In The Heavenly Man, Brother Yun recounts his constant dealings with Chinese authorities, persecution and several periods of his life in prison. While imprisoned, his ministry did not stop. He warned his followers not to pray for his immediate release until God was finished with him in prison. Yun wrote in The Heavenly Man, “I knew I’d be released from prison as soon as my ministry in that place was completed, not a minute sooner and not a minute later.” In his final experience in prison, Yun was given a 7 year sentence but released on the seventh day of the seventh month.
Yun is far from a perfect human being, but his life is inspiring and full of remarkable events and miracles. Through all the miracles and events, Yun seems like a man who is simply trying to carry out God’s will.
One of the more eye opening parts of the book is not the physical persecution and the beatings to the point of nearly dying, not to discredit those but from reading about the book I expected him to talk about his experiences. What was startling for me, was when Yun faces persecution from churches in the west as well as reports of opposition from other believers in China. I say reports because much the persecution he faces from churches in China after the release of the book has been denied by the people supposedly persecuting him. It’s quite possible that the pamphlets that try and reduce his credibility could have been produced by the Chinese government that so opposed his ministry.
Yun’s life is incredible, full of ministry, persecution and a yielding to God’s will. By most accounts it would seem extreme and rare, yet to me this story is simply a man carrying out what Jesus demands we do. This book is a must read.
