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Ria's Corner

edwdekock@hotmail.com               12916 Los Terrazos Boulevard

Website: propheticum.com                                       Edinburg, TX 78541

December 30, 2022 / March 2023

Most precious family and friends,

I include, for your information, what will hopefully appear in our local newspaper soon. An intellectual and spiritual giant has fallen!  Our most precious one fell asleep in Jesus, on Wednesday evening. December 14. He had a mass in the pelvic area, but fortunately suffered no pain, for which we praise God. He had spent only a few days in the local Rio Grande Hospital and Amara Hospice, and I was amazed at how quickly he grew weaker and died. By God's wonderful grace our two sons, Andre and Carl, and two of our three grandchildren were still here, though all three had been here earlier to tell him how much they loved him. Friends from the area churches had come to make music and pray with him, and he was bathed in God's tender love. The prayers of God's people have carried me on their wings, so I can only glorify God for His unfailing goodness to me. 

A celebration of life is planned for the first Sabbath of 2023 at 6 p.m.in the Edinburg Church, Wisconsin Road, Edinburg, by the area pastors. Instead of flowers Ria would appreciate a contribution to our prophetic ministry, which I hope to carry on with the help of Andre and a few friends.

OBITUARY (an excerpt of which appeared in The Monitor)

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/themonitor/name/edwin-kock-obituary?id=38519361

Edwin de Kock

3-9-1930 - 12-14-2022

Born in Matatiele, Kwa-Zulu, Natal, South Africa, the 7^th of 9 children, on March 9, 1930, to Josias Alexander and Suzana de Kock.

Edwin wanted only to be a poet. And he was an excellent one in three languages, namely English, Afrikaans, and the international language Esperanto, in which he became world famous among Esperantists. 

In 1950 he graduated from Helderberg College, South Africa, cum laude, with a diploma in Theology. He did not get a call into the ministry, so went on to get a Teacher's Diploma from Trinity College, London, and later his M.A. with honors, from the University in Port Elizabeth, in Afrikaans and Dutch Literature. These qualified him to become an excellent teacher. Of the 13 languages he knew, he taught in English, Afrikaans, German, French, and Dutch. He also knew Greek, Hebrew, and Latin.

Edwin married his devoted wife Ria on December 26, 1954, and they would have been married for 68 years had he lived a few days longer! They taught college on three continents: South Africa, South Korea, and here in the United States. After moving to Edinburg in 1996 they both taught English at STC and UTPA until retirement.

Since the age of five he had been fascinated by the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. So after his retirement he spent the last twenty years of his life as a Historicist prophetic writer, producing five outstanding books on prophecy. His first book, which became a best seller, is Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History (2001), which alas is out of print at present, but is available in Spanish. His magnum opus of 600 pages is The Truth about 666 and the Story of the Great Apostasy (2013), which also became a best seller. This identifies that notorious number and the entity to which it refers and traces its history from the forged Donation of Constantine to the second coming of Christ. Prophecy foretells the future. History fulfills God's predictions. This is proof the Bible is true.

Edwin learnt Esperanto in the mid 1950s and published his first anthology of original poems called Kvin Elementoj in 1961. He composed many more collections over the years, culminating in a book-length epic poem called La Konflikto de la Epokoj, which was completed 2015, when he was 85.

He remained a devoted, loving, and humble member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church throughout his life, and fellowshipped in all four of the Valley Adventist Churches at different times. He often preached or conducted Sabbath School classes there. He was a fascinating lecturer and was privileged to lecture in South Africa, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and Russia. Knowing Esperanto enabled Edwin and Ria to visit 27 countries, thereby satisfying their wanderlust without spending more than a few nights in hotels. Most of the time they were hosted free of charge by kind Esperanto friends.

Left to mourn his passing is his loving wife Ria of almost 68 years, with their two sons, Andre (Mirtha) of Redding, California, Carl (Shelley) de Kock of Edinburg, and grandchildren Dr. Edwin (Dalila) de Kock, Joseph (Taffy) de Kock, and Rose de Kock. Additionally a host of nieces, nephews, friends and admirers from all over the world are sorrowing too.

His funeral arrangements were made with Legacy Chapels.

A celebration of life by all the area English Seventh-day Adventist churches will be held at the Edinburg Church, Wisconsin Road, on the first Sabbath of January, at 6 p.m. Instead of flowers, Ria would appreciate donations for carrying on their prophetic ministry, and publishing his last book, a memoir.

The family deeply appreciates the love and dignity with which he was treated by the kind staff at the Rio Grande Regional Hospital and Amara Hospice. We sorrow not as those who have no hope, but with him await the coming of the Life-giver on the clouds of heaven, when all who hear His voice will come from the grave to receive the glorious everlasting life. Friend, we would so love to have you there with us.  

Just a few days after typing the above words Andre had to rush me to emergency room with wheezing and shortness of breath. After most of a week in hospital on antibiotics I was sent to rehab to regain my strength. I go to the gym for half an hour each day before feeling bushed. Naturally I want to get strong and go home. I was also very keen for you to know what happened to us, so your valued prayers will speed up my recovery. To do that I went to the additional expense of getting a laptop which I am gingerly learning to use.

From the rehab I was rushed over to the Edinburg Hospital just across the road with Covid! Six days later and I’m back at the rehab and trying to get strong and healthy enough to go home. Please pray for me and our family.

I now realize how I managed to work myself into burnout during the months since my sweetheart took sick in April. We did not know he actually had a cancerous mass in his groin, but as he was sitting in the house, becoming weaker because it was undermining his appetite and immune system, that he was actually dying already. I nursed him as faithfully as my own delicate health permitted, becoming exceedingly tired and sometimes even, to my sorrow a bit impatient at his increasing demands. But I was suffering from burnout and didn’t last well, but fell asleep before seven at night because he called me on the phone at night, Sometimes I could hardly wake up to go to him!

But by the time he eventually made it to the ER and hospital, he was already very far gone, then got sent to hospice where he died five days later. Eventually he was not able to communicate anymore and lay silently while we assured him of our love, I was so happy our sons were there for him and that Andre’s three children were here too. God carried us through by the prayers of the saints. But once the pressure of daily visitation was off, it was as though my body said, OK, now’s your time to take a break by making me sick. 

I was so very privileged to attend Edwin’s Celebration of Life in my wheelchair with oxygen  and a good mask. The four area churches co-operated beautifully for a most wonderful and deeply meaningful service. The four local pastors all took part, the music was wonderful, and Andre our son put together the lovely life sketch and photos which screened while our old friend from the local university, Dr. Doug LaPrade, read the sketch which was also printed on the program, so people could read it for themselves afterwards. For me especially seeing all our faithful old friends and getting the hugs I have been missing out on, were a huge plus! After the celebration the friends enjoyed a lovely meal prepared for them by the saints. It was a celebration I would not have missed for anything in  the world. The next day friends from Cuba reported how they had been able to listen in tearfully too!

You will be happy to know we received various amounts for the furtherance of our ministry, and that as a result 10 boxes of Cristo y Anticristo will soon be sent to Cuba for our pastors there. 

As funds become available, we are planning to send a much larger shipment of these books for the same purpose.

Since going to Cuba, in 2014, our hearts have been captivated by these precious suffering people. Our pastors earn about $25 to $30 per month and food prices have skyrocketed lately. Please pray for these downtrodden people and their salvation from their present plight of either Catholic or Santeria, or of course, nothing!

Thank you for your love, prayers, support, and tribute to my precious Edwin. We look forward to embracing on the sea of glass!

Since I typed the above, I have been at death’s door and unable to escape. The feeling of utter helplessness drove me to more Bible reading and prayer, and eventually to asking my pastor, Encile Brown, to come and anoint and pray for me. He did this yesterday, on February 14, two months after the departure of my beloved sweetheart.

When I was discharged from hospital after my most recent stay I read my diagnosis and realized why I was put into home hospice care. 

My heart and lungs are in very bad shape which explains why I feel so fatigued all the time. I have come to terms with my not being around for Christmas, but I’m not afraid of death because I long for my new glorious body promised me by my Savior.

My son, Andre, will be involved in our ministry and is planning on adding electronic versions of some of Edwin’s books.

Also, our wonderful Br. Lewis has most generously taken over the costs for our Website, propheticum.com.

We can’t thank Lewis enough for this or for being our Webmaster. 

Meantime, please pray with us for our precious brother Michael, our previous Webmaster, who is in the throes of the cruel Parkinson’s late stage.

On the 9th my precious Edwin would have turned 93. Even when dying already he prayed at morning worship, please give me more time to work for Thee! He was obsessed with getting the good news out to the perishing!

Dr Gerard Damsteegt and his wife love The Truth about 666 of which we now have only a few copies left at home. We do, however, still have many copies of Use and Abuse, Seven Heads and Ten Horns and A More Sure Word of Prophecy.

Boxes of the 666 book are with various friends in the States. I’m so very happy with a host of friends who send me encouraging messages and pray for me that I will not be overwhelmed by my condition and the weakness inherent in my situation.

I’m so very fortunate to have my son Andre to take care of me and help with my financial affairs and ministry.

Precious friend, in spite of my own keen suffering, I have been praying for you daily. Please drop me a line so I can see how things are with you. May our faithful and compassionate Father hold you as tightly in His loving arms as He has been holding me! I look forward to seeing you all in that glorious morning when death will be swallowed up in victory.

Your loving forever friend, Ria