1. Great Love For God's Name "Jah/Jehovah" --
2 Chronicles 7:14; Acts 15:14; Hebrews 6:10
2. Profound Respect for God's Word the Bible --
Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17
3. Has been taught (by Rastafarians & Book of Enoch) to fully expect the coming of an EARTHLY Messiah, similar to those of Judaism -- Zechariah 8:23
All three (3) things mentioned above are major points and have over time, systematically PREPARED & CONDITIONED the people of Jamaica, exclusively, for this most amazing privilege from God's Hand, yes to be revealed prophetically-speaking in the "End Times." No doubt, the influence of devout "Rastafarian" believers, who represent a significant portion of the populous of the Island, have played no small part in this remarkable biblical phenomenon.
~ Numbers 6:27; Acts 15:14 ~
To set the stage for such a phenomenon, we recall Jesus made the incredible statement about wayward Israel of the first century,
"Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be
TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU and given to
a people producing its fruits."
-- Matthew 21:43 ESV
Jesus was able to make such a shocking statement because the nation of Israel had broken God's Sacred Covenant made with them on Mt. Sinai, and "did not continue" in that Holy Covenant. They worked against it. (Hebrews 8:9) The same today can be said of the Jehovah's Witnesses as a nation. Yes, they have broken the "Christian Covenant," as foretold in Daniel 11:30. They have done this willingly, unrepentantly.
Therefore, Jehovah will take the exact same steps as He did against the nation of Israel of the first century, the ones who rejected John the Baptist's & Jesus' message of repentance. (Matt. 3:8; Matt. 4:17) In fact, we recall, Jesus once said to the people of Israel, much to their chagrin and anger:
"25 For instance, I tell YOU in truth, There were many widows in Israel in the days of E·li′jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, so that a great famine fell upon all the land, 26 yet E·li′jah was sent to none of those [women], but only to Zar′e·phath in the land of Si′don to a widow. 27 Also, there were many lepers in Israel in the time of E·li′sha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, but Na′a·man the man of Syria." 28 Now all those hearing these things in the synagogue became filled with anger; 29 and they rose up and hurried him outside the city, and they led him to the brow of the mountain upon which their city had been built, in order to throw him down headlong. 30 But he went through the midst of them and continued on his way." (Luke 4:25-30 ESV)
No doubt, Israel expressed the same hatred and anger against Jesus, just as Jehovah's Witnesses today, when they learn Jehovah has every intention to REPLACE them as a nation with the nation of Jamaica, yes, and grant great "blessings" to this people. All the while the Jehovah's Witnesses themselves will be considered "Not His People," [Lo-ammi], existing in an alienated state from God, just as prophecy indicates. -- See Deuteronomy 32:21; Hosea 1:8.
Please remember, it was first taught and believed by Rastafarians, a second "messiah," an earthly "messiah," in the person of Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, would never die and thus, live forever on earth as the promised Heir and rightful recipient of the Davidic Covenant, with Kings, Princes and Heads of States voluntarily paying homage to him on an earth wide scale – and all of this, in fulfillment of bible prophecy. — See 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Psalms 72:10, 11, Isaiah 49:7 and John 12:34.
The Unique Jewish Perspective of the
Coming "Messiah" Re-Examined
Keep in mind, according to the Divine Promise found at Deuteronomy 18:15, and later reiterated at Acts 3:22, the Jewish nation prior to Jesus' coming, fully expected God Almighty to send "a prophet" from their own "midst," NOT FROM HEAVEN ABOVE! This was a problem for them. No they did not expect this at all, but they simply were looking for an ordinary man [not a superhuman, miraculous one], an ordinary person just like Moses [imperfect, sinner]. — Please see 2 Samuel 7:14; John 6:57-62; John 8:48-59.
And it was indeed, this special "prophet" from God, that was prophesied to finally rescue the nation of "Israel" from the clutches and authority of the surrounding nations and establish "Israel" in righteousness, as a World Power Nation, governing the entire earth as God's Visible Kingdom ON EARTH, in fulfillment of Daniel 2:44, 45, Daniel 7:13, 14, Daniel 9:24-27, and many other Old Testament bible prophecies. Yes, it was Hebrew prophecies like these and many others (numbering well over 70 in the Hebrew Text alone) that unequivocally proved to those of Judaism, based upon what they were seeing, Jesus of Nazareth, could NOT … NOT be the promised "Messiah" to come. Jesus' presence as "Messiah" yes, in their opinion, simply conflicted with bible prophecy too much! — Please see John 7:27; John 12:34.
No doubt, it was for these reasons and more, a serious breach occurred between those of Judaism and Christianity, since those of the Jewish Faith never fully understood just how Jesus of Nazareth, could truly be the "Christ" or Messiah of God, from a biblical/prophecy viewpoint. That's just a fact, which is NOT in dispute. To the Jewish Nation, no it never computed to them as a whole.
"Black Jews" In Africa???
Because of this unique circumstance, in short we (YORWW Congregation) believe the people of Jamaica are very, very special, as far as bible prophecy goes. You see, many of the people of Jamaica can show they are direct descendants of the nation of Ethiopia. And that fact is important since practically the entire nation of Ethiopia itself, for centuries upon centuries, has unquestionably been heavily influenced by the faith of Judaism. This fact is readily apparent to all observers when we closely examine the religious customs and sacred practices of the people, whether they are believers of Judaism and/or Christianity … makes no difference in this case. Thus, creating a people that we could call, "Black Jews" as it were, Africans who have been staunch, devoted adherents of the faith of Judaism for many centuries now, presently living on the continent of Africa. -- See Psalms 68:31.
It is a well-known fact, the nation of Ethiopia's Imperial Royal Line of Kings [chronicled through the Fetha Nagast] traces their lineage back to an early union or (some say) marriage between the world renown Jewish King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, which accordingly produced a son (Menelik), a royal offspring of the tribe of Judah. In time, centuries later, this same royal line has led to one, Emperor Haile Selassie, who himself embraced Christianity in the 1930s, and announced himself to be a follower of Jesus Christ, a "Christian." Two years after making this momentous decision, the newly crowned King of Ethiopia of the Jewish Royal Line of Solomon, was subsequently thus first hailed by Rastafarians, as the actual fulfillment of Revelation 5:5, namely the "Lion of The Tribe of Judah" ... ruling upon earth. Indeed, this stunning, unique proclamation by the Jamaicans would make him a second "messiah" and the first "Ras" [His father's name which means: "Head"] "Tafarian" [His original name] of our time. (The title Haile Selassie was adopted by the Ethiopian Emperor when he became a Christian in the 1930s.)
"Hidden Things" Found In "Hidden" Writings!
Interestingly, the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha [copyrighted 1991 by Oxford University Press, Inc.] states the following about the word "Apocrypha" in saying: "The word 'apocrypha' is used in a variety of ways that can be confusing to the general reader. Confusion arises partly from the ambiguity of the ancient usage of the word, and partly from the modern application of the term to different groups of books. Etymologically the word means "things that are hidden," but why it was chosen to describe certain books is not clear. Some have suggested that the books were "hidden" or withdrawn from common use because they were deemed to contain mysterious or esoteric lore, too profound to be communicated to any except the initiated (compare 2 Esdras 14:45-46). Others have suggested that the term was employed by those who held that such books deserved to be "hidden" because they were spurious or heretical. Thus it appears that in antiquity the term had an honorable significance as well as a derogatory one, depending upon the point of view of those who made use of the word." -- See New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha "Introduction" page to the "Apocrypha."
So the word "Apocrypha" can mean literally, "hidden things" or "things that are hidden." Similarly, we [YORWW Congregation] have noticed well over 1 million Rastafarian believers around the world, hold sacred some 87 holy "books" of God, to be of sacred significance today, which of course includes the Bible. Among these 87 sacred "books" would interestingly be, the "Ethiopian Book of Enoch." Then too, in addition to "Rastafarian" believers today as proponents of the "Book of Enoch," we also find some 40 million Ethiopian members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Africa, to be firm believers of these "Holy Writings" too. Then too, we must add to this figure also, over 10 million Israeli Jewish believers of the land of Israel, who today all believe there is another coming, EARTHLY "Messiah" promised to come, exactly as foretold from yes, the Ancient Holy Bible itself, the "Old Testament" or writings of Moses & the "Prophets of old," which we know are intrinsically tied-in with the New Testament mysterious book of Revelation...ohhhhh yes! -- See Acts 3:24; Revelation 10:7; Revelation 22:6.
Therefore we must admit, this is a viewpoint that has prevailed among the Jewish People, for centuries upon centuries, long before the coming of Jesus Christ, as we all know today. (For example see the "Servant" who is mysteriously, "hidden" mentioned in Isaiah 49:2; Also see 2 Samuel 7:12-16 which shows imperfect, sinner "Davidic Heir" who is said to gain the throne and rulership over earth "forever," even though verse 14 clearly shows him to be is a "sinner." (See also "End Time" prophecy Zechariah 8:23 who shows an EARTHLY "Man," who leads all to God; Please also compare John 7:27; and John 12:34.) Thus after considering these facts, we must admit, the Holy Bible itself, as well as the mysterious "Book of Enoch," as well as the infamous [to most "Christian" believers today] "Apocrypha" [some 14 books in itself] all ... all speak of a future, coming, EARTHLY, "hidden," "Son of Man" or hidden "Messiah," a sinner descendant of Adam &
Eve [see Genesis 3:15] who then, must appear, as promised under Divine Inspiration, before "Armageddon," Almighty God's Final Destructive Day. Yes, that fact is evident! -- See Book of Enoch 45:3-46:5; Enoch 48:2-6; Enoch 51:3; Enoch 52:4-9; Enoch 62:7; See also Apocrypha 2 Esdras 12:31-38; 2 Esdras 13:1-52.
In fact, isn't it true the many nations of "Islam" some 1.5 Billion believers strong world wide, keeps continually referring to him as the coming, EARTHLY, "Last Prophet" of God? Why yes, this particular prophet becomes the final one, the "Last Prophet," that indeed must come from God, before ... before the Final,
"Great & Fear-Inspiring Day" of God or "Allah"? Indeed, isn't this so? (See Malachi 4:5; Revelation 16:16) Therefore, we must say as the YORWW Congregation continues to say, that all of this "hidden" information about a special "Servant" of God that must come, that we speak of, this most incredible information has been
largely in the past, sadly and unscholarly as it were, overlooked, glossed over, or contemptuously dismissed as of having no redeeming value and/or of having any prophetic significance whatsoever to our modern times, to the "Christian" believer of today...which we believe is a terrible, monumental, indeed colossal mistake! Yes,
and we add, this horrible fact is of course, most regrettable to say the least.
The Vision Of Jamaican Patriarch Marcus Garvey
& Start Of The "Rastafarian" Movement
However today, by adopting the "Marcus Garvey/Rastafarian" take on things, namely applying Psalms 68:31 to a modern-day 20th century king setting, we have something new. Yes, in adopting this unique belief, namely in applying a second "messiah" concept toward Emperor Haile Selassie, Jamaican Patriarch Marcus Mosiah Garvey, writing in the newspaper, "The Black Man" back in November of 1930, yes, discovered something very profound in religious ideologies. Indeed, the way Mr. Garvey viewed things, bible prophecy, and current events of his day, yes everything else just seem to fall into place, to himself as well as to many, many Jamaican adherents of this newfound belief system. Two years later after the king's coronation, a profound proclamation was made to the Island of Jamaica, by three (3) Jamaicans who had knowledge of the situation, who began to announce the king as the earthly fulfillment of Revelation 5:5 as "King of Kings" and "Lion of the Tribe of Judah." In fact, even the official flag of Ethiopia, up till the year of 1975, openly displayed a triumphant "Crowned Lion" carrying a Christian "Cross" upon it. Interesting fact, is it not? — For more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari_movement
Left: Old Flag of Ethiopia with the Jewish "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" & Christian "Cross" Depicted. (1897-1975) This flag remains popular with the Rastafari movement and people loyal to
Haile Selassie.
Old Flag of Ethiopia
(Flag Shows Marriage of
Jewish & Christian Ideologies)
Questions / Inquiries
Oh yes, it was Marcus Garvey who first conceived this idea back in 1930, and thus made it possible to bring both concepts of both parties (Judaism & Christianity) together in thought and purpose, as present-day "Rastafarians" currently believe. To be sure, over the course of time this new concept was destined to vividly reveal the UNKNOWN FACT, that the bible itself does indeed teach, a "Two-Messiah" / "Two Kingdom" Concept. Yes, a new way of looking at things, which would show Jesus ruling in heaven as "Christians" already accept, but with the added understanding and embracing of an earthly King ruling, the true Davidic Heir [from the line of Solomon] who would rule upon earth eternally, therein making one rulership (the earthly one) an incredible reflection or paradigm of the greater one (Jesus' heavenly rulership). – Please compare Daniel 7:13, 14 & Revelation 11:15 [both eternal rulerships] with 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 [a temporary rulership]. Oh, what a unique scriptural concept, pioneered by the brilliant Jamaican Marcus Garvey!!!
Bible Scholars and religionists of our time have long known, the bible itself attests to the fact the people of Ethiopia have enjoyed a long and rich history with Ancient Israel for many centuries, yes in Christian times and pre-Christian times. (See Jeremiah 38:7-12; Acts 8:27-39) In fact, Some bible scholars even believe long ago Moses himself, was married to a non-Israelite proselyte believer, who was of Ethiopian ["Cushite"] extraction. – See Numbers 12:1.
We believe, these facts and others may indeed explain why the people of Ethiopia today, are noticeably very close or similar in cultural beliefs and ideas of religious persuasion, to the faith of Judaism itself.
For example, today in our modern society, Christian Ethiopians [aka The Ethiopian Orthodox Church] view the "Ark of The Covenant" as a symbol of great religious veneration and significance and hold it in high esteem similar to the way Christians of the Western World view the Cross. To that end, many of the nation of Ethiopia hold to the belief the "Ark Of The Covenant" currently resides in their nation, and that one day, the finding or revealing of that ancient renowned religious artifact itself, would indeed signal the magnificent return of the Earthly "Messiah" himself, the one the Jewish nation has been expecting for many centuries. In fact, did you know, every single Christian Church in modern-day Ethiopia, has a small replica or copy of the "Ark of The Covenant" [called The "Tabot"] within them demonstrating this unique belief?
"Ark of the Covenant" — How It Is Viewed In Ethiopia
Additionally it must be noted, this particular nation of people (Ethiopia) are quite unique in that, they, and only them, possess what's called the "Ethiopian Book of Enoch" (which was quoted by the Christian Disciple Jude in verses 14 & 15) that among other things, interestingly tells of the coming of a mysterious, "hidden" Son of Man, who would prove to be the Messiah in the "End Times." Thus today, many have noted "Rastafarian" believers on the Island of Jamaica, still hold the "Ethiopian Book of Enoch" to be a sacred writing, in pointing forward to the coming of the Messiah. -- See Isaiah 49:2; John 7:27.
For these reasons and more, amazingly and to the shock of many around the world, bible prophecy actually indicates the awesome, grand privilege of being God's "Name People," can be properly traced back to the PEOPLE OF JAMAICA, descendants of the nation of Ethiopia, numbering possibly 4 million plus today, on a world wide scale.
Therefore these things mentioned above have conditioned the people of Jamaica for many years, exclusively, for this amazing privilege from God, and have come about largely because of the influence of "Rastafarian" believers. Thus, all Jamaicans have become God's "Name" People, as they pray or "entreat" Him by Name, exactly like Jehovah's Witnesses do today. (2 Chronicles 7:14-16; Zeph. 3:10; Acts 15:14) Indeed in this marvelous way, Jamaica CAN REPLACE "apostate" Jehovah's Witnesses as Modern Day "Israel" of our time. (Isaiah 10:6; Matthew 21:43) In fact we find upon close examination, the nation of Jamaica is depicted as "Ethiopia" or "Cush," in Bible prophecy who present a special "gift" to God. -- See Psalms 68:31; Isaiah 18:1, 2; Zephaniah 3:9, 10.
Indeed today the nation of Jamaica, should be properly recognized as "a People for God's Name," as they have God's Name "PLACED UPON" them by Jehovah Himself. (Numbers 6:27; Acts 15:14) They become Modern Day "Israel" even, with the elite number of the 144,000 being selected or chosen from among their number, for a very special purpose in the "End Times." Yes, these very special individuals (144,000) would bear the Name of God "upon their foreheads" as loyal servants of God. (Revelation 14:1) In addition, they are permitted to sing "as if a New Song" upon Mount Zion, a special "Song" that ONLY they themselves could and should, properly "master" [or "learn fully" see Large Print New World Translation footnote vs. 3], with the special help and assistance of the "Hidden" or "Concealed" Son of Man, the Modern Day "Servant" of Bible Prophecy to restore pure worship on earth. -- See Revelation 14:1-5; Isaiah 49:2; Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 17:10, 11; John 1:21.
***Interestingly, the island of Jamaica is also said to be 144 square miles in size according to the Jamaican Observer on August 19, 2008.
***For more authoritative comments on this thought of
Jamaica being 144 square miles see:
Jamaica Observer, Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
1902 Online Encyclopedia Britannica