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This Itation is written in 1998, and updated in 2002 with additional paragraphs  and some adjustments made to keep it up-to-date. 

FOOTNOTES

Swordsearcher is a bible search program, you can download it for free, the regcode can be obtained for free when, according to the writer, "you have the choice between the program or the food on the table". Return

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INTRODUCING MESSIAN DREAD

What is (a) Messian Dread or Jesus Dread? A christian with dreadlocks? A Rasta Christian, or a Christian Rasta? Judge for yourself. In this article I introduce you to my theology and reasoning on Ras Tafari.

I am a student of the Messiah, I do not represent any group or cult or denomination. I am learning every day, and I do not want to keep what I have learned for myself. I humbly present to you my thoughts and findings. I hope they are of a blessing to you.....

JAH RASTAFARI

What do people mean when they say "Jah Rastafari"? Haile Selassie, in his youth named Ras Tafari, Emperor of Ethiopia, of whom it was said he was a devout christian, is being worshipped as the returned  Messiah (Iesous Kristos, Yeshouah ha Mashiach (or in english Jesus Christ) by many Rastafarians. The Negus (Emperor) is highly respected for his struggle for justice in Africa, for his victory against that Icon of the antichrist, Mussolini. Not so many people know that his Majesty is the founder of the O.A.U. the Organization for Afrikan Unity. Haile Selassie thought of scriptures as of great importance. He ordered to have a readable translation made for the people of Ethiopia. One of the first things that he did, was to found thousands of churches. When people say "Jah Rastafari", most of the time they mean: Selassie is Jah (God). But not all Rastafarians see HIM as God. Some see him as an Icon or Type of Christ, that is a symbolical reference to Christ, just as King David is a biblical Icon of Christ. This is the way he is presented by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, of which Selassie was the head. Selassie was a well-appreciated and accepted person within all kinds of christian denominations, he attended at an evangelist-congress in Berlin, Germany.  Personally, I tend to see a lot of spiritual truths in the concept of Selassie as an Ikon of Christ in His Kingly Character.

MESSIAN DREAD IKONOLGY

That means, I believe that in himself Selassie was not Christ, neither is he Jah,  but his personality and identity can reveal to us the Savior, just like King David from the Bible. There are great references to Messiah in the function of Negus Negesti. He refers and reveals to us how it will be when Christ will sit upon the Throne.  That is the meaning in the greet of the Rastafarian organization "The Twelve Tribes Of Israel", that Rastafarian movement I feel the closest connection with. Haile Selassie was filled with the Holy Spirit of Jah, in such a manner that a lot of people confuse the filled and the Filler. Just like the apostles of the new testament were once worshipped because they were so "full of Jah" that the people could not discern. They mistake the icon for the One the icon points to! Icons can be a way that Jah is using to teach His people, just like the parables. Sometimes people turn ikons into idols, but that doesn't mean that an ikon is a wrong thing in itself. People, for example, must be Icons of Jah. When a Christian gets caught in the act of child abuse, everyone judges him double because he is a preacher, and therefore should be a representant of Christ. A cross on the wall can also be an Icon. It is a help for us people who are always in need of something touchable. There's a difference between an Icon and a Mediator. Yesus Kristos is the Mediator between man and Jah. A mediator stands in between Jah and us humans, an Icon is human as we.  And Icon can become a guide to the Mediator. Many roads to Messiah, one road to Jah.

MESSIAN DREAD MEDITATION

Haile Selassie said: "I am a man, and man can not worship man". Although some Rastafarians argue that Selassie "just" did not mention that he was God also, that could not convince me. For me, this utterance, especially because it is an answer from His Majesty to the question if he is God, shows clearly, we should look on Selassie as an Icon of Christ, that means as a symbol, or to use an Internet term, a "hyperlink", but not as Christ Himself. Selassie did send Abuna Yesehaq as Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church to Jamaica to teach about this. About this you can read in another article in this magazine. It is InI personal obedience to Selassie, that I do not regard him as God. But he is clearly an Icon of Jesus Christ in His Kingly Character: The fact that Selassie is of Davidic descent, and that he is part of a unbroken lineage from Solomon to His Majesty gives an indication, but also his titles, some of which point directly to the returned Messiah. Some of his titles are: "Light of the World, King of kings, Lion of the tribe of Judah". All Ethiopian Kings wore these titles, therefor creating the need for themselves to walk as Christ's representants.

MESSIAN DREAD ETHIOPIA

The connection between Ethiopia and Jah [FOOTNOTE 1], the Creator, is clear to see within the Bible, although it is not mentioned in christian churches. A single search under the word "Ethiopia" in my computer-bible Swordsearcher [FOOTNOTE 2] gives me 20 occasions in scripture. That's more than you can say from the United States or the Netherlands.  Because of this great unawareness in christianity, many mis-interpretations of Jah's Word the Bible entered the faith. When people read "Ethiopia" in scriptures, most of the time they see this as synonym for "Far-of lands".  Ofcourse clearly you can see the western influence in this opinion, since Ethiopia may be far of from the Netherlands, where I live, but not from Israel. It is the movement of Rastafari bringing Ethiopia back on the agenda of the "Scripturologists". Ethiopia needs to be examined when you want to examine the scriptures. She is a part of the garden of Eden, in Gods Plan from the beginning. Christianity was first brought to Ethiopia, then to Europe.  Ethiopia is the keeper of the Arc of the Covenant until the Arc will be placed into the final Judaic Temple. The Rastafarian picture you see on your heartical side,  shows how the Light comes from Israel, which I consider to be part of Africa. Go south, you will enter into the kingdom of Ethiopia. The kingdom, which has the Arc of the Covenant, the kingdom who's king is an Icon of Christ. The thronekeeper of the throne of King David.

MESSIAN DREAD IDENTIFICATION

Although some Rastafarians have the same look on His Majesty and Christ Jesus as I do, and therefore I could call myself a Rastafarian without a doubt, I wish to call myself   Messian Dread".  Not to be another and a new style, or distinction from either Rastafari (the movement)  or Christianity. I stand for the One Who gives I life, Jah. A Conscious Dread. A Lion Dread. The truth is, that dreadlocks is a sign of livication to Jah, even ordained by Jah! It is not a style or fashion to wear, dreadlocks is strictly livication to Jah. Other can wear locks, but they're not dreadlocks as in "Dread the Most High". There are Rastas who would say I can not call Iself Dread, there are Christians who would also like to see I cutting I dreadlocks. It is their interpretation, we can still find eachother in Jah, there are are numerous Rastafarians and Christians who think differently!