2019: Understanding the man in SCOAN

As the world raced to the conclusion of last year, 2018, there was palpable apprehension of what the New Year would hold. For many, it was a mixed bag of uncertainties. There were attempted prophetic insights from various quarters to what 2019 would hold. What had remained constant the world over were the dwindling world economies, insecurity and a general sense of apathy. Yet one man had come out at the beginning of the year 2019, warning and affirming what the year would bring. This man is Prophet T.B. Joshua, the senior cleric at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

In quite unmistakeable terms, barely a week into the year, he had emerged from a prayer mountain to address the world. With a deeply sober mien, he labelled labelled 2019 as “very fearful.” He started by saying, “I am here because I know where I need to grow. When we know where we need to grow, it is victory itself.” The prophet said he was there “to know the mind of God concerning this fearful year 2019 and also to pray for you and the world at large.

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“I like being one with nature – where there are no disturbances, where we don’t need to close our eyes to pray,” he explained, indicating he had been in prayer and fasting for several days to begin the New Year.

“I developed this habit right from the beginning of my ministry… When I need a quiet place, I run to the wilderness, to the mountain,” he continued, conspicuously barefooted, simply clad and holding his Bible.

He proceeded to offer prayer for his viewers, stating that “whatever hinders you to greatness” would “give way” and “whatever that does not reflect Jesus in your life” would “be removed.”

Barely few days to his description of the year, the socio-political upheaval in Venezuela started. The year had started on a disturbing tone. Yet it must also be mentioned that the Venezuelan crisis had been predicted by Prophet Joshua. Prophet T.B. Joshua had in 2016, on May 15 to be precise, given a prophetic insight into what the South American country should expect. Prophet TB Joshua told the congregation and the world by extension that “I will continue to pray on my own, for your countries and for the world. But there is one now that is very, very close which I will just say briefly. It is Venezuela. It is a Spanish nation. This Venezuelan country, I am seeing a coup. I am praying that God will avert it. It will throw away the democratic system of government. Pray for this country…”

Twenty-Nineteen being a ‘fearful year’ as he described saw a rather agitated Nigeria, the prophet’s home country. Nigeria would go to the polls in February to elect political office holders (Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections would be conducted). It will be recalled that about halfway into 2018, Prophet Joshua while holding one of the church’s services had stated, “I have a message for my country and I want you to pray with me. After the message, you join me in prayers. This is the third time I am having this message…The first time I had the dream, I prayed, I fasted on my own. The second time I had the dream, I also prayed and fasted. But this time, you must join me in prayer because two believers are better than one. Since I got the message that our future is in the valley, I kept to myself. I should not go beyond God; I should go before Him. The Lord said to me that I should tell the nation and the leaders to pray against the interruption of democratic practice…”

While Nigerians waited for the elections, Prophet Joshua predicted the postponement of the 2019 elections which were billed to have taken place on Saturday, February 16 and March 2, 2019. He had revealed to select journalists that the general election would be postponed, insisting that God would have his way. According to him, “The Nigerian election may likely be postponed because of many challenges. In whatever way, God is in control.”

Barely few months into 2019, the prophetic description of what the prophet called a ‘fearful year’ has started to witness manifestations. On 14 January 2019, a Boeing 707 operated by Saha Airlines on a cargo flight crashed at Fath Air Base, near Karaj, Alborz Province in Iran. Fifteen of the sixteen people on board were killed.

On 21 January 2019, a Piper PA-46 Malibu light aircraft transporting Argentine football player Emiliano Sala crashed in the English Channel off Alderney, Channel Islands. The aircraft was travelling from Nantes, France, to Cardiff, Wales. The wreckage of the aircraft was found thirteen days later on the seabed at a depth of 220 feet (67 m). On 7 February, Sala’s body was recovered from the wreckage. No trace of the pilot was found.

On 11 February 2019, a Bell 206B helicopter crashed while trying to land on the Rodoanel Mário Covas highway, following an unspecified malfunction. Among the victims was journalist Ricardo Boechat. The pilot, Ronaldo Quatrucci, was also killed and one person on the ground was injured.

On 9 March 2019 a Douglas DC-3 operated by Latinoamericana de Servicios Aereo (Laser Aéreo) crashed near San Carlos de Guaroa, Colombia.  All 14 people on board were killed.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. On 10 March 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft which operated the flight crashed six minutes after takeoff, near the town of Bishoftu, killing all 157 people aboard. The cause of the accident is currently unknown and is under investigation. Victims included the Italian archaeologist and Councillor for Cultural Heritage of Sicily, Sebastiano Tusa, and Nigerian-Canadian academic Pius Adesanmi.

As though these tragedies were not enough, on March 13, 2019, twenty people, mostly children, were killed when a three-storey school building collapsed in Lagos. If there was any period that the warning of the prophet should be taken to heart, it should be now. Indeed, it is a ‘fearful year’.

Oyetimi writes through joyetimi2002@gmail.com