Like popcorn, the prophetic ministry in South Africa popped out in every township and city. Many of these ministries came from outside the borders of this country and they immediately gained popularity amongst the natives.Suddenly, even the locals refused to be outplayed and joined the contest of who had the most power. Prophetic ministry is not a new thing. Many who have the privilege of reading the Bible would know that prophets have been part of the communication that God has had with his people since the time of the Old Testament. These genuine prophets appeared to the people of God to deliver the message of God, good or bad. Some of these prophets were used in the times of the wars where God-fearing kings would counsel from God through the prophets.
A BOOM OF PROPHETS
The prophets in the Bible had a specific character and were surely not fancy. They were moved by the word from God. Elijah was sent to the brook and spent time there, and later was sent to Zerapath to stay with the widow. Later he was ordered to appear to King Ahab where he ended up killing the prophets of Baal. In South Africa particularly, it felt like we were living in the times of the early stages of the book of Acts. These churches began to gain momentum and the church began to have a new face. A pastor who could not make people fall was then regarded as powerless by the congregants who spent a long time with him. A new pattern was brought into the South African church where mega-churches were built out of "spiritual gifts' more than the word of God. With them came titles like Major 1 and many others and suddenly, there was this boom of prophets on radio, television and many other media. There was now a shift to the prophetic as theirs was a ministry that prided itself on signs and wonders. I was reminded of what Gamaliel, the Pharisee told the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:34-39, when he cautioned them saying; "But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
ANCESTRAL WORSHIP
Like in any other time as Gamaliel had indicated, there is now a boom in the South African communities of ancestral worship. A worrying factor is the way these ancestors are so comfortable with social media like they died during the time of social media and television. Is there something we are missing here? In the olden days, this cultural practice was viewed as something that depended on word of mouth more than self-publicity. Referrals were made through people who had consulted and who gave testimonies on how good the Inyanga was. These days they are on Instagram, they consult on TikTok and other platforms and perform their "sacred' rituals in full view of the camera. Like the fashionable prophetic ministries, this new form of "ancestral calling' is booming on social media and television. The people of God have been left wondering and the scripture Hosea 4:5 is without any doubt, making more sense now than ever before. The people of God are perishing because of a lack of knowledge.
