What was the Real Significance of the Coronation of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie the 1st 86 years ago?

Transcription

1 What was the Real Significance of the Coronation of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie the 1st 86 years ago? By Karl Phillpotts Naphtali graphics by bro Adam Simeon 1

2 Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour, Yeshua The Messiah, Jesus the Christ, Saviour of the World; who has revealed Himself to us through the personality (or instrumentality ) of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie1, King of Kings, Lion of Judah, Elect of God. Greetings through the Twelve Tribes of Israel, once scattered and now founded in the island of Jamaica, by our beloved Prophet Brother Gad. Greetings through the Orthodox Faith, which is not one of writs and rites, but a function of the heart, acquired through a mystical incorporation of unity in One; in plain words, to be born again. Greetings also through the Royal family of Ethiopia, represented in the person of His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Zara Yacob Asfa Wossen. I give thanks to the Most High, the Eternal I Am, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come, for His mercies in allowing me the privilege of health, strength, and guidance to be able to submit my thoughts about the significance of the Coronation of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie 1st. Give thanks that another door has been opened to Glorify and Magnify the Lord Most High and speak the truth; the Word as written, from which Faith is derived. I thought deeply and prayed that The Most High guide my thoughts on such an important topic, especially as it relates to the 85 th year of His Imperial Majesty s Coronation. I even took the opportunity to look up the Thesaurus definition of what seemed to be a simple word; significance; as words are so deep and important. Definitions for the word significance that came up were: implications, meaning, consequences, importance, and impact. I will first focus on the latter Thesaurus definition of significance; impact. The Impact The news of the Coronation of Ras Tafari Makonnen, on November 2nd 1930, with the name His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie1, (properly translated as name given means Instrument of the Power of the Trinity ) King of Kings of Ethiopia, Lion of Judah, Elect of God, kindled an indescribable energy of Messianic expectation amongst our early foreparents of the era and has never ceased to generate the growth of a movement surrounding the event. 2

3 The Holy Bible and its Scriptures became more relevant and real to a people experiencing over 400 years of earthly social, political and economic oppression as the Biblical children of Israel did. Just try for a moment, to imagine; a time when almost all Africans and their descendants in the Diaspora, with the exception of Ethiopia, were under colonial rule. Then suddenly, an African king being crowned with titles which could be interpreted to have Messianic significance. To make it more impacting it involved a widely publicized coronation ceremony with the precise blueprint reminiscent of the ceremony accorded to King David and His Royal House; an Ethiopian king recognized and identified with the tribe of Judah, the tribe associated with the Davidic Covenant; and the 225th descendant of a union of King Solomon of Jerusalem and the Queen of Sheba of Ethiopia. Present at this Coronation, 86 years ago, were representatives from many nations, including the same colonial powers that had our people and countries elsewhere in bondage. They were there supposedly paying homage, to an African king, with roots that stretched back over 3000 years into Biblical History. The Duke of Gloucester, the son of King George of Great Britain, was present and restored to His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie1, a scepter that was taken away from Ethiopia years before. On this golden scepter was written, Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands unto God. (Psalms 68 vs 31). Instantly a connection to the Messianic prophecies in the Bible and its message of national liberation and redemption became connected with 20 Century circumstances in the theology and lives of many of our foreparents. They had heard or read about the Coronation and a few had witnessed this spectacular event. It was an event that impacted their spiritual awareness, their hopes as well as their aspirations. Now the circumstances of the African Holocaust, dispersion and bondage not merely resembled that of Israel, but this Coronation event confirmed and affirmed an identity of our people with the lost dispersed tribes of Israel as recorded in the Holy Bible. The Roman and Greek versions of Christianity preached by White missionaries, offering freedom in death and somewhere off the earth, was shaken at its very foundation. The Original Gospel of the early followers of Jesus began to be restored in the minds and hearts of a people in bondage. The real message of a Kingdom to be restored and established on the earth, not in the sky or after death, became clear. The hope that the meek would inherit the earth instead was rekindled. Our foreparents had read in the Book of Daniel that the God of Heaven promised to set up here, on earth, a Kingdom that would break, (i.e. subdue and overthrow) the Satanic, Babylonish Governments and system that controlled the world. God s Covenant with King David, in Psalms 87 and 2 Samuel Chapter 7, appeared to be manifesting itself before their very eyes in the 20th Century, in the Coronation of Ras Tafari 3

4 Ethiopians, Historians, Theologians, Pastors, Bible scholars and the average person have not began to seriously consider or imagine what this event meant to a people longing for an end to oppression and restoration to their ancestral homeland.this event has kindled a flame and zeal among our elders and even today among our youths, as never witnessed amongst indigenous religions in our island or the African Diaspora and amazingly today among many other races and nationalities. The Consequence Joseph Hibbert The most widely referred to chapter and verses in the Bible that correlated with this Coronation and thus impacted the Rastafarian movement, were cited in the Book of Revelation Chapter 5 Vs 1-5. Here John recorded in this book his being caught up in a heavenly vision and revelation from Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show his servants which must shortly come to pass Rev1:1 Revelation 5 Vs 1-5 : Then I saw in the right hand of him who open the scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie 1st and his predecessor Emperor Menelik 2nd had always used the Lion Of Judah symbol as their official seal and Royal Standard of their Kingdom herein mentioned. This was in keeping with their Biblical Judaic Christian tradition inherited directly from their ancestors from Jerusalem to Ethiopia. The anointing and crowning kings of the Royal House of King David was always a ceremony foreshadowing the return of the Messiah Jesus, and memorializing God s Covenant with King David. The founding fathers of the Rastafari movement interpreted this Coronation ceremony as the actual coming of the Messianic King from the lineage of King David: the one who would rescue them, the lost tribes of Israel from captivity and restore them to the land of our foreparents and establish the Millennium Kingdom. 4

5 However the numerous issues that the coming of The Messiah is prophesied to resolve, have persisted in our world, even to a greater extent than ever before in human history. The ever increasing human misery, poverty, oppression, injustice, broken families, murders, deaths, and wars in over 60 areas of the globe, have after these 86 years shaken these Messianic expectations and rendered them very much premature and inaccurate. The unchanged state of the world and its ripening in evil has so much shattered these premature messianic hopes and interpretations to the extent that any honest Rastafari seeker of truth and scholar of the Bible must re-examine and revisit these Scriptures with fear and trembling. The dispersion and exile is still with us. Babylon and its evil forces are still very much in charge and most telling to the contradiction of prophecy, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1st has departed from the current scene of world affairs. These realities all being contrary to prophecies concerning the appearing of the Messianic Kingdom Age of peace, righteousness, justice and prosperity which involves the resurrection of the righteous Saints, the transformation or translation of the living Saints and the bounding of Satan the deceiver and accuser. Satan has not yet been bound yet for the thousand years (in fact being more loose than ever before) as should have been in the predicted Millennium reign of Christ on earth. The Implications Such a longing and desire of mankind for relief and redemption from oppression is legitimate. However desires have often lead us to premature expectations and the seeking of signs, hastening and even usurping the timing and will of our Infinite Creator. This is nothing new in the history of Messianic movements. The Disciples had hoped that their Master Jesus would overthrow Rome with all his demonstrated power. When he informed Peter that He would first be betrayed by the elders and the high priest and handed over to the Romans to suffer, be crucified and then rise on the third day, Peter rebuked Jesus, protesting that this would never happen. Jesus had to rebuke his attitude as one encouraged by Satan to have things according to man s will and timing instead of submitting to Gods Sovereign will and timing. Get hence behind me Satan. You prefer the things of men (meaning man s way) rather than the things ( perfect Sovereign will) of God. Anyone wishing to be my disciple must first deny himself (his personal desires) and take up his cross daily and follow me said Jesus to him. (parenthesis mine) Also previously during the reign of King David many of his subjects saw him David, being the Lord s anointed, as the one to establish the Messianic Kingdom in their day. Peter years later, after Jesus crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, matured now in the Faith and having divine understanding, had to stand up and consul Israel on that premature expectation. He enlightened his fellow brethren that these Messianic promises that David heard from God was but a prophetic vision about some future occurrence concerning one of his descendants, as you may also read for yourself prayerfully in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2 Vs

6 22 Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. but God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand 5 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off for all whom the Lord our God will call. 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, Save yourselves from this corrupt generation. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. The Apostle Peter then informed Israel then, and we are informed today, that the Heavens must retain Him Jesus, UNTIL the time of the Restoration of all the things spoken of by the prophets. 17 Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people. Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed. 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. (Acts 4Vs 17-26) This now leads my readers and most importantly my Rastafari brethren to ponder this revolutionary confession and testimony on the significance of this magnificent 20 th Century event reconnection us to Biblical History through an Ethiopian King of the Davidic and Solomonic House of Judah. The following questions must then be asked of my position; What then is the real significance, or rather importance of this prestigious event? Was it then a simple ceremonial African cultural event without begging a meaning or adding any significance to it? 6

7 The Real Meaning of the Coronation revealed. I propose that the answer to the real significance or importance of this historical event to us can be found in God s saving grace (i.e unmerited favour) towards us a despised and downtrodden people. God, like in the times of bondage in Egypt, heard the cry of our people and saw their affliction and visited us. I am convinced that God, in His grace towards us, preserved a seed of the Royal House of David, as a light, and in Ethiopia, the most ancient Christian nation on earth. This was an act of His Grace towards us leading us eventually and progressively to the true Christian faith through accepting the Bible and Jesus as Master and Saviour of the World. The significance or importance of the Coronation does not lie merely in its pomp or the prestige and pride it gave us to see an African King being crowned in a free African nation. Rather the answer to the importance lies in the activity of God s anointed Holy Spirit as manifested in the lives, character, and instrumentality of the Emperor and Empress who were Crowned. If our Rastafari Brethren and Sisters truthfully study the life, and teachings of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie 1st, and Empress Mennen, they will see clearly, that from their earliest age right up through their Coronation and their latter years, they were devout followers of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Holy Bible. They never failed either in example or words to encourage us to follow devotedly its teachings. As Haile Selassie 1st said; All through my youth I had been taught to appreciate the Bible and my love for it increases with the passage of time...all through my difficulties I have found the Bible a cause for infinite comfort. To illustrate my point some more let us look honestly at this quote, which I have found to be the key message of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie1.He has advised us in the spirit of wisdom of his forbearers: Today man sees all his hopes and aspirations crumbling before him. He is perplexed and knows not where he is drifting. But he must realize that the Bible is his refuge, and the rallying point of all humanity. In it man will find the solution for his present difficulties and guidance for his future action, and unless he accepts with clear conscience, the Bible and its great message, he cannot hope for salvation. For my part I Glory in the Bible. 7

8 When by the Grace of God, I repented, prayed and accepted with a clear conscience the Holy Bible and its message as directed by the Coronate King, Emperor Haile Selassie1, then God removed a vail from before mine eyes. I then went and looked again at Revelation Chapter 5. It was really then the eyes of my understanding was opened to the fact that we had left off something of crucial importance to the understanding of God s revelation. We had either failed or been somewhat diverted from reading the other 5 verses, vs 6-10 of the Book of Revelation Chapter 5. We had therefore taken verses 1-5 out of context, to meet our urgent desire for immediate redemption from prevailing social, economic and political circumstances. To our own detriment we had ignored the passage which revealed the One who redeemed mankind from his own sinful nature; the real enemy of mankind. I then became aware that Our hopes and aspirations were based on a half-truth. This explosive admission of a student of the Bible and also His Imperial Majesty was profoundly brought out when I examined with a clear conscience the following 5 verses. Please recall that revelation 5 vs 1-5 records John hearing the angel telling him to not to weep as the Lion of Judah had prevailed to take the sealed scroll from the hand of Him who sat upon the throne and open it. However when he opened his eyes and looked, this is what he saw. 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits [a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 8

9 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" ( emphasis color red, mine) Now I must ask this question of my brethren and sisters. Who is this Lamb that was slain, that with his blood purchased men for God from every tribe, and language and people and nation, and who went and took the book from the hand of Him that sat on the throne? Is the Lamb seen by John, also the one announced as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? Why then is the Lion of Judah symbol in the Ethiopian triune red gold and green flag seen carrying a cross over its shoulders? Who really is this slain Lamb, redeeming, atoning, conquering, through his death and resurrection and found worthy to receive the title deed to judge and rule the heavens and finally the earth in the Age to come? Who is this one now being retained in the Heavens UNTIL the restoration of all things spoken of by the prophets since the earth began? I confess that it is no other than Jesus, Yeshua, Iyesus, or in any language referencing Him. His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1st, himself said, 56 years ago: I know I am saved, not by anything that is of character or work of the human heart, but by the blood of Jesus alone. (see African Challenge Magazine, Nov 1960, 30 th Coronation Anniversary of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie1 of Ethiopia.) Note for future reference that this statement by Haile Selassie1st, is the essence and summation of the Christian Faith in just a few words. So what then about His Imperial Majesty being crowned with these titles? This is an obvious question arising from this earthshaking confession to my brothers and sisters. 9

10 My inspired answer to all is this. Firstly, these titles are associated with the throne and the Royal House of Judah from a blessing of Jacob thousands of years ago. "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs [c] and the obedience of the nations is his. (Until; my emphasis) (NIV) I used the New International Version quote here as it breaks down the meaning of Shiloh as to whom it belongs. Thus any descendant of the House of Judah who is Anointed or Christ-end King is allowed to bear, represent, and be custodian or standard bearer of the lion cub messianic title, as a shadow or reminder of He who is to come. These Kings (descendants preserved in Ethiopia) fulfill a vision of King Solomon the night he lay with the Queen of Sheba, (as recorded in the Ethiopia Geez history of The Glory of the Kings or Kebra Negast. ) which was interpreted by the High Priest Zadok. These descendants were to be that natural cohabited seed that departed to Ethiopia in the womb of Sheba. This however did not annul or neither did it replace the promise made in Genesis of the noncohabited seed of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent fulfilled by the planting into the womb of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem by the Most High God Himself His only begotten Son, Jesus. He was not born by the will of man, but by the will of God. This fact was also brought out in the record of the Kebra Negast concerning King Solomon s vision that the spiritual seed was sent to Jerusalem via the womb of Mary, and a natural cohabited seed through the Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia. This extension of knowledge in the Kebra Negast, has helped to unlock this 85 year old Coronation door, to proper understanding. (I must note here that this overstanding was also made clear to me through the Grace of God by His Holy Spirit working through the prophet Bro Gad, founder of the 12 Tribes of Israel, and explained also through the chief professor of Ethiopian religious history, Alika Ayeleu Tamru, a physically blind priest.) 10

11 The Kings of Judah born of natural fathers and mothers hold the ruler s staff and this Divine right to rule made by a covenant of salt (2 nd Chronicles 13 Vs 5). This was the covenant that the coronation ceremony recalled to a neglected history and enlightened us that Ethiopia and the Royal Family, were a legitimate offspring and living testimony to this eternal promise. That representational right and guardianship of the throne of David would not depart from them Until, He comes, to whom it belongs; i.e. Shiloh or The Master Messiah, Jesus. This promise confirmed by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary (St Luke Chapter1 Vs 31-33) that it is He, that head that was crowned with thorns, will be the one who would overcome death and would save His people from their Sin, by His spotless life, faith, obedience and innocent blood; the one who would be Great, and it is He who will be finally given the throne of His Father David on which he will sit and reign for a thousand years, at a coming unspecified date. This will not be a temporary transient occurrence or rule for 43 years. Hallelujah! It is my earnest prayer that the Coronation s Biblical titles that His Majesty was crowned with will, to the contrary of what has been misrepresented and misinterpreted, bring us, a people who were in darkness into the light of life. It is my prayer to the Most High that through His amazing Grace and love in Christ Jesus that His Majesty chosen by Yahweh, as the Elect of God, (not of himself) will eventually bring us into the knowledge of the true Light of the World. As one of our Rastafarian patriarchs the Hon. Mortimo Planno, had so eloquently and rightly put it, after returning from an eye opening mission to the real Ethiopia in 1961; Rasta, you gwine see you Church and deny it like Peeta! It is by the preservation of the Davidic throne in the person of His Imperial Majesty, with these titles, that we have been resurrected into this marvelous light leading us back to the real historic Jesus of Nazareth, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World. Jesus, Yeshua is the man through whom God will Judge the World; He is the Son whom the Father has set down at His right hand UNTIL he has put all enemies under His feet. Planno Lastly but not the least we who claim affinity to Ethiopia must look carefully and prayerfully into the mystery and purpose of Jesus Christ. The concept of a suffering Messiah prophesied in Isaiah 53 Vs has always baffled the Scribes of Judah and students of the Bible. Even to us, such a Messiah, a suffering and crucified Lamb of God, instead of the picture of a conquering Lion Messiah, seemed less desirable. Isaiah 53 describes him as the rejected Messiah. We were also directed to this chapter by His Imperial Majesty in His speech on the Bible when he said: 11

12 no doubt you have all read how Phillip baptized the Ethiopian Official. He is the first Ethiopian on record to have followed Christ, and from that time onwards the word of God has continued to grow in the hearts of all Ethiopians This meeting of the Ethiopian and Phillip is recorded in Acts of the Apostles as the Ethiopian read from Isiah 53. Easy-to -Read Version (ERV) Who really believed what we heard? Who saw in it the Lord s great power? [a] 2 He was always close to the Lord. He grew up like a young plant, like a root growing in dry ground. There was nothing special or impressive about the way he looked, nothing we could see that would cause us to like him. 3 People made fun of him, and even his friends left him. He was a man who suffered a lot of pain and sickness. We treated him like someone of no importance, like someone people will not even look at but turn away from in disgust. 4 The fact is, it was our suffering he took on himself; he bore our pain. But we thought that God was punishing him, that God was beating him for something he did. 5 But he was being punished for what we did. He was crushed because of our guilt. He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace. We were healed because of his pain. 6 We had all wandered away like sheep. We had gone our own way. And yet the Lord put all our guilt on him. 7 He was treated badly, but he never protested. He said nothing, like a lamb being led away to be killed. He was like a sheep that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off. He never opened his mouth to defend himself. 8 He was taken away by force and judged unfairly. The people of his time did not even notice that he was killed. [b] But he was put to death [c] for the sins of his [d] people. 9 He had done no wrong to anyone. He had never even told a lie. But he was buried among the wicked. His tomb was with the rich. 10 But the Lord was pleased with this humble servant who suffered such pain.[e] Even after giving himself as an offering for sin, he will see his descendants and enjoy a long life. He will succeed in doing what the Lord wanted. 11 After his suffering he will see the light, [f] and he will be satisfied with what he experienced. The Lord says, My servant, who always does what is right, will make his people right with me; he will take away their sins. 12 For this reason, I will treat him as one of my great people. I will give him the rewards of one who wins in battle, and he will share them with his powerful ones. I will do this because he gave his life for the people. He was considered a criminal, but the truth is, he carried away the sins of many. Now he will stand before me and speak for those who have sinned. 12

13 The Ethiopian official was also baffled as he read these passages as he journeyed from Jerusalem where he had been to worship. This was believed to be approximately three months after the crucifixion of our Messiah. The Angel of the Most High ordered Phillip the evangelist, as recorded in the Book of Acts Chapter 8 Vs 26-36, to go on the Gaza road where he met an Ethiopian official returning from Jerusalem where he had been to worship. The Ethiopian was reading aloud from the scroll of Isaiah, the prophet. The Holy Spirit lead Philip to join the Ethiopian and to ask if he understood what he was reading, as he presumably was baffled by what he read in the passage in Isaiah. This is the very passage that the Jews and even many Rastafari brothers and sisters have not reconciled in our hearts, even to this very day. The Ethiopian replied; Acts 8 Vs "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." [e] 34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. The coming on the scene of a man born on the 1 st of November, has done wonders to bridge the Gap in the understanding of the importance of His Imperial Majesty s Coronation. This is the coming on the scene of The Prophet Gad, Vernon Carrington, who founded the Twelve Tribes of Israel in Kingston Jamaica. He encouraged us to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation a chapter a day, and we would find truth for ourselves. He told the brethren that there was no other name given whereby we must be saved but by the name of Jesus Christ and enshrined it in our official greeting. He pointed always to the words of His Majesty as it pertains to the Bible and Jesus Christ. In concluding, the significance of the Coronation to all has been elaborated upon. The Most High has anointed His Imperial Majesty, Instrument of The Power of the Trinity, the 225 descendant of the House of King Solomon, as His Elect, in restoring us to accepting the Faith of Abraham and the eternal truth that there is but One God and One mediator between man and God; the man Jesus Christ. 13

14 His Imperial Majesty bore the titles of Defender of the Faith, and leader of the most ancient Christian nation. In researching His utterances he always stated that He followed Jesus Christ and encouraged us to do the same. We will never find salvation and peace until we repent and every knee bow and confess Jesus, as he did, as Lord and Saviour. In honor of Their Imperial Majesties 86th h Coronation Anniversary I conclude with his words and significant advice to all who seek to follow his example. The love shown in Christ by our God to mankind should constrain all of us who are followers and disciples of Christ to do all in our power to see to it that the Message of salvation is carried to those of our fellows for whom Christ Our Saviour was sacrificed but have not had the benefit of hearing the good news. Therefore, O! Christians, let us arise and, with the spiritual zeal and earnestness which characterized the Apostles and early Christians, let us labour to lead our brothers and sisters to Our Lord and Saviour Jesus, Who only can give life in its fullest sense. All Glory, Honour, Power, Praise, Wisdom, Riches and Strength be to the Most High who rides upon the heavens by His name JAH. (Psalm 68Vs4 ) Amen. Your Co- worker in Christ Jesus, Karl Phillpotts Naphtali. First Edition November 2012 Second Edition November Third Edition November 2015 Graphics and photos supplied by bro Adam Simeon. 14