(Last Updated on November 15, 2015 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – It would appear the craving for attention by new age prophets won’t be going away any time soon. In fact, it would appear the more outrageous a prophecy is the more the lime light.
A few days ago we heard well-known Malawian prophet Austin Liabunya affirming his death prophecy concerning the person of the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The prophecy first made headlines as we entered the year 2015. Now, with a few weeks before the close of 2015, Prophet Austin Liabunya has insisted the Zimbabwean President will be exiting human life in less than 60 days.
Liabunya has stood by his sensitive and controversial prophecy exactly 10 months after he made the utterances at a crossover service held in Area 23 at Music Cross Road tent in the early hours of January in Lilongwe. He has expressed no regret saying Mugabe will die by the 31st of December 2015. This time Mugabe will certainly die as proclaimed by this oracle of God and I will be vindicated as God’s humble messenger.
So to Liabunya and his followers, Mugabe’s death would be a way of attaining self-glory and proving to the world that he is a true servant of God. It has become trending for this new generation of preachers to make false predictions as they chase after popularity. It has to be controversy which catapults them to fame.
There is also one prominent preacher in the UK who wrote me an email about a year ago making the same Mugabe death prediction. It’s almost a year and half now and the prophecy did not come to pass and I haven’t heard from him since. The prophecies, for some reason, target deaths of prominent figures only.
As for the Malawian prophet, Austin Liabunya, one only has to look at his track record of prophecies in his own country. It was also during the same service that he told his followers that Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema would emerge as the new president of Zambia; something which turned out to be an embarrassingly false prophecy. The United Party for Development leader was beaten by Patriotic Front leader Edgar Lungu. It is no wonder even the death prophecies relating to musician Oliver Mtukudzi and First Lady Grace Mugabe have all not come to pass despite the dates given by some prophets.
The onus to take away life is the prerogative of the One who gave it. The Bible is very clear that it is only the Creator who knows the hour of anyone’s death. He created and he knows minute details of each of his creation. It is not up to some individual, intoxicated with self-importance, to know or proclaim the hour of someone’s death.
When God gave a prophecy, it had a bearing on all nations; there was never a place for private interpretation as we see in these men desperate for attention; no prophecy is of private interpretation according to Apostle Peter. These men should stop apportioning to themselves things that are a preserve of God Almighty. Like one musician sang, God did well to remain the exclusive determinant of human life.
Honestly, if the mandate had been given to human beings they would wantonly kill, in this case to prove themselves true. In my opinion, people may have their own reservations about Robert Mugabe from a political standpoint but the laid down truth on the fact of death will not change in the pursuit of fame. Only God can determine when and how to take life. Prophecy or religion aside; isn’t it ironical that anyone would want the glory of predicting someone’s death as to be “vindicated as God’s humble messenger.
True prophets carry a message of repentance. The majority of people posing as prophets today are nothing short of religious opportunists muddying the name of Christianity. We are told, By their fruits you shall know them. and the foremost pointer of their deceitfulness is that true prophets of God carried a message of repentance everywhere they went not a message of riches.
Even Jesus Christ himself would often tell the crowds, Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This was exactly the same message that was carried by John the Baptist instructing people to turn away from their sins. It was the same message Noah gave to people before the flood. It was the same message Jonah carried to Nineveh. All genuine prophets preached repentance.
In stark contrast, just listen to the modern day prophets with strong ties to Nigeria and Ghana; all they preach is money, miracles, and breakthroughs; it has little to do with the Kingdom referred to by Christ. It’s all about vanity. All they tell people is the lure of earthly riches.
Unknown to some however, riches, miracles and predictions are also the domain of Lucifer the rebellious angel. True Christians are not swayed by miracles. In fact the Bible says false prophets will emerge in the last days and will work great miracles to deceive many, even the elect (Matthew 24).
Remember this is the Last Hour. We are in the last hour.