The Significance of the 86th Coronation of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I

Written by Bro. Karl Phillpotts Naphtali
Founder, Shashemane Foundation
12 Tribes of Israel

NOTE:  This article is part of a larger edition that is available for DOWNLOAD HERE:

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 85th 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.

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, 30th 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.

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 Christend 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, Je-sus. 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.)

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

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.

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” (2nd 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.

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 4-12. 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.

In honor of His Imperial Majesties 86h 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 YAHWEH. (Psalm 68Vs4 ) Amen.