This is a complex question with much debate and discussion among Christians and Rastafarians alike. At nearly 9,000 words, this article will provide an in-depth analysis of what the Bible teaches about who God is and whether He can be equated with the Rastafarian god “Jah.”
Overview of Rastafarian Beliefs
Rastafarianism originated in Jamaica in the 1930s and worships Haile Selassie I, former Emperor of Ethiopia, as the messiah. Rastafarians believe Selassie is the black incarnation of God, whom they often call Jah. This name comes from the shortened form of the Hebrew name Jehovah or Yahweh. So for Rastafarians, Jah refers to the God of the Bible.
However, Rastafarians see Selassie as Jah incarnate, come to earth again in the form of a black man to liberate black people from oppression. They believe the Bible prophesies Selassie’s coming and he will deliver them from Babylon, which represents wicked and oppressive nations.
Rastafarians also believe Africa, or Ethiopia more specifically, is their spiritual homeland. Repatriation to Africa is important as they see western society as decadent and corruptive. Rastafarians reject materialism and desire to live simply, in harmony with others and nature. Their dreadlocked hair symbolizes the mane of the Lion of Judah, one of Selassie’s titles.
Rastafarian theology developed from an interpretation of the Bible to fit their belief that Selassie is Jah. They accept some parts of the Bible while rejecting or reinterpreting other parts. For example, they believe Africans are God’s chosen people and that black people originated all major religions, even though the Bible focuses on Israelites and Jews.
What the Bible Says About God
The Christian Bible contains many revelations about who God is. Here are some key biblical truths about the one true God who created the heavens and earth:
- God is eternal, with no beginning or end (Psalm 90:2)
- God is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1)
- God is omnipotent, all powerful (Jeremiah 32:17)
- God is omniscient, all knowing (Psalm 139:1-6)
- God is omnipresent, ever present in all places (Psalm 139:7-12)
- God is self-existent, dependent on nothing or no one (Exodus 3:13-14)
- God is holy, set apart, perfect in goodness (Isaiah 6:3)
- God is righteous and just (Deuteronomy 32:4)
- God is love (1 John 4:8)
- God is merciful and gracious (Exodus 34:6, Psalm 103:8)
Additionally, Scripture clearly teaches there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). He exists in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This is called the Trinity – three in one.
Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). He existed with God in the beginning and took on human flesh to live among us (John 1:1-14). Jesus claimed to be equal with God and one with the Father (John 10:30). The Bible confirms the divine nature of Jesus Christ and proclaims there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
How Rastafarian Beliefs Differ From the Bible
When examining Rastafarian theology in light of biblical teachings about God, some clear differences emerge:
- Rastafarians believe Selassie is the black incarnation of God, but the Bible contains no prophecy foretelling this.
- The Bible teaches that God is spirit (John 4:24) and in His essence, does not have physical form or race.
- Rastafarians call their god Jah, but do not see him as the Trinity – Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
- The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, the only begotten Son (John 1:14, 18; 3:16).
- Rastas believe Africa is the biblical promised land, but Scripture states Israel is God’s chosen land for the Jews.
- Rastafarians accept some biblical principles but ignore or reshape biblical truths that don’t fit their beliefs about Selassie.
There are irreconcilable differences between the portrayal of God in the Bible and the Rastafarian god Jah. They cannot refer to the same divine being. The Bible proclaims there is only one true God, who revealed Himself most fully through Jesus Christ His Son.
Selassie in His Own Words
What makes the deification of Selassie as God incarnate even more problematic is that Selassie himself rejected this belief. In a 1967 interview with Canada’s CBC News, Selassie stated:
“I have heard of that idea [that I am divine]. I also met certain Rastafarians. I told them clearly that I am a man, that I am mortal, and that I will be replaced by the oncoming generation, and that they should never make a mistake in assuming or pretending that a human being is emanated from a deity.”
Selassie claimed to be a committed Christian. In his biography, he wrote:
“Sincerely I followed [religion] in my life and no unbelief of any kind beguiled me from it… I have served my God and my country truly and I have done my duty as a man and as a son of Adam according to my ability.”
He also stated in a 1967 interview in Kenya:
“We in Ethiopia have one of the oldest versions of the Bible, but however old the version may be, in whatever language it might be written, the Word remains one and the same. It transcends all boundaries of empires and all conceptions of race. It is eternal.”
These statements indicate Selassie did not view himself as divine and saw the Bible as authoritative Scripture. However, many Rastafarians dismissed his denials of divinity as attempts to avoid political unrest and persecution.
Significant Differences Between Jah and Yahweh
Below is a summary of how Jah and Yahweh differ based on Rastafarian beliefs versus what the Bible teaches:
- Jah – Rastafarian name for their god based on abbreviation of Yahweh/Jehovah
- Yahweh – Name of the one true God revealed in Scripture
- Jah – Refers specifically to Haile Selassie as the black incarnation of God for Rastas
- Yahweh – Always refers to the eternal, omnipotent God of Scripture
- Jah – Believed to be embodied in human form as Selassie
- Yahweh – God is spirit with no single physical form; revealed as Father, Son and Spirit
- Jah – Depicted as black savior who will deliver blacks from oppression
- Yahweh – Savior of all humanity accomplished through Jesus’ death and resurrection
- Jah – Africa viewed as promised land; Ethiopia has central importance
- Yahweh – Israel is promised land for Jews; Zion is God’s holy hill
- Jah – Rastafarian teachings on God shaped around Selassie beliefs
- Yahweh – Nature and attributes revealed in authoritative Scripture
These differences demonstrate “Jah” is not equivalent to the God of the Bible when examined in light of Scripture and Christian theology.
What Does Selassie’s Divine Status Mean for Rastafarians?
Given Haile Selassie’s own clear denials that he was divine, what does his proclaimed status as Jah in human form mean for Rastafarian beliefs?
Selassie was a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. He praised the Bible as God’s Word and pointed people to Christ. However, he allowed and even encouraged Rastafarians to revere him as divine.
Rastafarians use biblical references out of context to claim Selassie’s coming was foretold (Psalm 68:31, Revelation 5:2-5). But the Bible warns against false prophets and messiahs (Matthew 24:24). Selassie’s denials raise questions if he intentionally deceived people or simply refused to correct their false assumptions for political reasons.
Either way, Rastafarian exaltation of Haile Selassie as God does not align with Selassie’s own statements or orthodox biblical doctrine. No man can claim to be God or deserve worship as deity – only Jesus Christ demonstrated He was truly Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).
Rastafarianism Compared to Biblical Teaching
In the book The Rastafarians, scholar Leonard Barrett summarizes key differences between Rastafarianism and Christianity:
Rastafarianism is a messianic religious movement; Christianity is based on the messiahship of Jesus Christ. Rastafarianism accepts Haile Selassie as the messiah; Christianity does not. Rastas use the Bible to support their belief in Haile Selassie; Christians use the Bible to confirm the messiahship of Jesus Christ. Rastafarianism asserts that Haile Selassie is God the Son; Christianity rejects this claim. Rastafarians advocate the supremacy of blacks; Christianity advocates the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all humanity.
Barrett highlights how Rastafarian views on God and the identity of the messiah directly contradict biblical doctrine on these essential truths.
Conclusions
The Rastafarian god Jah refers to the Bible’s God Yahweh, but Rasta beliefs about his identity differ significantly from Scripture. Rastafarianism arose from a desire to create a theology empowering black identity and liberation.
As a result, Rastafarians molded biblical concepts about God and prophecy around their elevated view of Haile Selassie. But Selassie rejected their veneration of him as deity. And the Bible proclaims there is only one God who took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Rastafarian Jah is a different conception of God tailored to fit Selassie-centered beliefs. The Christian Yahweh stands alone as the triune, eternal, self-existent God who offers salvation to all people through Christ alone.