Not
too long ago, Nigerians were shocked when a prophecy by the revered man
of God, TB Joshua, failed to hold water. In this thrilling write-up,
Osagie Ogunbor delves into the matter again.
TB Joshua
It is a tough task for anyone to defend Pastor TB Joshua these
days. Just when you think the worst is over for him, he plunges into
more self-destruct. His latest misadventure was needless. Though many
Nigerians keenly followed the US presidential election, I am not sure
anyone expected any significant change in our fortunes or misfortunes no
matter who won. We liked the drama, the twists and turns, the scandals,
the accusations and counteraccusations, the debates and permutations.
In some way, the US election reminded us of what we are not. The
transparency and perhaps the entertainment value provided us some
respite from the gloom and doom that have become our reality.
But for Joshua, this was an opportunity to shine and redeem an
image that has taken a bashing on many fronts in recent times. Obviously
relying on polls and media coverage that gave it overwhelmingly to the
Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, the man of God as we call them
here declared that God had showed him that the next President of the
United States would be Clinton. To be fair to the prophet, he really did
not categorically mention the name Hilary Clinton. What he said was
that a woman would win. So, I have been trying to make excuses for our
embattled prophet but I must confess that the more I try, the more my
logic flies in the face of common sense.
So, what if Joshua was merely speaking in parables? Do we not know
that men of God do not speak literal language? Are we not aware of the
several parables Jesus told which even confounded the supposedly learned
Pharisees and Sadducees of his time? Has it not occurred to many of us
that Joshua might have been speaking in parables when he said a woman
would win the US election? Maybe, the prophet’s message was that we
might have a sitting male President in Donald Trump but the buttons of
power would be pushed behind the scenes by a woman – maybe Melania, his
wife, or Ivanka, his daughter. Did we not see that Ivanka sat in at his
recent meeting with the Japanese leader? Maybe, this is what the prophet
meant when he said we do not operate at his spiritual frequency and
therefore cannot understand spiritual messages laden in parables. Well,
this prophesy did not sound like a parable. Joshua said a woman would
win. He did not say a woman would wield great power over the sitting
president. If that was the case, why didn’t he say so especially as he
knew he was talking to spiritual infants that need spoon feeding. Again,
does Trump’s personality suggest in anyone’s wildest imagination that
he would be a puppet for anyone? Far from it. So, my argument that this
prediction might have just been a parable of some sort clearly falls
flat against any reasonable logic. But I did not give up.
So, what if the man of God was merely referring to the popular
votes which won? In this case, his explanation might be that the US
Electoral College was unknown to the spiritual realm where he operates.
In fact, Joshua toed this line in the face of social media backlash
after it emerged that Clinton had lost. The argument was not only
laughable, it worsened a bad situation as many thought it was proof of
how naïve these so-called religious leaders think we are. How can a man
who was so specific to the point of predicting that the female winner of
the election would have problems working with the US Congress when she
assumes office, then turn around with this electoral versus popular vote
nonsense?
As I thought more about the US Electoral College system, it dawned
on me that maybe, we have been too hasty in concluding that the election
had been won and lost. Technically, the votes of the people do not
directly elect the President of the US. It is the Electoral College
electors that elect the President. Since the election results were
announced, there’s been some talk about a possible revolt by the
electors in the Electoral College who will formally vote on December 19.
What if 37 electors decide to desert Trump to deprive him of his
majority Electoral College lead? Joshua would have been proved right.
But wait a minute, even in the event of a most unlikely Electoral
College revolt, the Presidency would not automatically be handed over
Clinton but it would deprive Trump of 270 votes and then throw the
election to the GOP-controlled House of Representatives. Will the
Republicans throw away this lifetime opportunity and proclaim Clinton,
President? Well, this is quite possible in dreamland, not today’s
America.
In my desperate bid to defend the prophet, I asked myself more
questions. What if this prophet truly heard from God and somehow God
changed His mind? Have we not read in the Bible of instances where God
sent prophets to deliver a particular message only to change His mind
and cause the prophet much embarrassment?
Jonah was one such prophet. We all know the popular Sunday School
story of how Jonah tried to avoid prophesying to the people of Nineveh
but got swallowed by a fish that eventually berthed him on the shores of
Nineveh after three days and three nights. Jonah eventually delivered
God’s message to the people of Nineveh that they will be destroyed for
their wickedness and sinful life. It did not happen. The people prayed
and even compelled all their animals and pets to fast. God spared them
but Jonah was so embarrassed that he begged God to take his life for “it
is better for me to die than to live,” he said (Jonah 4: v2)
As if Joshua was reading my mind, he was recently reported as
telling his congregation that God simply changed his mind following the
prayer of the American people. The Republicans heard that a notable
cleric in Nigeria had prophesied a Clinton victory. So, just like the
people of Nineveh declared total prayer to avert the wrath of God, the
Trump camp declared total fasting and prayers to avert a Clinton
victory. How ridiculous. So, in the last three weeks, Joshua has given
three explanations of the same prophecy. First, he tried to deny the
reality that he had goofed by making the popular votes argument; then,
he declared that we do not operate in his spiritual wavelength and
cannot therefore understand his message. The latest is that God changed
his mind after one group of supporters prayed.
These must be tough times for the cleric’s Public Relations and
reputation management team. It is about time they told him to keep quiet
and save what’s left of his depleting personal brand equity. It is
tough enough to defend a prophet who claimed he could see the winner of
the US election but could not even foresee the collapse of parts of his
church building which led to the death of several worshippers and then
he turned around and blamed the tragedy on a hovering aircraft within
the church airspace.
As illogical as this hovering aircraft argument sounds, the teeming
worshippers at the Synagogue may have swallowed it hook line and
sinker. Just as they would have swallowed the popular votes theory, the
story about God changing His mind and anything else that proceeds from
the mouth of Prophet Joshua. They would tell you how a prophet is with
honour except in his home; how the Lord commands us to “touch not His
anointed and do His prophet no harm”. And don’t be surprised if these
are some of the most popular biblical verses in your church. Our
religious leaders know their flock and they strategically propagate
these self-serving verses for a reason. It’s the only way they can get
away with murder.
*****
- Ogunbor wrote in from Lagos via oogunbor@gmail.com
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