8.DREAD MEDITATION

According to the story that is told, when the first Rastas began to throw the comb away they were called dreadlocks because people were afraid when they saw someone with locks. Later on, the word dread also pointed to the fear of God, and to the dreadfull future of babylon. It is also said, that Rastas took over the locks from Afrikan Warriors. Others point out to the fact that in almost any culture and religion, you can find this "hair style". It is also said, that dreadlocks can be found in the Bible. This article is not about how to grow your dreadlocks outwardly, this article is an in-depth meditation of the Law on the Nazarites.

It was not until I was about 23 years old, that I started to grow dreadlocks for the first time in my life. Not, that I am a Rasta or a Jah Lover since that age, I "just" did not feel righteous enough to wear them. Where did that feeling come from? It was, I believe, the voice of Jah. Being the son of a pentecostal preacherman, I was brought up with the Bible, I was tought that there is no significance in hair, the standard christian response to a locksman. I knew by feeling, this approach was wrong. In a way, it is the same approach as so many atheist people today who have locks. They "just like it". They don't find any significance of the spiritual (JAH!) kind in it, so they don't care. Oh yes, for sure I wanted to have dreads, I even felt in a way I had to, but even stronger I knew I couldn't. I felt, that the state of my connection to Jah was directly related with the state of the hair on my head. Not as a commandment, but as a natural fact. [footnote 1]

"Ah, feeling," one theological founded person might say. "Feeling, that is a most subjective thing, and certainly no empirical prove". Sure. That is true. But when the feeling gets confirmed by later experiences, the feeling turn into a spiritual thing. I was pointed to this scripture, to name but one experience:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: {to separate...: or, to make themselves Nazarites} He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. {separation: or, Nazariteship} {vine...: Heb. vine of the wine} All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. {consecration: Heb. separation} All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD. (Numbers 6:1-8 AV)

In short, the spiritual wearing of the hair in locks, is installed by JAH. The locks are the outward sign of the inner livication. It does not matter if you are a man or a woman in this livication called "separation". Separation from what? From the grapes, and from the dead. Separation for what? Separation unto the Lord, unto Jah. There is a nice thing to say about this word, separation. It comes from the same word as "sanctifying", which means: "making holy". When you separate yourself for Jah, you make yourself holy for Jah. When you want to wear dreadlocks, you must be ready to livicate yourself to the Most High.

Oh yes, it is true, that in almost any culture and religion you will find dreadlocks, without any mention of Jah or Nazarites. Also in modern day babylon culture, where it is each one for himself and: "No absolute truth or One God please", we have dreadlocks who wear it because they like it. This stance is, when it comes to dreadlocks, the same one I have experienced from some parts of the christian world, in which I was brought up. It's okay to have dreads (at best), but please don't mention any spiritual significance. Now, if anyone wants to wear dread for fashion, let that one do just that. It is a personal matter between Jah and the one wearing dreads.

Now, let me go back to my story. It was absolutely not my christian upbringing, but the movement of Rastafari that has shown to me the Nazarites by showing themselves to I. I was 15 or 16 when I got introduced to reggae and Rastafari. In that time I was only rebelling against Jah, because I did not want to be like all the christian hypocrites that I saw as a child. I knew I had to stop my struggle against the Most High, but I could not let go of the picture in my head I had of Jah, of a Big Brother up in the sky, just waiting to cut me down. I knew I was sinful, I knew I was not serving Jah (where I knew I had to serve Him) but I did not want to serve the God that was painted for my eyes in the church. Thanks to Rastafari I slowly turned from a rebel in the sight of Jah to a servant of Jah (at least, that's my intention in life). I had to realize that my rebellion needed not to be directed at Jah, but at the hypocritical man-made religious christian shitstems. Rasta had one simple message: "Who are you Mr. christian when you have no love?" Yes, that is what Iesous said: Love one another.

It was not after I had surrendered my life to Jah Christ, the One that Selassie I points to, and was tought some obedience (to JAH, not to human institutions), that I started growing them at the age of 23. How can I say it? It surely was not my own complete decision. I felt the need to express my livication, my gratefulness to Jah, by livicating myself to Jah like a Nazarite. My hair was always directly related to the state of my connection with Jah. When the connection wasn't there, I could not grow them. Now I could, and I was grateful. But that did not mean, I was there! It was merely the beginning of another series of lessons I had to learn. A lot of these lessons can be learned, by meditating about the scriptures that deal with dreadlocks. I have named one already, the most important part, Numbers 6. I would like to elaborate a bit more about this scripture, to share with you what I have learned.

A lot of words in Hebrew have different meanings. Because the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and before the coming of our Lord and Savior, some research of the ancient texts enriches the measure of blessings in an extensive degree. The Old Testament is an Ikon of the New Testament. Although it is true, that who soever is saved by Christ is not subjected under any law but the law of Love, we see in the New Testament numerous references to Old Testament laws, with a symbolical explanation. I will give you an example: When Paulus, the New Testament Apostle (Who was a Nazarite, by the way) speaks to Jah Disciples in Corinth about him not having to work for his money because he is doing Jah's work, he points to a scripture in the Old Testament that says that when you use a cow on your field you should let him eat from the field as well while he is working. This is a symbolical use of an Old Testament Law. (read the scripture) The fact that he did not make use of this right did not have anything to do with him not having the right.

I felt driven by Jah to grow my dreadlocks as a sign of my livication to Him. I am still growing them up until this day. That is a thing, that I can find back in Numbers 6, and in other places of the Bible. What to say about Samson, the strongest Nazarite? He was a Nazarite from the day he was born, it was not his own choice. Sometimes you choose yourself, sometimes Jah makes the choice for you. But whenever you make any decision to livicate, or separate yourself for Jah, this is a direct result of Jah's work in you. What needed I to do? Number 6 told me what to do: Not using grapes, and not being in the middle of the dead. In the first years I took only these outward things seriously. Now, when I grow a little older, I am learning the deeper meanings, which are more important. The New Testament clearly gives us the knowledge that food can not save you, hair can not save you, anything you do or don't must be for Jah. So some people refrain from grapes, other's don't that is not the most important issue. The refraining from the spiritual grapes and dead, that is the importance. Even dreadlocks themselves, they are not important in a way. They're an outward sign. For those who must wear them, it is important that they do, when they have the oppurtunity. I personally wear the dread, as an outward sign of the inner livication.

There's some interesting things to say about locks. By looking up the original words, there is absolutely no reason to deny it is actually locks that we speak of. The word used is pera` which can mean both long hair of the head or lock from the head. The word also means leader. It comes from the root pr`, which means "to lead", but also "to let go".

When Iesous Kristos walked on the earth, he judged the scribes and the pharisees, who kept the complete law (and even more) for not overstanding a single word. What they did, they took the words and not the spirit. The same thing happens when you only read Numbers 6 and keep the commandments without trying to overstand the spirit. Real Nazariteship does not consist of not eating this and that but by following the Spirit. Samson had to kill the Philistines, he was around dead body's and therefore trespassed against the law, but he abided by the Spirit. [read scripture below]

When Jah speaks about "letting the locks of the hair of your head grow", He does not only say grow your dreadlocks. Where "head" also means leader, we can easily detect a hidden reference to the Ethiopian King, Haile Selassie for isn't he the Ras (Head, king) for Rastafarians? And there is more, as a true Ikonical Personality there is a Reference to Iesous Himself in this reference to Selassie, Christ being the ultimate Head and Leader or the Ras and King of Kings. Didn't Selassie say he was a servant of Christ? When Ras Tafari is your Head, you must let the Leader of your Head, which is Christ, grow. And growing, the Hebrew word used here is g d l , can mean both growing your hair and to glorify. When scripture says: "you shall let the lock of your hair grow", the spiritual part of it means: "you shall glorify the Leader of your leader". A true follower of Rastafari, I have said this before, is a true follower of Iesous Kristos, because Selassie is a devout follower of Kristos and he is urging everyone to do the same. The head (Selassie) is telling us to let our locks grow long (glorify Kristos).

What I also had to learn was, that we do not have to have the outward sign(s) of a Nazarite to be one. I bet you can imagine this to be a ephemism for pride. I realize to the fullness, that in order to make it we have to put all our trust in Jah and separate our lives for Him through Kristos, in other words be a Nazarite, a "separated one" (n aa z I r). But not all of us (are called to) wear the dread. Should everyone wear dreads in order to make it? Should someone wearing dreadlocks also be keeping the other commandments on the Nazarite? Is that what Jah wants? Kristos, of Whom it is said He was a Nazarite [footnote 2] drank wine. You only have to see pictures of the funeral of Bob Marley, to see Nazarites "coming at a dead body". Did they cut their locks, or did they have to? According to the laws on the Nazarites, they had to. Maybe a few did, there were also a few that did not want to attend the funeral, but the majority "broke the rules". Did they? I don't want to say anything negative against people who are keeping the complete law on the Nazarites. It is good to let the locks of the hair of your head grow, not to drink strong drink, not to be eating grapes, or not to be coming at a dead body. But I think, it is more important, to take a look at the spiritual significance of the laws on the Nazarites. Is there more to say? We know, as the prophet Gad of the Twelve Tribes of Israel says, there is no hair or food doctrine, they can not save you. But we must be separated from babylon, for the Lord God Jah. We must all be Nazarites. But not all of us have (to have) (all) the outward signs (food and/or hair). I have already said, that letting the locks of your hair grow spiritually means also glorifying Kristos, the One Selassie said he served. Now I would like to share with you, the spiritual meaning of the refraining from strong drinks, grapes, and the coming at no dead body.

The Nazarites had to abstain from wine. We as Nazarites [footnote 3] have to abstain from the spiritual wine as well. When we go to the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse, an angel introduces John to babylon, the great whore. [read the scripture] There is a mention of some kind of an altered consciousness, something like.... drunkenness from wine. Not only the kings of the earth, but also the inhabitants are made drunk by the wine of the fornication of babylon. When you live in babylon, look around you. There is a mystery of iniquity [read scripture below] going on that is keeping the people asleep. I believe this strong delusion to be the wine that the followers of babylon drunk, as described by John. We as Nazarites have to abstain from the babylonian drinks that make the inhabitants of the earth and their kings drunk. We should identify the mystery of iniquity, and abstain from it. For the mystery of iniquity is the wine we don't want to drink. If you drink from that wine, according to prophecy, you will also drink from the wine of the wrath of Jah. So there is also a promise in this commandment: if you do not drink from the wine of the fornication of babylon, you will also not drink from the wine of the wrath of Jah.

Wine is made from grapes, most of the time that is. What are the grapes, we should not eat? From the kernel, unto the husk? Yes, I know that there are fruits called grapes, and that you can abstain from them. Iesous did not abstain from them. If you abstain from them, that is a good thing, do it for JAH. Let no one judge you! But I want to find out, what are the "spiritual grapes"? I believe, that these grapes are the ingredients for the "mystery of iniquity". From these grapes you can make wine, but also raisins, from the kernel unto the husk it they are used. This grape, that we should abstain from, roots for this iniquity, is the most ancient sin: satan's attempts to exalt his throne above JAH [read scripture below]. Ever since in the garden of Eden men fell into sin, until this present day, satan is trying to make the children of man rebel against their Creator. You can read in the Book of Enoch, how satan and his angels corrupted themselves and the daughters of man, and when babylon was installed some years after the flood, organized idolatry was installed with her. Not only the mystery of iniquity, or in New Age terms "The Plan", is a product from this grape. All sin, all unrighteousness, wickedness, these are all products from the same grape: the rebellion against Jah. When lucifer ate from this grape, he became satan. When the first humans ate from the grape, they also became enemies of Jah. Becoming a Nazarite in the spiritual sense, means letting go of the sin. Abstain from sin. Now ofcourse, we all know that no matter how hard we try, we will never be without sin as long as we walk in our earthly termples. But it is so, that for those that have surrendered themselves to JAH by acknowledging the fact that Iesous Kristos, the Son of Jah, came and died for their sins and risen again, are free from sin even though they commit sins [read scriptures]. The abstaining from the grapes, from the sins, from the kernel to the husk, is the same as "walking in the Light".

Another very important thing that we can read in the law on the Nazarites in Numbers 6, is "All the days that he separates himself unto Jah, he shall come at no dead body". We have already seen Nazarites in scripture eating and drinking grapes and wine (Iesous), and we have seen them coming at dead body's (Samson, Bob Marley's Funeral). What does it mean, when you are a Nazarite, you should not come at a dead body? Another dive into the Hebrew Texts give me a clue: "Body", can also mean "life". You can also read, you shall not come at a dead life. When you are a Nazarite, you are not living a dead life like the babylonians who are all racing the rat race with pleasure, thinking that that is their fulfillment of life. That life is a dead life, in which people follow the god of money (Mammon) rather than Jah. The babylonian lifestyle, of materialism, lovelessness.

The wine is the mystery of iniquity, the grapes is the sins, the dead body's is the babylonian way of thinking. The Locks on your head is Iesous Kristos. The Nazarites are the ones, that separate themselves unto the Lord, through Kristos. Just like the prophet Gad of the twelve tribes of Israel says, just like His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie the 225th in the Line of Solomon said, Iman say the same: "only through the blood of Kristos". I think, that Jah is calling on to each and every woman and man to be Nazarites. For some, Jah wants them to wear dreadlocks, the outward sign of the Nazarites. For some, Jah does not find it necessary to wear them. For some, it is impossible. But all of us have to fight against babylon by revealing her wicked schemes and intentions. [read scripture below]. All of us have to walk in the Light. JAH Light.

These are some of my humble thoughts on being a Nazarite. I wear my dreadlocks with gratefulness, knowing that it is the grace of Jah. Personally I feel, that Jah wants I to grow my natty dreadlocks but I have learned throughout the years, that it is more important what is happening on the inside, than on the outside. In this time of tribulations and confusion, in which even white neo nazi's are spotted wearing dreadlocks, it matters more and more if you are a Nazarite from the inside. May JAH guide you.

FOOTNOTE 1: I by no means want to state, that this is a natural fact for everyone. I do not say that only those with dreadlocks are the ones livicated to Jah. This is the personal way that Jah is going with me, I know there are millions more on the face of the earth that also are called by Jah to be livicated as dreads

FOOTNOTE 2: There is a big discussion whether the term "Nazarene" means Nazarite, or simply "someone from Nazareth". I have met christian pastors and preachers who said that He was a Nazarite. Interesting discussion because it is clear Kristos used wine. Only during the installation of last supper, soon before He was arrested, killed and risen again, He said He did not want to take from the fruit of the vine anymore

FOOTNOTE 3: In this context, I use the word "Nazarite", to point to all people who have livicated themselves to JAH through Kristos, because the word means nothing more or less that "seperated one".

QUOTED SCRIPTURES:

And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men (Jud 15:16)

Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? {wife: or, woman} Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:1-10 AV)

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:1-5 AV)

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, {unto him: or, around him} That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. {withholdeth: or, holdeth} For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 AV)

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! {O Lucifer: or, O day star} For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15 AV)

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:7-8 AV)

We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10 AV)

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (Ephesians 5:11 AV)

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