Ethiopia and The Bible

The history of Ethiopia and her relationship to the Bible goes as far back to the writing of the Bible itself. Ethiopia is first mentioned in the Bible after God planted the Garden of Eden. The Bible states that one of the four rivers that flowed from Eden was called the, “Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.” (Genesis 2:13). So Biblically speaking we see that Ethiopia is as old as the creation of the earth. Ethiopia is mentioned 37 times in the Old Testament, and once in the New Testament where the Apostle Phillip baptizes an Ethiopian eunuch who was a servant of Queen Candace of Ethiopia. Though the Ethiopian eunuch knew little of Jesus Christ at that moment, the knowledge of the One True God of Israel had been introduced into Ethiopia going as far back into antiquity as to the reign of King Solomon and to his visitor the Queen of Sheba.

It is believed that the Queen of Sheba (Makeda) lived in the 10th century BC. The Queen ruled over parts of Ethiopia such as Aksum and also portions of Southern Arabia in Sabaea, which is in modern day Yemen. Because of her ties to the Sabaeans she was given the title the Queen of Sheba and also the Queen of Aksum: the ancient capital of Ethiopia. The Queen is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. In the Old Testament her story is found in I Kings chapter 10, and II Chronicles chapter 9. In the New Testament Christ Himself refers to her as the Queen of the South in Matthew 12:42 and again in Luke 11:31. Finally the most detailed account of The Queen of Sheba is found in the Ethiopian holy book the Kebra Nagast.

From the text of the Kebra Nagast, Queen Makeda went to visit King Solomon in order to test his wisdom and to see for herself the riches and magnificence of his kingdom. She came with many gifts for Solomon along with a great company of camels and servants. When the Queen finally arrived in Jerusalem she was dumbstruck by the wisdom of Solomon. Now Solomon was a lover of women and the king desired the queen and seduced Makeda during her stay. Ultimately a son would be born from the relationship between Solomon and Sheba and the worship of the One True God would be brought back to Ethiopia on the Queen’s return from Jerusalem. For previously the Queen of Sheba and her people worshiped the sun, moon, and stars and even the serpent.

As the legend unfolds, the Queen of Sheba gave birth to Solomon’s son and named him Menelik. When Menelik came of age he too traveled to Jerusalem in search of King Solomon, his own father. Solomon greeted him with joy and sent Levites to go back with Menelik, so that the worship of the One True God would be established in Ethiopia. Unfortunately many of the nobles of Israel were saddened that they would have to leave Jerusalem and the Temple that housed the Ark of the Covenant. So Azariah, the son of Zadok the priest, made a replica of the Ark and exchanged it for the true Ark which was in the Holy of Holies. As events transpired the Ark of the Covenant ended up in Ethiopia and is believed to reside there to this very day in the holy city of Aksum, in the Church of St. Mary of Zion.

Returning to the Bible we see that Ethiopia is included within the writings of the prophets, and is also found in the Psalms of King David. For example, the prophet Jeremiah was released from his imprisonment in a mirey pit through the efforts of an Ethiopian eunuch named Ebed-melech, (see Jeremiah 38). The Lord speaking through prophet Amos said, “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel?” (Amos 9:7). And most famously Ethiopia is mentioned in Psalms 68:31 where it states that, “Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” This Old Testament prophecy concerning Ethiopia was partially fulfilled during the birth of Jesus Christ. For tradition holds that one of the three wise men that came to visit and pay homage to the infant Christ, was a king of Ethiopia.

The introduction of Christianity into Ethiopia was first made by the eunuch of Queen Candace, but it would be during the reign of King Ezana a couple centuries afterwards that Christianity would take hold. King Ezana (320-356 AD), was the first African king who became Christian and made Christianity the official religion of his empire. Though the Ethiopian king Ezana adopted Christianity, the credit of bringing the Faith of Jesus to the Kingdom of Aksum goes to St. Frumentius, a Syro-Phoenician Greek born in Tyre. Frumentius traveled to Alexandria, Egypt where he appealed to have a bishop appointed and missionary priests sent south to Aksum. Thereafter, he was appointed bishop and established the Church in Ethiopia, and converted many local people, including the king.

Over the course of a couple centuries Christian Ethiopia relatively flourished, but by the eighth century the Aksumite kingdom had lost its holdings in Southern Arabia. The reason being was that of the aggressive Muslims who at this time occupied the Ethiopian coast. As a result of the hostilities of the Muslims, Christian Ethiopia became isolated from the rest of the world. Due to being cut off from other Christian nations, the Aksumite Empire had no other choice than to establish ties with Islam. However, even though the Ethiopian king Armah granted Muslim refugees asylum in Ethiopia, and even after Mohammad himself told his followers to maintain a positive relationship with Ethiopia, the Muslims still attempted to eliminate Christianity in Ethiopia and from off the face of the earth.

The decline of Aksum was followed by a new dynasty known as the Zagwe’. The Zagwe’ period lasted from about 1137 to 1270 AD. The best known of the Zagwe’ rulers was King Lalibela, who famously carved a network of churches out of solid rock. Lalibela’s life is legendary. As the story goes when Lalibela was an infant a swarm of bees hovered above his crib. Upon seeing this spectacle his mother took it as a sign that her son would grow up to be a great man. Thus he was named Lalibela, which means, ‘The bees recognize his sovereignty.’ In his youth Lalibela spent time in Jerusalem. On his return to Ethiopia he was inspired to recreate Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land in the Ethiopian town of Roha. All together king Lalibela excavated eleven rock-hewn monolithic churches. These churches were so fascinating that after the king’s death the area was renamed Lalibela in his honor.

After the reign of Lalibela the Zagwe’ dynasty began to decline, and ruler-ship of Ethiopia was restored to the Solomonic Dynasty, which traces its descent from the union of Solomon and Sheba. Tradition states that the Solomonic kings stretched all the way from the 10th century BC to the 20th century AD. The last king of Ethiopia was Emperor Haile Selassie I, who was crowned ‘King of Kings of Ethiopia,’ on 2 November 1930, at the cathedral of St. George in Addis Ababa. Before his coronation Selassie held the title of Ras Tafari, and as king he was also known as the Lion of Judah. Through the writings of the Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey, many blacks in Jamaica saw the crowing of a black king in the east to be none other than the second coming of Jesus Christ. However, in 1974 Ethiopia experienced a revolution, and a Marxist regime called the Derg arrested Selassie on 12 September. On 28 August 1975, it was reported that Selassie had died on August 27 due to complications of a prostate operation. After the Soviet backed government fell in 1991, Selassie’s bones were found in 1992. In the year 2000, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church held a funeral for the deceased Emperor. To this day most Rastafarians do not accept Selassie’s death, but believe that His Majesty simply disappeared.

In conclusion, from the Garden of Eden, to the Queen of Sheba, and even up to modern times, Ethiopia is the sign and the seal of Biblical persons, places, and kingdoms. The rich culture of a Christian and Jewish heritage as well as its many legends, have made Ethiopia a mystical land. With the Queen of Sheba accepting the God of Israel and King Ezana establishing Christianity, the prophecy that Ethiopia shall soon stretch forth her hands unto God has indeed been fulfilled.

References:

Archbishop Yesehaq. The Ethiopian Tewahedo Church. (Nashville, Tennessee: James C. Winston Publishing Company, Inc., 1997).

Brooks, M.F. Kebra Nagast. (Kingston, Jamaica: LMH Publishing Limited, 2001).

Pankhurst, R. The Ethiopians a History. (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 1998).

Ullendorff, E. Ethiopia and the Bible. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc., 1968).

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Is the Abaddon of Revelation the Angel of Death in Exodus?

When the Lord sent Moses to deliver the Children of Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh, the Lord also sent many plagues upon the land of the Egyptians. The tenth and final plague would be known as The Passover. For this plague would destroy all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn in Pharaoh’s house, to the firstborn among the servants, even to the firstborn of all the animals. The Lord instructed Moses that the congregation of Israel, every man according to the house of their fathers, should take a lamb for that house. They were to kill it in the evening, and take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, where inside they would eat the lamb.

This ritual was to protect the Children of Israel from the plague of The Passover. For the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, “…I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast…and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:12,13). Moses himself would go on to tell the elders of Israel that, “…the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.” (Exodus 12:23).

From what we see here in these verses from the Book of Exodus, it is the Lord that passes over the house with the blood of a lamb on the door posts and lintel, and it is also the Lord that does not allow “the destroyer” to enter that house to smite the firstborn. So, it would seem that there is a duality of persons involved in the execution of the tenth and last plague upon the land of Egypt. The Lord passes through the land of Egypt that night, but “the destroyer” is the one who smites the firstborn. It is common to hear “the destroyer” of the plague of The Passover being called the Angel of Death, but nowhere in either the Old or New Testament is that phrase found. However, the name of “the destroyer” is found in the New Testament book of The Revelation of St. John the Divine.

Now the book of Revelation is filled with both the blessings and promises of God. It is also filled with the judgments of God and plagues, that in many ways mirror the plagues God sent upon the land of Egypt in the days of The Exodus. In Revelation chapter 9, a most frightening plague of supernatural locusts are sent to torment, “…those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” (Revelation 9:4). This plague of locusts sent unto the future inhabitants of the earth, is strikingly akin to the plague of locusts sent unto the ancient Egyptians. The fact that these future and supernatural locusts only hurt the people of the earth who have not the seal of God in their foreheads, would echo the office of “the destroyer” in Exodus who smites the firstborn of every house in Egypt without the blood of a lamb on the door posts and lintel.

Going further, these locusts of Revelation who arise from the bottomless pit, “…had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” (Revelation 9:11). The Hebrew term adaddon appears six times in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible, and has the meaning of destruction or “place of destruction,” or realm of the dead. The Greek Apollyon comes from apollymi, which means “to destroy,” while the Greek term Apollyon itself directly translates to “the destroyer.” So, here we could argue that this angel of the bottomless pit mentioned in Revelation, who is named as “the destroyer” could quite possibly be linked to “the destroyer” mentioned in the Book of Exodus, who smites the firstborn in the land of ancient Egypt.

In conclusion, it is not the intent of this author to forge Biblical doctrine from what has been presented, but rather inspire individual study of the holy scriptures, and to challenge the believer to think. There are indeed many mysteries of the Bible, and several interpretations of these mysteries, and more than a few schools of theology, all with differing opinions of the meaning of these oracles. That being said, may we all take into consideration the myriad of possibilities that have come down to us over the centuries concerning the deep mysteries presented in the pages of the Holy Bible. Hopefully, together and in cooperation we can assist each other in the study, as well as in the understanding of God’s Holy Word. As it is written in Isiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD…”

 

References:

Green, J.P. The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

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The Keys of Hell and of Death

Speckled throughout the divine scriptures that make up the corpus of writings which we know today as the New Testament of the Holy Bible, do we come across the imagery of keys: the kind of instruments which have the ability to open and shut or lock and unlock a door. These specific “keys” mentioned in the New Testament are not necessarily meant to signify physical keys that we all use to open physical doors, but rather refers to the types of spiritual keys which open spiritual doors. For example, in both the Gospels and in the book of Revelation the Lord speaks of certain “keys” that are understood to represent a deeper spiritual mystery and allegory. For in Revelation 1:18 Jesus states, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” This passage reveals that Jesus, being the firstborn from the dead, has power and dominion over hell and death. For if one holds the key to something, that person has the power over that something. This argument is confirmed by Christ after His resurrection when He told His disciples, “…all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). So as we shall see, Jesus not only possesses the key of death, but also holds the key of life, which unlocks untold blessings upon all those who serve God and follow His commandments.

It is interesting to note that even though hell and death are interrelated, the Lord refers to hell and death as two separate things. This is revealed when Christ says that He holds the “keys” and not the “key” of hell and death. This fact is further confirmed in Revelation when Jesus opens the fourth seal. For it is written, “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him…” (Revelation 6:7-8). Going further at the time of the final judgment the Bible tells us that, “…the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:13-14). So here we see that death and hell are indeed two separate things, yet at the same time both are closely related. In fact part of their kinship lies in their total opposition to the very nature of the Almighty. God is life, not death and God dwells in heaven, not hell. So hell being a place without life, makes it the abode of death: a place of everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

In other passages of Revelation Jesus states that He possesses the key of David, and emphasizes His spiritual power as the one who, “…opens, and no one shuts; and shuts, and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7). So again we see the complete authority that Christ has been given over creation, both in the physical as well as in the spiritual realms. In the Gospel we see Jesus sharing His authority with Simon Peter. For when God the Father revealed the divinity of Jesus Christ to St. Peter, the Lord praised His disciple and stated that He would build His church upon his leadership, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Christ also gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven and granted His disciples the authority to bind and loose sins (Matthew 16:17-19). Now this may be a stretch, but I would argue that all people who believe in their heart that Jesus is the Son of God also have the keys to the kingdom of heaven. For in God’s plan of salvation, faith in Jesus is the key which opens the gate to the kingdom of heaven (Romans 10:9).

Continuing in Revelation we see that after the seventh seal is opened, seven angels are given seven trumpets and the sounding of each of these trumpets ushers in more, and more of the various judgments of God. For it would happen when the fifth angel sounded, that a star fell from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1). This star which falls from heaven is believed to be an angel, due to a verse from the book of Job which reveals that at the beginning of time when God laid the foundations of the earth, “…the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). Other schools of thought hold that the star is actually a fallen angel, since the same verse says that this star fell from heaven, just as the devil and the other rebellious angels fell from heaven (Revelation 12:9). But the most important factor of this verse has to do with the key of the bottomless pit that was given to the star or angel. Going further scripture says that the key to the bottomless pit was given to the angel, so that means the angel was given permission to open the pit with that key. And since all things originate with God and due to the fact that Christ holds the keys of hell and death, then we can justifiably assume that the one who gave the angel the key to the bottomless pit was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the one Who possesses the key to the gates of hell.

Another key which Christ spoke of is the key of knowledge. For in Luke’s Gospel we see Jesus warning and chastising the lawyers by saying unto them, “Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered (Luke 11:52). So here it is revealed that the responsibility of those placed in authority is to guide the people and impart unto others the knowledge which they have been initiated into themselves. Alas this key of knowledge was not given to the people in Jesus’s day and the ones who possessed the key ended up casting it aside, so that they could not enter into the way of knowledge themselves, and on top of things they even tried to stop others who were entering into enlightenment on their own. Knowledge is power, and God has spoken through the prophets by saying, that His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). The importance of gaining knowledge is emphasized all throughout the Bible. For example, the wise king Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs that the principle thing in this life is to acquire knowledge, and in the New Testament the Apostle Paul encourages us to study to show ourselves approved ( 2 Timothy 2:15). So by applying ourselves mentally to the study of God’s Word, are we given the key that unlocks our spiritual understanding, even granting us the very mind of Christ.

In conclusion, whether we are speaking on the keys of hell and death, or if we are personally seeking the key of knowledge, the fact remains that Christ holds all these keys and ultimately all the power within them resides in Him. Not only does Christ have the authority to unlock spiritual doors with spiritual keys, His holy hands also break the seven seals which unlock the fearsome and terrible judgments of God. And since it is Jesus that saves, then it would seem that it is Christ Himself that is the key that opens the door to Paradise. Just as Cherubims were placed to guard the tree of life, after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, so too has Christ unlocked the door which separated mankind from the kingdom of God. So, in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind does Jesus Christ (The Son and Word of God) serve as the master key which opens the gates of heaven to humanity, and Who unlocks the grace of God to mortals granting His children everlasting life. Amen.

 

References:

Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

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The Robe of Christ

The Seamless Robe of Jesus (also known as the Holy Robe), is the robe said to have been worn by Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry. Competing traditions claim that the robe of our Lord has been preserved even to this very day. One tradition places it in Germany housed within the Cathedral of Trier, another places it in France, where it resides at the Basilique Saint-Denys. In addition to these Roman Catholic claims, the Eastern Orthodox Church has also preserved a tradition regarding the robe of Jesus Christ. For according to the tradition of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the robe was acquired by a Jewish Rabbi from Georgia named Elioz (Elias), who was present in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion. The focus of this work will be centered around the Georgian claim which states that the robe of Christ rests in their country. That being said, let us now take a deeper look into the traditions of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s history, by presenting a certain historical document which describes how the robe of Christ ended up in the country of Georgia.

The following is the account of the Jewish priest Abiathar concerning the Tunic of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“At the time when Herod ruled in Jerusalem, there was a rumor that the Persians had captured Jerusalem. Because of this, there was sorrow and mourning among the Georgian Jews living in Mtskheta, the priests of Bodbe, the scribes at Kodi Spring and the interpreters of the law in Khoba. All of them wanted to go to the aid of the Holy City. But a few days later another messenger arrived with the cheering news that the Persians had not come to capture Jerusalem. Instead of weapons they were carrying royal gold, myrrh which quickly heals wounds, and fragrant incense. They were looking for a certain infant of the seed of David, born of a virgin. Then it transpired that they had found this child born of a virgin, who had been delivered unexpectedly, in a place unsuitable, as sometimes happens to people on a journey far from home. They came to the infant and worshiped him, and offered him their gifts and went away in peace. The Georgian Jews were delighted to hear this news.”

“Thirty years had passed by after this when Annas the high-priest wrote from Jerusalem as follows: to my ancestor Elioz – He to whom the kings of Persia came to bring gifts has grown up to manhood. He calls Himself the son of God. Come here to be present at His execution, which will fulfill the law of God and Moses.”

“So Elioz of Mtskheta went with Longinos of Karsani to be present at Christ’s Crucifixion. And when they were nailing our Lord on the Cross at Jerusalem, and the executioner was driving in the nails with an iron hammer, Elioz’s mother heard the blows and suddenly cried out – Farewell, kingdom of the Jews, for you have killed your Savior and Liberator. Henceforth you will be deemed the enemies and murderers of your Creator. Woe is me, because I am not already buried before His death. – When she had spoken these words, she expired.”

“Our Lord’s Tunic fell by lot to the Jews of Mtskheta, and Elioz took it to that city. His sister greeted him with tears an threw her arms round his neck. She took the garment of Jesus and pressed it to her bosom, and immediately departed this life. The cause of her death was threefold: Bitter sorrow at the killing of Christ, grief for her mother’s death, and regret that her brother had been an associate of those who denied our Savior.”

“This event caused a great sensaton in Mtskheta and reached the ears of King Aderc himself. Everyone, including the princes and King Aderc, tried to take possession of the garment. But the monarch was overcome with fright and alarm when he found that he could not draw it from her arms. So firmly did she fold the garment to her breast that her brother Elioz buried it with her.”

“Many years later the great-nephew of King Aderc, King Armazael, looked for the Tunic among the Jews, but failed to discover it or to learn anything about it, except that it was said to be buried near a cedar of Lebanon. But the Family of Elioz knew that it was to the east of the city, by the bridge of the Magi.”

In conclusion, though there are other traditions out there that differ from the Georgian account as to what happened to the robe of Christ, the purpose of the preceding presentation was intended to highlight a part of Church history which is not as well known to most, and even quite obscure to many. For this particular tradition concerning the robe of Jesus Christ is just one of the many of the Georgian Legends.

 

References:

Lang, D.M. Lives and Legends of the Georgian Saints. (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1976).

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