Rastafarianism is a religious movement which is also political.  It is named after the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie’s pre-coronation name (Ras Tafari).  Many Rastafarians literally believe that Haile Selassie was the return of Jesus.  

Though not all Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie was Jesus, and though not all Rastafarians necessarily follow everything that is rebuked here, it’s hard to see how anyone could claim to be a Rastafarian without subscribing to at least some of the things rebuked here as well as having spiritual fellowship with those who subscribe to at least most of the things rebuked here.

Rastafarianism has made an idol out of deceased Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.  

Some Rastafarians believe that Selassie was the first coming of the Messiah.  They thus also believe that the Jesus of the Bible was not the Messiah.  

Other Rastafarians believe that Selassie was not divine.  Yet it is hard to see how these, however many there are, could not be in spiritual fellowship with those involved in the blasphemy and idolatry of those who consider Selassie as worthy of divine worship.

The Bible says in Ephesians 5:11: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Consent with darkness in itself puts one in the realm of darkness.

Proverbs 28:4: “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.”

Romans 1:32: “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Though Selassie himself did not claim to be the return of Jesus, there is no evidence that he sufficiently did what ought to have done to not only state, but also emphatically assert that he was not Jesus and should therefore not be divinely worshiped.  

We see in the Book of Acts how the Apostles of Christ were emphatic, and even frantic, to renounce and forbid divine worship of themselves when people tried to bow to them and/or offer sacrifice to them.

Acts 10:25-26: “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.  But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.”

By the way: This also proves that the Pope and other religious leaders who allow people to bow down to them are frauds.  It also proves that they do not follow Peter’s godly example seen in the Bible.

Acts 14:11-15: “And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.  And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.  Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.  Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things?  We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein…”

Since the Apostles of Christ, whom God did many miracles through, did everything they could to dissuade people from worshiping them when they knew such was happening (and Sealssie did eventually know that some were saying that he was Jesus), it is everyone’s obligation to do the same as the Apostles when they know that people are worshiping them.  The Apostles of Christ were yet mere men just like all of us are.

Jesus Himself though did receive divine worship, and He equated people’s true estimation of Him with their true estimation of the Father in heaven.

John 5:22-24: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.  He that honureth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

John 9:35-39: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out (this is referring to the man whom He had recently healed of blindness); and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him.  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”

John 14:23-24: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

The basis of the Rastafarian claims about Selassie stem from the following quote which was spoken by Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey.

“Look to Africa, when a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is at hand.”

Shortly after this statement was made, Haile Selassie was crowned as the Emperor of Ethiopia in the year 1930.  However, Garvey himself denounced Selassie by 1937.  Yet it is on the basis of Garvey’s vague statement that many Rastafarians came to worship Haile Selassie.  

Even if you were to discount the many, many other reasons why this particular statement by Garvey should not be seen as reliable proof of Selassie’s divinity nor even seen as some prophetic utterance which even pertained to Selassie at all, there is one overarching reason why Selassie could not be the return of Jesus.

I have done a study already called Jesus is Not Walking Around Earth Now.  In that study I quote from a previous study which I did on Matthew chapter 24 which is relevant to the topic.  I will quote from a significant segment of these studies now since they contain proof from the Bible that neither Haile Selassie nor any other man walking around on earth since Jesus ascended to heaven in the first century AD could possibly be Jesus.

(From these previous studies):

“Matthew 24:26-28: “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”

Jesus will return again in person to condemn His enemies with the sword and deliver His faithful people.  He will not have a “secret coming” before that point.  He will not be walking around on the earth in disguise.  He did give a foretaste of His return when He judged Jerusalem in AD 70- and perhaps He has at other times given a similar foretaste of His return (and perhaps He yet will- you never know).  Yet AD 70 and other such times are not His second coming.  He will dwell at God’s right hand until that point and then He will return visibly to immediately assume His rightful authority over all things.  

Hebrews 10:12-13: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”

“He will then put down His enemies, He will rule the nations with a rod of iron, and this will all be accompanied by the resurrection of the righteous dead who, along with the righteous who remain alive at that time, will be transformed into redeemed bodies then and reign over the nations with Him.  

We also clearly read in the Book of Revelation that this will all be preceded by the Antichrist’s reign over the nations, great tribulations for the righteous whom the Antichrist will kill and/or make life extremely hard for due to their refusal to worship him and take his mark that they might be allowed to participate in the Antichrist’s universal trade system.  

Though many professing Christians believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, the Bible teaches no such thing.  It rather teaches that Christ’s people will undergo much suffering and especially great temptation to fall away during the great tribulation before Christ returns.  

The Bible also teaches that there will be exceedingly great, supernaturally induced plagues from God during that tribulation period upon the Antichrist and those who worship him and take his mark.  There is no reason to believe that these direct plagues from God will be put upon the righteous.  Several statements in the Book of Revelation actually make it obvious that they will not be.

Though I’m nearly sure that significantly more could yet be said about the conditions of the world before Christ’s second coming, this is sufficient to prove that He has not come back already and that those who claim that He has have a very long checklist to work through to sufficiently back up such a claim.”

(End of quotes from previous studies)

Other issues related to Rastafarianism:

As the Bible makes it clear that no one can serve God faithfully while serving mammon, no one can serve God faithfully while being governed by the interests of their own race nor by the interests of any particular race.  

God took a particular interest in the nation of Israel when His worship was centered there  Yet that did not mean that individuals of that nation were automatically in His favor even then.  It actually meant that God went out of His way to chasten the Israelites for their sins in a way which He did not with other nations.

Since being a natural Israelite never caused one to inherently be in Gods’ favor, then even if a person or the majority of a particular nation or continent could prove that they were descendants of the lost tribes of Israel (and none can prove that), it would not mean that God had a special favor towards that individual or group.

God rejected and cast away the northern kingdom of Israel (10 of the 12 tribes) from being among the nation where His worship was centered.  This happened even before He exiled the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and the people of the other 10 tribes who were left among these two tribes to Babylon.  After He brought this group back from exile in Babylon, He dispersed the entire Jewish nation and put it away altogether as being the center of His worship on earth due to its mass rejection of Christ.  He especially demonstrated this rejection by the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in AD 70. 

We have many studies refuting Zionism.  There is no need to do another one.  This issue is brought up to prove there is no value to anyone in being among the natural descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. This is relevant to Rastafarianism. 

There is also no solid proof that Haile Selassie was a descendant of King Solomon.  And even if there was, it would be meaningless.

The Bible speaks nothing of Ethiopia being the seat of God or of Ethiopia being a special land of redemption for black people or anything like that.  

When the Bible says in Psalm 68:31: “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God”, in its context this is a reference to God demonstrating His power and rebuking the nations in order to help cause His worship to prevail in the earth.  The same Psalm also speaks of kings bringing presents to Him at His Temple in Jerusalem.  Since His worship is not centered in Jerusalem now, the Temple as it is spoken of in this Psalm corresponds now to faithful Christian groups wherever they are found in the earth.

It is true that white people have corrupted Christianity and used their corrupted brand for their own ungodly ends.  However, they are not the only ones.  Perhaps their corruption has been more influential upon the entire world than the corruption of Christianity among other races.  

Blacks, Asians, and Jews have also done much to promote corrupted versions of Christianity and to otherwise oppose Christianity in its authenticity. 

We can only properly define corruption of Christianity by violation of the Bible’s precepts and by overall variance from the Bible.

It is evil to use the Bible selectively.  God frequently declares throughout the Bible the evil of adding and/or subtracting from His words.

Following the Bible’s teachings honestly and consistently is enough to treat all people like they ought to be treated as well as to properly deal with any and every form of racism whenever and wherever racism actually shows itself.  

Jesus did not have long hair.  The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:14: “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?”  

The only exception given in the Bible was for those who took the Nazirite vow- something which became impossible to faithfully perform due to the end of the worship at the Temple and the end of the Levitical Priesthood which accompanied that.  There is no record in the Bible of Jesus taking a Nazirite vow.  Jesus was a Nazarene; not a Nazirite.  

Though the popular image of Jesus as a white man with long hair is false, and communicates many deceitful implications, to portray Jesus as black is also false and communicates deceitful implications as well.  

The evidence which we have from the Bible is that Jesus looked like a common 1st century Jewish man and it is a violation of the 2nd commandment (since Jesus is God) to portray Jesus specifically since we don’t know how He otherwise looked as a man.  

It is also a violation of the 2nd commandment to promote a concept which attempts to communicate that God has a special favor towards those of a particular race or a special interest in the well-being of those of a particular race over other races.  God is impartial and does not respect persons.

The use of any substance, including the smoking of cannabis, to get high (i. e. alter one’s consciousness) is a form of sorcery as well as a violation of the Bible’s repeated commands to be sober.  

To smoke cannabis as a religious ritual doesn’t make this okay.  It rather makes getting high a more knowledgeable and blatant form of sorcery.  The Bible says that all sorcerers will have their part in the lake of fire (see Revelation 21:8).  

Genesis 1:29 says: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (food).”

God gave these things to man for food.  And just because they have other potentially good uses does not mean that it is okay to use them to violate His principles related to how He forbids sorcery and related to His insistence on continual sobriety for mankind.

It is not wrong to practice Vegetarianism or Veganism as a personal preference, but the Bible is clear that eating meat is not a sin.  To claim that not doing so is a form of righteousness or higher spirituality is promoting counterfeit righteousness and counterfeit spirituality.

1 Timothy 4:1-3: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

I emphasize that not everything rebuked here applies to every Rastafarian.  At the same time, it is still hard to see how anyone could claim to be a Rastafarian without subscribing to at least some of the things rebuked here as well as having spiritual fellowship with those who subscribe to at least most of the things rebuked here.

The real Jesus of the Bible is yet coming back to reign and to put down those who are sinners in His sight.  His judgment will be without partiality.  Take your definition of sin from the Bible, forsake your sins, do not show favoritism towards any race, ethnicity, or individual; have nothing to do with idols and do not justify sin because it is normal in your culture or normal among any group.  Turn rather to the one and only King of kings who shed His blood on the cross to bring people back under His authority.  He offers each forgiveness- yet only on the condition of one’s unreserved cooperation with His purpose of redemption in the context of bringing people under His authority.  Christ’s own righteous ways will be vindicated in His judgment.  If He were to come back for judgment in any other context, He would be showing favoritism to some and pleading for a cause which is not compatible with His own.  

Isaiah 2:10-22: “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.  And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  And the idols he shall utterly abolish.  And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  Cease ye from man (my note- meaning any and every man), whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”