There he goes again. Troublemaker. He wants to abuse our prophets, the vessels of God Almighty.
Not so. Let me state from the beginning that I believe in prophecies and prophets. Good, sincere, genuine ones. “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established. Believe His prophets, so shall you prosper,” says the Good Book in 2 Chronicles 20:20.
But when prophets play to the gallery, claim God has said, when God has said nothing, then they expose themselves to ridicule. From such, run away. Show clean pairs of heels.
On Sunday July 11, the final match of Euro 2020 was played between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium in London. The English team had a lot to play for. Since they last won the World Cup in 1966, also on home soil, they had won nothing again. Not even 5-a-Side Felele competition.
Getting to the final of Euro 2020 was thus big deal. Football was coming home, lovers of English soccer, home of the beautiful game, kept chanting. For those who supported Italy, they chanted that football was going Rome. Who would carry the day? Home or Rome?
There is this video that has been making the rounds on social media. Whether genuine or apocryphal, I do not know. But we see a Pastor (or is it Prophet) declaring magisterially on the pulpit that England was going to win the trophy that night. To the applause of his fawning congregation, he repeated the so-called prophecy many times. Lori iro.
Sunday evening came, England scored in the very second minute of the game. They were looking good for the first major soccer diadem since 1966. Till about the 67th minute, when Italy drew blood. Heartbreak.
The match ended a goal apiece in regulation time. An extra 30 minutes produced no further goals. Penalty shootout ensued. Italy scored three of its five kicks, England could tuck in only two. Sadly, the three spot kicks were missed by Black English footballers, who had done so much for the team. Miserable. Dolorous.
Where did it leave our prophet? Blind as a bat. Why did he speak supposedly in the name of the Lord, when he saw nothing, and heard nothing? He just exposed an elevated calling to odium and opprobrium.
The Good Book tells us about the five-fold ministries. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Prophets rank high in the hierarchy. They hear from God, and tell the people. And when it is from God, He watches over His own word to perform it. Only He can change it, no man.
Also last Sunday, a newspaper published on the front page a so-called prophecy that Nigeria would disintegrate, and there’s nothing anybody could do about it. The foretelling was credited to Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, in Lagos.
The Prophet gave the date and time of Nigeria’s unraveling as between 2035 and 2040. A person who wants to give you a fib would say his witness is in Heaven. How many people living now would still be alive in 2035 or 2040? Are we even sure of tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, except by the mercies of God?
And then, why is it always negative, negative, negative prophecies all the time? We are admonished not to despise prophesying (1 Thessalonians 5:20) but then, “by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.” (Hosea 12:13). Prophecies are for our comfort, edification, preservation, not something to frighten the living daylights out of us, and have us on tenterhooks all the days of our life. When you see someone indulging in negatives, run far. To thy tents oh Israel.