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"Greetings in the
Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Who
has revealed Himself in this time in the
personality of His Imperial Majesty, Haile
Selassie....."
This is the official greetings of the
Rastafarian Organization 12 tribes of
Israel, the biggest congregations of
Rastafarians with centers around the world.
The founder and leader of the movement has
been interviewed by Jamaican Radiostation
IRIE FM. This article is a meditation about
the utterances by Vernon Carrington, the
Prophet Gad!
NO, there is no official website of the
12 tribes of Israel. The only link I came
across during my surfing sessions hunting
for new links, was a dead one. I personally
could never get any publication by the
group. The only things I knew, I knew from
books. Until I came across the interview.
Some brother sended me a tape and for the
first time in my life I could hear the voice
of Vernon Carrington, better known as THE
PROPHET GAD from the 12 tribes of Israel. I
rejoiced to find out, that I was not the
only one having the believe Selassie is an
Ikon of Jah, but not Jah Himself. I felt
like a fool, thirsty in the abundance of
water. Oh yes, I knew it's a controversy,
the person of Haile Selassie, as I can
witness that some Rastas and some (other)
Christians give I tribulation because of my
meditations. Sometimes I felt alone. And
then Jah says: You are not the only one! I
raised my head up high, and wrote down my
thoughts. I am not alone in this struggle, I
am in good company. The company of the
founder and leader of the twelve tribes of
Israel, the prophet Gad.
No brainwash education
As a true Rastafarian group, there is no
doctrine pushed upon the members, they are
encouraged to find out things for
themselves. This has to be done by reading
the bible "a chapter a day". So it
can be, that some members of the 12 tribes
say a different thing than their leader.
Until recently it was very hard to get ahold
of some of the prophet's teachings. But the
prophet Gad, the leader and founder of the
organization, was interviewed recently on
the Jamaican Radiostation Irie FM. The
interview has been transcribed and placed on
the Internet, liberating readers like me
from the unrealized bondage of ignorance .
It is always said, that the prophet believes
and teaches, that Haile Selassie is Jesus
Christ. Well, this is not the case. He is
saying, that Christ is coming to sit upon
the throne, he literally "makes a
different definition", when it comes to
Selassie and Jesus Messiah. It is true, that
the King radiates Christ, but he is not
Christ. Well, this was a remarkable
discovery when I listened to the interview,
and spoken with some members of the 12
tribes. No, this is not a recent change of
doctrine, I am assured. The prophet has
always said this.
Close connection with Rastafari
With members of the Ethiopian Royal
Family in the 12 tribe congregation, and
with the teachings of their leader prophet
Gad more or less the same as the Ethiopian
Orthodox when it comes to Selassie, I find
it remarkable that the closer we get to the
person of Rastafari (family, his church,
etc), the more people assure us that he was
an Ikon of Christ, but not Jah or Christ
Himself. When you come as closest to HIM as
you possibly can, namely to HIM personally,
you hear: "I am a man, and man can not
worship man." How different this was
with those who knew Jesus close: they were
all convinced He was God! It is true that we
have a lot of members in both the EOC
(Ethiopian Orthodox Church) as the TTI (12
Tribes) who still believe that Selassie is
God, this is because the 12 tribes members
are encouraged to think for themselves, the
prophet's teachings are not forced like
brainwash education.
Spreading the vibe
How come that so many people just do not
know of these teachings? How come many
people don't know, that there are actually a
lot of Rastafarian Elders, who do not
believe Selassie to be the returned Messiah?
How can it be, that there is so much false
rumor circulating about the doctrines of the
prophet Gad? For example, in the
world-famous book Reggae International, it
is written that the TTI teach Selassie is
Jesus. So then, this is not the case and has
never been the case. How come? There must be
some strong power, that tries to withhold
the truth from coming out. The truth that a
lot of Rastafarians know as a fact that
Selassie is not Jesus Christ, but he clearly
is an Ikon of Jah Messiah, might be an
offense for some, but it is not a sin. Even
stronger: the truth shall set you free! It
is time, that this message spreads across
Cyberspace and the (rest of the) real world.
The opposition
That the TTI have a different definition,
is clear to see in the fact that they are
not invited in the talks that are organized
by another Rastafarian Organization, the
relatively young Rastafarian Unification
Organization. A group that is committed to
the unification of all Rastafarians but they
exclude the biggest! That is a remarkable
fact..... According to the prophet Gad there
has never been an initiative from the side
of the RUO to have the TTI participate,
although Gad is very willing to help. His
leading capacities, his connections with the
Ethiopian Royal Family, all these things
apparently do not matter. Only once were the
12 Tribes invited to help with a school, but
that's it. He does not have an explanation
for this exclusion, but I think that for
some people it seems to be that only those
people who believe that Rastafari is Jesus
Christ are Rastafarians. And they want to do
anything they can to keep it that way.
Unfortunately the tribal war has not
ended....
Bun the Bible?
The prophet is asked what he thinks of
all those people who say the Bible is not
reliable, people who say: "bun the
bible". He answers that there are a lot
of people that are cursing over the things
of Jah. Cursing God, cursing the King.
Gadman doesn't really respond to it, he only
says, that there are always people who
reject Jah and His Word, but that there are
also people who accept and give thanks for
them. A very good attitude, why waste your
time in reasoning with people who are only
trying to bring you down? There are nuff
people who do want to know what Jah says.
Locks and food
The prophet is asked about dreadlocks,
and diet. He makes mention of the fact, that
scripture is not saying that we are saved by
our hair, or by what we eat. We are saved by
grace alone, through the blood of Christ.
This is what the prophet is saying. It is
also remarkable, that he as a Rastafarian
leader does not wear dreadlocks himself. He
does encourage however, that people do wear
them. In this thing, he is following the
Scriptural way. The prophet says we have to
find out if the things he says are correct
by reading the bible a chapter a day. He is
following the Bible himself. And he is
following Haile Selassie, who has said that
he was saved by the Blood of Christ, and not
by his own character. A true Rastafarian
follows Rastafari. A dreadlock is wearing
the mark of the Nazarite, of the special
livicated to Jah. What one eats or not eats,
is a matter of the heart, not of doctrine.
The prophet knows and practices the words of
Jah, not to become like the Pharisees who
say don't eat this, don't eat that.
CONCLUZION
The interview, which I was blessed to
transcribe for publication on the Internet,
has been quoted in one of the most blessed
books that is available on this subject, a
book called DREAD JESUS which is documenting
the current Messianic movement within
Rastafari. This fact alone shows you the
significance of the interview. I thank God
for enlightening Gadman that Selassie and
Christ are not the same person, and that
Selassie is not a part of the Divine
Trinity, although he is a descendant of
David and annointed by Jah like all kings.
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