from biblical, historical, and modern empirical perspectives in an attempt to dispel the apparent ignorance. The ultimate goal is the increased prosperity of the Church of Jesus Christ through an aggressive and informed discipline of fasting. All spiritual disciplines are forms of worship, and that should always be kept in mind. Yet God is a God of specifies. Fasting should not be merely a general discipline, any more that people should merely pray that, God “blesses” them. The Bible is full of specific blessings, and Christians areto prayspecifically for them and understand the cause and effect relationship between their prayers and the answers God desires to give. Likewise, the Bible teaches that God’s people should fast expecting certain results. Those results, and how to obtain them, are the subject of this study. Hypothesis The study contains the very simple proposal that God will prosper those who fast. More specifically, the central hypothesis of this study is that those members of Evangel World Prayer Center who participate in either of the two periods of fasting and prayer known as “The Ironman 40 Day Prayer Revival” (Fall 2001) and “The 21 Day Fast” (Wanuary 2002) will experience a measurable increase in personal prosperity as a result. This hypothesis takes into account both the variety of fasting practices and the relative definitions of prosperity. In any case, certain standard methodologies for measuring will be observed throughout, and the data will be gathered through survey material handed out before and after each period. These issues will be dealt with later. Setting of the Project Evangel World Prayer Center is the largest Assembly of God church in Kentucky, numbering some 4000 numbers. Founded nearly 50 years ago, Evangel is located in the city of Louisville in a particularly diverse section of town. The church reflects that diversity. Although the Assemblies of God as a denomination is predominantly white/Caucasian, this church is a colorful cross section of society and is most probably the most culturally diverse church in the state. In addition to large groups of Latin Americans and African-Americans within the church body, there are also immigrant6 Africans from multiple different nations on that continent, Arabs, Asians, and converted Jews. Few members have been raised in a Pentecostal/Charismatic church setting, coming instead from various traditional denominations and other world religions. Significantly, the church has been familiar with the practice of prayer and fasting since its, inception, and annual 21 day fasts have been practiced for over 10 years. Most people in the church fast in some form or another during the annual periods of intense worship. Background and Significance The interest for this study arises from a genuine concern for people’s well-being. Given the socio-economic situation of many in the church, there hes been a growing desire on the part of the leadership to see those less prosperous to grow in this area, While many church planters target wealthy areas and work on the homogeneous church principle, it has been the contention at Evangel that God anointed Jesus to preach the gospel to the poor. That is, the Good News of Christ has an empowering effect, raising the poor and teaching them to prosper through pure living, sound principles of wisdom, and the supernatural blessings of God. The interest of this study lies in the latter area. General perceptions and spiritual inclinations, coupled with observations over the years have together given birth to a full-fledged interest in an ordered study to make the case fora causal relationship between fasting and prosperity. The purpose for the body of Christ on a whole is the same as it is for the local congregation. If the Church can grasp the what and the why of fasting in relation to prosperity, it will increase in its effectiveness in the world to carry out the task for which it has been appointed. Not only will quality of life increase (cf, John 10:10) but the world will be reached through the message of Christ (cf. Matt. 28:18f1), a task that requires financial support.Definitions of Terms Fasting There are three terms, already used a number of times in the preceding pages, that will require careful definition. The first of these is the substantive fasting, along with its related verb to fast. However this term may be defined in other circumstances, a rather broad definition will be followed here. Some have thought that fasting must be an “all or nothing” venture in order to be valid before God. As shall be discussed shortly, this is not the biblical model. There are many kinds of fasting, and many ways to fast that God will honor. A fast, for instance, may be ‘oral, entailing complete abstinence from food or water of any kind, or it may be partial, pethaps allowing the person to eat only vegetables. The fast may be short (one meal), or long (forty days). It is almost self- evident that, all other factors being equal, a longer fast will necessarily be considered a ‘more powerful fast. That simple observation does not undermine the assertion that, given the parameters detailed above, the number of legitimate manners by which one might fast are essentially infinite. The point is not form, but rather motive. Here arises the matter of intention. Does a person who is forced to abstain from food “fast”? We would obviously not consider a famine sent as judgment from God (see below) as a fast. But what of God's faithful who are forced into a fast? Does this “count”? Likewise, those who “fast” for impure motives (say, a terrorist hunger strike) could not be considered true fasters by any proper definition, while those who cannot abstain from food for medical reasons but do what they can by faith surely are. In the end, the common denominator of all true fasting is faith. Those who have a sincere relationship with God and genuinely submit to His will are those whose abstinence profits them as a fast. This would include those who,8 perhaps, had not intended on fasting but ended up in a fast anyway. It also excludes those who intentionally abuse themselves, are victims of an eating disorder, or simply diet, ‘among other things. A fast is thus defined as some form of abstinence from bodily nourishment on the part of God’s people. Prosperity The other word germane to this study is prosperity. There is no disguising the economic connotations in this word, nor is there any desire here to do so. A primary aim of this study isto assert that very truth, ic, that prosperity by God’s definition includes financial liberation. To define prosperity as material wealth and leave it at that, however, would be to cheapen the word and, more significantly, the biblical concept. Prosperity by God’s definition involves increase in quality as well as quantity. It involves an upturn in the quality of living at every level of being. First and foremost comes spiritual prosperity. This prosperity is a quality and abundance of peace and joy that has a “trickle down effect” throughout the person’s whole life. The source of this prosperity is Christ Himself, and though it cannot be bought or eamed, the fact that it can (and must) be facilitated on the part of the recipient is an unavoidable truth. Ultimately this spiritual prosperity affects all areas of the believer's life, including emotional, relational, and physical well-being. Finally, it affects financial stability. Its, in effect, the broadly defined concept embodied in the single Hebrew term shalom. Volumes could be and have ‘been written on these areas, and a full exposition is impossible here. The focus of this study is upon the final, material aspect of shalom—monetary wealth—while keeping the other aspects with their proper perspective. Most specifically, prosperity as it is defined in this study involves a mature relationship with Christ that will enable the believer tohandle the wealth brought into their lives. Many are the stories—within the biblical witness and modem life—of those who once sincerely followed but were ruined by too much wealth too soon. Weak character betrayed them and the power (for that is all that money is) that could have been a blessing to them and others served as an instrument of destruction. This is not prosperity. True prosperity is material gain without spiritual loss. Itis growth in all areas, leading to more growth in all areas—for self and others. This is a high definition, but itis the biblical model and will be adhered to here. Finally, a word on correlation is needed. When one speaks of correlation, itis generally understood to be an active relationship and not a passive one. That is to say, X is related to Y through direct and active influence. Itis a statement of positive effect. tis in this sense the present study asserts that fasting bears a strong correlation to prosperity. This is a significant statement, because it is not merely through indirect relationship that fasting results in wealth. Itis well and good to say that (for instance) fasting makes a person more healthy. Health is a form of prosperity, of shalom. It is stretching the issue of correlation, however, to further state that since as a result the person can work harder, make more money, and spend less on medical bills, fasting therefore brings about prosperity. All of those things are certainly true, and definite benefits of fasting. Yet they represent material wealth indirectly produced (or rather, not lost) by means of fasting. ‘There is an entire world, or worlds of indirect results of fasting that could be explored without making any determined faith assertion whatsoever. As true as these things may be, they are almost self-evident and constitute no thesis at all. Extensive arguments in the areas of indirect effects quickly become contrived and lose power. If preventative medicine is all Christians can believe for when they fast, they have a very tepid faith10 indeed. No, correlation means just that. It is the thesis of this study that biblical fasting has the effect of increasing a person’s wealth, not just preventing its decrease. This study argues that when people fast, God blesses them—directly and supernaturally. ns of Study As previously implied, this study and the assertions made herein are statements made within the realm of Christian theology. The fasting described here is a Christian discipline, although OT references are cited with the understanding that salvation history has progressed and the Jewish people of the past form a larger community of the faithful. Other limitations would generally be defined by the definition of terms, i.e., what is and is not considered fasting, what is true prosperity. As far as the research is concerned, the study is limited in several areas. First, the participants in the project were all volunteers, members and regular attenders of Evangel World Prayer Center. Second, fasting has been taught in this one church intensively for over a decade. Itis the passion of the researcher and pastor, who himself fasts regularly, and for long periods of time. Over the years the people have learned to fast and respond to the call to enter into extended periods of self-denial at a corporate level. The limitation in this is that such results may not be able to be gleaned from other churches without extended periods of conditioning, as this church has had. Assi ns Basic assumptions under which the study is carried out have much to do with the basic tenets of the Christian faith. To say that these principles only apply to true Christians is (for many) to beg the question. At the risk of entering the enormous debate" ‘over what constitutes a genuine Christian, this study will assume that a Christian is one ‘who has entered into a living relationship with the one true God through His Son, Jesus Christ, has experienced and continues to live out a real conversion, and adheres to the basics of the historical and orthodox confession of faith recognized through the centuries. This definition itself is based on larger assumptions of the veracity of the Bible as the one and only inspired text of the Word of God and the source of all salvific truth for ‘humanity, the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and the redemption of humanity through His cross and resurrection. In short, this study assumes the assertion that the Bible is the only Book, and Jesus is the only Way to the One and only true God. Upon these assumptions Christians live and seek to obey God, part of which is to fast, pray, and give.CHAPTER 2 BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL BASE Old Testament There are many instances of fasting in the Old Testament. The following brief survey is not intended to be exhaustive, but only representative of the effect that fasting duals and nations. It must be recognized from the outset has upon the prosperity of ind that not all fasts in the Old Testament explicitly lead to an increase in wealth. Certain -23)', while other fasts are observed for the preservation of life itself (Jon. 3:5ff; Ezra 8: passages seem silent about the results of the fast to which they testify; these seem only to testify to the sincerity of the penitent (Neh. 9:1; Psa. 35:13 and 69:10). Other fasts are doomed to failure from the beginning due to false motives (I Kin. 21:9-13; Isa, 58:3; Jer. 14:12), Similarly, it cannot be argued that all wealth is bom out of fasting. There are many sources of wealth described in the Bible, including dishonest ones. At the same time, so many texts—important, compelling texts—draw a direct connection between sincere fasting and material blessing that the matter cannot be ignored. Taking all the passages into consideration, it appears that the preponderance of the evidence indicates that true fasting does indeed bring about true prosperity. This prosperity is far deeper and far more spiritual than the godless pursuit of mammon that Jesus condemned (Matthew 6:24), This is a constructive prosperity, a wealth balanced with spiritual maturity and an ‘Wealth was certainly at stake in these circumstances, but it would be a stretch to argue that either Ezra or the Ninevites had money on their minds when they proclaimed their fasts. The people faced mortal danger and they were fasting for mercy and protection. Still, wealth was preserved if not increased in both cases. 121B inner discipline that redeems rather than destroys. The evidence in the following passages confirms the role of fasting in the acquisition of this God kind of wealth. Moses and Manna: The Forced Fast ‘The broadest fast recorded within the biblical witness in terms of scope is the fast, observed by the entire nation of Israel with Moses before they entered the promised land? This is the fast that led to the miraculous provision of manna and the supernatural sustenance of God’s people during their desert wanderings. Although there are many passages which refer to the events surrounding the supernatural provision of manna (most notably the account in Exo. 16), the passage which best provides God's own theology of the event is found in Deuteronomy 8:1-20. In this text Moses reviews the events surrounding the miraculous provision, speaks of God’s motivation for subjecting the Israelites to the fast, glorifies God for His provision, and wams the Israelites not to forget God once they enter the promised land. There are some crucial elements in this passage that require closer examination. A conscientious Bible student may read this text carefully and yet find no reference to fasting, but only hunger. A deeper study, however, shows that the concept of fasting is indeed present and plays a pivotal role in God’s relationship and dealings with His people. The first phrase that addresses the fast is found in v. 3. Here Moses says, “And He humbled you, causing you to be hungry, and fed you with manna...” The Hebrew sentence begins with three composite verbs—“humble,” “cause to hunger,” and “feed.” To “humble” comes from the Hebrew anah, and means to afflict or discipline. Yet in the Piel (the stem form used here) the verb anah is also used of fasting and carries that sense in Leviticus 16:29-31, Numbers 29:7, Psalm 35:13, and Isaiah 58:3-5. [tis evident, 2As a minor caveat, it is worth stating that the Jews have observed a communal fast of sorts ever since the dietary laws were given at Sinai. That partial fast unto God, it could be argued, has elevated the Jews to position of both scorn and wealth throughout history. But that is another matter.4 therefore, that the verb indicates a humbling of the total person, both spiritually through inner discipline and physically through fasting.’ This following verb, raev, which indicates that God “allowed” the Israelites to “hunger.” The pretation is confirmed by the translation “allow” or “let” is adequate so long as the reader understands that the action ‘on God’s partis active, not passive.* As Wright notes, God is the initiator in the situation.’ He is deliberately permitting the Israelites to slip into a state of limited nutrition. When one puts anah and raev together as the Hebrew text does, there is no escaping the fact that God is forcing the Israelites to fast whether they want to or not. The “humbling” they experience is inward, as God intends, but it seems that God knows the old adage: The way to man’s heart is through his stomach. God uses lack of food to get His point across. Hence an acceptable translation of the phrase may be: “And He caused ‘you to fast, and made you hungry...” God Himself resolves the situation through supematural provision. He sends ‘manna, something entirely new, to sustain the Israelites. This provision serves several purposes. First, and most obviously, it meets the people's physical need. In this provisional respect the manna does not stand alone, because v. 4 tells the reader that not only did they eat, but they were clothed and kept healthy by God's divine hand. God proves that He is capable of superabundant miracles of provision. Second, the manna on the heels of a forced fast serves as a teaching tool. God wants to show the people that the ‘most important thing is not material sustenance, but spiritual—“every word that proceeds >Francis Brown, S. Driver and Charles Briggs, The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1979), 776. “See NASB and NRSV. SChristopher J. H. Wright, Deuteronomy, vol. 18 of New International Biblical Commentary (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996), 122.15 from the mouth of the Lord.” Manna is a type of God's word.* The reason for this lesson is obvious. God is bringing the people into a land where abundance is a given. There will be no lack in the promised land, no searching the ground for bits of manna. God does not want the people to forget Him, so He is training them through a forced fast. His hope is that they will recognize their need for Him above all else, and will not abandon His precepts when they enter Canaan. Only once this lesson is learned can God loose His covenant blessings upon the people. Wealth is worthless indeed if your character cannot handle it. God's divine mercy compels Him to discipline His people as sons so that they can freely experience His abundance without putting their very souls at risk (v. 5). As. Coffinan notes, “The object of all of Gods requirements for his human children is their welfare.”” In this sense the experience in the desert is a trial run for the Promised Land. There is never any question about the wealth that will be theirs in the inheritance promised to their fathers.’ The question is whether they will continue to remember that it is the Lord, and not they themselves, who produce the wealth: “But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (v. 18, italics mine). In light of this peril, God ordains the fast because a fast disciplines the spirit and 64, Ridderbos, Deuteronomy, in Bible Student's Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 127. "James B. Coffman, Commentary on Deuteronomy: The Fifth Book of Moses (Abilene: ACU Press, 1988), 100, italics his. It is an interesting twist of biblical history that a forced fast preceded—and ‘caused—the entrance of Jacob and his sons into Egypt some 400 years earlier. The famine foretold by Joseph forces them to buy food in Egypt and no doubt ration it very carefully. Eventually the brothers are reconciled to Joseph and the entire family emigrates and settles in Goshen and live in abundance until new rulers arise in Egypt. Although not an ‘exact parallel, the similarities are worth noting: God's people experience the distress of a forced fast and through it come into a land of great blessing. In the time of Jacob and Joseph the movement was from Canaan to Egypt; in Moses time it was the other way around. See Gen. 41-47.16 trains it to handle the blessings which have already been secured through God's covenant with Abraham? A third purpose for God’s sending the manna can therefore be deduced: it confirms the fast as a means of laying hold of God's miraculous provision. How is this so? A fast enables the faithful one to draw close to God, recognize Him as the source of all blessing, purify the spirit and the motives, and clear the way for God’s blessing. A fast is adivinely ordained method of appropriating the wealth that God earnestly desires to give the believer. So greatly did he want to bless the Israelites with wealth as part of His, relationship with them that He made them fast and lear the lesson. Of course, this interpretation flies in the face of manipulative prosperity teaching that would see fasting as yet another way to twist God’s arm. God shows in this passage that if anyone is going to twist an arm, it will be He that does it. God wants to build a relationship with His people, and wealth is part of that. Yet the only way that fallen humanity can handle wealth is by recognizing Who it comes from, and how much more important He is than any gold. This passage shows the reader that God used fasting to teach His people that lesson The concept of a forced fast will be new to most people. Generally, fasting is defined as an act of religious devotion that one enters into voluntarily. Yet the immediate "The ability to produce wealth is a confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant, not the Mosiac one. The bases of the Abrahamic covenant, renewed with Isaac and Jacob, are simple yet powerful: God will give them the land, they will be blessed and greatly multiply, and they will be a blessing to all the nations of the world (Gen. 12:1-3; 26:3-4; 28:13-15). Herein is found the purpose behind the wealth which God gives the ability to produce. Not only is the wealth tied to God’s promise about the land, it is tied to God's promise to make Abraham a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:2-3). Wealth bears witness to the faithfulness of God toward His people and enables them to be a potent force for witness in the world. If this was true of Israel as a priestly nation among the nations (Exo. 19:6), how much more is it true of the Church. Although the Mosaic (or “Old”) Covenant was superceded by the New, the Abrahamic Covenant is still valid and finds its fulfillment in the Church (Gal. 3:6ff). Through the wealth God sends to confirm His covenant God's people are to touch the whole world with the gospel of Christ. Whether they faithfully use their God-given wealth for that purpose is another matter.W effects of a voluntary fast (weakened flesh and an afflicted soul) are also the outcome of a forced fast. What, then, is the distinction between a forced fast and natural famine that comes upon people all over the world? The answer is faith. Those who have a consciousness of God and are in relationship with Him stand to draw spiritual and material benefit from the forced fast even if they did not enter into it willingly. In the case of the Israelites, God enforced a fast because he knew the people did not have the maturity to fast on their own. In the end they prospered and learned from their hunger rather than starved. A hunger that teaches and prospers can hardly be defined as famine. It should rather be defined as a forced fast. An important point needs to be made about the relationship between the fast and the provision that followed. It is not that God managed to squeeze an object lesson out of a provision He was sending anyway. No, it seems that the hunger was a necessary prerequisite for the provision. Hence a causal relationship is seen between the fast and the abundance that followed. The people had to fast to receive the miracle. Without the hunger, the lesson would have been lost on them and the point of the miracle rendered powerless. Therefore one can reasonably say, based on this text, that fasting paves the way for God-given wealth. ‘Thus emerges a paradigm that is applicable throughout Scripture. God ordains the fast (even a forced fast) to break down a sense of sinful human independence. The faithful, disciplined through fasting, have a greater awareness of God as their only source.'” As they turn to God, their faith, purified through the experience, appropriates divine provision for them. God sees that they have learned dependence upon Him and have a pure spirit, and can therefore be trusted with earthly riches. He responds to their ‘Beall refers to this concept in his chapter on focus through fasting. See James L. Beall, The Adventures of Fasting (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1974), 22ff.18 increased faith with superabundant blessing in accordance with His covenant with ‘Abraham. Famine and the Patriarchs Now that the understanding of fasting is broadened to include the forced fast, it seems appropriate to digress a bit and address some forced fasts that occurred earlier in the Pentateuch. These forced fasts were the result of famine, and the hardship brought upon those that suffered them is implied by the text. Famine made you fast at least Partially whether you wanted to or not. It is with this understanding in mind that the following stories are to be treated. In the account given in Genesis 12:10-13:2 one finds a very interesting chain of events.'" A severe famine strikes the Negev (the southem part of Israel where Abraham is living at the time), and Abraham (then Abram) is forced to go to Egypt (12:10). This is the rather embarrassing story of Abraham’s lie (although a technical truth) about Sarah (then Sarai) being his sister. Most of the attention is placed upon this story as proof that the patriarch had feet of clay. As true as that assertion is, there is another interesting 'Bugene H. Merrill, “1 Samuel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck [CD ROM] (Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, 1985).29 ‘weans Samuel (he was perhaps three years old) Hannah presents him to Eli the priest in fulfillment of her vow. The powerful act of giving has been added to prayer and fasting. What is the result of Hannah's actions? Aside from the fact that Samue!—the first sign of the fast’s success—rises to become (arguably) the greatest judge in Israel's history and a blessing to millions, Hannah herself receives other, more immediate blessings. As in many other examples presented in this study, the supematural principle of divine ‘multiplication is activated in her life. The once barren Hannah soon gives birth again—and again, and again (1 Sam. 2:20-21). She eventually has three more sons and two more daughters. Since children were the ultimate symbol of success and blessing for ‘women in the ancient Hebrew world, it is no wonder that Hannah speaks of wealth when she tums the child Samuel over to Eli the priest: The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, He lifis the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor (i Sam. 2:4-8, NASB) Clearly, Hannah is speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It should be evident, however, that this prophetic word would never have come to Hannah if she had not fasted and prayed, Jehoshaphat and the Great Army In2 Chronicles 20 there is a well known passage about the delivering power of ‘Yahweh. It is the story of Jehoshaphat and the defeat of the Transjordanian coalition, and the celebration that followed. The story is so familiar and straightforward that most see30 little need for a deep and complex explanation to expound the truths found within it. Indeed, one commentator calls the content “sermonic”*"—an indication that modern preachers are not the first to see the passage as apt for the encouragement and instruction of God’s people. The text will be briefly reviewed here for purposes of clarity. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, receives an alarming and unexpected report of a vast army consisting of the fighting men from several nations coming toward Jerusalem(wy. 1-2). Recognizing his impotence against this overwhelming force, Jehoshaphat turns to God and calls a nation-wide fast for Judah and Jerusalem (wv, 3-4). During the ensuing time of prayer and communal self-abasement, Jehoshaphat reminds God of His promises toward His people concerning their inheritance, the land (vv. 5-13). God replies, speaking through a prophet and assuring the people of an effortless victory because “the battle is not yours, but Gods" (vv. 14-19). The people respond, follow the prophet’s instructions, and go into battle dressed for worship rather than war (vv. 20-21). God overthrows the enemy armies, which turn upon each other until they have wiped each other out (v. 22- 23). The people of God come upon the annihilated armies and immediately begin the plunder, which takes three days to complete (wv. 24-25). After the goods are collected, a time of rejoicing follows (vv. 26-28). The ultimate end of the story is peace for Judah and Jehoshaphat for years to come (vv.29-30). Obviously, there are a great many lessons that can be drawn from this story, as there can be from any story. Generally speaking, one can see an encouragement to depend upon and trust God to fight His people's battles. More specifically, most discussions of the story center upon the role of praise and worship as weapons in the spiritual battle continually fought against the forces of darkness. Clearly, that assertion could not be refuted, nor would anyone want to try. Yet to limit the comprehension of the spiritual 32Raymond B. Dillard, 2 Chronicles, vol. 15 of Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1987), 154.31 battle waged by Jehoshaphat and his people to praise alone would impoverish a fuller understanding of the text. The first thing Jehoshaphat did upon hearing of the approaching threat was not to praise God, however worthy of praise He is. The first thing the king did was to turn to God in fasting. Not only did he express personal dependence upon God in this manner, but he called a fast for the whole region. Obviously, the fast was well-organized because the community came together at the temple, with king and priests present. Commentators note the fact that the people fasted, and that fasting was ‘common during times of disaster. Nevertheless, there is little comment on a causal relationship between the fast and the events that follow. Whatever modem scholarship may think of fasting as an ancient and venerated act of devotion, it seems that the ancients themselves had a more pragmatic view of things. The graphic image of king, priests, and ‘commoners, men, women, and infants standing before God (v. 13) shows that the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem were interested in tangible, measurable results, What were the people fasting for? The seemingly self-evident answer is that they were fasting for their lives. There can be little doubt that human life was indeed at stake in the situation. Yet salvation from death does not seem to be the tone of the King's prayer. Jehoshaphat does not pray that God will save their lives, he prays that God will save their Jand, “Behold how they are rewarding us, by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance"(v. 11). The people were not concerned that they would be wiped out to aman, nor did they have reason to. A study of the Old Testament reveals that invading armies generally came to despoil and subject a See Dillard, 2 Chronicles, 156, Jacob M. Myers, If Chronicles, vol. 13 of The Anchor Bible (Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1965), 115, and John N. Suggit, “Fasting,” in The Oxford Companion to the Bible, eds. Bruce Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), 225,32 land, not to kill its citizens. Rather, the people were fearful that they would lose their farms and cities and with them their livelihood and freedom. With the fear defined more clearly as strongly economic in nature, the rest of the story comes together nicely. God gives the battle plan, and the people follow it. As at other times* confusion becomes a weapon of God to destroy the enemy. The people of God come upon a totally defeated foe. Now the threat of being despoiled has evaporated, and the tables are turned. There is so much treasure that it takes three days to cart it all away. The content of the valuables can be found in a careful examination of the original languages. The Hebrew terms describing the treasure are rekush (KJV riches) and keliy (KJV jewels). The term “riches” is of course precise and certainly not inaccurate, but it does not convey the whole meaning of the Hebrew word. A better translation of rekush would be “valuable goods of all kinds, specifically riding animals and the baggage associated with them." The Septuagint?” of the same verse casts more light on this with its use of the Greek ktenos, indicating the presence of flocks and herds.™* This definition makes perfect sense in the context, since the invading army would need animals for both There are, of course, exceptions. The most notable is the example of Joshua taking the land from the Canaanites. Yet that case is obviously unique. The more typical situation is found in the relationship between smaller kingdoms (such as Judab/lsrael) and various empires through history (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon). These empires took land and subjected lesser kingdoms to vassalage for economic exploitation. From this standpoint killing all the people would be counter productive, as corpses make poor slaves. 3SJudg. 7:22; 1 Sam. 14:20, See Brown, Driver, and Briggs, 940. Hereafter LXX. SsWalter Bauer, William F. Amdt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), 456.33 Portage and battle itself. Since wealth was often defined in terms of animals,” the writer and original readers of the passage would see this plunder as money in its most elemental form. The second word used to describe the plunder, keliy, has an even broader application. Etymologically, the word indicates a finished article of some sort. The most concise translation would be “thing,” but that would hardly do justice to the richness of its application. It can mean, in various contexts, vessels or utensils, weapons and armor, tools, furniture, musical instruments, ornaments or jewels, or money itself. The LKX uses the word skeuos, also defined as a thing, a vessel, or an implement of some sort°—not very helpful. Perhaps the best way to translate the term is to maintain its broad and undefined character. An army would naturally bring many “things”— vessels. utensils, ‘weapons, musical instruments,‘ ornaments, and money. The association of the word chemdah (precious, desirable) in the Hebrew and epithumeo (desirable) in the LXX indicate that whatever the goods were, they were valuable. Elijah and Elisha: Prophets of Divine Multiplication The prophets Elijah and Elisha were two men that God used mightily to display His awesome, miraculous power during a time of great crisis in Israel's history. Several of their miracles in particular demonstrate the relationship between fasting and material blessing that follows. The story of Elijah and the ravens in 1 Kings 17:3-7 is an example of the power of fasting. In obedience to God’s word, Elijah had proclaimed a drought for all the region of Israel. By proclaiming a drought the prophet was essentially calling a forced fast, because 8D. J. Wiseman, “Money in the Old Testament,” in The New Bible Dictionary, ed. F. F. Bruce (CD ROM] (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1962). “Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich, 761. “!See Dillard, 158 on the nearly universal use of musical instruments by ancient armies.34 without rain food would soon become scarce. As the voice which obediently proclaimed the word, Elijah could be thought of as the only person in Israel to enter into the fast willingly. To provide for Him, God miraculously sent ravens to feed him by the brook Cherith. Although many things are noted about this passage, rarely is it mentioned that the miraculous provision followed the fast. The miraculous provision intensifies in 1 Kings 17:8-16. After the brook dries up, Elijah goes to Zarephath in Sidon in obedience to God’s word.” As he was told, he encounters a widow. Elijah asks her for water (a rare commodity during a drought), and she goes to get some for him. The woman is clearly starving, as she tells the prophet she is in the process of gathering fuel to cook one last meal for herself and her son, then die. Elijah encourages her not to fear, that she is to give first to him and God will sustain her. She obeys, with the result that she, her son, and Elijah are provided by means of supernatural multiplication until the drought is lifted. Since the drought lasts three and half years (James 5:17), and one may assume that Elijah was at the brook for a maximum of six months, it can therefore be concluded that the oil and flour fed three people several meals a day for around three years. Since an adult subsists on roughly 2000 calories a day and a child on 3000 or more (depending on age), one can calculate that the vessels produced, respectively, about a pint of oil and between two and two and a half cups of flour per day to feed the three of them. This works out to almost 137 gallons of oil and over one and a quarter tons of flour over the three year period.*? If one considers (very “House notes that the fact the woman lived in Sidon is another indicator of God’s power. Sidon lay at the heart of Baal’s territory and was the homeland of Jezebel, Elijah’s nemesis. By providing for a widow here, God shows He is Lord over all the earth and the true God. While Baal, god of thunder and rain could not even help his own people much less affect the whole world, the God of Israel takes care of helpless people of faith everywhere. See Paul R. House, 1, 2 Kings, vol. 8 of The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 213. ‘34 precise equation is, of course, impossible, and this one is included for35 generously, considering the size of a starving woman's fist) that the “handful” in the widow's possession equalled a half cup of flour (about 60 grams or 200 calories of food value), this miracle represents a multiplication equivalent to over 19,000 times the original quantity of the flour alone. The quantity of “a little oil” is, of course, impossible to quantify, but one can assume a similar exponential increase. Another, simpler way to see this miracle is as a food multiplication that provided at least two meals a day, everyday, for three people. Over three years that works out to over 6,500 meals—an impressive figure. Many have used this pericope to illustrate the importance of giving, especially giving to God's work (here represented by the person of Elijah). That is hardly a bone of contention in this study, and the dynamic of giving will be returned to later. Yet itis important to point out the often neglected fact that the miracle came on the heels of a forced fast. The widow set herself apart from her starving neighbors in that she had faith. ‘The fast sharpened her sensibilities to the things of God and made her more generous and capable of believing. No mother with a starving son gives away her last food and water to a stranger unless God is at work in her. Clearly that had happened here. The woman stayed close to God and sensitive to Him during her trial, and when the test came, she did not fail. The result was supernatural multiplication. ‘The legacy of fasting continues in the life of Elisha, as demonstrated in the story of the prophet’s widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7. In this story Elisha surfaces as Elijah’s illustrative purposes. It assumes a dietary intake for an adult consisting of 1000 calories from flour (about two-thirds of a pound) and about 1000 calories from oil (between four and five ounces) per day. (These ciphers can be taken from the nutritional data available on the packaging of almost all food products on the market today.) If that seems out of balance the scales simply increase whichever commodity is decreased, so the point is ‘made in any case. If the widow's son was an infant he would certainly not need this much food, but if he was an adolescent he would eat twice what Elijah would need, Speculation leads us nowhere and is not the point here. The issue is how awesome God is, and that point is well made.36 ‘successor when it comes to miracles of multiplication. The parallel with the widow at Zarephath is strong, but there are important distinctions.“ Here, the woman is an Israclite not a foreigner. She has two sons, not just one. Yet the desperation of the situation is very similar to that of Elijah’s widow. Although there is no nationwide famine, the woman confesses to the prophet that she has nothing in her whole house except a litte oil. Brueggemann notes that such a claim would hardly be an exaggeration. Widows were rudderless ships in a society built upon family ties. Without a man to cover her, a widow soon became impoverished.*’ The point of course, is that the woman and her sons are already going hungry. Against their will they have been forced to fast. But as great as this, danger is the woman faces a greater one. Creditors are ready to descend upon the defenseless woman and force her sons into slavery to pay the dead husband’s debts. As Brueggemann notes, “Coping with debt is a defining problem for a widow in a patriarchal society; she is lost and hopeless without a male advocate.” Elisha steps in, gives her instructions, and a miracle of multiplication results from her obedience to his word. Since oil was a commodity and easily convertible to money itself” this time God had worked a financial miracle. The debts were paid and enough remained to sustain the small family indefinitely. “The tale will surely be misunderstood unless it is read in terms of economic crisis, a point that brings the narrative very close to our own time of economic crisis.”** Interestingly, the woman was fasting (albeit a forced fast) when God worked the miracle for her. “House, /, 2 Kings, 265. ‘SWalter Brueggemann, | & 2 Kings, in Smyth & Helwys Commentary (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2000), 210. “Brueggemann, / & 2 Kings, 320. "Brueggemann, | & 2 Kings, 320. “Brueggemann, / & 2 Kings, 327.37 ‘The story about “death in the pot” in 2 Kings 4:38-41 is another example of fasting’s miraculous power. During a time of famine the company of prophets cooked a meal. One, desperate for food, gathered gourds and cut them into the stew. Obviously they were poisonous, as the people cried out that there was “death in the pot.” Elisha threw some meal into the pot and “healed” the stew. Here one finds another form of ‘multiplication. By God’s power Elisha transforms poison into food. This is a creative act, a transformation of that which is not into that which is. Not surprisingly, the whole community was on at least a limited (forced) fast of some sort because of the famine. Once again, fasting precedes miraculous provision. The story of the multiplication of the barley loaves in 2 Kings 4:42-44 is a continuation of the previous one. The famine stills grips the land, and during this time a man comes to Elisha with an offering of food. The fact that the offering represents “first fruits” is an indication of his sincerity toward God and the esteem the company of prophets held among the faithful.” The problem is that there were too few loaves—only ‘twenty among one hundred men. But Elisha orders the food set before them, prophesying that they will all eat with food left over. This is what happens, of course. This miracle is the obvious Old Testament precursor to Jesus’ miracles of multiplication in the New Testament. Those miracles will be addressed in due time, but for now suffice it to say that like those stories this one hearkens back to the Israelites’ time in the desert when God provided them with manna.® And like that time, the people were on a forced fast. Fasting gave way to a miracle of supernatural abundance. ‘The account of the siege of Samaria in 2 Kings 6:24-7:18 is arguably the greatest provision-through-fasting miracle associated with Elisha’s ministry. This story tells of the famine brought upon the city of Samaria in Israel by the king of Aram. The hunger is so “House, 269. Brueggemann, / & 2 Kings, 329.38 severe that the cit ns of Samaria are paying exorbitant prices to eat garbage (6:25), and some resort to cannibalism (6:26-19). Elisha prophesies that the famine will end in abundance (7:1). In the end, God routs the enemy with a panic caused by four lepers (7:3- 7). The supplies they leave behind must be comparable to the riches left by the Transjordanian alliance that came against Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 (see above). The text tells of food, drink, clothes, gold, silver, horses, donkeys, and tents (7:8, 10). The lepers plunder the camp of food, valuables, and money (7:8), then decide to share the good news (7:9-10). In the end Elisha’s words are fulfilled and the people of Samaria plunder the Aramean camp and end up richer than before (7:16-18). They go from paying a fortune for a donkey's head and dove’s dung to getting choice food at bargain prices. This is another example of how a fast (in this case a forced fast) tured into multiplied blessing for God’s people.5' Joel, Fasting, and Restoration The Book of Joel is a vital document for the study of fasting. This is sv because the entire prophecy revolves around a single cataclysmic event, its significance for God's people, and its reversal through fasting and repentance. Joel is therefore an excellent case study of what God's people are to do in the face of extreme financial crisis and God's power to restore when His people fast and pray. A great deal of Joe!’s message can be discerned through an analysis of the book’s literary structure. Although there are many theories about the layout of the prophecy, 5!One should note that both Samaria and Judah suffered from seiges and therefore famines from which they never recovered and no benefit or wealth resulted (2 Kings 17:6-18; 25:1-21). These were acts of final judgment on God's part, and the Scriptures are quite clear in their description of the godlessness of both kingdoms at the time of their destruction. Forced fasts without repentance are nothing but famine, and God will not and cannot honor them. James L. Crenshaw, Joel, vol. 24C of The Anchor Bible (New York: Doubleday & Company, 1995), 29-34.39 there is no need to delve into every one of these in this study. For purposes of this study the book can be divided into five basic sections as follows: A:: Disaster in Judah: Plague, Drought, and Fire B : Interpreting the Disaster: The Day of the Lord C : Course of Action: Fasting and Self-Abasement At:Reversal of Fortunes BY:The Day of the Lord Revisited Based upon this outline one can see that the book is laid out in such a way that the second half mirrors the first half, that is to say, it represents an opposite reflection. The focus ‘now tums to the nature of the events in the first half of the book, their reversal, and the means by which God accomplishes His redemption for Judah. In Joe! 1:1-3 the prophet identifies himself then begins to point out the magnitude of the situation God’s people face. No one alive can remember anything like this disaster ever happening before. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to describing the crisis. Joe! identifies the cause of the disaster in v. 4. A plague of locusts has devastated the land and stripped it of every living plant. The repetition of his words (i.e., gnawing locust, swarming locust, creeping locust, and stripping locust) highlights the comprehensive nature of the devastation, and in v. 6 Joel likens these marauding insects to ravenous lions. This horrible pestilence has been compounded by a severe drought (vv. 12, 17, 20) and a sweeping brush fire (vv. 19, 20), The negative result of this lethal combination is as complete as the disasters themselves. The grape vines—and therefore the wine—are totally destroyed (vv. 5, 7, 9, 10, 12). The fig, olive, pomegranate, palm, apple, and other unnamed trees have likewise been annihilated (vv. 7, 10, 12). Both the barley and the wheat harvests are ruined (wv. 9, 10, 11, 13, 17), as well as the pasture land (vv. 18, 19, 20). Without grass and without water the cattle, sheep, and wild animals suffer terribly (wv. 18, 20). Worst of all, but understandably given the dire circumstances, the people themselves are starving. Things are so bad that the barns are abandoned as useless (v. 17).40 ‘The most crushing blow in the whole scenario is that the people are too poor to give to the Temple (vv. 9, 13, 16). Without the prescribed grain and drink offerings the nation’s relationship with God (through sacrifice, as commanded by Moses) is at risk. In short, it really could not get much worse than it is. Asa prophet, Joel sees spiritual significance in the calamity (1:15). The natural disaster should be interpreted as a harbinger of the very Day of the Lord, a judgment so absolute that it will make the current crisis pale in comparison. The army described in Joel 2:1-11 is far greater and far more terrible than any locust swarm, although the locusts foreshadow it. God’s judgment is knocking on the door, and Joel wants to warn the people. ‘The next section (2:12-17) is the centerpiece of the book and describes the course which God’s people must take to be redeemed. Although Joel has already mentioned a solemn fast before (1:13-14), he now launches into a full scale appeal, begging the people to come to God’s house and repent (vv. 12-13a). God calls for true repentance, not superficial show. Among the actions God calls for, fasting is named first ofall. Verses 13b-14 indicate from the very beginning that God is gracious and will respond with provision and the means to worship Him properly. Every person—young and old, great and small, idle people and those deeply committed to legitimate pursuits—all are summoned by the trumpet blast to the house of God. Their action? 4 fast, accompanied by sincere prayer (vv. 15-17). It may be of value to observe that, considering the amplified definition of fasting presented above, that the Book of Joel incorporates two sinds of fasting in its prophetic declaration. The first is the forced fast brought on by the famine. During famine all must fast, whether they will or no. As at Nineveh, even the Crenshaw, Joel, 13. 5#See Crenshaw, 35 and Hans W. Wolff, Joe! & Amos, in Hermeneia (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1975), 7.4 animals are humbled. This forced fast seems to be effective because (as with the prophet Jahaziel in 2 Chronicles 20) the fast stirs up the prophet and brings forth a prophetic ‘word. The word Joel brings is not that times are bad—everyone can figure that out. His revelation is that the plague is an omen of something greater, and that the people need to fast and turn back to God so that He can reverse the situation. This is the second, voluntary fast. The pivot upon which the entire book turns is found between 2:17 and 2:18. As terrible as the privations of the composite disaster were, God’s response to His people's obedience through fasting and prayer is even greater. Joel 2:18 begins with a simple word that carries enormous weight: Then... The actions of the preceding section have a direct causal relationship with the result found in vv. 18-27. It is a classic case of God's fulfillment of His half of the bargain in the “if-then” conditional promise formula. The people are plunged into crisis. They call upon God with fasting and prayer and true repentance. God sees, God hears, and God moves. Consequently, Joel 2:18-27 is almost a perfect mirror (i.e., opposite) image of 1:2-20. The obvious reversal can be seen in the pairing of themes as demonstrated in the poetic stanzas arranged below: Disaster: For anation has invaded my land, Mighty and without number; Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, ‘And it has the fangs of a lioness.(1:6) Reversal: But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, ‘And its vanguard into the eastern sea, ‘And its rear guard into the westem sea, ‘And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up. . (2:20) Disaster: The field is ruined, The land mourns. . . (1:10a) SSWolff, Joel & Amos, 7. ©The italics in the following passages are added for emphasis.42 Reversal: Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the Lord has done great things. (2:21) Disaster: ... the grain is ruined, The new wine dries up, Fresh off fat (1:10) Reversal: eversal: And the Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; ‘And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.” (2:19) Disaster: Indeed, rejoicing dries up From the sons of men. (1:12c) Reversal: So rejoice, O sons of Zion, ‘And be glad in the Lord your God (2:23a) Disaster: Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God? (1:16) Reversal: And you shall have plenty to eat and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, ‘Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will never be put to shame. (2:26) Disaster: The storehouses are desolate, The barns are torn down, For the grain is dried up. (1:17) Reversal: And the threshing floors will be full of grain, And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. (2:24) Disaster: «fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of he field pant for Thee; For the water brooks are dried up, And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. (1:19-20) Reversal: Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has borne its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.(2:22)4B Disaster: What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; ‘And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten, (1:4) Reversal: Then Iwill make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust, ‘My great army which I sent among you. (2:25) Although the symmetry is imperfect, thematically the match is ideal. Joe! 2:28-27 represents an undoing of the undoing that came with the plague of locusts, the drought, and the fire. God does it all, and he does it because His people fast and pray. Yet this is not the end of the story. The fearful famine of 1:1-20 has been answered, but the end-time warning of 2:1-11 has not. This is the theme of the rest of the book. Not only does God promise material restoration and abundant wealth, but in Joel 2:28-3:21 He promises a spiritual reversal as well. The Day of the Lord will come, but the effect will not be the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem but their exaltation. in 29 God promises the outpouring of the Spirit, and in the face of fearful end-time events He pledges salvation (2:30-32), Joel 3:1-17 speaks of God's judgments upon the enemies of His people; what had threatened Judah comes upon her foes. As 3:1 says, this is part of the restoration process, just as the destruction of the locust swarm was. This process also has economic ramifications, because Joel speaks of the release of Jews who have been enslaved by other nations. The power of slavery is broken, and the slaves become the avengers, putting their former captors in chains (3:3-8). Here slavery can be seen as a type of financial bondage, the people’s captivity and makes them the head and not the tail. Riches stolen from the Temple are also avenged. The end of the chapter speaks of an ideal future where God's people live in absolute bliss. Provisions are superabundant, and there is no more fear of ¢ slavery is the worst form of economic oppression. God turns drought, since the Temple itself becomes an artesian well for the entire land (3:18). God's enemies are left desolate, while His people live in security forever. Greatest of all, God44 wells with His people (3:21). The point of the outpouring, the destruction of spiritual enemies, and the utopian vision that follows is that God has deeper purposes for His people than just material wealth. Just as the locusts and the devastation they brought were symbols of a dark spiritual reality, so too the blessings that follow repentance through prayer and fasting are indicators of a deeper truth. The new spiritual level that the people have attained by turning back to God achieves for them a true prosperity. They have material abundance, yes. But more importantly they are right with God. Through them God is able to fulfill His plans for “all flesh” (2:28). Like their forefathers in the desert they leam a lesson through fasting that draws them close to God, opens their eyes, and saves them. By the time the wealth comes they realize that it is secondary to the real issue— God's kingdom come and His will done on earth as it is in Heaven. They are wealthy, but they are filled with the Spirit and know how to use the wealth for God's slory. How are they to reach this level? Fasting and prayer” 5"The incredible restorative power of fasting can be seen in in the lives of a number of Old Testament heroes. Job, already incredibly wealthy and wise and the greatest man of his day (Job 1:3; 29:21-25) suffered great calamity. His poverty and sickness served as a forced fast (Job 19:20; 33:18) and he leaned humility and the fear of God even more than before (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). God multiplied his wealth two-fold after his ordeal (Job 42:10-17). Joseph was likewise stricken with personal disaster. He was thrown in prison after Potiphar’s wife accused him, and we can assume that he suffered the forced fast known to ‘most prisoners in the ancient world. He may have been given some authority, but he was still in prison (See Robert A. Wild, “Prisons,” in Harper's Bible Dictionary, ed. Paul J. Achtemeier. [CD ROM] (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985). He was there for at least two years (Gen. 41:1). For his wisdom Joseph was later exalted to the position of Vizier the most powerful position in Egypt second only to Pharoah himself (Gen. 41:38f1). Wi the position came a beautiful family and fabulous wealth, Solomon was the wisest and probably the wealthiest man ever to live. The circumstances of Solomon's conception are rather particular, coming in the wake of God's judgment of David's sin with Bathsheba. After admitting his sin to Nathan, David humbled himself and fasted for seven days for his infant son (2 Sam. 12:13-18). Although the child died in fulfillment of the word of the Lord, it was not in vain. Immediately following this story David went to Bathsheba and she conceived, giving birth to Solomon, who was a child of God’s favor from the beginning (2 Sam. 12:24-25). Repeatedly, God4s New Testament ‘The New Testament, although a new revelation in many ways, is essentially based upon the Old. This is true in the subject of fasting as well as in many other areas. tis a generally accepted fact that the early Church used what is now called the Old Testament as its body of Scripture, preaching, teaching, and consulting from its pages. Itis therefore a safe assumption that the early Christians read the passages that have just been reviewed, among others, for inspired instruction about fasting. Modern Christians should do the same. Nevertheless, the New Testament does have some significant material ofits own on fasting, and some that confirms the thesis discovered in the above analysis of the Old. More specifically, one can see the power of fasting in the ministry of Jesus and the powerful effect it had on people’s economic as well as spiritual situation. ‘The New Jubilee: Good News for the Poor The Gospel of Luke relates the precise content of Jesus’ early preaching and the events that surround it in greater detail than any other New Testament document. After His baptism, Jesus goes into the desert and fasts forty days. There he defeats both Satan and the natural cravings of His own human flesh (Luke 4:1-13). Immediately following refers to His love and favor toward David when speaking of the blessing upon Solomon (2 Chr. 7:17-18; 1 Kin.11:12-13). David’s fast and repentance cleansed him of adultery and made way for incredible wealth and wisdom. The prophet Daniel was a man of great wealth and wisdom. That he was wise is attested to by Ezekiel, his contemporary (Ezek. 28:3). That he was wealthy is beyond doubt. He was chief counsel to three kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. in ach case, he was awarded with wealth, recognition, and power (Dan. 2:48 3, 28). Not surprisingly, Daniel was a man who fasted habitually (Dan. 1 . Finally, Esther and Mordecai serve as examples of how fasting reverses disaster. When Haman threatened to kill all the Jews, Esther fasted and called all the Jews in Susa to fast (Esth. 4:15-17). In the end, Haman was killed, and his wealth and position were turned over to Mordecai (Esth, 6:10-13; 8:9-17; 9:3-4; 10:1-3). Mordecai and Esther rose to power, influence, and wealth through fasting.46 this great spiritual victory Jesus enters into public ministry. After a brief tour of Galilee, Jesus goes to His home town of Nazareth. Entering the synagogue on the Sabbath, he is invited to read (wv. 14ff) Jesus deliberately chooses a passage from Isaiah. The text (4:18-19) is as follows: (a): The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, (b): Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. (©): He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, (@): And recovery of sight to the blind, (@): To set free those who are downtrodden, (B: To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. (NASB) At first glance Jesus’ text appears to be a simple quotation of Isaiah 61:1-2. Yet a closer ‘examination of the LXX (Luke’s obvious source) reveals significant differences. First, Luke omits the line in Isaiah 61:1 about “binding up the brokenhearted,” a phrase that, should come after line (b) and before line (c). Second, and most importantly, this reading inserts the phrase “to set free those who are downtrodden” (¢) between lines (d) and (1). Ittums out that, following the LXX, this phrase is taken almost verbatim from Isaiah 58:6. One therefore sees through a careful reading that Jesus deliberately interwove verses from both Isaiah 61 and Isaiah 58 when he stood and taught in Nazareth, ‘What was Jesus” purpose in reading from the prophet in this way? The answer is somewhat complex, and depends upon several factors. The first has to do with Jesus’ projected audience. In Luke 4:18 he says He has come to preach to the poor. There is 5*The lines are marked with letters for clarity in the following analysis. There is a significant difference between the Masoretic Text (Hebrew) and the LXX (Greek) over the proper translation of line (4). Most translations of Isaiah follow the Hebrew and interpret this passage as “and freedom to prisoners” (or something to that effect). The NIV footnotes the LXX, explaining why the Gospel of Luke makes reference to the blind instead of prisioners with this phrase. For more on this see Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24 of The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), 156 and Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1- 9:50, in Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 404-05.47 continual discussion over what precisely He means by this word. The best way to determine what Jesus is saying here is to see the term in its context, that is, in the Gospel of Luke. Ministry to the poor is a major issue for Luke.*! Yet many are so worried about being called materialistic that they abandon important nuances of Luke's powerful theme. ‘They think that this poverty can only be spiritual poverty, since they (rightly) understand other passages to indicate that Jesus came to save everyone—not just the economically disadvantaged. On the other hand, some want to use passages like this one to justify their social or political agenda of wealth redistribution, interpreting Jesus as some sort of revolutionary stirring up the oppressed proletariat. In the end, there is no way to bend the term “poor” to one meaning or another. Scholars are basically in agreement that itis impossible to interpret the word one- or even two-dimensionally. When Luke refers to the “poor” he is referring to those who are poor in any way: spiritually, emotionally, physically, or economically. Rich people can therefore be “poor,” and be saved by Christ (Luke 19:1-10), and economically poor people who spun Christ are condemned as rich (proud) in spirit (Luke 17:11-18). This qualification, however, should not mislead the reader about Jesus’ intent. Luke really does see Jesus’ ministry as having a special focus on the economically destitute.* In the end, a balanced interpretation of Jesus’ words must be adopted. As Bock suggests, 1e description of the poor in 4:18 emerges as a generalization, not as an exclusive reference. Nonetheless, the description applies because it isthe poor in general who sense their need in the greatest way and, as a result, respond most directly and honestly to Jesus. They characterize concretely the person in need. ‘Their material deprivation often translates into spiritual sensitivity, humility, and the responsiveness to God's message of hope.”® See also Luke 1:48, 51-53; 2;7-14; 6:20, 24-26; 7:22; 14:13, 21; 16:19-31 Stein, Luke, 156. Bock, Luke 1-9:50, 408.48 Thus one sees that Jesus was indeed coming to preach the gospel to the economically poor, but also reached out to those who had enough humility to realize that they were spiritually poor as well. ‘What, then, was Jesus’ message to the poor? As stated above, Isaiah 58 centers upon what God intended for the oppressed through the Sabbath/Jubilee Years. The poor were to be liberated from debt and the slaves set free. Isaiah 61 carries the same message, indeed, Isaiah 58 and 61 seem to overlap at many point. There is a very good reason for “acceptable” Year of the Lord—is this. Isaiah 61—with its reference to the “favorable’ a passage about the fulfillment of the Year of Jubilee. With a combined reading of these two chapters from Isaiah—both of them about the Sabbath/Jubilee Years—Jesus was announcing in Himself the fulfillment of everything the poor in Israel had ever hoped for. They were to be lifted from their lowly condition and given new hope. Every form of poverty was to be broken. How does Jesus bring this liberation? As this study has shown, the Sabbath Year and the Jubilee were both intimately connected with the Day of Atonement, or the Great Fast. These great celebrations reveal a spiritual nexus or point of convergence through which the concepts of atonement, fasting, and economic and spiritual restoration are all tied together. Now, in the person of Jesus, the Jubilee is made manifest. This salvation of the whole person is the thrust and the very nature of Jesus" ministry, and ultimately His identity as Messiah. When He declares that the Lord has anointed Him, He is claiming to be the “anointed One”—the Messiah or Christ.” He accomplishes everything that the Day of Atonement, the Sabbath Year, and the Jubilee never could. And what of the Great Fast? Jesus fulfills that too! It cannot be coincidence Westermann, 337. 5So Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66, 214 and Westermann, 367. %jsa. 61 therefore implies the practice of fasting, while it is explicit in Isa. 58. Fred Craddock, Luke, in Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990), 62.49 that just before He preached at Nazareth, Jesus fasted forty days. He has broken down the barriers that keep people in bondage and paved the way to set them free. The Christ—and therefore Christianity—has come, anointed with power to bring relief to the poor. The Spiritual Feast and the Harvest The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42) is a passage commonly used by those training others in personal evangelism. Those employing this text often speak (rightly) of Jesus’ masterful control of the conversation, His personal communication skills, and His gentle persuasion in leading another to a restored relationship with God. Ultimately His witnessing results in salvation for many. What is often overlooked is the fact that Jesus observes an impromptu fast to achieve the results He desired. When His disciples return from town with food, they find Him talking with the woman. After she leaves, they urge Him to eat. He refuses, claiming to have a food they are ignorant of. When they misunderstand what He means, He explains that His food “is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (4:34, NASB). Quietly and without fanfare or forewarning, Jesus has entered into a brief period of fasting. Although He apparently sent the disciples to town to get food (4:8), the woman has now gone away to tell others about Him, and a response is sure to follow; the spiritual urgency of the situation has dictated that He fast in preparation for the task ahead. Immediately after Jesus announces His fast to the disciples, He begins to explain why He is fasting: “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest"? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life ‘eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have The concept of “feasting on the will of God,” drawn from this passage, may be the best theological interpretation of fasting in the entire canon.50 not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor” (John 4:35-38, NASB). The reason Jesus fasts is to participate in the harvest. He recognizes that in order to reap the fullness of God, He must walk in the Spirit at a deeper level. Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, fasts to accomplish this. Although there is no reference to material prosperity here, it cannot be coincidental that after telling His disciples of His “spiritual feast,” Jesus employs the most prominent multiplication metaphor in the entire Bible—the harvest. And, of course, the harvest comes. Jesus stays two days there and many Samaritans come to the faith. Fasting triggers the principle of multiplication, The Miraculous Feeding ‘One of the best known of Jesus’ many miracles, and arguably the most powerful in its scope, is the Multiplication of the Fish and the Loaves, also known as the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Unlike many other well-known miracles, this one has the distinction of being the only one recorded in all four Gospels—a testimony to the impact it had upon the disciples who witnessed it. In order to fully grasp the miracle’s significance one must compere details from the different versions and bring out issues, that may help to understand it better. ‘The miracle happens as follows: After the murder of John the Baptist (Matt.), Jesus seeks a remote place with His disciples, but is discovered by the crowds. Instead of ‘turning them away, He receives them with compassion. After teaching them and healing their sick, He converses with His disciples as the day wanes over the condition of the crowds and the situation.” There is consensus over the people’s need for food. But instead of agreeing to send the crowds away that they might fend for themselves, Jesus Matt. 14:13ff; Mark 6:33ff; Luke 9:12¢f; John 6:1ff. The Synoptics have the disciples approach Jesus, while John has Jesus initiate. In the end it all turns out the same,ae faces the difficult and potentially dangerous situation” and tells His disciples to feed them before they are dismissed, This suggestion is met with general incredulity, and Philip observes that, even if food could be purchased in such a locale, the cost of a snack for everyone in the crowd would cost about eight months wages (John). Among them all there are only five loaves and two fish.’? Jesus asks for the provisions (Matt.) and has the disciples seat the people on the grass in groups of fifty and a hundred. Looking to Heaven, Jesus blesses the food and gives it—bread first, then the fish—to His disciples. Everyone eats until they are full. Extras are gathered up—enough food to fill welve baskets full. The total of those fed are five thousand men, plus women and children. The significance of the miracle runs much deeper than its raw power. The way the Evangelists relate the story lets the reader know that it has great illustrative value as well, and from this one can lear a great deal about the nature of God’s provision in human life. The first and most obvious theme is that of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. When He disembarks, He feels compassion for the people because the are “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). When He has the disciples seat the people, He has them do it on the grass. Mark notes that the grass is green (6:39)—a useless detail unless a point is being made. This should be seen as an allusion to Psalm 23:1-2: “The Lord ismy shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures...” The situation also points to another, more pointedly messianic Old Testament passage: “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.”(Ezek. 34:23).” T'See Matt. 15:32. 7 John identifies the source of these goods as a boy, the bread as barley bread, and the finder as Andrew. Robert A. Guelich, Mark 1-8:26, vol. 34A of Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word Books, 1989), 340-41.52 Yet there is another, more powerful Old Testament image that runs undemeath the entire narrative. This is the theme of Moses and the Israelites in the desert. Fortunately, one need not search the Old Testament for proof texts or split hairs to conclude this, because the Bible itself bears witness that this is so. The Gospel of John provides this explanation in the verses following the miracle story (John 6:26ff). The remote place where the miracle takes place parallels the wilderness where the Israelites wandered for forty years, the people are the Israelites, and Jesus is cast in the role of the “new Moses"(John 6:14 cf.; Deut. 18:15)—really not Moses at all but God Himself providing for His people. The miraculous feeding is akin to the miraculous rain of manna that God sent His people so many years before. And there is another parallel. The setting, including the remoteness of the location, the lateness of the hour, and the agreement over the need for food reveals that these people, like the Israelites of old, were hungry. Because they had spent the day seeking after Jesus and then listening to Him teach (Mark 6:33 and parallels), they had not eaten for some time. They were on a forced fast of sorts, although it could be argued that it really was voluntary since they could have stayed at home and eaten, but had chosen something better than food. In any case, the strong connection with the wilderness narratives in the Pentateuch recalls the passage in Deuteronomy 8. God hhungers the people, then feeds them. Knit together with the shepherd theme in this passage, fasting, although not a condition for God’s provision, can certainly be seen as playing a role in “wanting not.” The result of this fast of modern-day Israelites was the same as that of their forefathers so long ago. Just as God miraculously provided bread to a hungry multitude in the wildemess, so Jesus provides for them now. It is impossible to determine the exact number of those present. Mark, Luke, and John tell that there were five thousand men Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John (1-12), vol. 29 of The Anchor Bible (Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1966), 263-67.53 (Greek andres, indicating males, rather than the generic anthropoi). Whatever one may say about the ancient mindset of placing more importance on men than on the weaker members of society, the point becomes moot when Matthew's note is read: “...aside from ‘women and children"(14:21). If one determines there was at least one woman for each man, and two children for each couple (a conservative figure), it can easily be concluded that there were around twenty-thousand people present. Assuming a modest size for a loaf, one can conclude that, on average, each person ate one of these and one fish. This represents a multiplication of around 4,000 times for the bread and 10,000 times for the fish.’ Once again, a remarkable miracle comes in the wake of fasting. Beyond the content of the text itself some significant ramifications in early church history are found. The nature of the miracle and the metaphorical power of the elements, multiplied affected Christian symbolism for years to come. In daily language, bread was already a symbol of basic provision and livelihood. In the religious sense, it carried great historical significance for the Hebrew people (manna) and also represented the word of God. Now, through an interpretation of this miracle, Jesus calls Himself bread—the Bread of Life (John 6:30)."* Bread (along with wine, of course) early on became—and remains—one of the most powerful symbols of Christianity itself. It is no stretch to connect this miracle of multiplication with the Lord's Supper.”” Just as this miracle 7SAgain, these figures are presented for purposes of illustration. It is impossible to ‘come up with exact figures and it would be dangerous to draw theological conclusions from mathematical speculation. The point here, as it isin the biblical text, is to show the greatness of God. See W. J. Martin, “Bread,” in The New Bible Dictionary, ed. F-F. Bruce. [CD ROM] (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1962) and Robert H. Stein in Harper's Bible Dictionary, ed. Paul J. Achtemeier [CD ROM] (San Fransisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1985). "Raymond E. Brown, 247-48,34 provided for the multitude, so Christ's Supper (i.e., His sacrifice on the cross) is for the many (Mark 14:22-24). The fish provides a symbol just as potent as the bread.”’ The fish (Greek ichrhus) became the favorite symbol of Christianity even before the cross did. The acrostic formed by the Greek letters of the word spells out fesous Christos Theou Uios Soter (Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior)—good enough reason for most to explain why the fish became so prominent while the cross was still a feared implement of torture for many Christians. Yet there is a deeper reason for the prominence of the ichthus as an early symbol of Christianity. Ichthus is the word used for fish in the synoptic accounts of the miracle of ‘multiplication. So powerful was the miracle, and so representative of who Christ was and what the nature of His work involved, that the early Christians saw it as representative of the entire movement. When early Christians heard the Gospels’ account of the miraculous feeding, this is what they were probably thinking about.” So prominent did the fish become that it was used as a symbol in evangelism, baptism, and variously in Christian art. There is even evidence that some early Christians included fish as part of their celebration of the Lord’s supper. Evidently the distinction between the story of the miraculous feeding, the breakfast Jesus had with His disciples in John 21, and the accounts of Last Supper became mingled in the minds of some early Christians. In this, there is certainly no suggestion that modem Christians should serve fish with the bread and the wine when they celebrate the communion today, but the Church may lear. wisdom from its spiritual forefathers. They saw the fish as an essential symbol of their faith, not just because its spelling made an interesting play on words, but because Christ Himself used it to illustrate His nature and His work. Unless otherwise noted, the source for essentially the entire following discussion ‘may be found in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2 [CD ROM] (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1996). So Raymond E. Brown, 246.55 From the early Church’s symbolic use of both the bread and the fish, therefore, some conclusions can be drawn. As one examines the story, a syllogism emerges, following a simple “A=B, B=C, therefore A=C” formula: Christ/Christianity=Multiplication Miracle The ichthus can be seen the same way: Fish=Christ(Christianity Fish=Multiplication Miracle Christ/Christianity=Multiplication Miracle Although the early Christians would probably not have applied the sort of orderly, almost mathematical logic as has been done above, the underlying significance would not have been lost on them.*° Christianity was indeed a faith of multiplication, and the multiple references to Christianity was indeed a faith of multiplication, and the multiple references to miraculous catches of fish—symbolizing the supernatural success the apostles would have while evangelizing the world—attest to this fact.*! The very nature of Christ and the Christian faith that springs from allegiance to Him is multiplication and abundance at every level: Spirit, soul, body, and economy. As believers follow Him, He multiplies them in every way and in every area of their lives. The suggestion here is that *Higher social classes (such as high ranking soldiers, professionals in certain fields, or educators) needed or could afford education. Although many could recognize words, and merchants could read simple orders or receipts, mass literacy was unknown. ‘Those who could read a complex document such as this one made up perhaps 10 percent of the population, give or take depending on the area. See H. Gamble, “Literacy and Book Culture,” in Dictionary of New Testament Background, edited by Craig Evans and Stanley Porter (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 645. This widespread inability to read would have elevated the symbol of the fish even higher than itis today, especially among outsiders and inquirers. Why the fish? Because God is Savior (the acrostic), He is the Great Fisher of Men, and He is the Multiplier of Blessings. Christianity would have been known from the beginning by the explanations of its public symbols and activities provided by believers to curious questioners. It is interesting to note that supernatural provision was in the mix from the start. S'Luke 5:4ff; John 21:6ff.the Bible seems to reveal fasting as a major key to this miracle of abundance. When believers fast, God teaches them, and they come into His supernatural blessing. 56CHAPTER 3 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Fasting in American History Introduction Determining the proper interpretation of history is a sticky matter. It is hardly like arriving at the correct answer in a mathematical equation, or even like biblical hermeneutics. Rather, itis as organic as history itself, rarely having just one right answer. The following interpretation of the history of fasting is based upon simple observation and the conviction that there is no such thing as happenstance. As one man said, “Some say answered prayer is nothing but coincidence. All { know is that when I pray, coincidences happen; when I don’t, they don’t.” The same can be said of fasting. Such an assertion carries an implicit presupposition. The Christian will necessarily interpret history differently than the unbeliever or skeptic; what the former sees as the hand of God, the latter sees as natural law at work. Since the respective arguments of two such individuals by definition originate in conflicting worldviews, productive discussion between them is usually impossible. It must therefore be stated at the outset of this chapter that the following argument is an argument for Christians. This cannot be seen as an inherit weakness in the study; if Christians were always bound to convince the godless of spiritual truths there would be no progress whatsoever. What follows is, without apology, an expressly spiritual interpretation based upon biblical principles and historical research. Those who would contest that the God of Israel is also the God of all nations 3758 and the Source of all blessing should be forewamed that frustration awaits them in the Pages ahead. It must be stated in advance that when speaking of the effect of fasting by and on large groups of people, one must paint with broad brush strokes. This means that some assertions require qualifiers. First, a word on the universality of blessing. If God can command Israel to set people free on a fast day and assure them that there should be no poor among them, and in the next breath tell them to care for the poor (Deuteronomy 15:1-8), then the same apparent paradox will be true among modern nations as well. Even a righteous nation will have its problems, and an assertion that fasting brings blessing is by no means a declaration that fasting has ever universally eradicated poverty. The reasons for poverty, not to mention God’s dealing with entire nations, are extraordinarily complex, and certainly beyond the scope of this study. No matter how much we fast and pray, evil remains in the world until Jesus comes, and that means hurting and needy people. Even in the midst of blessing, nations will have their ups and downs. In the same way, a determination of God’s blessing on a nation does not mean God’s wholesale approval of all of its practices. People are sinful, and live by God’s mercy. Even those nations which we judge as blessed in the course of human history are still filled with terrible injustices and wicked individuals by God’s standards. He shows His favor out of a generous fatherly heart and as a light to lead us to Him, not as a seal of approval on everything we do. America, as we shall see, has been tremendously blessed, even from the beginning, Yet while we humbly acknowledge the mercies of God, we would never deny the injustices of, for example, the enslavement of Africans or the oppression of Native Americans. Those terrible sins are judged with God’s left hand even while He blesses us with His right. Finally, we recognize that what we determine to be blessings come about by a number of factors, not just fasting. Nations and peoples are blessed (and cursed) for a combination of reasons and not just one. Nevertheless, our goal is to show59 how fasting has played a vital role throughout history. We are simply speaking in generalities and noting some remarkable occurrences which seem, in our estimation, to be a result of fasting. If they are merely “coincidences,” we suggest that more fasting is in order that we may experience more of them. While there are many instances of fasting—both individual and corporate, ancient and modern—in the course of history, aprecise period had to be selected for this study. The present writer considered it wiser to focus on the progress and development of one people who practiced fasting consistently throughout its history than deal with many peoples piecemeal. This was not an easy choice. Many nations and peoples, including the primitive Church, the German people under the spiritual guide of Martin Luther, and the Moravians under Ludwig von Zinzendorf (to name but a few), practiced fasting and saw tremendous results. They all deserve serious attention. Yet what follows is an examination of fasting in the rise of the American people, not only because this study strikes closest to home, but because it clearly presents the powerful effect of fasting and prayer upon the growth and blessing of a people. Pilgrim Fasting Christian fasting made its debut on the North American continent through the lives of the Pilgrims. Because of their strict system of beliefs, the Pilgrims abstained from the celebration of Christmas, Easter, and Saints’ days. Instead, they celebrated communally declared Days of Thanksgiving, Days of Fasting and Humiliation, and (of course) the Sabbath. Other than the Sabbath, their days of celebration were not fixed dates on the calendar, but were declared by the elders of the community as they saw fit.' ' “Thanksgiving in American History,” MyHistory; available from http://www. myhistory.org/ feature/archive/November 2001/ historyofthanksgiving html; Internet; accessed January 7, 2002.‘The first Day of Thanksgiving was celebrated in late autumn of 1621, and is generally seen as the celebration that forms the basis for our modem Thanksgiving Day. As well-known as this celebration has come to be, a less familiar day was celebrated some two years later that is equally telling about the character of our spiritual forefathers. In 1623 the Pilgrims declared a Day of Fasting and Humiliation, calling out to God in repentance and asking for His mercy. There had been a drought and the crops that year were on the verge of total destruction. Without divine intervention the community would certainly have perished of starvation that winter. The day was tumed into a day of ‘Thanksgiving in midstream when a downpour came literally as the people were crying out to God. The crops were saved.? Such “coincidences” remind us of Isaiah 58:9: “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will ery, and He will say, ‘Here I am." With events such as this, and the Pilgrim conviction in the Providence of God and His ability and desire to intervene in human affairs, fasting became an established religious practice in American life. The First Great Awakening Beginning in the early 1720s and continuing through the 1740s there arose in the British colonies of North America a mighty move of the Holy Spirit which later came to be known as the First Great Awakening. George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards, among others, were the dominant spiritual leaders in America during this time. Not surprisingly, ‘one of the cornerstone di: lines of the movement, as a powerful accompaniment to prayer, was the practice of fasting. This common practice should be seen as a continuation of the Puritan tradition which began over a century earlier. Edwards in particular was an avid proponent of the power of the discipline, often fasting so much 2“Thank giving?” BBS Website; available from http://www.camweb.org/ bbs/open/index.cgi? read=7726; Intemet; accessed January 7, 2002.él himself that he had to hold on to his pulpit as he preached for support? Some of these public days of fasting were documented in particular. In March of 1741, for example, the people of Northampton, Massachusetts entered into a solemn covenant to participate in a public Day of Fasting on March 16th of that year: “A Copy of a Covenant enter'd into and subscribed, by the People of GOD at Northampton, and own’d before GOD in his House, as their Vow to the LORD, and make a solemn Act of publick Worship, by the Congregation in general, that were above fourteen Years of age, on a Day of Fasting and Prayer for the Continuance and Increase of the gracious Presence of GOD in that Place, March 16. 1741. As can be easily read, the purpose of the Day was a “Continuance and Increase of the gracious Presence of GOD in that Place” (i.e., Northampton). Apparently the Day was a success, because the sense of spiritual fervency began to steamroll. Fasting and prayer did not end on March 16th, 1741; it had only just begun, Edwards later wrote of the devotion of young people that continued on for months after the initial proclamation: “In the summer and fall (1741), the children in various parts of the town had religious meetings by themselves for prayer, sometimes joined with fasting; wherein ‘many of them seemed to be greatly and properly affected, and I hope some of them savingly wrought upon.” This description reveals a movement that has taken on a life of its own, People now have a fever for fasting and prayer and are doing it on their own without the direction or intervention of the clergy. Two years later Edwards proclaimed a 3 “Jonathan Edwards,” Christian History Institute; available from http://www gospelcom.net/ chi/HERITAGF Issuenos/ ch1062.shtml; Intemet; accessed January 8, 2002. Jonathan Edwards,” italics added. 5 “Jonathan Edwards: On the Great Awakening,” Who We Are; available from http://www nhinet.org/ccs/docs/awaken-htm; Intemet; accessed January 10, 2002. Italics mine.62 nation-wide Day of Fasting throughout America, calling on God for a worldwide move of His grace. The vision had expanded. The result, as many church historians can attest, was nothing short of incredible. People began to turn to God. As people were brought into the Church they were introduced, of course, to the Church’s teachings, including fasting. The movement snowballed, and thousands were eventually converted under the preaching of Whitfield, Edwards, and their contemporaries. There was a mighty solidification of the country under the banner of Christ, laying the spiritual foundation of what was shortly to come. ‘We can therefore confidently assert that the first and most important effect of fasting is Spiritual deliverance. People are saved and set free when God’s people fast. Yet there is another interesting chain of events that followed. Within ten years of the First Great Awakening, war broke out in the colonies between the British (the colonists) and the French and Indian forces to the north and west. In the beginning, things looked grim. In 1756, after a series of costly defeats, the Governor of Rhode Island called for a Day of Fasting and Humiliation to ask for God’s mercy.* It was no longer just the elergy calling the people to fast, but the temporal authorities as well. Fasting wasa fundamental thread in the fabric of American religious thinking. The British colonists won the French and Indian War. But that was not the end. Less than twenty years later they would successfully declare their independence from the English throne and become a sovereign nation. Now free of foreign intervention and taxation, America had expanded for the first time by becoming the United States. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but there is no denying that, chronologically speaking, multiplication followed nationwide observance of fasting. “Fasting and Repentance,” The Gilder Lehrman Institute; available from hitp://www.gilderlehrman.com; Internet; accessed January 9, 2002.63 The Second Great Awakening: Part I ‘fier the Revolution, America experienced a great spiritual depression. It seemed that all of the fervor and purity of the age before the war was forgotten. European rationalism was in vogue, drunkenness and sexual sin were rampant. The nation was spiritually stagnant. In the midst of this crisis, some Christians came together with a powerful determination. They would pray and fast that God would renew His work in America. Maurice Smith, in his book Proclaim A Fast!: Fasting For Renewal, Revival And Power In The Church Today writes the following: As carly as 1793 the Presbyterian Synod of Virginia appointed a day to be set aside for “fasting & prayer to supplicate the influence of the holy Spirit to be poured out upon our Churches & to awaken & convert Sinners, & to quicken the children of God in their respective duties." The same year the South Carolina Baptist Association sponsored a “general fast.” The Synod of the Carolinas proclaimed a season of fasting & prayer in 1795, as did the Hanover Presbytery in 1800 and Kentucky's Transylvania Presbytery in 1800. Beginning in January of 1797, the Reverend James McGready, a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian, pastored three small congregations in Logan County, Kentucky. He asked members of his congregations to sign the following covenant in which they agreed to pray every Saturday evening and Sunday morning, and to devote the third Saturday of each month to prayer and fasting. What effect did these prayers have? Much. In the years following these sacrificial fasts the Holy Spirit was poured out on America in an unprecedented way. Millions were converted and swept into the church in what became known as the Second Great Awakening.® Revivals struck Kentucky and drew people from as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Cane Ridge in Bourbon County and the revival in Logan County were the most powerful, but the entire period from 1799-1811 was a time 7 Maurice Smith. Proclaim a Fast! Fasting for Renewal, Revival and Power in the Church Today {book on-line] (accessed January 9, 2002); available from hitp://parousianetwork.conv/ Fasting_Frame.htm; Internet. "Is Revival Biblical?” Canada in Prayer; available from http://canadainprayer.cony/ biblicalrevival. htm; Internet; accessed January 10, 2002.64 of spiritual transformation for the frontier. This mighty harvest of souls not only brought salvation and deliverance to many, but it brought stability and civility to the (then) Wild West. But the revival was not just for the rough ftontiersmen. The same wave also hit the people of the east. As one source writes: The first wave of this great deluge began in New England, at Yale College of all places. In 1795 Timothy Dwight became President of Yale. He was the grandson of Jonathan Edwards. He began by dismissing all faculty members who espoused the French Rationalistic point of view. Next, he began meeting with students regularly in Connecticut Hall, challenging them to challenge the Scriptures. He listened and he answered their questions. On Sundays in the College Chapel preached Jesus Christ crucified and risen. This went on for seven years. The the spring of 1802 revival fell on Yale like a thunderstorm. By the time the senior class of 1802 graduated, half of them had committed their lives to Jesus Christ as Savior, and a third of them went on to careers in the ministry. Before his death in 1817, Timothy Dwight personally witnessed the conversion of half of Yale's student body: ‘The effect upon the nation was electric. People turned to God by the thousands, and sinful behavior was looked down upon. The Temperance Movement, at first a loosely organized, citizen empowered anti-liquor society, gained considerable momentum.'° Christianity was on the move. History had repeated itself. Once again, fasting and prayer had given birth to the salvation of many. America was changed forever, her course redirected by the power of prayer. No historian—not even unbelieving ones—can guess where America would have ‘gone and where it would be now if not for this mighty religious earthquake. ‘There was another event that happened in American history around this time that goes largely unnoticed by revival historians, though crucial for the development of the United States as a nation. For that reason, any reputable historian of American history ° Maurice Smith. “Fasting and Prayer for Revival,” US Prayer Center; available from http://www.usprayertrack.org/Articles/A031 html; Internet; accessed January 11, 2002. '° Jim Garlow. How God Saved Civilization [book on-line] (accessed January 10, 2002); available from http://jimgarlow.com/HowGod/HowGod.cfin?CHAPTER= Internet.65 would be remiss to ignore it, although they would probably consider its concurrence with the Second Great Awakening mere coincidence. In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte of France made a difficult decision. Overwhelmed with his continual wars with the other European powers, he concluded that he needed cash more than land in North America—tand he could hardly defend while he sought to conquer Europe. When President Thomas Jefferson made an overture to buy New Orleans, Napoleon responded by offering Jefferson the entirety of France’s holdings on the North American continent. This monumental transaction, known as the Louisiana Purchase, was the sale of the century—and one of the greatest real estate deals of all time. On April 30th, 1803 President Thomas Jefferson signed the paperwork and made the purchase for atriling $15 million. The territory comprised almost 900,000 square miles, or nearly 600 million acres. This averages out to only about four cents an acre for the land that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border, and eventually became totally or in part the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, lowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado and Montana."" It was impossible then to calculate the wealth contained in this vast land, and it still is today. With the sweep of a pen, America had doubled. ‘America had again experienced an incredible multiplication. Even the godless ‘might be tempted to call it a miracle. And, once again, it had happened chronologically in the aftermath of an intense time of fasting on the part of God’s people. Was this a coincidence? Perhaps. But it is the second such coincidence within a generation. ‘The Second Great Awakening: Part II The Second Great Awakening continued, and some historians simply block off the period from 1795 through 1840 (give or take) as the proper time period for the "' Douglas Brinkley, History of the United States (New York: Viking, 1998), 131.66 ‘movement. Yet it should be noted that the latter period was marked by some new developments that gave fresh fire to the spiritual atmosphere in America, and might even bbe considered a second wave of God’s power within the same 50 year period. Notably, Charles G. Finney arose as a mighty spiritual leader during this time. Trained as a lawyer, Finney had a powerful experience with God in 1821. He abandoned his legal practice to reach the gospel, and within a few years began to attract great crowds. His missionary ‘work among the settlers of upstate New York led to the conversion of many before he shifted and began to focus upon the cities.'? Finney ministered in Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York, and Rochester.'? By 1833 some 500,000 had been converted under his ministry." But Finney was not the only show in town. The revivalist Christian culture saturated the South during this period, and church growth exploded across the board. By 1832 the Disciples of Christ had over 22,000 adherents, and was growing stronger by the ‘month (it grew to over 200,000 by 1860), and the Presbyterian ranks swelled 60,000 people from 1830-33.'* Not only so, but social movements sparked by a renewed public conscience surged forward as well. In 1826 the American Temperance Society was founded in Boston, and by 1840 reformed alcoholics had founded the Washingtonian "? Garlow, [book on-line]. '3“Timeline,” Freebooks; available from http://www. freebooks.com; Internet; accessed January 11, 2002. '4“Past Anti-Masons,” Anti-Masonry Points of View; available from www.masonicinfo.com; Internet; accessed January 12, 2002. 'S Garlow, [book on-line]. '6*Charles Finney and the Second Great Awakening,” Charles Finney and Middle Class Revivalism; available from http://www etss.edu/hts/hts$/notesS.htm; Internet; accessed January 12, 2002.or Movement.'” Most significantly, the Abolitionist Movement, directly tied to Finney and his associates, gained considerable steam. "* Freedom—from sin, addictions, and cchains—was in the air. What was the secret power of this “second wave” in the Second Great Awakening? We know for a fact that fasting, as a powerful help to prayer, was one of them. Finney himself was a faster, often fasting three days in a row.'” As he states in his autobiography: “I used to spend a great deal of time in prayer; sometimes, I thought, literally praying without ceasing. / also found it very profitable, and felt very much inclined to hold frequent days of private fasting. On those days I would seek to be entirely alone with God, and would generally wander off into the woods, or get into the meeting house, or somewhere away entirely by myself."?® Finney taught his perspective on fasting while serving as president of Oberlin College in 1841, and we can assume that these were belief that he had held and taught his converts for years. He cited Isaiah 58 and focused on prayer, repentance, and freedom for the oppressed in this discourse on national sin. Fasts were the spiritual fuel of the later part of the Second Great Awakening. The mid- to late-1840s also saw the rise of another major public affair. Tensions with Mexico had already reached a head in 1835 with the Battle of the Alamo. In 1836 the affair was settled (to American satisfaction) with the formation of the Republic of Texas, which at that time was a country of its own, independent of both Mexico and the United States, and recognized by both England and France. In truth it was populated by ” Garlow, [book on-line]. ' Garlow, {book on-line]. '° Finney, Charles G. Autobiography of Charles Grandison Finney {book on-line] (accessed January 12, 2002); available from http://www. wgbd.org/cto39.html; Internet. Finney, [book on-line].68 ‘American settlers and its independence was won with an outpouring of American licator of support. Mexico, however, was not satisfied, and tensions continued. An i these tensions was the United States’ attempt to purchase California. Although the U.S. tried several times to buy California from Mexico, the Mexican government refused. That decision proved most unwise. With the admission of Texas on July 4, 1845 as part of the United States, the fire was set between the two countries. Border conflicts over the southem part of Texas flared, and the Mexican-American war began. Armies first clashed on April 25, 1846, and the war officially ended on February 2, 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Part of the settlement included Mexico's “sale” of 1.2 million square miles (about 768 million acres) of its northern territory for a paltry $15 million, plus the American absorption of $3.25 million in debt.” This cost, plus a $98 million price tag for military operations during the period brings American cost for the land to about 15 cents an acre—another incredible bargain. The land acquired became the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of what are now Colorado and Wyoming, as well as the contested land in Texas.” America was now more than three times the size it had been 50 years earlier, and now stretched “from sea to shining sea"? This conquest did more than dramatically change the map of the United States. On January 24, 1848 (9 days before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that sealed America’s acquisition of the land) gold was found at Sutter's Mill in California. News began to leak *! Brinkley, History, 147. 2“The Mexican War and After,” American Military History, available from http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/amh/AMH-08.htm; Internet; accessed January 15, 2002. “The Mexican-American War,” The History Guy; available from http://www historyguy.com/ Mexican-American_War.html; Internet; accessed January 15, 2002.69 out about the find, and before long the Gold Rush was on™ Prospectors flooded the West, eventually searching for gold throughout the newly conquered territory. The wealth that poured into the U.S. Treasury was staggering. By 1852, California's annual gold production reached a then all-time high of 81 million.?5 During the first five years of the Rush, California produced over $285 million in gold—an amount 2/ times greater than the total previous production in the whole of America in these years alone.* Prospecting in California waned toward the end of the Civil War, but more serious, industrial mining continued until the end of the century. In addition to the fabulous quantities of gold found, another great mineral find awaited the nation. Gold-hungry prospectors on their way to California had complained for years of “blasted blue stuff” in western Nevada (near what is now the Carson City/Reno region). They were looking for gold dust, not blue, and moved on, wiping the bluish mud from their boots. In 1859 someone finally decided to assay the blue stuff. They found it to be the highest grade silver ore ever found on the continent. The greatest mineral strike in history had been discovered. Known as the Comstock Lode (named after one of the early prospectors in the area), the silver-rich region was soon swamped with miners, From 1859 to 1864 the Comstock Lode yielded over $400 million in silver and gold. Since the dollar in 1860 had a buying power over 21 times that of the dollar today, this is the equivalent of over $8.5 billion in modem American dollars.”” Still, this “Gold Rush,” Oakland Museum of California; available from hetp://www.museumca.org/ goldrush/; Internet; accessed January 15, 2002. 25“The Califomia Gold Rush,” California's Natural Resources; available from http://ceres.ca.gov/ ceres/calweb/geology/goldrush. html; Internet; accessed January 15, 2002. 26About Gold,” LeBoydre History; available from hutp://www.dashmark.com.au/leboydre/htm/ History_Gold.htm; Internet; accessed January 16, 2002.70 astronomical figure does not fully relate the incredible impact of this find. Perhaps a better way to show the value of the Comstock Lode is in terms of the Gross National Product. In the late 1860s the GNP of the United States stood at about $9 billion.2* We may safely account for some growth in this figure, placing the GNP (generously) at around $8 billion per year in 1860 (before the outbreak of the Civil War). This makes the Value of the Comstock Lode (conservatively) equal to a full 5% of the GNP at that time. Although this may not sound that impressive, in today’s terms this figure would convert into roughly $100 billion.2° The Comstock Lode hit the United States’ economy like a prosperity bomb. What was the ultimate result of all this wealth? Aside from creating a local boom economy overnight, the Lode poured more wealth into the federal coffers. The country ‘was greatly strengthened economically, and its defenses shored up against the conflicts coming upon the nation. One writer states it this way: At the height of the Civil War, the Comstock Lode exercised a far-ranging political and economic influence. Seeking to bolster the Union with another free state, President Lincoln encouraged Nevada to seek statehood at such a rapid pace that the state constitution had to be telegraphed to Washington. The territory became the thirty-sixth state in October 1864, just weeks after the fall of Atlanta From its mineral riches, Nevada contributed $45 million to the federal government during the War. Silver from Nevada, together with gold from California, helped finance the defeat of the Confederacy.” 7'“How Much is That Worth Today?" Economic History Services; available from hup://www.eh.net/ ehresources/howmuch/ dollar_question. php; Internet; accessed January 16, 2002. 28 Grimsley, Mark. Toward an Organizational Society, 1877-1914 [book on-line] (Columbus: Ohio State University, 1993, accessed January 16, 2002); available from hhttp/www.cohums. ohio-state.edu/history/ people/grimsley.1/milhis/ org.htm; Internet. 2 The GNP of the United States stands at $2+ trillion as of this writing. 3°“The Gold Rushes of North America (1847-1900),” Calliope Film Resources; available from http://www.calliope.org/gold/gold3.html; Internet; accessed January 18, 2002. Italics added.n The incredible wealth of the California and Nevada silver and gold rushes directly fueled the federal economy during its most trying hour. The result was victory for the Union, the preservation of the United States as a nation, and the abolition of slavery. Of ‘course, the reasons behind the Union victory are many, and (almost unbelievably) the controversy over the Civil War has not—even to this day—abated. The reasons for military and political victory are many, and the stuff of high scholarly debate. Nevertheless, here one can find an interesting and incredibly clear chain of events. The Mexican-American War and its gains immediately yielded incredible mineral wealth. There is no question about that, nor is there any question that this wealth helped the Union win its war against the Confederacy. That victory in turn preserved the country and. set the captives free. What then was the action that started these dominos to falling? Again, itis a fascinating “coincidence” that in the period immediately preceding these incredible acquisitions of wealth—both land and mineral—America had experienced a firestorm of revival fueled by fasting and prayer. The spiritual power generated by this great move of God is a historic intangible, and therefore impossible to measure. But it should certainly capture our attention that the very movement that preached liberty to captives—both spiritual ones and literal ones—came just before an explosion of national wealth that brought that same liberty to pass. Secular historians may provide other data to explain ‘America’s growth at this point, and they may be correct in the political sense, But no one could convince Charles Finney that by 1865 his prayers for the millions of enslaved Africans had not been answered. The beginning of that answer began even while Finney ‘was preaching his revival meetings—in the form of the storm clouds of war over the Mexican-American border. It should be stressed at this point that such a thesis is by no means a justification, for international bullies. To say that America gained great wealth through a particularR military conflict is by no means an apologetic for the war itself. In this case, many men on both sides lost their lives, and a legitimate sovereign nation a great part of its territory. ‘These realities were not lost upon many who lived in the U.S. at that time, and the conflict had its share of detractors. The de facto national doctrine of Manifest Destiny notwithstanding, no prospect of material gain, no matter how great, can justify the loss of human life. War can no more be called “good” in the purest sense than can all the prospectors that dug gold and silver in California and Nevada be called good and virtuous men—a dubious proposition indeed. On the other hand, it is useless and probably inaccurate to accuse the United States of wrongdoing some 150 years after the fact. The causes of the Mexican-American War were complicated, and both sides were in a mode of mutual provocation. Mexico’s recent independence from Spain, the fluidity of certain borders, and (most of all) contention over Texas made war and the ensuing redrawing of the map a near inevitability. The world was a different place in 1845. In the final analysis, the real issue in this thesis is neither an indictment nor a justification of American expansion. Rather, itis an interpretation of the even's after the fact. The God of the Bible is the God of the nations. He raises up, and He deposes, What escapes the understanding of mortals lies hidden within His wisdom. It would be as much a mistake to call the Mexico of 1845 fundamentally evil as it would be to call the United States of that same time comprehensively good. As always, both countries had their good and bad tendencies. Yet the fact remains that after it was all over, America had the land. This gain must be attributed to God and His sovereign will because there is no other way to see it. God uses such shifts in power for His purposes. In the grand scheme of things, God used this gain for America to fulfill those purposes. The prospectors who dug silver from the hills around Virginia City, Nevada may not have had tithing on their minds, but their finds led to freedom for many chained men, in answer to the prayers and fasting of many. Another coincidence? Such coincidences are beginning to pile up.B The Civil War Era Although the subject of the Civil War has already been mentioned in connection. with fasting during the latter part of the Second Great Awakening, the issue deserves close attention in its own right. The period between 1861 and 1865 saw an unprecedented surge in religious fervor in both North and South. Unfortunately, not all of this zeal can be applauded. Much of it had to do with political passions, regionalism, and sectarianism, and several major denominations split over the slavery issue.®! Few Christians would now agree with those who prophesied victory for the South because that region supported (as the perceived it) the “biblical” practice of slavery. Aside from the fact that the South eventually lost the War, the idea of owning other human beings was as unconscionable then as it is now. Likewise, Northern diatribes in the name of Christ cannot, in the end, explain the fact that the North suffered roughly 100,000 more casualties than did the South, in spite of the fact that they emerged victorious in the end.” Here Lincoln's words from his second inaugural speech seem to ring true: “The Almighty has His own purposes.” God belongs to no nation; the nations belong to Him. Nevertheless, America (North and South) was a praying nation, and nothing makes praying people pray harder like war. Likewise, no war is so terrible as civil war. Along with their prayers, Americans offered fasts to God, asking for His favor, although each side had its own way of going about the practice. ‘As explained above, the nation had a tradition of declared Days of Fasting reaching back to the Puritans. This tradition acted as a standing precedent for the declaration of national fasts throughout history up to the Civil War. The national 3 “Broken Churches, Broken Nation,” Christian History 33 (July 1997): 26-27. > Brinkley, 230. 33 For example, the fast upon which Finney commented in 1841 was a fast of4 response to such an extraordinary event was fasting and prayer. This tradition carried through into the Civil War, with Abraham Lincoln declaring three national Days of Fasting and Humiliation. Lincoln did not mince words in his declarations. He saw these special days as times of national reflection, repentance, and even gratitude. They also served a practical purpose; Lincoln and the American people wanted specific results. A selection from his March 30, 1863 proclamation illustrates these points well: ‘And insomuch as we know that by his divine law nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war was which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown; but we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness: Now, therefore in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views, of the Senate, I do by this my proclamation designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863 as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the people to abstain on that day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite at their several places of public worship and their respective homes in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion. All this being done in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the divine teachings, that the united cry of the nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering country to its former happy condition of unity and peace.* (italics mine) national repentance in the wake of William Henry Harrison's death. Harrison had been elected President in the election of 1840, but stood in a driving rain during his inauguration and died a month later of pneumonia. See Brinkley, 145. » «Fasting and Repentance,” The Gilder Lehrman Institute; available from hup://www.gilderlehrman.com; Internet; accessed January 9, 2002.75 Lincoln’s words are a succinct confirmation of claims previously made in this study. America had prospered incredibly. As at other times and places throughout history, ithad been brought to this nation’s attention (in the person of its primary leader) that hubris had set in. It was time to repent. The hope was a restoration of the prosperity previously enjoyed, but now with a renewed understanding of its source. The whole scenario sounds remarkably similar to God’s actions as described by Moses in Deuteronomy 8. The attitude of repentance and the hoped-for dynamic of restoration are the dominant themes in all of Lincoln’s declarations. Yet these days were not the only fasts observed in the North during the War. Many other public fasts were declared at a state and local level throughout the Union in hopes of God's favorable action. The North saw fasting as a fruitful way to beseech God’s mercy. This practice comes as no surprise, for up to the Civil War the propensity for a declared Day of Fasting was a Northem one. The South, however, had viewed such a religio-political tradition as essentially “Yankee” or “Puritan” (having originated in New England), and the populace generally eschewed such practices, even when their leadership attempted to impose them. * Some Southerners saw the practice of public fasting and prayer as fundamentally tainted because of its association with the Abolitionist Movement. Fasting per se was not shunned, because denominational fasts and calendar fasts in the Anglican Church were observed. But fasting as a nation was suspect in the South because of its historical associations. The Civil War changed all that, ‘The once resistant South tuned to publicly declared Days of Fasting as a primary means 35“Minutes of the Reformed Presbytery,” Homepage of the Reformed Presbyterian Church; available from http://www covenanter.org/ Minutes/min1861.htm; Intemet; accessed January 18, 2002. > Stout, Harry S. “The Political Pulpits of Dixie,” Books & Culture vol. 6, No. 2, March/April 2000 {journal on-line]; available from http://www. christianitytoday.com/ be! 2000/ 002/10.31.html; Intemet; accessed January 21, 2002.16 by which they as a people would appeal to God and show their special allegiance to Him. In comparison to the Union’s three national fasts, President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis declared fen such days during the course of the war. The wording of his declarations resembles that of Lincoln’s, albeit with a somewhat less conciliatory tone. In his view, the purpose of these fasts was “....to guide and direct our policy in the paths of right, duty, justice and mercy; to unite our hearts and our efforts for the defense of our dearest rights; to strengthen our weakness, crown our arms with success, and enable us to ‘secure a speedy, just, and honorable peace.”*” Despite the rebellion and injustice of slavery, the people of the South tured to God and prayed His will be done. In addition to these national fasts, numerous statewide and local fasts were held, as well as fasts in the army.*® In the end, itis impossible to number the fasts that took place during the period of 1861-1865. What can be firmly ascertained, however, is that the Civil War, in addition to being the most terrible time in American history, was also the most prayerful time, at least at an official level. With a total of thirteen national Days of Humiliation (combining North and South), and many other local fasts as wel, there is no doubt that this period saw more fasting than any other time in American history before or since. What then were the results of all this communal self-abasement? To begin with, the situation presented an obvious dilemma. With both sides fasting “against” each other, frustration for one or both was inevitable from the very beginning. It turned out to be the latter. For both the Union and the Confederacy, almost nothing happened as the people would have had it happen. Prayers for military victory were answered, then reversed. Casualties were high on both sides, privations went from bad to worse, and the War 37 Stout, “The Political Pulpits of Dixie,” [journal on-line). 38 Stout, [journal on-line].1 dragged on and on. On the surface it appeared that fasting and prayer was a dismal failure. Yet such a judgment would be hasty indeed. Above the din of many voices clamoring for divine justice (against the wicked enemy, of course), there were those who ‘saw the situation differently. In his second inaugural address, given about a month before he was fatally shot, Abraham Lincoln recognized the complexity of the situation and offered his conclusions. His comments deserve lengthy quotation here: Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”?? Lincoln was farsighted enough to recognize that glorious victory in battle for the Boys in Blue (or Gray) was not what God had in mind for the War. God was doing His mighty work, purging the nation, as painful as that was. His ultimate purpose in accomplishing these goals would not be thwarted by the prayers or even by the fasting of His people. But was Lincoln correct in saying that the prayers of neither had been fully answered? Was all that fasting and praying really in vain? To be sure, the specificities of 3 Geoffrey C. Ward, Ric Burns, and Ken Bums. The Civil War (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991), 360.8 those prayers and fasts were not met, as has been pointed out. But the prayers of the ‘American people may be one of the best examples of receiving what you pray for rather than receiving what you think you want. The results of America’s most intense time of fasting and prayer need to be carefully examined. ‘The most obvious product of American fasting occurred in 1863. After years as a slave nation, Lincoln reversed America’s policy and set the slaves free with the Emancipation Proclamation. It was a political move, aimed at first only at those states in rebellion, but it came from the heart. After the War it became universal law, as all knew that it would. For the African-Americans held in cruel bondage, the Jubilee had arrived. ‘The captives had been set free. Iti difficult not to see the elements of Isaiah $8 coming together at this critical juncture of American history. Americans were fasting and ‘Americans were freeing their slaves—righteous actions that promise good results. A long road lay ahead of America as far as its treatment of these former slaves and their descendants, but the first step had been taken, and it had been taken in conjunction with an intense time of fasting. ‘Another clue that the sustained fasting of the American people was fruitful, although perhaps not as they had anticipated, was through the spiritual awakening that, took place among the armies of both sides. At the beginning of the War, soldiers of both sides were generally seen (rightly) as rough, uncouth men with little regard for religion. General Robert McAllister called the general condition a “tide of irreligion.™* But as the War dragged on, God began to move and revivals began to break out. In the Union armies, revivals broke among the troops after the major campaigns of Gettysburg, ‘Vicksburg, and Chattanooga in 1863.*' There was a peak of spiritual fervor during the “ Gardiner H. Shattuck, “Revivals in the Camp,” Christian History 33 (July 1997): 28. "Shattuck, 28.winter of 1863-64 among the (Union) Army of the Potomac. Churches were built and tents erected as impromptu prayer chapels. Prayer meetings and services often went 24 hours a day, and men had to stand outside to participate there was so little room. Hundreds were saved. Some thought the whole country would be converted through the religious zeal of the army. Tracts and Bibles were spread liberally among the troops to great effect. The fires of revival were even stronger in the Confederacy. A movement known as the “Great Revival” broke out among Lee's Amy of Northern Virginia during the fall and winter of 1863-64 (about the same time their enemies in the Army of the Potomac were experiencing it). Around 7,000 soldiers came to Christ—fully 10% of Lee's force. One Confederate soldier described the transformation of his regiment in these words: “Last March .. . my regiment was extremely wicked. You could scarcely ‘meet with any one who did not use God’s name in vain. You could see groups assembled in almost every direction gambling. { retuned to my command . .. and to my surprise and delight I found at least three-fourths of my company not only members of the Church of the living God, but professors of religion.” Great Confederate generals such as Braxton Bragg, Joseph Johnston, and John Bell Hood came to Christ through these sweeping spiritual movements.“ It is difficult, of course, to come up with an exact figure of how many were saved during the War. But estimates put Union conversions between 100,000 and 200,000 men, or 5-10% of the total Union fighting force. The smaller Confederate army experienced a greater revival (proportionately) with 100,000 saved. Of course, many more were touched by the revival, saved and unsaved. The impact was very great.‘* Before the Civil War, chaplains were ® Shattuck, 29. Shattuck, 30. “Did You Know?” Christian History 33 (July 1997): 2. “Shattuck, 30.80 rare in the U.S. Army; since that time they have become a permanent fixture in it.’ What had precipitated these revivals? Many can argue what they may, but once again it seems that deliverance—and multiplication—came with fasting. After the War, the country was in ruins. The South especially had suffered, its infrastructure laid waste by the War. Certainly prosperity was only a dim memory, and beyond the reach of reasonable hope. Yet there began to be some interesting developments. In 1867, just two years after the end of the War, America closed a real estate agreement with Russia. Known at the time as “Seward’s Folly” (so name for the then-Secretary of State who sealed the deal), this purchase was the acquisition of Alaska. The cost: $7.2 million, or two cents an acre.*” America had been multiplied again. ‘A good deal on a great piece of land, however, does not restoration make. It was not called “Seward’s Folly” for nothing. Many years would pass before Alaska’s true worth would be recognized. What was happening to the economy? Against what logic would dictate in a war-ravaged land, the country boomed. Simply put, the American economy rebounded after the Civil War far beyond anyone's ability to predict. As historian Douglas Brinkley puts it: In the years between Lincoln’s assassination and Wilson’s inauguration, the amount of capital invested in manufacturing multiplied by a factor of twenty-two, while the number of industrial workers surged from fewer that 2 million to 6.6 million. . . Taking inflation into account, the gross national product (GNP) more than quadrupled between 1869 and 1914, while per capita income rose by approximately 250 percent. . . It was during this period that the United States. . would goon to become one of the world’s great superpowers—and in time the only one. “Did You Know?” | Brinkley, 231. “* Brinkley, 242. Italics added.81 ‘The federal government enjoyed a budget surplus for 28 straight years, from 1866-1893— the longest stretch in American history before or since.” Post-war America was a place of incredible growth. New inventions were being ‘chumed out at an incredible rate. This era saw the invention of the telephone, the Phonograph, the electric light, the modern factory, and ultimately the airplane. The automobile was not invented in America, but its manufacture was. America was rising fast and beginning to take center stage in the arena of worldwide geo-politics. But what of the South? It is all well and good to speak of the prosperity of the country on a whole, but what of that region that was laid waste during the war (and fasted more than everyone else)? To be sure, things were very hard in the beginning. The entire economic system upon which the people of the South had depended had been overturned. Not only was their land in ruins, but the slave system was gone. As things tuned out, the South rebounded with almost unbelievable vigor. At first many in the South were resistant to cooperation and trade with the North. The wounds of the War and the bitterness of the reconstruction era were to painful for them. These attitudes hindered recovery for about 15 years. Yet some in the South began to argue persuasively for full cooperation with the North—setting forth a model for thee “New South,” and things began to tum around. As Brinkley writes:“New South’ cities like Birmingham, Richmond, and Atlanta became vital centers of industry in the late nineteenth century, rivaling many of the more important Norther industrial towns in manufacturing productivity. In fact, between 1869 and 1909 the South's rates of industrial ‘output and worker productivity rose faster than those in the North, as the tobacco, timber, “Budget Surpluses, Deficits, and Goverment Spending,” Joint Economic Subcommittee Study; available from http://www. house gov/jec!fiscal/budget/surplus2/ surplus2.htm; Internet; accessed January 21, 2002.82 and cotton textile industries boomed, spurred after 1879 by the explosive growth of railroads..."® Prosperity was coming to the South and its tattered land was being restored. ‘An excellent example of God’s restoring power is seen in the city of Atlanta. Bumed to the ground in Union General Sherman's March to the Sea, Atlanta seemed rebom as a phoenix from the ashes in the post-War years. Atlanta became the capitol of Georgia in 1868. Industry began to boom. In 1891 Atlanta became the home of Coca- Cola, and remains so today. Ultimately the city became the de facto capital of the New South. Today it boasts the busiest airport in the world (Hartsfield Intemational), and hosted the Olympics in 1996. ‘And what of slavery? It seems odd in the like of scriptural injunctions (Isaiah $8) that God should bless a land that fights to keep people in chains. This brief statement could be the basis of an entire thesis in itself, but one may come to some brief conclusions given the time and space allowed here. First, the people ultimately did set the slaves free. God promises rewards for such an action, even (or especially) upon those who held them bound. Post-War prosperity should not be regarded as a reward for the sin of slavery, but as a reward for turning from it. Second, God is merciful. Many in the South never owned a slave, and did not fight for slavery’s sake but to protect their land. Pre- Civil War America was highly regionalistic, and people fought more for their states than for their country. God was blessing those who sincerely tured to Him, not those who did not. He blesses the wicked along with the good, rather than punishing His children to make a few godless people suffer. Finally, there is an economic law in play here. Slavery itself is poor economics. Financially speaking, it is a “Dead Sea.” The slave has little or nothing to spend, cannot invest, cannot increase economically or strengthen the local ‘economy. Although slave owners considered them assets, in reality they were liabilities. Slaves were very expensive to buy and keep, and in the long run served as economic “See Brinkley, 244, italics added.3 loadstones for the economy of the South—and this against their wills. One would think that the “free labor” provided by slavery in the antebellum South would have enriched that land; in fact it made it poor. Any laborer that does not work for himself does not put forth his best effort. Once freed, these men and women had incentive to work to better their own situation. They became participants in the economy instead of commodities in it. A discussion of the relative equality of African-Americans in this nation is another matter entirely, and is not the point of this thesis. It is sufficient to say here that although former slaves were oppressed long after the end of the Civil War by unjust laws and prejudice, the first step had been taken and the country reaped real benefits for it. In the end it can be said that the United States experienced its most incredible period of economic expansion in the wake of the Civil War. There is no way to discuss all the of the complexities of this era here, nor is it necessary. The point here is to examine the actions of God’s people, especially through fasting and supplication. Both sides prayed for justice, both sides prayed for the mercy of God, both sides prayed for an honorable peace. It is no stretch to say that God answered those prayers quite satisfactorily. Although America did not realize it at the time, the War was God’s way of bringing about what so many had prayed for. The cost of those prayers and fasts was high, and the working out of God’s will long as men count it, but in the end the nation got what it prayed for, and then some. Conclusion After the Civil War, nationally declared fasts became a thing of the past.’! Yet such a strong foundation was laid in the late 1800s that the nation was on its way. The United States stormed into the 20th century with unparalleled might, and this last century has been America’s century. There remains the question of fasting in this period of 5! National Days of Prayer are still observed, of course.national dominance. One could, for example, enter into a discussion of “forced fasts” (particularly during the time of the Great Depression), but at this point such arguments seem superfluous. The point is made in the analysis of America’s first 300 ‘years, from the Puritans to the beginning of the 1900s. Americans, in their moments of need and in their times of spiritual fervor, have been a fasting people. After every significant period of spiritual revival in this country (periods always accompanied by communal fasts), the nation has been blessed with God’s deliverance and blessed ‘materially. From this very simple pattern it can be concluded that the principles presented in chapter 2 of this study are sound and applicable to both the lives of individuals and the course of nations. Fasting, and the soul-searching that goes along with it, yields prosperity—spiritually and materially. What made America great then can make Americans (and all other peoples as well) great now. Medical Support for Fasting The field of modem medicine is divided on the subject of fasting. However, the holistic medicine approach to health declares “healing is a function of life itself and cannot be induced from outside the body.”*? This philosophy posits that drugs and other “artificial” treatments only bring a temporary relief, treating the symptoms and creating the illusion of a cure. Fasting is recommended in dealing with most sickness and disease instead of reliance on medicines and manmade cures. It bases its claims on the assertion that man has been fasting for health recovery for 10,000 years before the medical profession taught that one should eat “to keep up his strength.” As a result of modem ‘medical teaching, say the proponents of the holistic approach, man is the only animal that eats when sick, and this causes chronic disease. Thus holistic practitioners offer what they see as a practical approach to health by eating correctly and less. 5 Hannah Allen, Fasting: Fastest Way to Superb Health and Rejuvenation (Pearsall, Tex.: Healthway Publications, 1975), 9.85 Hyppocrates was called “the father of modem medicine.” Its interesting to note that in the Hippocratic treatise, On the Physician, he gave detailed directions for the preparation of the operating room, the arrangement of natural and artificial light, the cleanliness of the hands in care and use of instruments, as well as the position of the patients and the bandaging of wounds. In a time when physicians were often hired to destroy lives, Hippocrates set standards to help preserve life. His integrity to help man kind instead of destroy life is followed by modem doctors today in the “Hippocratic Oath.” Hippocrates taught to rely upon diet and exercise rather than upon drugs. Fasting was often prescribed. He also believed man should have only one meal a day. Many books on fasting—both from health and spiritual perspectives—contain the story of Dr. Henry S. Tanner. Tanner was a medical doctor active in the later 1800s who sought to prove fasting could improve health. At that time doctors and theologians ridiculed him, not believing one could survive a forty-day fast like Moses or Jesus did. At the age of 50, under strict supervision, Tanner fasted for 43 days without food. A. major Chicago newspaper covered the story, and the entire city followed story in a daily column. At the conclusion of this fast he claimed to have seen heaven, angels, and the Lord Jesus Christ. He pioneered the modem fasting movement and prescribed it to his patients. At age 60, he fasted fifty days. In the middle of this fast, he saw “the unspeakable glories of God.” He came out of this claiming to feel thirty years younger and looked only forty. At age 77, Tanner fasted 53 days. His thin gray hair was replaced by new black hair, reverting to the same color that it was when he was a young man. Tanner died at age 93. The theory behind fasting for health purposes is the body is freed from the continual burden of digestion and energy use. This allows the body to purify and repair itself and bring a natural healing. It is contended there is an immense difference between 5 allen, Fasting, 29.86 fasting and starvation. Starvation results when food is denied to a person whose reserves have been exhausted, and in its late stages can lead to death. Fasting is not starvation. It is a controlled period of rest and renewal with the potential for remarkable benefits, with the body using its stored reserves as food. In her book Fasting: Fastest way to Superb Health and Rejuvenation, Hannah Allen claims all disease is Toxemia. This results when elimination is impaired and toxins accumulate in the body. There are different stages of the disease and they are all reversible except for the last stage, cancer. Her conclusion is that fasting is the natural way to eliminate toxins and is a preventative cure for cancer. ‘One of the latest books written on fasting for health purposes is by medical doctor Don Colbert (an Oral Roberts University graduate), entitled Toxic Relief. His foundational principle is that “many diseases are not only related to diet and lifestyle, but they are also caused by a buildup of toxins that have over-whelmed the body's vital organs and other systems, creating an array of distressing symptoms.”** He argues man cannot help but be contaminated by the society we live in. The earth has become toxic, awash in chemical chaos, indoor pollution, sick building syndrome, bacteria, mold, yeast, pesticide and countless other poisons. It has caused symptoms or diseases of memory loss, depression, anxiety, mental illness, Parkinson’s and other forms of neurological degeneration and possibly hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.°* Dr. Colbert recommends the detoxification process through fasting. The book lists a number of different approaches in fasting, but recommends juice fasting over water only fasts. This not only breaks down the pollutants and toxins that have built up in the 5* Robert W. Rodgers, /0/ Reasons to Fast (Louisville: Bob Rodgers 1988), 49-50. 55 Don Colbert, Toxic Relief (Lake Mary, Fla.; Siloam Press, 2001), 1. 56Colbert, 11.87 body, but also provides some nourishment for people to continue a somewhat normal life and helps prevent excessive muscle loss. Food is life, and without it one cannot live. Furthermore, God has granted that cating be a pleasure as well as a necessity. The reason we are fascinated by the act of fasting is because itis, in miniature, a denial of life. Eric Rogers, in his book Fasting: The Phenomenon of Self-Denial, asks the question: Why does anyone fast? One of the most amazing observations is that one of the most severe punishments God can bring upon a group of people is famine. The Old Testament tells of numerous famines in Egypt and other early civilizations of the Near East. “All the plenty shall be forgotten in Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land” (Genesis 41:30). Indeed, famine becomes one of the terrible punishments with which the Lord threatens the enemies of His people: “Babylon....will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence”(Jeremiah 27:8).7 Here fasting becomes a paradox. On one hand, famine is adivine punishment. On the other hand fasting is a commandment of Jesus that brings special rewards. Father Joseph F. Wimmer wrote one of the more scholarly works entitled Fasting in the New Testament. Witmer treats the NT texts on fasting at a much deeper level. ‘Some of the questions he answers include: What is the meaning of fasting according to the NT? Is there such a thing as “Christian” fasting? What was the practice of the apostolic Church? Wimmer's treatment of Matthew 6:2-18 is one of his specialties. This passage tells of the three disciplines of every believer. These include giving, praying and fasting. ‘Wimmer points out after each of these disciplines is the same words of Jesus, “Thy Father 57 Bric N. Rogers, Fasting: The Phenomenon of Self-Denial (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1976), 121.88 which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” There are three distinct rewards when one will give, pray and fast. The ancient Hebrews were aware things done in secret were not hidden from God. The emphasis was on the certain punishments of secret sins. rather than on rewards for hidden acts of virtue. God knows everything, both the good and the bad. This changes in the NT mentality. ‘These passages treat the point at issue, that good works are to be performed not for the approval of men, but for God alone. Those who act in order to be seen are seen; that is their reward, and they will get no other. He also brings out the concept in the OT that the reward came in their lifetime. The firm belief in the justice of God was carried out in this world, However, in the NT the emphasis is the concept of reward in the life to come before God Himself. Wimmer examines the text “he will reward” as speaking of future tense in contrast to the hypocrites who already “have received” their rewards. In contrast is Kenneth Hagin’s book, A Commonsense Guide to Fasting. Brother Hagin talks of the passage in Matthew 6:18, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance...” He writes, “In my opinion, a person whe talks about how long he fasts and encourages others to fast a long time is a hypocrite."*? Brother Hagin tells how he has fasted numerous short periods and does not feel it is important Fasting is more of an OT concept and feels Jesus avoided the issue with his disciples for the most part. Franklin Hall wrote numerous books on fasting including The ABC of Fasting, Atomic Power with God, and Glorified Fasting. His books encouraged an entire generation of Pentecostal ministers to fast, including T.L. Osborn, Oral Roberts, and many others. One of his fasting revelations was the corporate fast versus the individual S*Rogers, 70. 5 Kenneth E. Hagin, A Commonsense Guide to Fasting (Tulsa: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1995), 6.89 fast. He interprets Matthew 6:16-17 as two different types of fasts. “When ye fast...” speaks of a corporate fast. “Ye” is a plural pronoun. Jesus put emphasis on this type of fasting because he mentioned it first. Nine out of ten fasts in the Bible were public fasts, not private times. Hall uses the example in Joel 2:15, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly” as a model fast. This fast was not done in private. Announce it and advertise the fast for the entire body of believers. Secondary fasting is “When thou fastest...” “Thou” is a singular pronoun. This speaks of fasting by oneself. Itis private, secret fasting where no one is to know one’s actions. This type of fast is g00d, but not as powerful as group fasting. In the early 1900’s Herman Arnot, a renowned Presbyterian Pastor from West Chester, Ohio, wrote the book Why Did Jesus Fast? Amot contends this fast was not a mistake or some religious effort to be accepted by the ruling clergy. He fasted because there were benefits from fasting that could not be received any other way. His conclusion ‘was that the fast of Jesus was an aid to him. The simple fact is, Jesus fasted in order to obtain certain benefits. In Matthew 17:17-24 and Mark 9:14-29 there is the story of the failure of the disciples to heal the lunatic boy and the miracle he received from Jesus. The disciples had never failed before. This was the first person they could not get healed, ‘They asked Jesus the question, “Why could not we cast him out?” (Matthew 17:19). Jesus’ reply was, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matt. 19:20-21). Amot says the “howbeit” shows that there was not a particle of rebuke in the words of Jesus; he did not expect them to cast out that kind, because their faith was not the product of prayer and fasting. Jesus fasted in order to obtain his perfect faith, which was not obtainable in any other way or by any other means than by prayer and fasting.He also addresses the question of some manuscripts that have omitted “and fasting” from their copies. He argues “and fasting” is genuine for the following reasons: 1) Itis in harmony with the practice of Christ; 2) It gives us the only key to the fast of Jesus; 3) It alone makes the answer or explanation of Jesus complete; 4) It agrees with other teachings of Jesus on fasting; 5) It is verified by apostolic experience; and 6) It is proved true by every proper use of fasting and prayer. The Adventure of Fasting by James Lee Beall emphasizes the importance of balance in the kingdom of God. Jesus established specific actions of spiritual life into three major categories. These were: doing good to others (almsgiving), intimate relationship to God (prayer), and personal discipline (fasting is illustrative of the larger area of self-control). Jesus taught there must be a right balance among these areas of involments. Beall presents the different streams of Christianity as all being out of balance. One or another of these areas is overemphasized at the expense of the others. The moderistic or social-action churches magnify almsgiving in its various forms unti it appears to be their whole gospel. The fundamental or Bible churches major on the theme of individual response to God. The Word and prayer are the focus. The Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran emphasis has been traditionally upon self-discipline and mortification of desires, which war against the soul. Fasting has held a prominent role. Jesus gave clear directions on obedience concerning giving, prayer and fasting. The obedience brings one into a balance walk with Christ. The Adventure of Fasting gives the three rules of fasting: 1) Everything done unto God must be in secret. This applies to giving, prayer and fasting. Anything done to be noticed by men is in vain. 2) Avoid anything that emphasizes outward means. ‘These Herman Amdt, Why Did Jesus Fast? (Cincinnati: Privately printed, 1922), 9.1 disciplines are inward and produce the power of God inside. 3) Expect results from God. God rewards obedience. Obey in faith and you will receive results.! ‘One of the more recent books that has had a significant impact on the American church in relation to fasting has been Arthur Wallis’ God's Chosen Fast: A Spiritual and Practical Guide to Fasting. The book essentially lives up to its name, arguing strongly in favor of the discipline as part of the legitimate repetoire of spiritual activities that the modem Christian should live by. Wallis’ book is encouraging and valuable, but his focus is upon the purely spiritual aspects of the fast and the results the fast will produce in one’s relationship with God and fellow man. Concrete financial aspects are not directly addressed. Another book in this vein is Floyd and Bright's The Power of Prayer and Fasting: 10 Secrets of Spiritual Strength This book is strongly evangelical and biblical in its orientation and focuses on one’s walk with God. The nature and benefits of fasting are given in almost purely devotional terms. Intimacy, obedience, and surrender are all outstanding themes in this spiritual guide to fasting. Clearly these aspects of fasting form the bedrock for the discipline. At the same time, the concrete and material benefits of fasting—incuding physical ones—are not explored. Elmer Towns’ Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts* is more explicit in its outlining of the specific benefits of fasting. After an introduction which argues strongly for the place of fasting in modern Christian thought §' Beall, 10. ® arthur Wallis, God's Chosen Fast: A Spiritual and Practical Guide to Fasting (Fort Washington: Christian Literature Crusade, 1986). © Ronnie L. Floyd, and Bill Bright, The Power of Prayer and Fasting: 10 Secrets of Spirtual Strength (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997). Elmer L. Towns, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts (Ventura: Regal Books, 1996).2 and life, Towns describes nine specific fasts from the Bible and what results they produced. Again, a major section on financial breakthroughs was lacking. As valuable as his insights are, more is needed in the area of finances, an aspect of human life clearly important to God in the Scriptures. Wesley Duewel also sees fasting as crucial. He posits that for sound leadership ‘one must be self-controlled in their eating habits. Fasting is a way to break gluttonous pattems and bring the flesh into subjection. There are too many jokes, Duewel says, about ‘overweight preachers. John Rice draws a more direct link between prosperity and spiritual activity. He says, “The world expects to get things by work, or by planning, or by scheming: but God's children are taught that they are to get things by asking and that the reason we do not have is because we do not ask.”® Rice later avers that fasting is an integral element of the healthy prayer life. It is, he says, a“lost ar™” through which we put God first. Logical deduction would lead one to the conclusion that fasting, in Rice's thought, was a powerful way to tap God's blessing. Johnson, in his master's thesis “Motivations for Fasting in Early Christianity to A.D. 70,” notes that the rise of the Charismatic movement has rekindled modem interest in fasting. He also notes that fasting “can serve as a corrective to the superficial kind of religion which shows a lack of concem for other persons.” Johnson's overall argument is that the Greco-Roman world heavily influenced the thought of the early Church, 5 Wesley L. Duewel, Ablaze for God (Grand Rapids: Francis Asbury Press, 1989), 156. “ John R. Rice, Prayer: Asking and Receiving (Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord, 1942), 30. “Rice, 216. “ William L. Johnson, “Motivations for Fasting in Early Christianity to A.D. 70.” (Master's thesis, Souther Baptist Theological Seminary, 1978), 2.% undermining the Jewish roots of fasting. The strongly ascetic tendencies of early teachers and practitioners of fasting created a current of thought which remains to this day, While Jewish thought maintains a more wholistic view of the believer, with a positive view of the body, Greek thought sees all matter as evil, A retum to the original Jewish mindset will also bring a clearer understanding of the material benefits of fasting. Michael Fink, however, indicates that there was not just one response to fasting in the early years of the Church. While some embraced fasting, many did not. The role of fasting in Jewish thought, he maintains, is debated, and how it carried through into the arly Church is unclear. Fink suggests that fasting took hold, not because of a sure teaching of Jesus, but because of a combination of factors.” Excursus: Prosperity and the Christian Although it should be necessary at this point, it seems that some people still struggle with the issue of prosperity itself. The biblical evidence given above should be sufficient to quell those fears, and the information presented in this project is but 2 fraction of the total that can be read in the Bible. Whatever resistance there has been to a clear understanding of God’s plan for the prospering of his people seems to be breaking down. Many modem, mainline evangelicals are recognizing that wealth can be a powerful tool in the hand of a godly Christian. Bruce Wilkinson in his book the Prayer of Jabez says, “When Christian executives ask me, ‘Is it right for me to ask God for more business?" my responseis, “Absolutely!” If you're doing your business God’s way, it's not only right to ask for more, but He is waiting for you to ask."”° © Marion M. Fink, “The Responses in the New Testament to the Practice of Fasting,” Ph. D. diss. (Louisville: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1974), 3. 7 Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez (Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah, 2000), 31.Similarly, Duewel argues for financial soundness through integrity and responsibility. He sees prosperity and debt-free living as a reflection of godly living, while debt is a snare and a burden. While Duewel does not mention fasting directly in his references to finance, it forms a major part of his overall schema.” Bob Rodgers, in his book How fo get Out of Debt in 50 Days, writes of God's prospering power. A prime example of this happens in the encounter between Jesus and Peter in John 21. Jesus tells Peter where to cast his net, and an abundance of wealth (fish) results. This mighty catch of fish represents a promise of provisionfor the ministry that, would follow.” ting in Other Rel ions Every major religion has either encouraged or required its followers to practice some form of fasting. For many centuries there was so much emphasis on the religious significance of refraining from eating that anyone who voluntarily gave up food was assumed to be doing so as a religious duty. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the Ojibway legend of a boy named Wunzh and renamed it “Hiawatha.” Like every other young person in his tribe, Wunzh had to prove himself worthy before he could become a full-fledged brave. He went deep into the forest and fasted not only for his own welfare, but also for the benefit of his people. A ‘200d spirit came to him and taught Wunzh to plant certain seeds that brought stalks providing food every summer and ample food in the long winters. This was the gift of com. In the 1920’s, a Danish explorer named Knud Rasmussen journeyed to the north of Hudson’s Bay and discovered Inuits living a lifestyle not seen in Europe in thousands 7|Duewel, Ablaze, 289-90. Robert W. Rodgers, How to Get Out of Debt in 50 Days (Louisville: Bob Rodgers Ministries, 2001), 26.95 of years. A medicine man showed Rasmussen a test using fasting to prove young men qualified to use magic, in other words to become a witch doctor in the tribe. In the middle of winter, the young man was placed into a small hut with barely room for him to sit cross-legged. Thinking only of the Great Spirit, he was left for five days without food or water. After a drink of lukewarm water, he endured another fifteen days before he was given another drink of water and small piece of meat. Ten days later the young man was returned home. During this period, there were stories of the Great Spirit hovering over the young men in the form of a beautiful woman.” Inthe book Wooden Leg: A Warrior Who Fought Custer, a seventeen year old warrior shares about his life: “To ‘make medicine’ is to engage upon a special period of fasting, thanksgiving, prayer and self denial, even of self torture. The procedure is entirely a devotional exercise. The purpose is to subdue the passions of the flesh and to improve the spiritual self. The bodily abstinence and the mental concentration upon lofty thoughts cleanse both the body and the soul and put them into or keep them in health. Then the individual mind gets closer toward conformity with the mind of the Great Medicine above us.” After four days without food or drink, he was given a few swallows of water. During this time of fasting, a buffalo spirit came to him. This was a sign he would be guarded over by the buffalo spirit and would never be injured on a hunt. Perhaps the most well known religious fast is by the Muslim faith. Ramadan is the holy month of fasting in Islam. The Koran says it very clearly, “O believers, a fast is prescribed for you...the month of Ramadan.... As soon as any of you observeth the ‘moon, let him set about the fast.... Eat and drink until ye can discern a white thread from a black thread by the daybreak. Then fast strictly till night.” Ramadan is still one of the 7 Bric Rogers, 29-30. ™ Thomas B. Marquis, Wooden Leg: A Warrior Who Fought Custer (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1931), 123.96 five “pillars” of the faith proclaimed by the Prophet of God, Muhammad, the others being Confession of Faith (“there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is His prophet”), Prayer toward Mecca five times daily, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his lifetime. Hinduism is a set of beliefs and practices based on a rigid system of caste. There are four principal castes in India: the Brahmans (priests and intellectuals), the Kshatriyas (warriors), the Vaisyas (merchants and landholders), and the Sudras (common laborers.). In addition, there is the lowest groups known as Pariahs, Untouchables, Harijans and Outcastes, who are allowed to do most menial jobs. Religious duties and beliefs vary so much from caste to caste it is dificult to pinpoint their theological beliefs as a whole. However, using the Brahman as an example of fasting they must observe fasts on the anniversaries of the ten earthly incamations of the god Vishnu, Because astrology govems many important turning points in ones life, he must also fast on days of eclipse and the equinoxes and the solstices, the longest and shortest days of the year. When there is a full moon, he must go on a total fast without food or water. On ordinary days, a Brahman never eats before noon. He takes two meals, one at midday and before going to bed. ‘The Jewish Religion is one of the strictest, even on days that are not official times of fasting. A Jew may eat no pork, only the flesh of cloven hoofed animals, or poultry that has been humanely slaughtered under the supervision of a rabbi. The animal's throat must be cut and certain veins must be removed. Then the blood is drained quickly from the animal. When the food is prepared in accordance with Jewish law, itis said to be kosher, meaning “proper, fit, suitable.” There are so many food restrictions, one could say the Jewish people are on a partial fast continually. Yom Kippur is the culmination of ten days of penitence, which begin of Rosh Hashanah, meaning, “head of the year.” During Yom Kippur, the Jews observe a total fast. The faster can not eat food, drink97 water, brush their teeth, comb their hair or take a bath. It lasts roughly twenty-six hours, from before sundown, when it is still light outside, until after the next sundown when three stars can be seen. Conclusion In conclusion, in the absence of any real knowledge about the human body, many people groups and religious groups assume that food is somehow impure and degrading. Eating is considered a coarse, earthly and non-spiritual necessity, from which fasting can temporarily free the spirit. As Christians we would certainly not subscribe to many of these practices, and some of them actually cross the line into witchcraft and idolatry. The ‘way other religions employ fasting shows how a good thing can be twisted for evil ends. The fact that almost all religions, modem and ancient, use fasting, however, reveals a great deal. Fasting as a personal discipline has a place deep in the collective human psyche. So pervasive is the practice throughout history and across religious and cultural boundaries that one might is compelled to argue that fasting is part of the inner spiritual makeup of mankind, like prayer and the desire to present offerings to the divine. However one feels about fasting personally, we cannot ignore its importance for the Church today.CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY Introduction Although many might argue that the New Testament contains no justification for an annual group fast, there is in fact evidence to the contrary. In the parable of the bridegroom (Matt. 9:14ff; Mark 2:18ff; Luke 5:33fH) people ask Jesus why His disciples do not fast as the disciples of John and the Pharisees do. Jesus responds and declares that such a fast at that point in time would be like fasting at a wedding banquet. It would be an entirely inappropriate action given the presence of the groom. Jesus further develops His argument by speaking the payables of the tom garment and the wineskins, His work is new, the Pharisees” and even John’s are old. The new era of the Kingdom calls for new action. All of these words point to Jesus as the Messiah, the One who inaugurates the Kingdom of God. In the midst of His discourse, however, Jesus makes a statement that grants His questioners their point in principle. Jesus says that the feast will end, and the groom will be taken. “In that day,” Jesus says, “they will fast.” Such a statement carries power by the very force of its understatement. Since Jesus does not carry on about the terms of that future fast, the terms must be viewed as essentially understood by His hearers. Jesus does not fault the fasting practiced by His contemporaries, just its application at that time to His disciples. When the time He is describing expires, He clearly expects that they will fast like the others who were presented to Him. This passage carries powerful implications for modem believers. Who can escape the weight of such a99 statement? Are modem Christians better than the apostles of the Lord? Have they fully grasped the significance of His departure, or (even more significantly) His impending return? These are the questions that the Christian who fasts may well have grappled with, and the one who refuses to through neglect or design surely has not. [It is perhaps significant that the Church took the words “on that day” (Mark's rendition) literally. As a result, for over a thousand years the Church has considered Friday as the day of fasting because Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. It was the Day the bridegroom was taken] In short is saying to His followers, “While I am with you, fasting is not required, but after Ileave fasting is to be followed by every believer.” From this explanation of Jesus the modern Church can draw not only more Justification for fasting from the Scriptures but a method for fasting," And itis partly ‘upon this passage that the fasting practices of the people surveyed in this project are based: Jesus referred to a specific time, and that principle of specificity is a crucial element in the execution and success of a church-wide fast. Methodology Subjects ‘The congregation of Evangel World Prayer Center in Louisville, Kentucky Participated in a prolonged time of prayer and fasting in the fall of 2001 and in the beginning of January 2002. No other churches will participate in this assessment. Evangel is the largest Assembly of God church in the state of Kentucky, with a membership of several thousand as well as numerous regular attenders and visitors. The impact of the church upon its immediate community is felt through a number of local outreach ministries, including several local radio stations, a television station, a Christian school "See Chapter 2, above, for a more complete discussion of the biblical perspective ‘on fasting.100 (K-12), a soup kitchen, and various daughter churches. Intemational ministries include the support of foreign missionaries (many of which, although holding general appointment status, consider Evangel their home church), missions trips, and a recently acquired international shortwave radio facility. ‘The congregation proper is a mature and diverse group of Christians. Drawn from a broad range of social and economic classes, Evangel is also culturally and ethnically diverse. Originally a predominately white church, the last 10-15 years has seen an explosion of different ethnic groups. These sub populations include but are not limited to a large Aftican-American and African element, a Latin American church with independent services, and a sprinkling of Arab, Jews, Asians, and various European nationalities. In regard to fasting, the people of Evangel World Prayer Center are not novices. It is perhaps this factor that makes the study both possible in this context and unique. Annual, group fasting has been a regular practice at Evangel for over ten years. This has regularly been done every January starting in the early 1990s. The 21 Day Fast, at first a spiritual emphasis period during which only a few fasted a total (liquid) fast for the Full time, has gradually grown to the point where literally hundreds fast on liquids alone for the three week period, and almost everyone in the church fasts something. The congregation is well conditioned for fasting and a strong sense of community identity and unity is associated with the fast. Rather than being viewed as a drudgery, most see the intense period of prayer and fasting as spiritually exhilarating and empowering. The Ironman Revival has not been in practice as long, but conditioning from the 21 Day Fast has carried over and has made it a success as well. Instrument The survey instrument was a simple questionnaire, a single sheet with questions101 printed on one side. There was no place on the survey to write one’s name or give any identifying information. This element of anonymity encouraged every person to be honest and sincere in answering the questions. There were twenty (20) questions in all, including queries about gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, age at conversion, type of fasting practiced, and tithing habits. The last two questions clearly had a prospective nature in the pre-test phase, and a retrospective nature in the post-test. Following these introductory questions came twenty questions dealing (generally) with quality of life, spiritual experience, health matters, and marital satisfaction. In particular, questions 7-9 dealt with financial confidence, giving, and income. These 20 questions used a scale of 1-5, 1 being “poor” and 5 being “excellent.” After the period was over the identical survey was given out again in the same manner. The only difference was a comment section on the back was added people could be specific in their reporting if they so desired. The only difference between the survey used for the Ironman Prayer Revival and the 21 Day Fast was the heading (tile) at the top of the sheet and minor differences in types of fasting. Design ‘The survey was designed in a manner consistent with both the fasting practices of the test subjects and the data needed for accurate analysis. Instead of a one-time use of the questionnaire, the survey was used on four distinct occasions. At the beginning of the periods of fasting, the survey was to be distributed with a brief explanation of the purpose behind it. The participants were informed that an identical post-test survey would be given after the fast was over. This procedure was to be followed for both the Ironman Revival and the 21 Day Fast. See Appendices A and C for samples of the survey.102 In the intermediate period (the fast itself), various activities and teachings were administered to the subjects.> The goal of these teachings was a heightened consciousness of the value of fasting with an end of greater numerical participation. Aside from the sincere pastoral concerns endemic to the situation, broad participation was sought so as to ensure a solid pool of research subjects during the post-test phase. The teaching would also edify and empower the subjects to see their situation from a perspective of faith and believe God for concrete answers to prayer. ‘After the fasting period was closed the post-test survey was to be administered. Since all surveys were anonymous, comparison with the pre-test would by definition be corporate in nature. Procedure The pre-test survey was passed out at the beginning of the Ironman and 21 Day Fast in a Sunday morning service. The people were given time to fill them out and then the forms were collected that same service. People were told the survey was to measure the spirituality of the church before and after the season of prayer and fasting (i.e., they were informed of the post-test survey beforehand), They were not told this was part of a paper for the pastor's school project. This discretion insured the integrity of the study and retained the thesis that prosperity follows fasting and prayer as a private consideration of the researcher. There are groups of people everywhere that want to please the pastor and help prove his theories. While the period of fasting a prayer progressed the raw data was entered into the church's computer system. After the pre-test survey was administered, the respective times of fasting began. There were two separate fasts of different lengths and intensity. In each of these fasts, a generic survey was given to the congregation before the fast and then afterwards. The >See Procedure, below.103 period of fasting and prayer during the fall was entitled “The Ironman 40 Day Prayer Revival.” The January period was called simply “The 21 Day Fast.™The 40 Day Ironman Revival” started on September 17, 2001 and concluded October 28, forty days later. Because of the happenings of September 11, 2001 there was a larger than expected participation. During this period people were ask to physically come to the church to pray for one hour each day. They could come at anytime twenty- four hours a day. Security ‘was provided and a pastor was on duty. Special corporate prayer meetings were led by a pastor a 6:00 am, 12:00 noon and 12:00 midnight. Communion was also given at this time. The congregation was asked to participate in various types of fasts. The survey listed a complete fast, which meant no solid food for forty days but only liquids. The Partial fast for forty days allowed one to eat afier 3:00 PM. The one-day a week fast was to be the same day every week. The weekly half fast allowed a person to eat after 3:00 pm on their given day. “The 21 Day Fast” took place for January 7-27, 2002. It was accompanied by a great deal of promotion. The fast was discussed not only from the pulpit in the church, but also on television and radio. Not only did people participate from Evangel’s congregation, but countless others from other churches. One of these activities was the “Walk of the Cross,” a group activity in which willing members carried a large wooden cross through the streets of Louisville as a witness to the city. Prayer for significant landmarks and churches is also a major thrust of this activity. Activities and information about the fast were carried over satellite television and participants corresponded from states across America including North Dakota, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and others. Over 10,000 fasting newspapers (detailed teaching) were distributed. Both periods of fasting were closed with climactic “miracle” services during which people could join together for prayer, preaching, and giving in faith,104 To insure proper prayer fasting methods were used, written training materials were used. During the “Ironman” a prayer joumal was given to each participant. Included was a prayer outline to help guide people in prayer and a daily journal with Scriptures included to help encourage people in seeking God. Often when it comes to prayer and fasting methods are more “caught than taught.” There literally comes a spirit of prayer and fasting when people begin to come together to seek God. “The 21 Day Fast” was advertised and promoted by a sixteen page newspaper. Articles were included entitled “Why Did Jesus Fast 40 Days?” “A Pre-Fasting Diet,” “God Wants You To Have The Hundred Fold Blessing,” “10 Points On Fasting,” and a daily devotional for twenty-one days of fasting. The articles taught the proper ways to fast so people would not physically harm themselves. Also, there was instruction given on breaking a fast. The ending period of a fast can be the most dangerous part of the whole if not executed properly. At the end of these times of fasting and prayer, a “Miracle Service” was conducted. After both the Ironman and the 21 Day Fast were complete the surveys were distributed again. It was explained that this was the post-test survey being administered to complete the study begun before the fast. Again, no information was divulged conceming, the study or the data already gleaned. The surveys were completely anonymous. As noted above, a place was given on the back of the survey in the post-test phase for more specific data in the form of testimonials. Data Analysis The ultimate purpose for the survey, of course, was to collect data concerning the relative (self-perceived) financial well-being of the subjects. More specifically, the object ‘was to obtain relevant information that would provide an accurate “before and after” picture, with the fast being the significant element of change in the intervening period.105 Any significant differences, if any, would then be able to be analyzed and possible conclusions drawn. From the raw numbers drawn from the completed surveys, percentage figures ‘would have to be drawn up. Since people have a tendency to skip questions or answer illegibly at times, the percentages would have to determined on a question by question basis. Percentages are more “user friendly” and convert the data into meaningful statistical evidence. In spite of the broad nature of the questioning, the focus of this study would be upon questions 7-9 in part two of the questionnaire. The question on tithing habits in the first section would also be relevant. Although the other information gleaning from the survey responses is valuable for internal, pastoral care purposes in the church, for the goals of this study the statistics most carefully drawn up and examined will necessarily be those questions dealing with finance.CHAPTER 5 PRESENTATION OF RESULTS This chapter describes the results of surveys of “The Ironman 40 Day Prayer Revival” and “The 21 Day Fast.” Although both of these prayer journeys involved fasting, there was a greater intensity of fasting during the latter experience. Both of these events are annual and promoted for spiritual emphasis. The Ironman 40 Day Prayer Revival “The Ironman 40 Day Prayer Revival” promotes daily prayer in the church with the Lord’s Prayer pattern recommended, During a forty day period people are asked to come to the church itself to pray for one hour each day. The prayer chapel is open twenty-four hours each day with security personnel and pastors on duty for both ministry and safety purposes. There is a structured daily prayer meeting at 6 AM, 8 AM, noon and at midnight. Communion is served at each of these times. At 11 PM a service is conducted with a Bible teaching. The participation to the late prayer times attract factory workers getting off shift work, people who cannot sleep and troubled individuals seeking spiritual help. ‘There were a total of 785 surveys filled out at the beginning and 512 completed. ‘There were no personal identifying questions on the beginning or ending surveys. Questions asked for gender, ethnicity, and the type of fast one would participate in, along with their financial commitment to the church. The survey contained 20 questions ranging from their experience with God’s presence, personal finances, health, positive 106107 mental outlook and emotional condition. Notably, there were 4 questions were selected that pertained to their personal finances and giving commitment to the church. These queries were especially germane to the study's outcome. The people were asked to answer the questions based on a scale of one to five, the scale being described as: 1-poor, 2-fair, 3-acceptable, 4-good and 5-excellent. There was also a comment space on the back of the forms for testimonies for the ending survey. Because there is a difference between the number of surveys collected at the beginning of the Ironman and the number collected at the end, percentages are used for comparing the start and finish of project. Fasting During this forty day period, shorter periods of fasting are encouraged. ‘The usual participation would be a half-fast until 3 PM, or one to two days a week of fasting. Because of the happenings of September 11, 2001, however, there was a greater involvement of longer periods of fast than anticipated. The types of fasting were categorized to six different ways to participate. The survey results for type of fast completed was as following: Table 1. ‘Type of Fast among Church Members, by Gender and Ethnicity Gender Type of Fast African-Am. White Asian Hispanic Other Totals Females Two or more daysa week 26 go 4 6 2 118 (23%) Partial (certain foods) 6 8 1 1 0 163%) Half-Fast (3:00 PM) i 723 1 54(11%) Total 21 Day Fast 7 17 1 2 0 27(5%) Total 40 Day Fast 4 5 2 0 0 110%) Not Fasting 8 a2 oo 1 2 53(11%)108 Table 1—Continued Gender Typeof Fast African-Am. White Asian Hispanic Other Totals Males Two or more daysaweek 11 4 2 2 0 59(12%) Partial (certain foods) 1 an) 0 0 176% Half Fast (3:00 PM) 9 2% 0 1 1 370%) Total 21 Day Fast 2 oo! 2 0 13%) Total 40 Day Fast 1 41 1 0 70% Not Fasting 7 16 0 2 0 25(5%) The survey reveals that 18 people fasted forty days without food and 40 fasted for twenty- ‘one days. That is to say, 11% of the participants fasted for an extended period of time. There are other significant figures. Thirty-five percent fasted at least once a week, and 18% fasted a half fast. The smallest percentage was 6% for a partial fast. A full 84% participated in some sort of fasting. Sixty percent of the participants were woman, 34% ‘men, and 6% did not respond to the gender query. Of the total, 64% were white, 21% were African-American, 3% were Asian, were 4 % Hispanic, and 1% percent “other.” ‘The important observation is that during the forty day public prayer and fasting period, 8 ut of 10 in the church are fasting in some way or another. ‘The most significant information drawn from this question is the fact that the vast majority of those polled did indeed fast. The subjects therefore formed an adequate basis to test the hypothesis with the questions concerning finance that followed. Tithing and Other Giving The second important piece of information on the survey is what is the percentage of tithers in the church. The following tables reveal the survey results in this area of the church:109 Table 2. Tithing Levels at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender Tithing Practices Female Male Totals Do not tithe 38 (8%) 18 (8%) 56 (8%) Tithe occasionally 120 (25%) 62 (28%) 182 (26%) Tithe 10% consistently 223 (46%) 98 (44%) 321 (45%) Consistently giving beyond 91(19%) 42.(19%) 133 (19%) Giving 20% or more BG%) 5.2%) 183%) For these statistics and percentages to have meaning they must be compared to the ending surveys and see if there are any trends: Table 3. Tithing Levels at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender Tithing Practices Female Male Totals Do not tithe 17 (6%) 4 (2%) 21 (4%) Tithe occasionally 53(19%) —-31.(19%) 84 (19%) Tithe 10% consistently 146(51%) —_-87(53%) 233 (52%) Consistently giving beyond 64 (22%) —-40(24%) 104 (23%) Giving 20% or more 6 (2%) 21%) 8 (2%) ‘The ending survey shows a pattem of increased giving. In both male and female groups, there was a decrease in the percentages of lower giving options and an increase in the higher giving options. ‘The percentages of those who “do not tithe” or “tithe occasionally” went from a combined 34% at the beginning of the Ironman, to just 23% at the ending of the period. The three categories of “tithing 10% consistently,” “giving beyond” and “giving 20% or more” increased from 67% to 76%. ‘These percentages indicate a trend of increased giving at the conclusion of the Ironman.110 At this point any conclusions drawn should be very tentative. So far the data seems “friendly” towards the hypothesis of a correlation between fasting and increased prosperity, but it certainly does not prove it. Those who give more may generally feel ‘more confident in their finances, or they just may be giving more sacrificially out of a heightened sense of duty. More analysis must be done to reach surer conclusions. The first question asked conceming finances on the survey was question #7: How would you rate your current financial status? Table 4. Financial Status at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender Status Female Male Totals 1-Poor 79 (16%) — 34(15%) 113 (16%) 2-Fair 119 (25%) —-32.(14%) 151 (21%) 3-Acceptable 116 (24%) 62 (27%) 178 (25%) 4-Good 136 (28%) 87 (38%) 223 (31%) 5-excellent 347%) 15 (6%) 797%) The survey at the close of the Ironman revealed some interesting trends: Table 5. Financial Status at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender Status Female Male Totals 1-Poor 37(12%) 20(12%) — $7(12%) 2.Fair 61(21%) 27(16%) 88 (19%) 3-Acceptable 85 (29%) 38 (22%) 123 (26%) 4-Good 87 (30%) 66 (39%) 153 (33%) 5-Excellent 278%) 191%) 46(10%)ut ‘When comparing the pretest period survey results with the post test results, one sees a decrease of the lower numbered responses (1, 2) compared with an increase with the higher numbered responses (3, 4, 5). This change of percentages seems to indicate that there is a trend developing after a period of prayer and fasting. Such a trend would directly confirm the hypothesis that there is a correlation between fasting and increased financial prosperity. The next pertinent question was #8: How would you rate your level of giving? Table 6. Level of Giving at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender Giving Female Male Totals 1-Poor 30(6%) 177%) 476%) 2-Fair 63.(13%) — 34(14%) 97 (13%) 3-Acceptable 95(19%) 51 (22%) 146 (20%) 4-Good 206 (42%) 86 (36%) 292 (40%) 5-Excellent 99 (20%) 48 (20%) 147 (20%) When one compares this data with that of the following table, we see striking trend: Table 7. Level of Giving at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender Giving Female Male Totals 1-Poor 114%) 70%) 18 (4%) 2-Fair 25(9%) —18(10%) 43 (10%) 3-Acceptable 60 (24%) 32.18%) 92 (21%) 4-Good 80(32%) —79(45%) 159 37%) 5-Excellent 78(31%) 38.22%) 116 (27%)12 Again, there is a pattern of the lower levels of giving decreasing (1, 2) and the 3 higher levels increasing (3, 4, 5). The pre-test level for acceptable giving was 40% and the post- test was 37%. This shows a three percent decrease. However, the upper three levels had an overall cumulative increase of 5% on the post-fast survey. Coupled with the question concerning thing (above) this shows a trend of increased giving after prayer and fasting. Although conclusions may be drawn from this data concerning giving, by itself it does not prove increased financial status, but only increased generosity. If, however, there is an increase in subject income and financial status as well, this information can easily be seen as correlational and supportive of the hypothesis. Question #9 was next: How would you rate your income? Both pre- and post-test results are listed in the tables below. Table 8. Income Assessment at the Beginning of the Ironman Revival by Gender Income Female Male Totals 1-Poor 64(13%) — 23(11%) 87 (13%) 2-Fair 115 (24%) 33.15%) 148 (21%) 3-Acceptable 132 (28%) 69. (32%) 201 (29%) 4-Good 143 (30%) 74.34%) 217 (31%) S-Excellent 23 (5%) 16 (7%) 39 (6%) Table 9. Income Assessment at the Conclusion of the Ironman Revival by Gender Income Female Male Totals 1-Poor 21 (7%) 18 (10%) 39(8%) 2-Fair 55. (19%) 25 (14%) 80(17%) 3-Acceptable 83. (29%) 46 (26%) 129 (28%) 4-Good 105 (36%) 64 (38%) 169 (36%) 5-Excellent 24 (8%) 22.13%) 46 (10%)113 The question, “How would you rate your income?” shows a similar pattern to the other ‘questions concerning finances. There is a decrease of the lower levels (1, 2), and an increase of the three higher levels (3, 4, 5) of well being concerning the level of their income. Support for the initial hypothesis seems to have reached critical mass. It would actually be more difficult at this point to deny the correlation between fasting and financial increase than to confirm it. Both subject giving and subject self-perception in regard to finances has significantly increased. ‘The comparison of the pre-test and post-test of the Ironman shows a consistent pattern, It is the same trend with every question that pertains to finances, tithing and giving. The first example is tithing. The first two questions categories were, “Do not tithe,” and “Tithe occasionally.” Both of these questions reflect a definite attitude about money and giving to God’s work. According to the Bible, if one does not tithe, they will not be blessed financially. This is therefore a very important question. A comparison of the survey results reveals the following: Table 10A. Comparison of Tithing Totals by Practice Before and After Ironman Tithing Practice Before After Difference Do not tithe 8% 4% 4% Tithe occasionally 26% 19% ™% These two areas represent an 11% change in giving to a local church. Not only is there a 4% difference of the non-tither, and a 7% difference of those who tithe occasionally, but this shift represents a 50% conversion of non-tithers to givers. Of those who tithe occasionally, the 7% represent a 27% change of that particular category. If one were to apply this proportionally to the average church of 100 members, averaging $20 per4 individual, one would see significant increase in weekly giving. The combined 11% swing would be $110 per week, an average of $476 per month difference. In many church contexts this increase is the difference between a pastor being paid or not. Ina church with a thousand members, the numbers would be multiplied by ten, or an increase of $4,760 in new money per month from old members. In addition to new givers, there has been a trickle up affect to the higher levels of giving that range from tithing every ‘week to giving 20% or more. There was a 10% gain in the upper giving tier as seen below. Table 10B. Comparison of Tithing Totals by Practice Before and After Ironman Tithing Practice Before After Difference Tithe 10% Consistently 45% 52% ™% Consistently giving beyond 19% 23% s% Giving 20% or more 3% % 1% ‘The questions are graded on a number scale of one to five, the lowest satisfaction being ‘one and the highest satisfaction being five. The important observation is if there is a patter of a decrease in the lower numbers and an increase in the higher numbers. If there was a difference, this would support the hypothesis. The first question, “How would you rate your current financial status?”, showed a 6% swing from the lower level (1 and 2) to the upper levels (3, 4 and 5). The second question, “How would you rate your level of giving?” reveals the same 6% difference from the lower level to the upper. The third question, “How would you rate your income?” revealed a 9% increase. In every case, there has been the same trend. That pattern suggests that when there is prayer and fasting the church tithes will increase, and with them the members’ personal financial position and attitude about giving to God's work.us ‘The 21 Day Fast The 21 Day Fast is an annual event people have planned for at the Evangel World Prayer Center since January 1989. During this intensely spiritual period, everyone is encouraged to participate in the fasting process in some way. Numerous levels of fasting are introduced and the fast is promoted from the pulpit. During this time there is a “Walk of the Cross” as well. This devotional activity involves prayer walking the city of Louisville and carrying a twelve-foot cross on a ninety mile route around the city. People feel they are making a difference in the city by participating. A magazine promoting the fast was sent to five thousand homes, giving tips on fasting. The same survey used for the Ironman was used for the 21 Day Fast. There was 554 surveys filled out at the beginning of the fast and 319 at the end of the fast. Not all of the questions were answered on each question. Below are listed the some of the results. Fasting The following table reveals information concerning who fasted in what manner. Table 11. Type of Fast by Gender Fast Female Male Totals Two or more daysa week 14 (7%) 5 (5%) 196%) Partial 515%) 21 21%) 72.24%) Half-Fast (3:00 PM) 56 (28%) 40.39%) 96 (32%) Total 21 Day Fast $2 (25%) 20 (20%) 72.(24%) Total 40 Day Fast, 201%) 2%) 4(1%) Not Fasting 28 (14%) 14 (14%) 42 (14%)116 This shows there was significant numbers fasting that completed this period. These numbers do not reflect many others who fast portions, but did not complete the 21 days. Tithing and Other Giving ‘The tables that follow show changes in giving patterns and the relationship between these changes and fasting. Table 12. Giving Status Totals by Practice Before and After 21 Day Fast Practice Before After Difference Do not tithe 19 (4%) 16 (5%) -1% Tithe occasionally 126 (23%) —41(14%) 9% Tithe 10% consistently 270 (50%) —152(50%) 0% Consistently giving beyond 116 (21%) — 82 (27%) 6% Giving 20% or more 11@%) 11.4%) % This table shows a 16% overall increase of tithing at the close of 21 days of fasting. If a church has a $500,000 budget this represents an increase of $80,000, all from ‘members already in the pews moving to another level in their giving. Again, this by itself does not necessarily indicate a cause and effect relationship between fasting and increased siving, but there does seem to be a correlation. Similar results during the Ironman fast seem to be confirmed here. As with the Ironman, three questions from the 20 question survey were used. These were questions 7, 8, and 9. Their results are listed below. Question #7: How would you rate your current financial status?7 Table 13. Before and After Financial Status by Gender Before After Female Male Total Female Male Total Difference 1-Poor 67(19%) 27(15%) 94(18%) 14(7%) 5(5%) 19(6%) 12% 2-Fair 98(28%) 38(21%) 136(26%) 39(19%) 11(11%) 50(17%) 9% 3-Acceptable 95(27%) 52(29%)147(28%) 63(31%) 24(24%) 87(29%) 1% 4-Good TI21%) 49(27%) 150(23%) 64(32%) 43(43%)107(36%) 13% S-Excellent 15(4%) 15(8%) 30(6%) 21(10%) 17(17%) 38(13%) 7% The statistics on this question show a decrease on the lower level and an increase on higher levels. The two lower levels of satisfaction, “poor” and “fair”, show a combined decrease of 21%. The three higher levels of satisfaction also increased 21%. In the more desperate areas of “poor”, there was a large percentage swing. The decline of 18% to 6%, represent a 66% turn around for the hurting. This is not just a trend, but rather a major reversal. In addition there is a combined twenty percent increase of people that consider things are “good” or “excellent” that did not before the fast. Question #8: How would you rate your level of giving? Table 14, Before and After Level of Giving by Gender Before After Female Male Total Female Male —_Total Difference L-poor 22(6%) —12(6%) 34(6%) 5(3%) 44%) (4%) 2% 2-fair 35(10%) 24(13%) 59(11%) 10(7%) 5(5%) 15(6%) 7% 3-acceptable 72(20%) 37(20%) 109(20%) 29(20%) 5(5%) 49(19%) -1% 4-good —160(45%) 80(43%) 240(44%) 77(52%) 53(50%) 105(51%) 7% S-excellent — 69(19%) 35(19%) 104(19%) 26(18%) 23(22%) 49(19%) 0%1g. Again, there is a trend from the lower levels to the upper levels—a 9% increase from “poor” and “fair.” In addition, the 7% increase among those that feel good about their giving to God seems to show a relationship between fasting and finances. Question #9: How would you rate your income level? Table 15. Before and After Income Level by Gender Before After Female Male Total Female Male Total Difference 1-poor 5HI7%) 179%) 76(14%) 15(7%) 4(4%) 196%) 8% 2-fair 85(25%) 41(23%) 126(24%) 29(24%) 15(15%) 44(15%) 9% S-acceptable 101(29%) 45(25%) 146(28%) 75(37%) 18(18%) 93(31%) 3% 4-go0d 88(26%) 59(32%) 147(28%) 66(33%) 46(45%) 112(37%) 9% S-excellent 11(3%) 20(11%) 31(6%) | 16(8%) 19(19%) 35(12%) 6% This question reveals something that has affected their income ability. Thirty-five percent reported some type of increase to their income level after fasting 21 days. On the lower level there was a 17% downswing and the upper level showed an 18% increase. Again, there is a trend of financial prosperity registered following a period fasting and prayer. This trend confirms the hypothesis that fasting and prosperity are correlated. ‘A summary of the pre-and post-test results for the questions pertaining to financial issues, drawn from the tables above (both Ironman and 21 Day Fast), can be illustrated in the following table. The responses to each question have been grouped together into two groups for each question. For the question concerning tithing, “1-2” indicates the responses “Do not tithe” and “tithe occasionally,” while “3-5” indicates normal (10%) tithing, consistent giving above the tithe, and 20+% giving. For questions 7-9, “1-2” indicates the lowest two responses, “poor” and “fair,” while “3-5” indicates19 “acceptable,” “good”, and “excellent.” A decrease in the “1-2" bracket with a corresponding increase in the “3-5” bracket could therefore be seen as positive, while the Feverse would be negative. This grouping together of responses both simplifies data analysis for easy perusal and respects the nature and purpose of the study, i.e. the gauging ofa shift from want to prosperity in the wake of a period of fasting. Table 16, Summary of Pre- and Post-Test Results by Percentage Ironman Revival 21 Day Fast Before After Difference Before After Difference Tithing: 12 34% 23% “11% 27% = 19% 8% 35 6% 7% +10% B% 81% 48% Finances (#7): 12 37% 31% 6% 44% 23% -21% 35 63% 69% +6% 51% 78% 421% Giving(#8): 12 19% 14% 5% 1% 10% -™% 35 80% 85% +5% 83% 89% © 46% Income(#9): 12 34% 25% 9% 38% 21% = -17% 38 66% 74% +8% 02% 80% © +18% A view of the percentages placed side by side is striking. After prayer and fasting, every question concerning finance and giving received and increase in positive response. In addition, the responses proceeding from the 21 Day Fast, a period focused more upon the120 fasting aspect, reflect a sharper upturn than even the already positive responses from the Ironman. The only question with a lesser upswing is the first, concerning tithing practices. A possible explanation for this is that the Ironman Prayer Revival preceded the 21 Day fast by only a few months. Those who were sensitive and teachable may have already changed their habits in this area, leaving a narrower field of those open to change during the later fast. Many pastors and church leaders would be very satisfied with the percentages in place at the beginning of the 21 Day fast, much less at the end. In the end, it must be stated that the original hypothesis is strongly supported by these data. A large number of participants, conditioned for fasting for over a decade, responded to a survey, fasted for a prolonged period, then responded again. In response to every query about finances and giving (clearly a matter related to financial confidence), there was a significant upswing in the group on a whole. Given the anonymous nature of the study, the results must obviously be interpreted on a community wide level. Yet churches operate as communities, and pastors deal with them as such. Given these responses, the hypothesis should be seen as validated through the research process. Tes ies Ifall the surveys and the conclusion of the project say prosperity will follow fasting, and there are no results or testimonies, itis in vain. As the saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding.” The proof there is a relationship between fasting and prosperity is found in the lives of the people who fast. On the back of the surveys taken at the end of the Ironman and the 21-Day Fast there was a place for personal testimonies. A few of them are a few listed. “Lam seventy years old and am active. Ihave more energy than many that are younger than I am. During the Ironman, I fasted two or more days a week for forty days.” “I was given an automobile.” “L sold my automobile.”121 “After the death of my son, the privilege of having his three children near us was denied by his ex-wife. During the fast, she appeared at my work and we were able to share our love and see the children. Praise God.” “During the fast, God healed my six month-old grandson. He had two operations. He had an open-heart surgery and four birth defects were repaired. My daughter and her family have been strengthened through this and her father-in-law was saved. He was Lutheran and is now attending church with my daughter.” “Thave been healed of Bell’s Palsy.” “quit drinking and smoking.” “ fasted ten days. God blessed me and I received $950. { was able to buy some much needed shoes, three pair. Thank God.” “During the 21 day fast, I was believing to find my biological mother. I was adopted and need closure. In addition, my job did not pay the amount I needed. My husband told me I had to get a different job. A few days after the fast, I found out the name of my biological mother. I told a friend who worked in a doctor’s office. She acted so surprised. ‘A lady with that name was in our office yesterday,’ she said. I contacted her and sure enough, she was my mother. I also met my sisters and brother. [led my sister to Christ. By the way, I was promoted to the head of my department at the department store. Praise the Lord.” One of the most outstanding miracles happened to a young couple named Ricky and Melissa Shapiro. They were both from a difficult background. He had never met his father before and she had not seen her dad in years. They were $10,000 in debt. They fasted 21 days believing to get out of debt. At the close of the fast, Ricky and Melissa planted a seed offering of $100. That night Ricky had a dream. Pastor Rodgers was handing out crowns, and two were for Ricky and Melissa. One had a dollar amount of $10,000 on it, the other another large sum of money. He reached up and received the122 crowns. He put the $10,000 crown on himself and the other on his wife. He woke up and told his wife, “God is getting us out of debt.” ‘When the fast was over, Melissa felt she should visit her father in Virginia and forgive him for leaving them as children. They forgave one another and were restored. AAs she was leaving, he gave her a gift of $10,000. Then told her he had paid child support, but because their mother moved a lot, the government had not known where to send it. He contacted the government, and she received over $4,000 of the child support. ‘They told their testimony in church, and it was telecast live. At the close of the service, a man met Ricky in the lobby of the church. “Ricky, I saw you on television telling your story. Iam your father.” Not only did Ricky find his father, but also his dad had been saved in our church and baptized. He attends our church at an earlier service. They were completely restored. Another remarkable story involved a missionary couple. Both the husband and wife fasted 40 days, believing for the scholarship money for their son to attend an expensive Christian college. About a month after the fast was over, their son was offered $10,000 a year for four years to attend college in-state. Since he was believing God to provide the money for him to attend the Christian college out of state, and had fasted himself, he tured the money down. He knew God had a specific plan for his life. Around a month later, and exactly two months to the day after the 40 day fast was completed, over $20,000 came in to meet the need within a single 12 hour period from various sources. These scholarships and gifts represent a full-ride scholarship for their son to go to school. ‘There was a business man fasted 45 days during the Ironman period. He needed a financial miracle for his company. At the end of the fasting period, he was approved for a 3.4 million dollar loan at 4.5% interest. The refinancing process reduced his payment twenty thousand dollars a month.CHAPTER 6 RESPONSES TO FINDINGS Interpretations of Results This study has brought more spiritual insight on the areas of fasting than any book that is available today. The interpretations of the results have been eye-opening, conceming the strong correlation between fasting and finances and prosperity. There is a power released when people humble themselves through fasting to God. For over thirty years, I have personally fasted and developed the theory of how blessings follow a life of fasting through my own experiences. However, whenever I would discuss this with others it seemed there was no cohesive biblical argument that could prove or disprove my theory. This study brought my beliefs into focus, proving some things on this subject and disproving others. After conducting the survey, there is now data that provides clear evidence that shows there is a relationship between fasting and financial blessing that will follow. First, two types of fasting programs were used for the project, the “Iron Man 40 Day Prayer Revival” and the “21 Day Fast.” Both events are tremendous. There are strengths in each event that the other does not provide. The Iron Man involves more people than the 21 Day Fast, and although there is not the intensity of longer fasting, but there are other benefits. There is a greater involvement with the young people during the Iron Man. This is so because parents are often reluctant to allow their children to go completely without food since they are afraid they could harm themselves. However, they encourage their children to be apart of a prayer event that involves hundreds of other young people. It is not intimidating for their children to go on a partial or short fast. 123124 The fron Man brings hundreds of people to the church to pray everyday. Ordinarily these people would not come if it were not for this event. Usually if people do not come to the church to pray, most will not be able to keep the commitment. For forty days, people rearrange their schedule to seek God. When God is put frst, things will always change in people’s lives. The 21 Day Fast, however, has even more powerful results. The results come quickly and are often more dramatic. People are involved in a radical event that causes an ‘equally radical change. It affects everything. When someone does not eat for 21 days, they lose weight quickly. They do not lose a few pounds, but often lose between 15 and 50 pounds, depending on their body weight and the type of fast they are involved in. When one does not spend money on food there is extra money. Now the blood is not in the stomach and one thinks more clearly and creatively. Spiritually, a person becomes more aware of God and Satan. Their spiritual ears often are in tune to the voice of God and they receive direction more clearly than before. Seldom is there an area the Lord does not deal with a person about. Change always comes. Physical changes, mental changes, and social and spiritual changes happen on a fast that do not take place any other way. The 21 Day Fast becomes a life changing, unforgettable event. As God deals with life change, this includes finances. People who do not tithe or give sparingly become more generous. A recent national average of tithing in the church was only eighteen percent. While Evangel was at sixty-six percent, after the fast it rose to seventy-seven percent. That shows that tithing is a spiritual act that God deals with when someone humbles themselves. There is a great promise of blessing in Malachi 3:8-12. The “opening of the windows of heaven” is a promise God reserves only to one who gives 10% to the Lord. If the only effect of fasting were to encourage someone to tithe who had not before, this would be enough to produce financial increase. That is to say, fasting has helped to bring a blessing just if it gets someone to tithe. Through this survey, however, we see that powerful direct effects come when one fasts.125 ‘The question, “How would you rate your current financial status?” had a 42% shift from the beginning of the fast until the ending period. The survey was given out the last day of the fast, and at that point, there was already a major increase. Why? What happened to cause this? Is it just coincidence? The one thing all these people had in common is they were fasting. Did fasting attract financial increase? The answer is yes it did. God promised it would. The other 58% will receive their increase as the days go on. This is because the blessing from fasting is not just a cause and effect relationship. This is a promise from God. For 21% of the participants to shift from a lower financial status toa higher level in a three-week period means people had already received promotions on their jobs, inheritances, and unexpected financial blessings, and they did so in short order. For one’s “current financial status” to increase, it means more finances. The question, “How would you rate your income level?”, showed a 37% rise from the start of the fast until the end. ‘The Iron Man showed a 17% increase for the same question. The Iron Man also had a longer period for the prosperity to manifest. For 17% of the people to show a higher rate of increase is good, but a 37% is obviously much better. It demonstrates the power that fasting to increase prosperity. The Iron Man is intensified prayer with some fasting. The 21 Day Fast is intensified fasting with prayer. ‘The one emphasis prayer and fasting is secondary. The other puts the emphasis of fasting only. The difference is 37% verses 17%. In this situation, fasting produced double the blessing. Conclusions My conclusions about fasting have been broadened by this project. I see fasting as a major key to God’s blessing, but not the only key. Fasting alone will not produce the desired result of prosperity. Fasting is a team player that does things that nothing else can do. If Jesus could have received the same results without fasting forty days, He would126 never have fasted. Prayer alone could not produce the same results or Jesus would have just prayed. Why did Jesus fast? Because there were added benefits that came only through fasting. If Jesus would not have fasted, many of the miracles in the Bible would not have happened. He fasted, because some results will come no other way. The same is true for the church today. For maximum results, fasting should be done corporately. Group fasting is much ‘more powerful than private fasting. First ofall, itis easier to fast when others are fasting with you. Second, there is a unity and closeness that nothing else can bring. A bonding takes place when a group goes without food for spiritual reasons. This bond is a spiritual bond and is very difficult to break. Third, there is group anointing that is released. If one person gets a breakthrough in any area, others will get the same blessing. If one person gets a new job, others will get new jobs in short order. If one is healed of cancer, there will be others healed of the same disease. One shares each others blessings. This makes the group fast more exciting and powerful than a private fast. Your victory becomes everyone’s victory. Your financial blessing allows others to get a financial blessing. Itis further concluded that the principles of Matthew 6 play an important role in the release of prosperity. The passage speaks of three duties of every Christian. These include giving, praying, and fasting. After each of these disciplines is mentioned the identical promise is quoted three times: “Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward. you openly.” This passage occurs in verses 4, 6, and 18, Reward is mentioned three different times, that is to say, there is a separate reward when one prays, gives and fasts. The implication is that there is an exponential reward when one does all three. One will never see the maximum reward if fasting is not included. Talso conclude that God wants His people to fast and uses motivational rewards to get them to do so. One of those rewards is prosperity. In the Luke 6:38 passage, God promises increase as a motivational method to get people to provide for the ministry. The127 same is true with prayer. Prayer for everything was taught by not only Christ, but also Paul and the early church. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6) “Everything” includes finances. If these other two disciplines are used to receive blessing, why would fasting not do the same thing? Fasting is the third leg of the triangle. To not expect the same results with fasting is crippling oneself to a means of blessing. Recommendations To Improve the Project ‘The aspect of this project that should have been done differently is the elimination, of one of the fasting surveys. Though it has been helpful to see the results of both fasting processes, it became very difficult to manage both fasts. An interesting approach would be to take two groups over a time period. One group would pray only, while the other group would pray and fast for the same period. The results would then be analyzed. Dr. David Yonggi Cho relates that the secret of breaking poverty off Korea in the early days was fasting and prayer. His mother-in-law was a co-pastor and required all the pastors to fast. The results were a powerful spiritual and financial revival in Korea, Korea’s economy rose from the rubble of war to become one of the most modern financial and industrial powers in the world today. He credits the power of prosperity with long periods of fasting. Pastor Cho said there were ten thousand millionaires in his church and one billionaire. All of these men became wealthy after they came to his church. It would be a powerful study to see the long-term effects of fasting as it breaks poverty in a Third World country. For Further Research Fasting materials are very limited. Most libraries do not have materials on fasting, and of the books that are available, most are old and out of date. It has been very difficult128 to-even find articles on fasting in magazines. Not only are writings on the subject very limited, but the publications that would carry the subject are often specialized and not available in most libraries. Much of the biblical research must be done through personal examination of the text itself. Fasting has been a focal point in our ministry. In the beginning days of pastoring, personal and corporate fasting was done for survival. The church was going through very difficult times and fasting was the road God showed us to follow. Since that period, we have planned fasting days. There is the 21-Day Fast in January, the Iron Man in September, an Easter fast, one day a week fasts, the August half-fast and the three-day miracle fasts. Itis very important that this discipline does not become an exercise in legalism. Like any other religious practice, it can lose its freshness and meaning. There was a period of time fasting became a weight to the church. At that time, the church backed off from intense fasting days and the joy of fasting returned. For Implementation in Ministry Simply put, the spiritual leader must get the people to fast. How does he or she do this? First, the pastor must set a strong example through personal fasting. The people will ‘generally only fast to the extent the pastor does. Concern with the “privacy” of the fast in a communal situation is no longer a concer; as the pastor declares a fast, he or she must participate in it. Second, the fast should be heavily promoted. Promotion should begin months in advance and should include a particular theme to motivate the people and enable them to focus their faith, An aimless fast is bound to fail when the hunger pangs set in. Announcements, printed materials, and banners can all help to raise the level of faith and expectation for a communal fast.129 Third, the fast must be implemented at the same time each year to yield strong long-term results. At first things will be slow and in many cases relatively few will fast for long periods. Over time, however, more will join the fast. The church leadership should build the time or times of fasting into the annual calendar for best results. In time, this strategy will bear fruit. Finally, the fasts should involve extensive meetings, an emphasis upon communion and repentance, special prayer, and other activities that foster a sense of unity and purpose. The time of fasting should end with a special “miracle service,” a time through which people can release their faith and believe God for their miracle. This service may include any combination of prayer lines, special offerings, tag-team prayer messages, and other symbolic acts that lift the believers and encourage them in spiritual victory. Ifthe time of fasting is pursued annually, this meeting will ultimately become the highlight of the year, surpassing even Christmas and Easter services. Theological Reflections My theological position on fasting has been strengthened through this project. ‘The fasting thesis was to produce a measured relationship between fasting and prosperity. Biblically, fasting has been used to break the bondage of poverty throughout the Word of God. The story in 1 Kings 17 of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath is one of the most powerful illustrations of fasting coupled with the giving and prayer. It produced a blessing of 19,000 times the handful of meal. Also, Joel is one of the most detailed books that speak of poverty and role fasting played to change the captivity ofthe nation of Israel. In Matthew 17 and Mark 9 there is the story of the boy witha demon the disciples could not cast out. Jesus told them this kind of devil could only come out when one adds fasting to their prayers. There are certain types of devils that are cast out more easily130 when we apply fasting. We believe that there are demons of poverty. These spirits of darkness keep people in gross lack that is broken when the gospel is preached. Part of the liberating message of Christ is the teaching about the spiritual discipline of fasting. This is one of the most powerful weapons we have against the demonic world. India is a perfect example. In the area of Madras, church tradition tells us that the Apostle Thomas was martyred for preaching the gospel. The Indian church was first established in the southem part of the nation. Hinduism, the dominant religion in India, has over thirty million gods. Idolatry and the demonic forces behind the worship of these gods hold the people in poverty. Yet the wealthiest and most prosperous areas of India is in the south where the gospel is the strongest. The light drives out the darkness. Fasting is weapon against the devils of poverty. The breaking of a spirit of lack is one of the first manifestations to show itself when one fasts. Fasting changes one’s attitudes. The fasting process allows God to point out areas of our lives that are not in line with the Bible, Deuteronomy 8:2 -3 says, “Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee....And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not.” God hates a proud look. If someone is going to prosper, they can not be proud. If God blesses the proud, He puts His stamp of approval on pride. One must humble themselves if they want God to prosper them. “Therefore, he resists the proud, but gives grace to the lowly” (James 4:6) God used fasting to humble the Israelites, and He also uses it to humble people today. One’s attitude affects everything about them, and fasting goes right to the core of an attitude. While seeking God during a fast, a light is placed on one’s own spirit. ‘After completing this project, my initial ideas have changed. It was discovered in this study that fasting plays an important role in prosperity, but not the only role. Other factors must also come into play. However, fasting is a factor, and often the missing spiritual piece to the puzzle in many people’s lives.