Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa of the United Family International Church (UFIC) has sent shockwaves through religious and social media circles with a controversial teaching claiming that the fallen angel Lucifer was originally destined to be the saviour of mankind, a role ultimately fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
The sermon, which has gone viral on social media platforms, posits a radical alternate history of divine redemption. Prophet Makandiwa stated, “Satan ndiye aifanira kuita Jesu” (Lucifer was supposed to be Jesus).
He elaborated that had events unfolded differently, humanity would be worshipping Lucifer today as the Messiah.
“We could be calling him the Messiah and even picturing him on the cross,” he told his congregation.
The Core of the Teaching
Makandiwa explained that sin existed on earth even before Adam’s transgression. When Adam fell, the divine plan allegedly called for Lucifer to descend to earth to redeem him. Instead, Lucifer rebelled against God, exacerbating the problem and becoming the enemy.
“Look how the devil still works today — his power, his influence, and how much he controls in this world. All this shows how strong he is, even as a fallen angel,” Makandiwa stated, arguing that reversing such powerful damage required a being of equivalent stature.
He suggested Jesus Christ was this necessary counterpart, an archangel-level being who came to “correct the problem” and save mankind.
Public Backlash and Theological Debate
The teaching has ignited a fierce debate among Zimbabweans, with many condemning it as blasphemous and a dangerous deviation from orthodox Christian doctrine.
A common rebuttal, echoed by several commentators, references the Gospel of John:
“But the word of God says everything was made through Jesus Christ including all the angels. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.”
This view maintains Jesus’ eternal divinity, contradicting the idea of Him being a replacement for a created being like Lucifer.
One critic pointed to Hebrews Chapter 1, which explicitly states Christ’s superiority to angels:
“He is not an angel or a creature… he is actually correcting the bible… that’s heresy.”
Others expressed concern over blind faith in prophets. “We need to pray… the time has come to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and not follow a prophet… most of us will be led astray,” one comment read.
A Divided Response
While the majority of reactions online were critical, the sermon also found a few defenders. Some argued it offered a new perspective on spiritual warfare, with one supporter stating, “He is not Claiming, He knows… My Prophet is Breaking new Ground with Revelations.”
Another comment attempted to find a parallel: “Making sense because satan also tried to influence Jesus to go against God but Jesus refused…”
Despite this, the overarching sentiment leans towards rejection of the teaching, with many calling for believers to rely on their own reading of the Bible. As one Zimbabwean succinctly put it: “Vanhu ngavadzidze kuverenga shoko vega” (People must learn to read the word for themselves).
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