The Following Is From

Daniel I. Kikawa's Book

PERPETUATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

With the permission of the author

the following consists of excerpts

from Mr. Kikawa's book. For brevity, we have omitted

the references as cited in his book.

THE MAKAHIKI SYMBOL

The tradition of the ships with white wings may have been the progenitor of the Hawaiians' symbol for Lono during the Makahiki. The Makahiki heralded the time of Lono, the God of Peace. The Makahiki symbol carried during this time was called Father Lono and looked like a square sail. The Polynesians' canoes did not use square sails but triangular sails.

When Captain Cook arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, his ship was resplendent with the symbol of Lono. Cook's ship had sailed around the islands in a clockwise direction, the same direction the symbol of Lono was carried through the islands during the Makahiki. Cook then sailed into Kealakekua (short for Keala ke Akua, meaning The Way of God ) Bay, an area considered sacred to Lono. No wonder the Hawaiians believed him to be Lono! They had always expected Lono, The God of Peace, to arrive during the Makahiki season as the stars had foretold. When the Hawaiians eventually realized that Cook was not Lono, he was killed.

Forty years later, after the death of Kamehameha the Great, Hewahewa, the highest kahuna in Hawai'i and a direct descendent of Pa'ao, became the first to set torch to a heiau and destroy it. When the old evil system was overthrown on the first kapu day announcing the coming Makahiki, Hewahewa, being the high priest, knew the Prince of Peace was on his way.

Hewahewa knew the prophesy given by Kalaikuahulu a generation before. This prophesy said that a communication would be made from heaven (the residence of Ke Akua Mooli, the God of the Hawaiians) by the real God. This communication would be entirely different from anything they had known. The prophecy also said that the kapus of the country would be overthrown. Hewahewa also knew the prophesy of the prophet Kapihe, who announced near the end of Kamehameha's conquests, "The islands will be united, the kapu of the gods will be brought low, and those of the earth (the common people) will be raised up." Kamehameha had already unified the islands, therefore, when the kapus were overthrown, Hewahewa knew a communication from God was imminent.

After the overthrow of the kapu system, Hewahewa retired to Kawaihae, to wait confidently for the coming of a "new and greater God."

With so many ships with white sails coming to Hawaii at that time, how would he know which ship would bring the knowledge of the true God of Peace? He could not have known that, although the missionaries set sail on October 23^rd, one day before the Makahiki began, they would take six months to arrive. Therefore, it was quite prophetic that, when he saw the missionaries' ship off in the distance, he announced "The new God is coming." One must wonder how Hewahewa knew that this was the ship.

Hewahewa departed for Kailua Bay (formally Kaiakeakua—Seaside of God) ahead of the missionaries to await their arrival with the King. After Hewahewa's departure, the missionaries' ship entered Kawaihae. Hewahewa's household told the Hawaiians accompanying the missionaries the astounding news that the kapus had been overthrown! The missionaries ship was then directed to Kailua Bay were the King was in residence.

At Kailua, Hewahewa gave an even more astounding prophecy, he pointed to a rock on the shore and said to the new king, "O king, here the true God will come." When the missionaries arrived at Kailua, they landed their skiff on that very rock! This rock is commonly known as the "Plymouth Rock of Hawai'i.

Hewahewa later retired to Waimea, O'ahu and became one of the first members of the church established there. This church is now located in Haleiwa and is called the Lili'uokalani Protestant Church.

Another prophecy was fulfilled by the coming of the missionaries. At the close of one symbolic Makahiki ceremonies, as the god Lono was placed in a canoe and sent back to Kahiki, a prophecy was given. The Hawaiians had a tradition that one day the real Lono, of whom this was a symbol, would return. The prophecy was that the real Lono god would depart but would return in a small black box. It also said that the people would not know him or recognize the language he spoke. When the missionaries were allowed to land at the "Plymouth Rock of Hawai'i", the first thing they brought ashore was a black bible box. Upon opening the box, no Hawaiian could understand the writing. The Hawaiian priests declared that the prophecy had been fulfilled. Lono, the God of Peace, had finally returned in his new form.