Greetings General Nyabinghi!

--- Greetings bredren & sistren

I have been reading the posts on this blessed forum for some time now. Infact I knew of this forum for over three years if not more, but never posted. What I see here perhaps may need some clarrification of sorts. I am not here to take sides, but perhaps I can explain where some of InI may be confused with the whole Israel thing. InI have to keep in mind, that the Ible is a symbolic history book of the Africans. That does not mean that the Ible is false. It simply means that history was given InI through written script of African people via symbolism. It is effective when the I's overstand symbolism, how it was applied to history, and InI daily lives.
The entire Israelite concept through Rastafari comes from the meeting of King Solomon and Queen Mekada.

But keep in mind, that Israel (northern kingdom) is no more. They were destroyed several times by invaders, and carried off into Babylon. Their final destruction came via the Assyrians. Also the remainder of Jews who were in Jerusalem fled into Africa after the 70 AD. revolt. ---

Reply:

First what I would like to say is that we should avoid to approach Scripture as a causal-historical account and approach it anthropological, archaeological, scientific, geographical, biological, sociological, psychological, etc. Of course these things have a place within the whole and have their own value, but we should be very reserved (and I believe even refrain) in using it to come to overstand the eternal announcements of the Torah. Like you say, the Bible is a "symbolic" (in the right sense) "book"; "mythical" (again; in the right sense) I’d rather say; with in it the root-structure and pattern of mankind, of each of us human beings; of life; this world of two-ness in relation to the Oneness of G’d, this present exile, the restoration and redemption, etc. The causal-historical of our present world is of course "incorporated", and therefore finds its expression within the material realm. By calling Scripture a "symbolic history book of Africans" I think you do injustice to it’s spiritual, heavenly and universal character; dragging it down and externalising it by attaching it to matters of ethnicity, skin colour, geography, etc.

Yet even then, I do not share your view on Ethiopia to be Zion. Not "symbolically" or whatsoever. It’s un-Scriptural.

I think your conclusion that Biblical Yisra’el (northern Kingdom) "is no more", in the sense of being "destroyed" and "carried off", etc., even speaking about a "final destruction" is not accurate. I think that Scripture teaches differently:
From Revelation 21:12-13 we may conclude that all the Twelve Tribes are [to be] (re-) gathered, as upon the 12 Gates (4 x 3 to every direction) of the New Yerushalayim are written the names of the Twelve Tribes of Yisra’el. Romim [Romans] 11:26 reads: "...and that it is in this way that all Yisra'el will be saved". As the Tanakh says, "Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; He will turn away ungodliness from Ya'akov". And in Mattityahu 24:30 we read "all the Tribes of the Land will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming... etc." (when Moshiakh Y’hoshua returns) as reference to the prophecy of Z’kharyah 12:10-14. And in Mattityahu 15: 24 we can read about Moshiakh Y’hoshua saying to be sent unto the lost sheep of the House of Yisra’el (to re-gather them).

--- Basically I am saying that InI should not look to today's geographical Israel, because the Israelites are no longer there anyway. ---

Reply:

It seems you mix up "Eretz Yisra’el" (the Land of Yisra’el, I’m not speaking of the current State of Israel) with "Yisra’elites"? Anyway, according to prophecy I think we have reason enough to (also) look at the Land of Yisra’el, to Yerushalayim, etc.. and with that (also) to the current State of Israel.

--- Why look to today's geographical Israel, when the King of Kings sit on the throne of Ithiopia. If one want to seek out true Israel, InI must seek out Africa via Ithiopia. There even till this day exist Beta Yisrael. ---

Reply:

You state we should not look at today’s geographical Israel (that seems to imply you refer to the State of Israel which contains partly what is to be considered Eretz Yisra’el geographically), yet you point out to the geographical Ethiopia (as you refer to the physical Beta Yisra’el of Ethiopia [of whom most have done aliyah to the State of Israel laying in the Holy Land; Eretz Yisra’el and so are able to observe specific mitswot]). That said, I think we are to seek after the Most High on all our ways and live according to the Way that the Son, His Moshiakh; Melekh Y’hoshua, has pointed out.

--- The only reason why the Balfour document came into being, was to divert the attention from Ithiopia, and InI royal bloodline, to began to look at the geographical Israel as the holy land. ---

Reply:

Although I think there were diverse motivations behind the Balfour declaration of which believe they merely are dubious, but to assign it to diverting people’s attention from Ethiopia, etc. I find far-fetched at least. Of course when one believes Ethiopia is/became the Holy Land although both Tanakh and the Apostolic Writings (B’rit Chadashah) teaches differently, one can interpret things alike, but imo it doesn’t hold water.

--- In the Kebre Negast, it states that the sun did not rise over Israel anymore, and did rise over Ithiopia. The Ark of the covenant is in Ithiopia, not geographical Israel. InI father sit in Ithiopia, not geographical Israel. ---

Reply:

How worthy and interesting the Kebra Negast is as spiritual-religious document that tells so much about a people in many ways ('theology', believes, dreams, hopes, desires, etc.), it nonetheless does not comply with the Torah and Prophets on this matter. There is good reason to take it as legendary, folklore and (men’s) tradition, etc.. Like we can find in Judaism, Islam and Christianity as well, as in most other spiritual traditions. The transference of Eretz Yisra’el to Ethiopia is incorrect and dubious.

--- If InI read the Ible, the I's will see that the line of Israel ended with King Hezikiah. His sons were killed by King Nebuchadnezzar. However the bloodline of king Solomon was still running strong in Ithiopia. ---

Reply:

HaShem is working out to restore kol Yisra’el (all Yisra’el). That said, we should not pay too much attention to one’s (whether or not supposed) blood-line/genealogy, etc. within our lifes, as it’s not decisive within our spiritual relationship with our Heavenly Father.

--- So to rap this up, InI should not look to today's geographical Israel. But InI should only look to Africa and the throne of Africa which is in Ithiopia, where the Nile River has it's start. Knowledge ran up the river nile, into Kemet and all those places. ---

Reply:

Whether there is such thing as a specific "throne of Africa (or Ethiopia)" (I believe not, at least not in the [Biblical] sense you put it), there’s no Scriptural base to replace or transfer the Holy Land to Ethiopia. And: "Behold, the fear of HaShem, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" (Iyov 28:28)

--- Blessed bredren and sistren, InI must keep Africa first, and not chase after the ghost of dead geographical places. Rastafari warriors are from Africa. ---

Reply:

You know the King is the Most High G’d, and His children are those that worship Him in Spirit and Truth: so, geographics (should) have no say in this. With the above statement you also (indirectly) seem to imply that the state of Israel is a "dead geographical place".

In peace,
Rosh.