The island of Timor in Indonesia had been nominally Christian since Dutch colonization in the 1600s. But by the 1960s, traditional occult practices still dominated. Over 90% of churchgoers regularly visited witch doctors. Amulets and charms were everywhere. Christianity existed in name only.
Then God moved.
The Timor Revival Begins
In September 1965, just four nights before a nearly successful Communist coup in Indonesia, a rebellious young man in the mountain town of Soe had a vision. The Lord commanded him to repent, burn his fetishes, and confess his sins publicly. He did so on Sunday, September 26, 1965, and challenged others to follow.
Hundreds responded.
That night, something supernatural happened. People heard the sound of a tornado wind. Flames appeared on the church building. Police triggered fire alarms, and crowds came running to extinguish the blaze—but the church was not burning. Many were converted that night. Many were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
Mel Tari, then 18 years old, witnessed this visitation and joined one of over 200 evangelistic teams that formed during the revival.
Supernatural Signs and Wonders
The testimonies that emerged defied natural explanation. Water was reportedly transformed into wine for communion. The blind received sight. The lame walked. Deliverance from demonic powers became commonplace. Some accounts even spoke of people raised from the dead through prayer.
Indonesia Revival Transforms Region
The Reformed Church Presbytery on Timor recorded 80,000 conversions in the first year—half of them former communists. Within three years, over 200,000 had come to Christ. Fifteen thousand permanent healings were documented.
Mel Tari later traveled the world sharing this testimony in his book "Like A Mighty Wind," which has been translated into dozens of languages with millions of copies sold.
"We didn't seek signs and wonders," Tari explained. "We simply obeyed God, and He moved in power. When ordinary people hear God's voice and respond in simple obedience, extraordinary things happen."
The Timor Revival lasted four glorious years and transformed a region. It stands as one of the most remarkable spiritual awakenings of the 20th century.
