Coronation Day

November 5, 2008 by Masimba Musodza ·
Filed under: Religion, Spirituality for such a time

The 23rd of Temqt or 2nd of November is the most important date of the Rastafarian Calendar. It is on this day in 1923 A.M (Amete Meherit, “the year of Mercy” i.e. the Ethiopian Calendar) that Ras Tafari Makonnan, 225th scion of an unbroken line that descended from King Solomon of Israel and Queen Makeda, also known as the Queen of Sheba, was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Light and Saviour of the World, Elect of God. His Consort, Wayzaru Woleite Giorgis Manan Assfaw was also crowned Empress of Ethiopia, Queen of Queens.

I say that it is the most important because it was this Coronation-attended by dignitaries from around the world and was publicised in the media-that inspired a religious movement centred on the belief that this same Coronation signalled the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. At a time when just about every Black nation was under the boot of the European nations, at a time when Blacks were starting to believe the lie that they were subhuman but God had sent the White man to guide them towards civilisation, the Coronation of not only a Black King but one who was indisputably the heir to the Judaeo-Christian Messianic dispensation had a profound effect on those who took time to reflect on their circumstances and find answers than those on offer.

And King SOLOMON was dismayed at the weeping and outcry of the city, and he looked out from the roof of the palace, the fort of the king’s house, and saw the whole city weeping and following them. And as a child, whom his mother hath removed from her breast and left, followeth in her footsteps crying out and weeping, even so did the people cry out and weep; and they cast dust upon their heads, and they shed tears with their eyes. And when SOLOMON saw the majesty of those who had departed, he was deeply moved and he trembled, and his bowels quaked, and his tears fell drop by drop upon his apparel, and he said, “Woe is me! for my glory hath departed, and the crown of my splendour hath fallen, and my belly is burned up because this my son hath departed, and the majesty of my city and the freemen, the children of my might, are removed. From this moment our glory hath passed away, and our kingdom hath been carried off unto a strange people who know not God, even as the prophet saith, ‘The people who have not sought Me have found Me.’¹ From this time forth the law, and wisdom, and understanding shall be given unto them. And my father prophesied concerning them, saying, ‘ETHIOPIA shall bow before Him, and His enemies shall eat the dust.’² And in another [place] he saith, ‘ETHIOPIA shall stretch out her hands to God, and He shall receive her with honour, and the kings of the earth shall praise God.’³ And in a third [place] he saith, ‘Behold, the PHILISTINES,⁴ and the p. 75 Tyrians, and the people of ETHIOPIA, who were born without the Law. The Law shall be given unto them, and they shall say unto ZION, ‘our mother¹ because of a man who shall be born.’ Will this man then be my son who is begotten of me?”-Kebra Naghast 50, How they bade farewell to his father and how the city mourned

And the Spirit of Prophecy answered and said unto him, “Why art thou thus sorrowful? For this hath happened by the Will of God. And [ZION] hath not been given to an alien, but to thy firstborn son who shall p. 95 sit upon the throne of DAVID thy Father. For God swore unto DAVID in truth, and He repenteth not, that of the fruit of his body He would make to sit upon his throne for ever, in the Tabernacle of His Covenant, the Holy ZION. And I will set him above the kings of the earth, and his throne shall be like the days of heaven and like the ordinance of the moon for ever.1 And He who sitteth upon the throne of the Godhead in the heavens shall rule the living and the dead in the flesh for ever. And angels and men shall serve Him, and every tongue shall praise Him, and every knee shall bow to Him in the abysses and in the rivers. Comfort thyself with this [word], and get thee back to thy house, and let not thy heart be wholly sad.”- The Kebra Naghast, chapter 60 (the Lamentation of Solomon)

In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them-Zechariah 12:8

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father-John 14:12

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne-Acts 2:29-30

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.-Revelation 3:12

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof-Revelation 5:5

Let me stop here, because the last time I delved in to the Biblical texts, the writings of the Jewish Rabbis, the Early Fathers of the Christian Church and even the Islamic Hadith to demonstrate the basis of the central belief of the Rastafari Faith, I had written over 20 pages before I realised that I could not cram the knowledge I have received on the subject in to a single essay!!! What I will say is that the Coronation was seen as fulfilling Biblical prophecies about the Kingly nature of Christ, and so there emerged the religion known as Rastafari. My religion.

I want to wish all Rastafarians in Zimbabwe and everywhere a Happy Coronation Day. It is my prayer that the next time we celebrate this day, it will be in an atmosphere of peace in our land, with plenty to eat for all and tyranny banished forever. Malkam Ba’al Negus lehullatachin!!

Tell the world: