A conversation between Pastor Paul Makenzi and his followers indicates that the coronavirus is 666, the symbol of the beast in the book of Revelation.

Take a pen and paper, write corona and let us do some math.

Our teacher is Mazdayo. His texts are now part of the court record in Makenzi’s trial.

Mazdayo says the name corona has six letters. The letter C is number three in the alphabet, letter O is 15, R is 18, N is 14, while A is number 1.

In his text dated September 4, 2020, Mazdayo alleges that if you add three to 15, then 18, then another 18 and a one, you’ll get 666.

As the government was busy trying to save Kenyans from the Covid-19 pandemic, Makenzi was busy dissuading his followers from getting the crucial jab.

Extracts from his mobile phone, now before the court, reveal that he was against the Covid-19 vaccines.

Text messages reviewed by The Standard show that the preacher had grown skepticism about the intention behind the push by scientists and the government to have people vaccinated against the deadly virus.

Those who were injected were referred to as zombies. A Nyabera from Vihiga claimed that anyone who had not been vaccinated would have a rough time, including persecution, death or being jailed.

The pastor replied: “Chanjo ni microchip (vaccine is a microchip),” he said.

Another one, Gerald Nyumu claimed that corona was only hitting sinners and leaving out those anointed by God. Makenzi replied with an Amen.

The text messages paint a man who was keen on having his followers follow his directives without question.

A curious follower asks him what he thinks about the virus and he replies that it is his secret.

As Facebook and other social media sites began flagging fake news and misinformation on the virus, a follower sent a message to the preacher saying that one of their posts had been flagged.

In the post, the follower had posted gory photos showing effects of the vaccine, and Makenzi says the flagging was because those behind the vaccines could not accept the effects being exposed.

In another message, a follower asks the preacher if Jesus could make clean water to come to them since the government and religious organizations were telling people to clean their hands with soap and running water to help stop the spread of the virus.

Makenzi firmly believed that the government and pharmaceutical companies had conspired to lie to people about the virus. In reply to a message from a telco saying that the virus was spreading through droplets, Makenzi says that they were lying.

Makenzi, who is facing trial over alleged extreme religious beliefs, also claimed that Italy was being severely punished by God. The country recorded a high number of deaths from the corona epidemic. He said the deaths were a result of Satan since his throne is in Italy.

Makenzi, alongside other members of his church, have denied any wrongdoing. They instead claim persecution by the government.

The man supported the move by the government asking people to stay at their homes to help slow the spread of the virus in line with Isaiah 26:20. The verse is in reference to God’s punishment and wrath. It cautions the Israelites to get to their houses and lock themselves in until the wrath ends.

Makenzi, nevertheless, cautioned that the house being referred to in the verse was the body of a human being and that staying at home meant praying, not hiding.

After he went silent for some time, a follower texted him asking why he had been silent, and the preacher said that the time for talking was over and that he was preparing for the return of Jesus Christ.

Another follower asked the preacher why Spain, Italy and France had recorded a high number of deaths yet the countries were clean.

Makenzi answered, “You see they are physically clean, but not spiritually. That is their problem.”

He was skeptic about the low number of new infections and deaths that were being recorded in China and he did not believe the statistics that were being released by the Chinese government.

In another instance he says that he knew of several people who had died by suicide due to the virus.