Born in Xiangshan County, Zhejiang Province, Mr. Huang Detang (1886-1981) was a faithful servant of God, preaching the gospel barefoot and fasting every morning. Here are the stories about the death of his wife and son in his life.
His wife passed away when he forgot the Lord’s grace, far away from Him.
His life became enjoyable and corrupt when he was busy making money every day after he employed clerks, apprentices, long-term workers, and maids to be a boss.
God disciplined him, as his wife suddenly died and the business was sluggish due to years of famine and grain harvest failure in the rural areas.
When his wife was forty-seven years old, she said she felt cold, so he went to ask someone to slaughter a pig for the Spring Festival. Going all the way back, he thought about a past dream in which he had only 28 years of spousal relationship with his wife. He could not eat food or even sleep at night, so he woke up in the middle of the night and wrote to his eldest son in Nanjing, asking him to quickly return home.
On the third day of the first lunar month, his wife said that she was going to die that night. He asked her at what time. She said she would leave with a sedan chair carrying her when the cock crowed. Sure enough, she died at that time.
That night, a nephew also dreamed of a blue sedan chair carrying her. He asked in his dream, "Auntie, where are you going with such bright clothes today?" She replied, "Going to Heaven." When he woke up, it was time for the rooster to crow.
Huang regretted that it was because he forgot God’s grace and his promise that his wife was called back to the heavenly home when his son Fang Han was only 7 years old, and Fangzheng 13.
Then his youngest son died after he prayed for three sick persons.
He made the same prayers when he was invited to pray for an only son of an elder, a believer, and the wife of a deacon: "Lord, choose one of my four sons to die for him/her.” Eventually, all these dying people lived.
After some time, his youngest son, Fang Han, aged 23, suddenly died. Feeling very sad, he prayed to God, "Lord! Why did you take away Fang’s life? He was such a smart, filial, and God-fearing person whom I brought up since his childhood, as my wife passed away when I was middle-aged."
The Lord answered, "This is what you just asked for. He died for three people you have prayed for. He was the most suitable, as he did not have a family. You would have been sadder if I had chosen a different son." At that time, he had nothing to say, as God was more thoughtful than him.
(The article is compiled by a 93-year-old elder in True God Church in Xiao Town, Fenghua, Zhejiang, adjusted according to the original text.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
袁长老信语（10）：一子换三命
我们来看看黄德堂先生记述他当年为去世的人祈祷：他在为一个教会长老的独养儿子，一个个信徒和一个教会执事的妻子祷告的时候，恳求神，“主啊，祢可以在我的四个儿子中任选一个代替他死”，病得将死的人活了。
过了些日子，黄德堂先生的小儿子方翰才二十三岁，突然去世。黄先生得到这样的消息，非常伤心，于是，向主评理祷告说：主啊！“因为这孩子是我把他养大的，（黄先生中年丧妻）很聪明、孝顺、又敬畏神”。
主的回答：“这是你自己说的，我用三个换你一个还不行？再说方翰最合适，他没成家，要换了別的，怕你更伤心”。 当时黄先生无话可说，还是神想得多。
袁长老信语（11）：黄德堂先生的见证：妻离人间
我们继续分享黄先生的见证。因为这是发生在旧中国的事情
店里雇用了帐房、学徒、长工、女佣，我已成了老板。生活开始享乐腐化，天天忙于赚钱，把主的恩典和自己的许愿都忘记了。
主管教我，随着农村连遭荒年，粮食欠收，生意萧条，接着，妻也去世。
妻在四十七岁那年，她有些怕冷，我去叫人宰猪过年。一路走一路回想过去有异梦，说我们有二十八年的夫妻情分。饭也吃不下，夜里睡不着，半夜起来，写信给在南京的大儿子，叫他急速回来。
到正月初三，妻说，她今夜要去世。我和她坐着谈谈，问她在什么时候去？她说在鸡叫时动身。果然鸡叫时，她去世了，还说有轿子来抬她。
有一个侄子，这天夜里，梦见一顶蓝色的呢轿，把我妻抬去。他梦中问：“阿婶，你今日衣服穿得雪亮，抬哪里去？”她说：“到天家去。”他醒后，正是鸡叫
当我心爱的妻子蒙召归天时，我的儿子方正只有十三岁，方翰只有七岁，心里十分难过。过后反省：是我把主的恩典和自己的许愿都忘记了。
（本文推荐暨整理作者为浙江奉化萧镇真神堂93岁长老，根据原文进行适当调整。）
https://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/57253
https://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/57218
黄德堂先生的见证：儿子和妻子的离奇去世
Born in Xiangshan County, Zhejiang Province, Mr. Huang Detang (1886-1981) was a faithful servant of God, preaching the gospel barefoot and fasting every morning. Here are the stories about the death of his wife and son in his life.
His wife passed away when he forgot the Lord’s grace, far away from Him.
His life became enjoyable and corrupt when he was busy making money every day after he employed clerks, apprentices, long-term workers, and maids to be a boss.
God disciplined him, as his wife suddenly died and the business was sluggish due to years of famine and grain harvest failure in the rural areas.
When his wife was forty-seven years old, she said she felt cold, so he went to ask someone to slaughter a pig for the Spring Festival. Going all the way back, he thought about a past dream in which he had only 28 years of spousal relationship with his wife. He could not eat food or even sleep at night, so he woke up in the middle of the night and wrote to his eldest son in Nanjing, asking him to quickly return home.
On the third day of the first lunar month, his wife said that she was going to die that night. He asked her at what time. She said she would leave with a sedan chair carrying her when the cock crowed. Sure enough, she died at that time.
That night, a nephew also dreamed of a blue sedan chair carrying her. He asked in his dream, "Auntie, where are you going with such bright clothes today?" She replied, "Going to Heaven." When he woke up, it was time for the rooster to crow.
Huang regretted that it was because he forgot God’s grace and his promise that his wife was called back to the heavenly home when his son Fang Han was only 7 years old, and Fangzheng 13.
Then his youngest son died after he prayed for three sick persons.
He made the same prayers when he was invited to pray for an only son of an elder, a believer, and the wife of a deacon: "Lord, choose one of my four sons to die for him/her.” Eventually, all these dying people lived.
After some time, his youngest son, Fang Han, aged 23, suddenly died. Feeling very sad, he prayed to God, "Lord! Why did you take away Fang’s life? He was such a smart, filial, and God-fearing person whom I brought up since his childhood, as my wife passed away when I was middle-aged."
The Lord answered, "This is what you just asked for. He died for three people you have prayed for. He was the most suitable, as he did not have a family. You would have been sadder if I had chosen a different son." At that time, he had nothing to say, as God was more thoughtful than him.
(The article is compiled by a 93-year-old elder in True God Church in Xiao Town, Fenghua, Zhejiang, adjusted according to the original text.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Huang Detang’s Testimony: Deaths of His Wife, Son
