T.B Joshua Claims To Have Predicted The Paris Attacks

T.B. Joshua has made scores of vague predictions about world events, including the Paris attacks, which he then presented as prophecies delivered to him by the Holy Spirit

T.B. Joshua is a powerful Nigerian evangelical preacher who runs a multi-million dollar ministry. Joshua, 52, operates satellite ministries in half a dozen countries on two continents, and runs a twenty-four-hour cable TV channel, broadcast in three languages. To many of his followers, he’s also a prophet. One day after ISIS terrorists murdered 130 people in Paris, Joshua’s ministry made a bold claim: He predicted the November 13 attacks back in 2013.

In a televised sermon, Joshua proclaimed that the people of France “should pray against suicide bombers or an attack of any kind that will affect many.” Within 24 hours of the attacks, video of Joshua’s “prophecy” was posted to his ministry’s YouTube channel with the title “Terrorist Attacks in Paris!!! | TB Joshua Prophecy.” The post’s caption says the sermon was delivered in January of 2013, and predicted the Paris massacre. It’s been watched over 134,000 times on YouTube, and thousands more times on his Facebook page, which has 1.7 million followers. 

Self-proclaimed prophets declaring they predicted some earth-shattering event is nothing new. Nor is it particularly uncommon. But Joshua stands out because of his enormous following and powerful friends. In 2012, Joshua was named one of the “50 Most Influential Africans” by the magazine The Africa Report. The magazine listed “Ghana’s President John Atta Mills, Zimbabwe’s prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Nigeria’s first lady Patience Jonathan” as “a few of the political heavyweights who have patronised his church.” Winnie Mandela, ex-wife of the late South African President Nelson Mandela, also reportedly attended Joshua’s church, which is called Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

Joshua has also been controversial, though. He has been criticized for, among other things, his claims to heal disease, and the way he runs his church. In an April 2014 profile of Joshua, the Associated Press reported, “He is… accused of taking advantage of his followers and tightly controlling those closest to him, who call him ‘Daddy.’” Neither Joshua nor SCOAN responded to press request from international broadcasting channels for an interview.

Joshua has made scores of vague predictions about world events, which he and SCOAN have then presented as prophecies delivered to him by his “source,” the Holy Spirit, after a tragedy appeared to resemble something he’d said in one of his sermons. After a January 2013 sermon during which he said “I am seeing flame” in America, he claimed he predicted the Boston Marathon bombings. In January of 2009, Joshua started predicting the death of “a great star.” When Michael Jackson died about six months later, Joshua claimed that’s what he’d meant. He also claims to have predicted the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The YouTube video showing that supposed prediction amassed more than one million views and earned Joshua some mention in British tabloids.

This latest claim, too, relies heavily on vagueness and the benefits of hindsight; in the video, Joshua doesn’t say when the attacks will occur, or offer specifics other than that they will be suicide attacks. And the only evidence that the supposed prediction was given in 2013 is the caption on the recently posted YouTube video.

The media attention generated by Joshua’s predictions doesn’t appear to be hurting the church or its finances. As of 2014 it had branches in London, Greece, Ghana and several other countries. A web-based TV station spreading Joshua’s message, Emmanuel TV, is broadcast in three languages. In 2011, a contributor with Forbes’ website included Joshua on a list of the five richest pastors in Nigeria, estimating his net worth at between $10 million and $15 million. In September, SaharaReports, a website covering Africa, reported that Joshua owned a Gulfstream G550 Private Jet, which generally sells for tens of millions of dollars. (Joshua denied owning the jet, and said that he instead charters private jets “because he travels extensively,” according to SaharaReports.)

Joshua’s purported skills do not end at prophecy. Joshua also claims to cure deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS and cancer. A 2013 video on his YouTube channel shows what it says is testimony from a couple cured of HIV by Joshua. “Mr & Mrs Davidson were both infected with the deadly disease HIV/AIDS,” the caption reads. “After receiving prayer from T.B. Joshua, in the name of Jesus Christ, they are now free.”

In 2011, three women in London died after health officials said they were encouraged by evangelical preachers to stop taking antiretroviral medication used to treat their HIV and to instead rely on God. A BBC report about the deaths identified one of those preachers as Joshua.

In 2014, Joshua again garnered unwanted headlines after a building in Lagos belonging to his ministry collapsed, killing 116 people, most of whom were congregants visiting from South Africa, according to the AP. This summer, the coroner in the case accused Joshua’s ministry and two engineers of criminal negligence. No charges have been filed. Joshua and SCOAN have claimed the building was destroyed through sabotage, saying a “mysterious” plane flew over it shortly before its collapse, and that the plane was likely connected to Islamic extremists like Boko Haram. Despite the negligence allegations, the church claims some type of infrasonic weapon was used to level the building.

“Those sounds are bombarded on the building, the building tended to resonate. In every structure there are atoms and once those atoms are excited, they begin to shake, and that is how we concluded the building came down,” church spokeswoman Kirsten Nematandani said in September.

vocativ