Boer Prophet Nikolaas Van Rensburg - Anglo Boer War (original) (raw)

NICOLAAS PIETER JOHANNES VAN RENSBURG (1862 - 1926)

During the last quarter of the previous century and the first twenty five years of this century, there probably was no-one more famous than Uncle Niklaas van Rensburg, the well-loved prophet (seer).

This simple Boer pioneer possessed the supernatural gift to see into the future - the immediate and distant future - in the form of visual images. He could interpret some of these visions correctly, but many others he could not explain.

Due to this extraordinary God-given gift family members, acquaintances and strangers, even from distant places, visited him with the expectation that he would be able to help them with their problems. He always received them humbly and with modest friendliness and let them leave satisfied.

Boer prophet Nikolaas van Rensburg

He was born on the farm Rietkuil near Ottosdal (then still the farm Korannafontein) on 30 August 1862. There he grew up with his brothers and sisters. Since he was small he was unpretentious and listened attentively to stories from the Bible when his mother read it to him. She cherished high expectations of him as his knowledge of the Bible was surprisingly good.

As shepherd he even took the Bible with him to the veld to read there and to immerse himself in the affairs of old Biblical figures and prophets.

Already from a young age he exhibited prophetical powers and especially surprised his mother.

At the age of sixteen he had to participate in a punishment expedition against Bantu captain, Mapog. He contracted malaria fever and escaped death narrowly.

Due to his extraordinary knowledge of the Bible he was appointed at the age of 21 as elder of the NG Congregation Wolmaranstad (1883). Shortly thereafter he was married to Annie Coetzee in 1884.

After the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War 1899, he and his brother were commanded under Gen. du Toit.

Early, in the first days of the war, Niklaas saw burning Boer residences, woman and children that were murdered. That hellish night he was in an inner conflict and had to return to his farm Rietkuil to recuperate.

After this, the strange visions increased, often he warned the Boer commandos against enemy forces and other visions that literally came true. His co-burghers were convinced that he could see into the future and they started to speak of "Siener van Rensburg", or "Die Siener" (the seer) and of "Die Profeet" (the prophet).

The burghers believed that God gave them a prophet to assist them in their struggle against the enemy.

He did not stay with one commando, but moved from one place to another with his family and everywhere he was a welcome guest.

Gen. Koos de la Rey also got to know this exceptional man, befriended him and also believed in him as seer, a prophet given to the Boer nation by God. He was never captured and went through the whole war.

Already in 1911 he felt the next World War approaching and he revealed it to Comdt. Lucas Steenkamp in Lichtenburg first. He also predicted the rebellion of 1914 and the flu epidemic of 1918. During the rebellion he accompanied Gen. Jan Kemp and often acted as advisor and always pointed the safe road out to the rebel commando. He saw the end of the rebel commando and many other smaller events that happened exactly so.

He also saw the death of Gen. Koos de la Rey. He came to Lichtenburg especially to look up the old general and to warn him. In the specific vision he saw the number "15", the general without a hat, many flowers, a mourning robe over Lichtenburg, a crowd of people, flags half-mast... (De la Rey, Lion of the West - J. Meintjies p. 320 - 324)

He had visions of major activities in Lichtenburg where red dust clouds arose (diggings), diamonds that this sons took out, the victory of the National Party 1924, the depression of 1930 - 32, the symbolic Ox wagon trek, and dozens of visions of events that would happen in the future without him being able to explain it.

The elder he got, the more lonely he was. Many of his later visions were committed to paper by his daughter, Mrs. Anna Badenhorst of Rietkuil, the family farm - two exercise books full.

Nicolaas Pieter Johannes van Rensburg died on 11 March 1926, at the age of 64.

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