The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, says COVID-19 currently ravaging the world will not be “completely eradicated,” PREMIUM TIMES has reported.
Addressing members of the church across the world via live broadcast on Sunday, the revered cleric said God revealed to him earlier in the year that the world would experience what he called a “compulsory holiday.”
He said the revelation was the reason he asked members of the church to embark on a 50-day fast in January.
The leadership of RCCG had on March 18 directed its churches to avoid physical services in response to the directives of the governments of Lagos and Ogun States that there should be no religious and social gatherings of more than 50 persons as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
As of Sunday, Nigeria had recorded over 30 cases of the dreaded disease in six states and Abuja with two infected persons discharged.
However, the Nigerian authorities on Monday morning confirmed there are 35 cases in the country with 32 active cases, two infected persons discharged and one death.
The disease has killed thousands across the world.
Pastor Adeboye said, “I have heard one prophet say the coronavirus will soon die. And I said ‘amen’. You know prophets are greater than pastors. I heard another prophet say the world will experience rain for seven days and I said amen. But I am speaking with you my children. The coronavirus will certainly subside after God has removed the plague but to say it will die, let me speak in local parlance, ‘na lie’ (it is a lie),” the pastor said.
The cleric explained that the outbreak of COVID-19 was God’s way of drawing the attention of the world to observe a godly living, regardless of class or social standing and also to show that He is still in control of human affairs.
Adeboye noted that the “compulsory holiday” caused by the pandemic now affected both the low and high class citizens.
While recounting the story of Job who was allowed by God to be afflicted by Satan, the RCCG leader said he (Satan) was not the source of all evil.
He said, “Even Satan could not touch Job with any ailment or tragedy until God gave him express permission.
“The coronavirus plague is God’s way of telling the world, He is still in control. It will certainly subside and go away ‘for a while’ and the world will recover,” he said.
Adeboye, who drew his text of his sermon from Psalm 91, 121, Isaiah 25 and other scriptures, urged Christians not to be afraid but instead look up to God in times like this.
According to him, no plague would come to those who trust God for protection and provision.
“He that dwells in the secret place of the almighty must abide under the shadow of the almighty. The condition is for you to ‘dwell’ and ‘abide’ so you can enjoy the scriptural blessings God has promised in this end time,” he said.