By Henry Akubuiro
Reverend Chris Christian, the Shepherd of Locust Army International, Nigeria, has been on the pulpit for thirty one years. Also, a prolific author, he has also been writing for thirty years, producing over 430 Christian books for the interests of the Church and the general reader. Some of his writings have touched on national and international issues. Daily Sun sought his views on recent political developments in the Middle East as it affects Israel and Christianity. Also, a firm believer in Project Nigeria, Reverend reaffirms the view that a united Nigeria is key to fulfilling the biblical prophecy about the New Kingdom of God on earth.
You have written many books on religion and contemporary society, including ones on Jerusalem and Israel. Looking at the Middle East now, Israel has been involved in wars with Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon and has had exchanges with Iran and, just recently, it has crossed into Syria following the fall of President Assad. Speaking as an author writing from insight and a preacher, are there any biblical explanations for what’s going on, because these wars seem to be unending and are affecting global peace?
These wars are fulfilling the prophecies made by Jesus when he wanted to leave the earth, that these are the signs of his return. I don’t think that Israel might continue to fight at that gravity, but I don’t think war will ever end, because we are at the brink of the last eternity to introduce the last age. And you know that Israel is a cardinal in this prophecy, that’s why the attacks are persisting. It might abate, but war can’t end finally.
You said in one of your books that Israel is important to God in the present and new ages, do you think it would survive in the midst of nations who do not recognise its existence?
Of course, it will survive. That has always been the destiny of Israel. Israel has suffered near annihilation, where it seems it will be crushed, but Israel is ideological – you don’t destroy an ideology completely. An ideology can be abated or reviewed, but it can’t be destroyed. Israel can’t be destroyed, for she is an ideological nation, and the support of God around Israel is enormous. Anybody or group who is attacking Israel is attacking the altar through which God introduced Himself. So all of us who believe in God look at Israel as the moderator. It is the God of Israel that we call. We have feelings any time Israel is attacked.
There are some in the Middle East and elsewhere who believe that the map of the Middle East pre-State of Israel should return to the status quo, that is, without Israel on the map. What does the Holy Book say about this?
The wars going on in the Middle East are biblical. I don’t see Israel vacating Palestine. What the world should do is to find a demarcation between these two nations. In my opinion – I am not in support of bloodshed – Israel should find a peaceful solution to the massacre. The war in Palestine has lasted for over a year. Mind you, it was not initiated by Israel. It was initiated by Hamas, who crossed over to Israel and slaughtered more than 1,000 Jews and took some as captives. There is no way they can do that and Israel will be quiet.
Today, Jerusalem is divided between Palestine and Israel. In the biblical times, it was a single entity. It has also been prophesied that, in the Second Coming, the Lord would return to Jerusalem. How possible is this when Jerusalem has different ownerships at the moment?
It is the interpretation of the Bible that we are still looking for how it will be fulfilled. The return of Jesus to the earth is a very powerful mystery that only those who have the binocular can interpret. It might not be the physical return to Israel; it might be the spiritual Israel that He will be returning to. It is not the Lamb of God returning, but God taking a new nation in the Lion of Judah to come back to the earth to fulfil the work that the Lamb started. I think that is the way the prophecy should be interpreted. The prophecy should be interpreted by those who are chosen by God to understand eschatology.
With widespread hardship in the land and soaring complaints about leadership deficit in Nigeria, is there a possibility of a political messiah in Nigeria?
The truth is that government of the people by the people or that which involves dividing dividends won’t bring the answer, because it means sharing. Because of this problem in the system, answers can not come from something that is corrupt. Nigerian politicians are the major agents of the destruction of people. Somebody appealed to the IMF to write off the debts of Nigeria, and these are people who own expensive property in the world. Apart from India, Nigeria has the highest number of expensive houses in Dubai, primarily owned by politicians who are looting the country. So, how is a country whose citizens have these houses plead for debt forgiveness? It means Nigeria itself is rich. We cannot expect redemption from a system that is corrupt. God has to send us a messiah, but I don’t think it is from the political class. I don’t think the politicians have sincerely learnt anything, because they are only sharing the national cake. We are talking about hardship, and they are buying private jets and changing their expensive cars in the Senate. Do they feel the hardship? They should, first of all, cut off the bogus cost of governance and come to a position where they can feel what the people are feeling.
I think the people should be processed into evolving. They should find a way of making Nigeria a productive nation instead of a consuming nation. For the instance, the cars and phones we are using are all imported. If this continues, there is no way we are going to be better. We should grow from a consuming nation to a producing nation. Nigeria needs to be ideologically imparted in a new way with a sound mentality that can allow the citizens to take responsibility for their destinies. They are not taking responsibilities yet. In a country where poor people who are not sure of steady incomes are marrying five-seven wives and having over fifty children, how do you develop a country with such irresponsible citizens?
Do you still hold the view that the unity of Nigeria is sacrosanct? You said in one of your books that Nigeria is strategic to the New Millennium.
I speak the will of God. I know that God wants Nigeria united. This particular millennium has its prophetic agenda. The plan of God for this millennium involves a United Nigeria. It means that whoever is insisting that Nigeria should break is a direct enemy of God, and that is painful for somebody to be a direct enemy of God. The diversity of Nigeria should be a platform for unity, and not for division. The Yoruba people are making efforts for the development of the Yoruba society and they are taking responsibility to make Yorubaland a peaceful place. That’s why so many people throng into Lagos. People like peaceful places. Different regions should take the responsibility to develop their regions and ensure there is peace in their regions.
Don’t forget the secession agitation in Igboland also resonates in Yorubaland with Sunday Igboho as the arrowhead. I don’t think it was the government that controlled it. It was the Yoruba people who didn’t want it that put a stop to it. So, why is it difficult for the Igbo people to stop the madness of the youths in their land? People who don’t know what it takes to fight a war are beating the drum of war.
Assuming this war starts, what are they using to fight the war? Is it not an invitation to kwashiorkor again? I experienced the civil war as a child, and it was not a good experience. The first generation of doctors, engineers and other graduates from my community all perished in the war. They were recruited into the army.
The Bible says, before you fight an enemy, you should access him. Have they accessed their adversary? We are still in the realm of noise as far as destiny is concerned. Very fast asleep. All over Igboland, idiots are burning houses of their own brothers, are they not drunkards? You are burning something that is good in your land. You are telling your fathers and mothers to sit at home every Monday, are you not a mad man? Why don’t you go to Abuja or Kano or Lagos and tell them not to come out? It boils down to the failure of Igbo elders. How can you allow your children to be commanding you to stay at home against your will? The insurbnation in Igboland can be blamed on Igbo elders. They are not in charge of their homes. If they are in charge, their children won’t grow up to become a nuisance to everybody. The former chief of army staff said Igbos were not enrolling into the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria police in large numbers. But, tomorrow, our people will be crying of marginalisation in security chiefs’ appointments. Who did this thing to us?