Rastafarianism

Posted by Marseille on December 3, 2009

Rastafarians believe the Messiah is Haile Selassie (hay´ -lee s« -lah´ -see), the last emperor of Ethiopia. As emperor, Selassie was actually called “Ras Tafari.” One of the outgrowths of Rastafarianism is its heavy influence in Raggae music, which was made popular and gained worldwide recognition through the late Bob Marley. According to 1995 statistics, Rastafarianism had some 180,000 adherents worldwide.1 A documentary I saw a year or two ago showed how Rastafarianism was rapidly growing among people of all cultural and ancestral backgrounds.

Early Rastafarians considered Selassie the living God who fulfilled a prophecy of Marcus Garvey. In the early 1900s, Garvey was an American black nationalist who tried to form a “back to Africa movement.” He hoped this would culminate in the establishment of an independent African country made up of Americans who have African ancestry. Garvey’s prophecy reportedly said, “Look to Africa, where a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is near.”

Those who heeded Garvey’s words and looked to Selassie—or rather “Ras Tafari”—withdrew from mainline Jamaican society. They also deemed traditional Christianity to be “white religion”—and rejected it as such. They also rejected Western culture because they considered it to be the modern “Babylon.” Some Rastafarians also adopted ganja (i.e., marijuana) as their sacred “herb.” Some Rasta extremists also turned to acts of violence to further their goals.

My personal investigation has revealed that Rastafarians consider smoking the “Holy Herb” to being filled with the Holy Spirit. The ancient Greeks and Romans held to similar concepts. They sought alcoholic intoxication at the Bacchanalian Festivals in order to become possessed by Bacchus (Roman) or Dionysius (Greek)—the god of wine, revelry, orgies, and ecstasy. Likewise, American Indians took peyote or mescaline while Timothy Leery took LSD to reach “spiritual highs.” However, Paul stressed being “filled with the Holy Spirit” in contrast to the contemporary and ungodly religious practices of his day by saying;

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess ( literally “unsavedness”); but be filled with the Spirit; 19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (Ephesians 5:18–19)

Rastafarians regard Africa—Ethiopia in particular—as the “Promised Land” of Moses.4 They also view themselves as the true descendants of David and children of God as defined by the Old Testament. This may be partially due to the traditional belief, that in the 10th century B.C., the kingdom of Ethiopia was supposedly founded by Menelik I. Accordingly, Menelik was Solomon’s first son who was conceived by the Queen of Sheba.5 This supposedly occurred when his mother visited Solomon in Israel. Before she left Israel, 1 Kings 10:13 reports how, “. . . king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.” Some have suggested by interpolation that her “desire” was also to conceive a son by Solomon, the wisest man in the world.

This tradition has some respected acceptance as demonstrated by the 1984 and 1991 airlifts of thousands of Ethiopian “Falashas” to Israel. Upon arrival they were given full citizenship and privileges. This is usually granted only to those who can prove their Jewish ancestry.

Many rigorous adherents of Rastafarianism seek to follow the law of Moses and are strict vegetarians who actually shun alcohol—the leavened fruit of the vine. They have also adopted the “Star of David” and the “Lion of Judah” as key religious symbols of identity.

Rastafarians usually focus on the following for biblical authority:

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. 5And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. 6The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. (Psalm 87:4–6) [emphasis mine]

Rastafarians argue that Psalm 87:4 is a prophetic reference to Haile Selassie being born in Ethiopia as the Messiah. Yet, they have ignored the basic grammatical structure of the overall passage.

Psalm 87 speaks of the love the Lord has for Zion (Jerusalem) and its inhabitants. However, the Lord also inspired David to write about a day in which all people would know the Lord and acknowledge Him as such. The Lord then directs His attention to Rahab (Egypt) and Babylon (modern Iraq). He then says He will also speak of them as being among those who will also know the Lord.

The Lord then refers to another group who would one day also know Him. This one consisted of Philistia (southwest Palestine), Tyre (ancient Phoenicia, which is modern Syria and Lebanon), and Ethiopia. Ethiopia is not singled out, but actually included in the group. It is to this group that He will also acknowledge some singled out from those regions as knowing Him. Verse 4 indicates this by literally saying, “. . . this one he was born there.”(The is the actual Hebrew rendering.)

The prophecy then focuses on Zion and acknowledges that many there will also know the Lord. This is so indicated by His stating, “This and that man was born in her . . .” Thus, the Psalmist was not pointing to any one particular individual as the coming Messiah. That interpretation would indicate there would be a Messiah from each region mentioned in the Psalm as a whole!

The Psalm was actually referring to a day in which people from every nation and all families would gather in Jerusalem and acknowledge Yahweh (Jehovah) as their Lord. That is why verse six adds, “The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.” Bearing in mind that italicized words were added by the translators to hopefully clarify the passage, this verse could actually read, “The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, this [each one singled out] was born there.”

The Rastafarians have not only misinterpreted Psalm 87, they have also overlooked the other Scriptural references to the bodily return of the Messiah. (This is referring to the Lord’s coming at Armageddon—not the “catching away” to take place at least seven years earlier.) These passages indicate the Messiah will return to Earth at the Mount of Olives—not Ethiopia! One such passage is found in Zechariah:

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (Zechariah 14:1–4) [Emphasis mine. Also see Acts 1:9–12]

Not only does the Bible indicate the Messiah will bodily return to the Mount of Olives, it also indicates He will be recognized by the visible stigmata (i.e., the visible marks) of His crucifixion;

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10) [Emphasis mine. Also see Revelation 1:7]

Lastly, the distinctive Rastafarian hairstyle that incorporates long dreadlocks often give the “Rastaman” an unscrupulous and ferocious appearance. As a result, many remain leery and respond negatively toward them even though many are honest, hardworking, family oriented, and charitable. I have also discovered that some of them are not racists as many of those were in the early stages of the movement.

Unfortunately, many Rastafarians are violently antagonistic toward the Gospel! In June of 1992, my family and I personally discovered this when we preached in the Village of Windward for the first time. There were two Rastafarians present who immediately made their hatred for our message known. If there was ever a time I experienced fear for the cause of Christ, that was it! However, God is faithful and we now have a good relationship with these same men—and also many other Roman Catholics in the village as well. PTL! Please pray for us as we continue to reach out to Rastafarians with the Gospel.

Rastafari movement

Posted by Marseille on

The Rastafari movement is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, new religious movement that has arisen from Judaism and Christianity. It emerged in the 20th century, predominantly in Jamaica. Its adherents are known as Rastafarians, or Rastas for short. The movement is sometimes referred to as “Rastafarianism”, but this term is considered derogatory and offensive by some Rastas, who dislike being labelled as an “ism”.

Rastafari is not a highly organized religion; it is a movement and an ideology. Many Rastas say that it is not a “religion” at all, but a “Way of Life”. Most Rastas do not claim any sect or denomination, and thus encourage one another to find faith and inspiration within themselves, although some do identify strongly with one of the “mansions of Rastafari” — the three most prominent of these being the Nyahbinghi, the Bobo Ashanti and the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

The name Rastafari is taken from Ras Tafari, the pre-regnal title of Haile Selassie I, composed of Amharic Ras (literally “Head,” an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Haile Selassie’s pre-regnal given name, Tafari. Rastafari are generally distinguished for asserting the doctrine that Haile Selassie I, the former, and final, Emperor of Ethiopia, is the incarnation of God, called Jah or Jah Rastafari. However, there are other groups, or mansions (sects) also claiming the name of Ras Tafari, who believe that Haile Selassie I is not the second coming and that Jesus Christ is the only Messiah.

The Rastafari movement encompasses themes such as the spiritual use of cannabis and the rejection of western society (called Babylon, in reference more to the metaphoric Babylon of Christianity than to the historical Mesopotamian city-state). It proclaims Africa (also “Zion”) as the original birthplace of mankind, and embraces various Afrocentric social and political aspirations such as the sociopolitical views and teachings of Jamaican publicist, organizer, and black nationalist Marcus Garvey (also often regarded as a prophet).

Today, awareness of the Rastafari movement has spread throughout much of the world, largely through interest generated by reggae music—most notably, that of Jamaican singer/songwriter Bob Marley. By 1997, there were around one million Rastafari faithful worldwide. About five to ten percent of Jamaicans identify themselves as Rastafari.

Rasta Man Chant

Posted by Marseille on

Blessed and Ivine Love
The Order Of Niahbinghi: [also called Jah RasTafari Ivine Theocratic Government] Cosmic Iration.
Lighteneing and Tunda brimstone and Fyah the Binghiman chant i judgement on Babylons wickedness,
Niahbinghi [or Iyahbinghi] is celebrated in a special gathering or Issembly of RasTafari, formally called groundation, where reasoning, sacred readings, prayer- song chanting and the Niahbinghi drummimg are central,
Niahbinghi is also the Ivine Foundation of Righteous Defence and Itection for the Black Original Man Living in Grace with God Almighty, Jah RasTafari Haile Selassie I,
It is therefore the Root of Rastafari, being an Invine Theocracy of RasTafari, Known also as the Niahbinghi Order.
The word Niahbinghi is said to originate in the former Congo [ now the Zaire/ Rwanda/Burundi region of Afrika.But that as it may, Niahbinghi expresses the fundamental essence of RasTafari,It expresses the the Ivine Black Force, which maintains all of Iration and is manifested through RasTafari who are the Black

Original Man of Grace in Favour with the Almighty Rasta fari Haile Selassie I.
Niah Binghi has its visible material foundation as well as its mystical manifestation. The visible operates through Niahbinghi organizations While the invisible aspect operates mystically such as when the Ku Klux Klan leaders became mysteriously afflicted and died. Niahbinghi therefore works on Righteous Principle of action and consequences against all downpressors of Rasta fari’s People.

The judgment pronouncement today is “Death to white and black downpressors” or Fyah fi di wicked. There is special Niah binghi gatherings for crucial review reasoning planning, cultural inspiration and the issential Niah binghi drumming, prayer-song chanting and dancing, Each gathering is led by the High Priest who is one of a circle of man who administrate around the altar, they begin with Psalms and Prayers and the Iniversal Ethiopian Anthem.

HOLY EMMANNUEL I KING SELASSIE I JAH RASTAFARI AND I AND ALL I THANKS AND ISES TO THE MOST HIGH