PROPHETIC DESTINY OF NIGERIA September 5, 2013 at 12:10am THE PROPHETIC DESTINY OF NIGERIA(By Rev Dele Kolade Abraham's Tabernacle Sagamu Ogun State Nigeria) Every nation exists for a divine purpose, so is Nigeria in comity of nations. Our nation, Nigeria, has a prophetic and political significant beginning and she occupies a special place in God’s global redemptive agenda. From her formation, God has been at work and control. Even though many may consider the formation of Nigeria as a very strategic colonial manipulation or agenda but in the midst of all these, the hand of God is clearly seen. The process of the formation of this great nation which began in the amalgamation of the 3 protectorates in 1914 only fulfilled the overall agenda of God for mission and prophetic exploit. As a nation, even before time, we pre-existed in the mind of God. It is therefore a prophetic arrangement that the three protectorates will be amalgamated, forming the largest pool of black Africans worldwide. In the record of the table of Nations in Genesis Chapter ten, a panoramic, chronological prophetic agenda was strategically set out that will determine the various prophetic dispensations which will in turn determine the global redemptive destinies in the table of Nations and the ensuing historical development, a symmetrical panoramic, prophetic developments and generational manifestation was set out. This development began with Africa and as the dawn of the end-time sets, in God’s missiological campaign, Africa is coming back to the limelight as the new pace setter. Nigeria is the most populated Black Country in the world, as well as the most populated country in Africa (about 160 million). Africa is very prominent in the biblical history and prophetic record from the table and origin of Nations captured in Genesis Chapter ten. Ham, one of the sons of Noah is believed to be the father of the other branches of gentiles, including Egyptians, Abyssinians, and kindred groups (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database,©1962 by Moody Press). Mizraim, one of the sons of Ham as indicated in Gen. 10:6 is also regarded as Egypt. Sometime also, Cush, the first son of Ham is interchangeably used for Ethiopia like the case of Dan. 11:43. In this translation, the word translated as “Ethiopian” is the plural of the word “kuwshiy” which according to Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Number and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary means descendants of Cush or in other words, people of dark skin colour and it is commonly translated as Cush or Cushite in many Old Testament passages. It does not necessarily mean peoples in the modern nation of Ethiopia. In Biblical history and redemptive prophecies, Africa has featured significantly. The first crowned king after the flood was of African descent, Nimrod, the first son of Cush. Egypt significantly featured in the Old Testament history as a wealthy place (Ex. 12:34-35). It was also at Egypt that God incubated and prepared the nation of Israel. In Num. 12:1, Moses’ wife (Zipporah) was identified as an Ethiopian. Asenath, the wife of Joseph who bore him Manasseh and Ephraim, is proudly and Egyptian woman. Ebed-Melech, the man who saved Prophet Jeremiah was a Cushite, an African (Jer. 38:7-13). When Herod was looking for the Baby Jesus to kill, the Angel of the Lord directed Joseph to go to Africa (Egypt) for the safety of Messiah and his family. Egypt was a safe haven for Jesus. Of a very significant importance to end-time global missiology was the place of Simon the Cyrenian, the North-African man who carried the cross of Jesus to Golgotha. This singular, last hour assignment of Simon the Cyrenian prophetically represent what role and place is reserved for Africa this end-time as far as global missiological campaign is concerned. The children of Ham and for that matter, the descendants of Cush at this end-time will be at the forefront of the global mission campaign. Infact, Africans will have to take the gospel back to Europe. This is the high point of mission agenda that will be led by Africans. Considering Nigeria as the only nation with the largest concentration of blacks in the world, Nigeria is at the center of God’s prophetic agenda for the global redemptive move. In biblical chronoprophecy, as Simon the Cyrenian carried the cross to Golgotha, so will the sons of Ham, and for that matter the Cushite be at the forefront of global mission campaign. Nigeria, being the nation with the largest number of blacks will lead in this campaign. This singular account of the cross bearing by Simon the Cyrenian brings a great illumination to the way the history of the church is read, and the missiological adventures that follows the resurrection story. Simon the Cyrenian mentioned in this passage is an African. Cyrene is located around Libya. At the time of Christ, the inhabitants of the present Libya, Ethiopia and Egypt were predominantly black Africans, the descendants of Cush, one of the sons of Noah. Reference to these people in the Bible clearly indicate that they have colored (black) skin (Jer 13:23) ). Simon of this passage may therefore be a black man who probably came on religious pilgrimage at Jerusalem at the time of the judgment and crucifixion of Christ. As he was coming out of the country, he was compelled by the Roman soldiers to carry the cross of Christ to the place of crucifixion. Mark further identified him as the father of Rufus, one of the great fellow laborers with Paul the Apostle (Rom 16:13). Simon came at the last minute of Jesus’ earthly ministry to carry the cross to Golgotha, a prophetic indication of the role of Africans in God’s end-time missiological campaign. The students of Christian history will clearly see the divine order in the sequence of the appearance of people, and races in God’s mission project. God began with the Semite (from where the Jews came), entering into covenant relationship with them that will later affect the whole world. The children of Japheth, from where the Europeans came out took over the mantle after the death of Christ, taking the gospel to the corners of the earth. At this very end-time, as the church is warming up for the second coming of Christ, the center of mission attention is now Africa, the descendant of Ham representing Simon the Cyrenian carrying the cross to the last stop. Prophet Zephaniah best captures this prophetic projection in Zeph 3:10 “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daughters of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.” The Psalmist also declares “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God” (Ps. 68:30). Of a more particular attention is a description of a people and nation, beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, that will be part of this global missiological revival, a description that resembles that of Nigeria “In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.” (Isa 18:7). The only African nation politically and geographically strategic and contextually fitted into the description above is Nigeria. It is the only nation beyond Ethiopia that has its land strategically divided by waters. Nigeria currently has the largest concentration of blacks in the world and the only black nation that has its nationals scattered almost everywhere in the world. Apart from this is also the fact that Nigerian has her evangelists and missionaries all over the world doing great exploits. As an African and more specifically as a Nigerian and a child of God, I must locate myself in this end time prophetic agenda, and like Simon the Cyrenian be prepared to carry the cross to Golgotha. This is the African time, the season and the time of Ham and Cush to rise and shine and demonstrate the power of the Kingdom of God. I must say that in the kingdom expansion project currently going on globally; Africans are at the fore front. This mission agenda is therefore a strategic agenda and destiny that Nigeria must fulfill. No doubt that the Lord has deposited a lot of spiritual and material resources in Nigeria to take care of nations. It is also obvious that the enemy is struggling to frustrate this great divine investment. Nigeria is a nation of destiny with the highest concentration of blacks. God has equally deposited enormous resources in Nigeria, an investment that must bring corresponding dividends. It is however, a tale of woes as we refuse to fully fulfill this great destiny. The economic situation of the country is a sorry case and this has produced very many other serious problems. I believe strongly that God has brought President Goodluck Jonathan on scene to fix the problems and set a new leadership paradigm that will reposition Nigeria in the new global order. I continue to see my President as the modern day Moses to lead the long awaited emancipation of this country as the nation is reformed and her history re-written. It is really challenging that the current socio-economic and political condition of Nigeria does not reflect the prophetic potential and destiny of the nation. It is very pathetic that in Nigeria today: 1. About 60% of Nigerians live below $1 (N150) a day. This is the main reason for the many criminalities in the system. Some few people are eating to the point of vomiting while the larger majority is starving to death. 2. More than 6.9 million Nigerian children of primary school age are not in school. An uneducated mind is a potential danger to the society. 3. An estimated 800 Nigerian women die for every 100,000 live births. 4. About 200 out of every 1,000 Nigerian babies die before they are 5 years old. 5. Nigeria is losing about 350sq km to desert encroachment annually. With our gas reserve, no household in Nigeria should be using firewood or charcoal for cooking. The gas sector reform is tilted toward rhetoric and abysmal corruption. We also refuse to practically explore the technology of bio-gas. We urgently need a policy shift that will increase social expenditure, inclusion of the poor in public budgeting, macroeconomic balance, effective resource utilization, strengthening of the public policy instruments that promote development and equality, radical reduction of recurrent expenditure, determined efforts at reviving non-oil sectors of the economy and accelerated industrialization. Infrastructures in Nigeria are in a serious state of decay. Investment and industry can not grow in an environment where basic infrastructures are not guaranteed. A nation of about 140 million people with the erratic power generation of less than 3,500 megawatt is only joking when talking of serious industrial revolution. Vision 20:20:20 can only be taken serious if government is practically serious about restoring infrastructures. We must equally create investment friendly climate through a combination of legal, tax and other measures that will encourage genuine investors especially the indigenous ones. Unless the current resource looting is stopped, and our resources are properly rechanneled towards real practical, evenly, distributed development, Nigerian economic situation may remain in that same coma. We must arise and together build a better Nigeria we can all be proud of! I pray that our president will be a true Goodluck to the drowning Nigeria Economic situation. To redeem, and achieve our economic potentials and destiny, our nation must go back to God and also take the right economic and leadership steps. . If President Goodluck Jonathan will not disappoint God like Saul, then he must be prepared to align himself with God as he assiduously work to tackle the following menace and change the current socio-political and economic equation of Nigeria. 1. Wealth Distribution: We do not need a seer to predict the danger inherent in a society that has the gap between the rich and the poor so vastly wide. The dangerous situation in Nigeria now is the gradual elimination of the social and economic middle class. It is either you are highly rich or you are poor. The situation keeps degenerating and the attendant frustration of the inability of the government to arrest the trend is the increase in criminality in the society. The economic situation of Nigeria now is “murdering”. The cost of a normal plate of food is averagely N200 and to eat three (3) square meal a day means an average person will spend N18, 000 a month on food alone. If government is struggling to pay N18, 000 minimum wages and it can afford to pay some few selected individuals more than 400 million naira per head in the same economic situation, then you can understand why it will be very difficult to curb criminality in our country. It is the contradictions in the system that is producing criminality. We need a new political and economic order that can expose the in-equities, unequal power relations, inequalities and hegemonic class relations that underpin conflict in the country. National wealth must be redistributed. Government cannot afford to pay terribly fat salaries to political officers when it cannot pay N18, 000 minimum wages which is even grossly inadequate. When we bridge the gap between the rich and the poor we will be addressing many other issues. President Jonathan must be sincere to work toward wealth re-distribution then he will have peace in governance. 2. Absurdity of one commodity Export economy: One other major distortion of our economy is the failure of the government to diversify the economy stay. After more than fifty (50) years of existence as a nation, we have not been able to develop the various facets of our economy. We still continue in the “rentier” economic style. Nigeria’s oil wealth and the revenue derived from the industry over the decades have not manifested in improved, corresponding infrastructural development, wealth generation, poverty reductions and appreciation in living standard for majority of Nigerians. Other sectors of the economy have been neglected instead we have taken to “share-share” life, resulting in political instability and the horrendous level of corruption that is visible everywhere. The political and economic capitalist elites are bent on not allowing the oil revenue to be channeled toward holistic development of the various aspects of the economy but rather confine the wealth only within their enclaves. President Jonathan must rise up to the task of using the oil wealth for massive development of other sectors and a radical transformation of the nation’s infrastructure. It is a shame that South Africa deployed 5 billion dollars to generate additional 3,000 megawatts of electricity whereas after Nigeria spent more than $16billion over a period of about ten (10) years, our electricity generation rather dropped below 3,500 megawatt. Part of individual’s building project now is the sinking of boreholes because the State cannot adequately provide water for the citizen. Virtually every road you travel in Nigeria today is death traps, “pot holes” and “man holes” everywhere. V.I.O is checking vehicles for road worthiness but who is checking the State for the “driving or car worthiness” of the roads? After fifty (50) years, what can we say about the agricultural sector of the economy? What has happened to our cocoa, coffee and palm? Sometimes, I wish oil should stop flowing in Nigeria so that we can wake up from our economic coma or slumber. President Jonathan must not disappoint God in revitalizing our country’s economy by coming up with a radical economic approach that will eradicate economic and political elites motivated by the terrible, desperate, greed-driven quest to corner oil wealth and rents only to their enclave. Jonathan must help build a new social pact with the people based on an emancipatory, transformative, and participatory developmental democracy. 3. Strangulating, global economic system: If Malaysia could do it, Asian power could achieve it, small Singapore nation succeeded in attaining breakthrough, then Nigeria under the leadership of Goodluck can equally attain it. If we don’t “localize globalization”, we may not be able to break even. I want to seriously beg President Jonathan not to fall victim to Bretton Wood Institutions’ diabolic economic template, the agenda of which will only favour the industrialized capitalist nations. We must come up with our own realistic economic policies that will help in industrializing our country instead of being the “junior partner” and supplier of raw materials and capital for the foreign countries. Why should we continue to export crude oil and agricultural raw produce and importing the finished products at very exorbitant prices? Some “local cartels” are bent on making Nigeria to continue to export crude oil and import petrol, kerosene, diesel and other oil products at unbelievable prices. 4. Dieing Education Sector: Nigeria economy is going down but the rate at which education is going down is faster than the general economic situation. The current situation of the nation’s education sector is terribly saddening. The corruption in the society has eaten very deep into the education sector. Learning from Ghana, when her economy was down in the 80s, education sector was not allowed to go down. It is very hard to get any WAEC/NECO Examination Centre where cheating is not the order of the day. The worst offenders are the unbridled private Secondary Schools where their owners in collaboration with the disappointing parents are bent on finding easy way avenue for the unserious students. Government should set up independent examination monitoring task force to randomly check exam centers to arrest the situation. Any school caught in any examination malpractices should be immediately closed down. Unless an independent task force, the education system is so corrupt that no rescue policy may succeed. In the gang-up against educational progress in our country, are the many elements in the Ministry of Education, WAEC and NECO and the dangerous greedy private school owners who are greed driven. These elements connive together, feeding corruption in the system and encouraging examination malpractices. The earlier government does something, the better. One major reason for the mass failure is the reliance of students on examination leakages. Our students will only seat up when they discover there is no room again for examination malpractices. We also need to redefine our tertiary system to make its focus relevant to the current national needs. There is no serious link between our tertiary educational system and industrial/manufacturers world. We need a complete “reconfiguration” of the content of our tertiary education to make it relevant to our context. Mr. President, heaven is counting on you to lead this new dispensation that will bring about radical emancipatory transformation and reposition Nigeria as a leading economy – a pacesetter for the whole of Africa. You can do it, we can do it!