news organization, WORLDNETDAILY has reported the following unfortunate incident: “An evangelist who tried replicating Jesus’ miracle of walking on water has reportedly drowned off the western coast of Africa. Pastor Franck Kabele, 35, told his congregation he could repeat the biblical miracle, and he attempted it from a beach in Gabon’s capital of Libreville.
‘He told churchgoers he’d had a revelation that if he had enough faith, he could walk on water like Jesus,’ an eyewitness told theGlasgow Daily Record. ‘He took his congregation to the beach saying he would walk across the Komo estuary, which takes 20 minutes by boat. He walked into the water, which soon passed over his head and he never came back.’
A researcher at Florida State University believes he has a natural explanation for the account of Jesus’ miraculous walk on the surface of water — ice. Professor of Oceanography Doron Nof and the co-authors of his study theorize that a rare combination of optimal water and atmospheric conditions resulted in a unique, localized freezing phenomenon called ‘springs ice.’
“This horrible incident, together with a “professor’s” response, progresses from the tragically untaught to the supremely obtuse. The Tragedy of Ignorance“‘Pastor’ Kabele” obviously was a very sincere man; but sincerity does not nullify ignorance. I do not use this term in a pejorative way. All of us are ignorant in some matters. It’s just that sometimes one form of ignorance can have a greater consequence than others. In the first place it should be noted that “revelations” from God do not occur today. When the Old Testament era came to an end in Malachi’s day, 400 years passed with no “revelations” from God.
This era frequently is described as “the four silent centuries.” With the coming of a new age, from the commencement of Jesus’ ministry to the death of the apostle John, there was another relatively brief period when supernatural revelation and signs were manifest. When the New Testament was completed, and the apostles and other people possessing miraculous abilities died, no further signs were provided.
Had poor Mr. Kabele known his Bible better, he would not have attempted his “miracle” feat; had he possessed a moderate amount of common sense, he quickly would have discovered he could not “walk on water,” before the sea finally took him.
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