"A prophet is a fool and the man of spirit is mad”-Talent Madungwe?
Zimbabwe as a country has witnessed many kinds of people claiming to be prophets rising and vanishing appearing in both print and electronic media for various reasons. The late Madzibaba Nzira, the likes of Matthias and Mildred among others have made headlines for good reasons and sometimes bad reasons.In Ancient Israel the Bible brings testimony to some stories, cases which left the hearers in wonderment for example in 1 Samuel 10, Saul had to spend sometime walking naked and he was associated with the prophetic spirit. In as much as nudity is viewed as immoral and unacceptable universally its associated with the office of prophecy. However, this article seeks to analyse the recent case of Talent Madungwe a self-styled Zimbabwean Harare based prophet in light of his theophanic claims so to say and the view that a prophet is associated with doing acts which appear to be abnormal in ordinary terms or language.
The writer would like to argue that a prophet can be regarded as a fool and or a madman if His message is delivered and not listened to. Also his acts, actions are viewed as abnormal in his society. Examples can be gathered from; Micaiah Ben Imlah Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah among others. Micaiah Ben can be said to have appeared to be a fool in the eyes of two Kings and other more than 400 prophets led by Zedekiah in 1 Kings 22. Being a fool simply suggests that one is not doing the expected or saying the unthinkable. On the same note, Isaiah walked for three years in nudity as indicated by Isaiah 20:1-3. Although the case of Isaiah can be interpreted as that of one doing the acts of God which may be regarded as symbolic it is no doubt that his actions shocked his audience and or people of his time. Thus its justified to argue prophets are associated with being labelled foolish and mad as the Bible indicates. This does not suggest therefore that they are indeed foolish and mad but rather in the eyes of their audience its most likely high and probable that they are viewed that way.
In Zimbabwe Talent Madungwe -a young Zimbabwean self-styled prophet claiming to have visited God in heaven, interviewed by Radio Zimbabwe, has made a number of claims leaving many perplexed with some Zimbabweans expressing anger accusing the man of blasphemy and being a foolish mad person who needs psychiatric treatment. According to Kwayedza a local Zimbabwe weekly paper of August 2016 indicates that, ‘Muporofita Madungwe, Tamba nezvimwe’(Prophet Madungwe Dont be Foolish so[translation from writer]). In another related issue a headline said, Maungwe Penga Mushe,’[Be Foolish in a Wise way]. In this regard the prophet can be viewed as a fool and mad person.
Some sympathisers of Madungwe would like to cite Hosea in an effort to understand him.
Hos 9:7 The days of punishment have come, the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred.
Hosea married a Harlot (prostitute) as he was instructed to do so by God (Hosea 1:1-4), “Go take yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry...” In the Jewish society it can be observed that this act whether taken metaphorically, literary or historically the fact remains that there is immorality and a deviation from the norms of the society by the man of God. Thus prophets are foolish and mad depending on the believer’s perspective.
Prophet Talent Madungwe of the Exile Desire of All Nations Ministry. He says he is busy preparing to visit Heaven. For the second time. The prophet claims he entered Heaven for four to five hours early this year at the invitation of an angel who visited him whilst praying and he claims he saw God. He insists this was not a vision but an actual visit. Prophet Madungwe also claims there are three – and not one – heavens. Apart from “seeing God seated at his magnificent throne that has a blazing fire beneath it”, the prophet also got “wise counsel from prophets Daniel and Paul” during his visit to paradise. He says he will be embarking on another journey to Heaven “before the end of June to present people’s requests directly to God”.
It has to be agreed that a prophet is insane, a fool and a mad person. This is true of Amos, Isaiah who were insane to people of their times. Can this be also said of prophet Talent Madungwe? Food for thought.
Having said it can be concluded that In Zimbabwe prophets have been associated with visions, dreams about their calls into the prophetic office and also some revelations. Madungwe and his case still remain a contenious one since he has attracted both foes an friends.
ABOUT WRITER
Brian Maregedze is a Christian Historian, an independent researcher, essayist, blogger and High School Divinity and Religious studies teacher in Harare.
Comments and feedback +263779210440 or email bmaregedze@gmail.com
Sources consulted
http://www.sundaymail.co.zw/ive-been-invited-to-heaven-again/, accessed on 17 October 2016.
.http://www.kwayedza.co.zw/muporofita-madungwe-tamba-nezvimwe/, accessed on 17 October 2016.
http://zimbabwe.shafaqna.com/EN/ZW/33333, accessed on 17 October 2016
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