H. Akrofi Ansah, Christ Love Community Church, Adenta, Accra-Ghana My dear brothers and sisters, I have been trying to make sense of the current events in the world, just as I believe you have also been trying to do. Since November 2019, the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) has been ravaging the nations of the world – developed and developing. New terminologies have evolved and have been popularized – social distancing, quarantine, isolation, lockdowns, and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) among others. Many have sought to give several causes of the rapid spread of the virus and many more have proffered solutions. In all these, however, little attention has been given to the God factor. As a minister, I have been longing to share some perspectives with you.
Kingdoms of the World
Let us begin with a brief history of the 4 major Kingdoms or empires of the world given by God to King Nebuchadnezzar, in a dream vision which was interpreted to him by Daniel, in Daniel Chapter 2. The Bible is greatly interested in these 4 kingdoms – Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greco or Grecian, and Roman. These Kingdoms were successively conquered by the latter ones (in the order listed), except the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire disintegrated, and out of it emerged the modern nations of Europe. The Latin language is a common strand in these European languages, as proof of their common origin.
From time to time, European strongmen such as Charlemagne, Napoleon, Franco, Mussolini, and Hitler, emerged to try and unite these fragmented European nations but were never successful. This is because, the God of Heaven, in the Bible, has indicated that these nations will come together only when His Son, Jesus Christ is about to return to earth a 2nd time, to tangibly establish the Kingdom of God.
Now, we realize that the European Union (EU) for some years, has been attempting to achieve this unity through negotiations where force of arms had failed. The original nations of the European Union, after their second and third expansion, became twelve in number. This figure informed the number of stars on their flag. However, the United Kingdom recently exited in the much talked about BREXIT. Prophecy watchers believe that one more nation shall drop out of the European Union in order to reduce the original membership to 10. The Bible clearly indicates that Jesus Christ shall return when those 10 nations come together in a soon-to-be-constituted federation. Daniel 2:44 states “And in the days of these [10] kings, the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people. It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
The feet of the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream in Daniel Chapter 2, had 10 toes made of iron and clay. It was explained to Daniel that the 10 toes represent 10 kings, and in the days of the 10 kings, a rock-hewn or cut without human hands will smash the statue, at the toes, and completely destroy it. The rock cut without human hands is interpreted to be the Son of God, Jesus Christ (born without the intervention of a male). This dream is later better symbolized and interpreted by a second dream in Daniel Chapter 7. In Daniel Chapter 7, the 10 toes or kings are represented by 10 horns, and the rock-hewn without human hands by ‘one like a son of man.’ The ‘one like a son of man’ receives all glory, authority, sovereign power, and worship from all peoples, nations, and languages. The ‘one like a son of man’ is unmistakably again Jesus Christ. In reality, it is the core nations of the European Union that now best represent or signify the interpretation given to the 10 toes and 10 horns of Daniel chapters 2 and 7.
Apocalyptic Dreams in a Local Church?
As a church, our theme for the year 2020 has been “Jesus Christ shall come again; we shall see Him, we shall be like Him.” We prayerfully arrived at this theme because of some dreams and visions received by some members of our church. One of our deacons had some striking dreams towards the end of 2019. In these dreams, he was shown a graphic representation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream recorded in Daniel chapter 2, to the effect that the world had reached the stage of the very toes (10 toes) of the feet of the huge statue. He was also told in his dreams that there is one more sign to be fulfilled for history to come to a climax, that is, for the return of Jesus Christ. That sign was given to him in one of his dreams alright, but it was in the form of a Russian inscription on a flag being flown by a small airplane in the air, as is usually done during product launches. Unfortunately, since the sign was written in Russian (this he perceived in the dream), and he could neither read nor understand Russian, he could not decipher the words. He was further told in the dreams that Jesus Christ’s coming will be sudden and will take the Church (the Universal Church) by surprise. And this will be so because most churches and their members are only entertaining themselves. He perceived other signs of the coming of the LORD, but as he proclaimed and preached in the dreams,
very few people gave him any attention.
A second person, also a member of the church, had a dream in which he saw the moon magnified about four times its normal size. There was an inscription in this enlarged moon that beeped several times, “I am coming soon, I am coming soon.” Whilst he called the attention of passersby to behold the spectacle, they ignored him and went about their daily duties. Then there was a third dream by a young lady which she narrated and forwarded to me, and which I have slightly abridged in order to reduce the length of this write-up.
Good morning Pastor,
This is what I saw this morning. I woke up at 4:30 am and started worshiping God. I fell into a trance. And this is what I saw: I saw an Angel of the Lord appear in the sky with a trumpet. It was as if the sky had come closer to the Earth, and I saw golden steps from the sky coming down to the Earth. Immediately I saw it, I drew people’s attention to it. I saw that everybody knew it was the coming of the Lord, but they were not bothered. Others took their phones to capture what was happening. I remember taking my phone as well to capture the scene. Then I heard a great thunder from the sky. The thunder sounded from the sun. Finally, the stairs landed on the earth. I was admiring the stairs and the entrance that leads to the sky. Pastor, it was so beautiful that no one would want to miss heaven. I saw people who were busy walking on the road where the stairs landed, but when they got to the stairs that came from the sky, they couldn’t step on it but used another route. The Angel with the trumpet did not blow it but had positioned himself like he is waiting for someone to appear before blowing it.
Then I saw great lighting from the sky that came down. The speed at which that light came was so fast that I can’t describe it. I saw the light picking up some people up to the sky but I could see some of the light sweeping on earth. Then I raised my hand up to be picked up to the skies. Then I saw something pick me up to the skies. As I was enjoying my flight, I was thanking God, but I was at the same time asking God, why are people left behind? Then I saw that the thing that lifted me up to the skies left me and I landed on the earth again. I came back to where I was picked up and saw many people screaming. Then I looked into the skies and saw that, the Lord was bringing rain, so I told people it is going to rain. I went to stand in the rain and was drenched in the rain. Then later I saw people seated like they were listening to a sermon. The people were all dressed in white and were clapping. I was terrified when I came back to myself and was crying, asking God why he dropped me back to the earth. I was led to read, Jeremiah chapter three. Our Lord is coming soon. The trumpet will sound soon and it will be just sudden.
These three are church members of high integrity, as I know them to be. Moreover, as the deacon told me as I interacted with him on his dreams: “Pastor, I do not and cannot manufacture these dreams. I sleep and they come to me. Most of the time, I would not even be considering a subject related to the dream at all, but it will pop up at night when I am asleep.” I also interacted extensively with the young lady. I wanted to know, for instance, what an angel looked like and the color of his apparel. I also wanted to assess whether she had prior knowledge of the Book of Revelation, but she had pretty little knowledge of that book. As I interacted with her, I could not deny that her dream, like the previous ones, had apocalyptic dimensions. Dreams, trances, and visions, such as these, may defy logical or scientific explanations. We can only conclude that they come from God and the warnings in them should be taken seriously.
In summary, the dreams portend the soon coming of Jesus Christ and the fact that most people will not be ready for His coming, either because they are indifferent, or do not believe that kind of ‘stuff’ anymore. The proclaimers of the Word of God have also not helped matters, being preoccupied with sermons on only prosperity and well-being, instead of sermons on thoughtful matters such as holiness, righteousness, justice, and the second advent of Jesus Christ.
Judgment of God?
There have been many theories on COVID-19: ‘bad rays’ from 5G technologies; flu that occurs every now and then; a deadly pandemic among others that seem to occur every hundred or so years; a biological weapon/preparation gone awry; a bug from Wuhan’s ‘wet’ (raw meat) market; a tool by the global Illuminati (secret society) to control the world; a grand scheme by pharmaceutical and allied companies to make
profit; and finally, as the anger of God revealed against the gross sins of the world.
A brilliant young man I encountered dismissed the 5G ‘bad rays’ argument and said most people misunderstand how 5G works. Nevertheless, the fact that 5G has far greater capabilities for increased e-business and surveillance cannot be gainsaid, otherwise, we would not have witnessed the intense tuft war between the USA and China over 5G. Also, if COVID-19 is a new strain of virus that has developed or mutated from raw meat, then it will take some time for the world to adjust, build immunity, and learn how to scientifically counteract it. If COVID-19 is a biological weapon, then it is indeed a deadly microbe in the arsenals of the world powers.
An old Christian friend of mine, who is a doctor, however, dismisses the ‘wet’ market, biological weaponry, and evolutionary views of COVID-19 and argues that his studies and his understanding of the Bible convince him that a plague (pandemic) like the COVID-19, comes directly from God, to draw men’s attention to the Divine. What of homosexual and lesbian relations, oppression of the vulnerable, avarice, fraud and lies, political chicanery, religious apostasy, etc. have filled the cosmos? God through the virus is thus seeking the attention of an
extremely busy and wayward world. I cannot agree with him more.
We discussed at length the similar influenza plague of 1918-1919 after WW1 and the spiritual churches it spawned across West Africa – Aladura (Prayer), Cherubim and Seraphim, Faith Tabernacle, and the Apostolic churches. These churches, in the face of the killer flu, relied on divine interventions of visions, prophecy, and intense prayer to get their members healed. It seemed at the time that only prayer and application of prophylactics, given through vision and prophecy worked. In the face of the deadly flu, science was not the panacea. Prayer to God too played a big role.
This time of COVID-19 is not very different from the days of the deadly flu of 1918- 1919. Except that in our time, we want to obtain all our solutions through science and ignore God. However, as it was in the case of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, we can graciously petition the Lord to forgive and heal all our diseases, with a psalm such as Psalm 103, portions of which declares:
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with our sins, nor punished us, according to our iniquities…. As a father pities His children, so does the LORD pity those who fear Him, He knows we are dust and pities our frame.
Fear and Panic and Likely Changes in the Immediate Future What is happening in countries such as Italy, Spain, France, China, and the USA, as a consequence of COVID-19, has created much fear and panic. The world is seemingly held captive by the twin spirits of death and the fear of death. And the major global media such as CNN and BBC have not helped matters but fueled the general phobia. As it is going around in one of the comics on social media in Ghana, “June bedu deεε, na yεn nyinaa awu” (meaning, by June all of us would be dead).
This is real paralyzing fear. Since this pandemic broke out, however, I have often wondered whether the world is dealing with a ‘manageable pandemic’ or with ‘mass phobia and hysteria.’ But it appears the world is held more by paralyzing fear than by the Corona Virus itself. As a result of that general phobia, many sweeping changes are occurring or are likely to occur in the near future. Let us briefly consider some of these changes or likely changes. It is envisaged that:
- International travel will become very difficult. Many more stringent conditions, including various ‘health certificates’, will be required of travelers.
- Health care will also dominate the discourses of the world for a long time to come. Already, a lot of talk and fear is being expressed about an impending vaccine said to contain a micro or Nano chip.
- Many people are also very likely to lose their jobs and livelihood.
- There will be even greater use of electronic platforms.
- Distribution services will be more closely controlled.
- Restrictions on large congregations will also continue, and some forms of social distancing may continue well into the future.
Our friends in the developed world would not recognize these variations much, but social distancing reinforces individuality and an even greater hook to computers. In developing countries like Ghana, however, these changes will be dramatic, since everyone is being hurried to get on electronic platforms since COVID-19 broke out. Suddenly, education, commerce, banking, industry, faith-based activities, and general transactions, including government transactions are all being swiftly and purposefully promoted on electronic platforms.
In a deliberate way, the whole world is being conditioned, in one way or the other, to use computers and convenient electronic platforms. Arguably, being on electronic platforms appear seemingly good and convenient and removes a lot of daily hustle and bustle. Nonetheless, as we get more dependent on these platforms, we give up more and more of our common individual and communal rights and become prone to greater control through Artificial Intelligence. This process could continue until such time that nothing meaningful could be done
unless one resorted to electronic platforms. At that time, a universal electronic prefix or code is very conceivable, and one may have to obtain this code before one could transact any business. In the hands of a ‘bad guy’ the universal network of electronic platforms can be very problematic. Prophecy watchers point to Revelation 13:16-17 which foretells:
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: his number is 666.
It is already trending on social media that the future of the mobile phone, for instance, is skin or subdermal implants of chips and micro speakers on the hands. This will then render handsets redundant. In a ‘BBC One clip, a young lady excitedly declares after a subdermal implant: “I am the phone, I am integrated. My hand is the phone.” Such subdermal implants are reputedly planned to come into reality soon, with the capabilities of 5G technology. Therefore, receiving a universal code on the hand/forehead in order to be integrated into a global network of banking, industry, travel, entertainment, and social discourse is not a remote reality now.
Brethren, COVID-19, whether manmade or Divine has definitely transformed or will transform the world as we know it. For the first time in our generation, and as far back as we can ferret in history, even faith communities, in most parts of the world have been disbanded for a time; Christians, Muslims. Hindus, Buddhists, etc. Churches are currently classified among the high-risk places or red zones one can contract COVID-19, and electronic platforms as the green zones. We are definitely more prone to AI, and hence, greater electronic control today than ever before.
What Should We Do?
What should we do in such circumstances? First, besides obeying the basic rules of hygiene we have been given, we must know and understand that Jesus Christ is coming again very soon. We need to understand the times and adjust our lives wisely and accordingly. This is because we cannot tell with certainty what the immediate future portends. Let us remember that as Saints of God, we shall equally go through the looming difficulties the world is likely to face as a result of COVID-19, and so need to be extra discerning. We trust God, nevertheless, to let COVID-19 subside very soon, and a window graciously created for us, so we can pick up our lives where we left off. Whatever, the outcome, please draw near to the Lord and understand that His coming is very close, closer than you have ever anticipated.
We definitely seem to be at the very toes and feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 2. Nonetheless, in line with prophecy, Jesus is also waiting in the wings to make His second appearance on earth to save all who are His and are awaiting His 2nd Coming. As the young lady saw and perceived in the dream I narrated, the archangel with the trumpet seemed to be waiting intently for someone to appear at the entrance leading to the golden stairway, before blowing his trumpet. And the Scripture says that AS MANY AS HAVE THIS HOPE OF HIS (SECOND) COMING, PURIFY THEMSELVES AS HE IS PURE. Are you ready for His coming? Prepare to meet your LORD. Maranatha, come LORD JESUS.
Secondly, the Scripture assures us that “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD (IN THESE TIMES), SHALL BE SAVED.” These COVID-19 days are very uncertain days indeed. However, anyone who repents of all known and unknown sins, BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST, AND CONFESSES HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR shall be saved. Jesus is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. He is the Universal Savior, and anyone who puts his/her trust in Him shall not perish but have life; life everlasting. Jesus is the answer to the morbid fear that has gripped the world. He gives peace, for He is the Prince of Peace. Come to the Prince of Peace.
A long time ago in the days of Moses in Egypt, which was the capital of the world then, that nation was equally gripped in the throes of death, and fear of death. Those who marked their doorposts and window sills with the blood of a lamb, as directed by God, escaped death. Unfortunately, those (the Egyptians) who were not covered by the blood of a lamb lost their firstborn. The lamb and blood signified the proper Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who later appeared to take away the sins of the world. And so today; those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and are covered by His blood, are under God’s protection. Take Cover in the blood!