When King of Kings Meets a Simple Death

So, what is a name…for an African ruler?

Most African rulers have turned presidential cultism into an of art, each president adopting a nickname to convey a desired image. Let us begin with the flashy title of King of Kings which Gaddafi had bestowed on himself:

King of Kings is a title that has been used by several monarchies and empires throughout history. The title originates in the Ancient Near East. It is the equivalent of the title Emperor.

The Emperors of Ethiopia also had the title of "king of kings"

The title is mentioned in the Hebrew  Bible, applying to Babylon king Nebuchadnezzar. In the book of Daniel 2:37, Daniel interprets the dream of Nebuchadnezzar to the effect that:

"Thou, O king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory."

Nebuchadnezzar was reputedly smart, shrewd, tactically brilliant, manipulative, and brutal. He could use people the way he wanted. He could take their lives when he wanted. He knew just when to strike his enemies at their weakest points. He was a great King and he had created his kingdom... His heart knew it.

And then God humbled this proud king:

Daniel Chap.4: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven…

And at that moment, the great and mighty King Nebuchadnezzar became like an animal. He ran from the comfort of his palace and lived in the fields and forests. 

King Nebuchadnezzar’s hair grew as long as eagle feathers and his fingernails like bird claws. He ate grass like a cow, and the rain fell on his head…

Note that the ancient city of Babylon is sixty miles south west of Baghdad in Iraq. On 13 December 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces at a farmhouse near Tikrit in a hole. This sounds a replica of Nebuchadnezzar’s situation!

In Christianity, "king of kings" is one of the titles of Jesus, based on 1 Timothy 6:15, and Revelation 17:14, 19:16.

Next?

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Cleverly, maybe unintentionally, his showy titles are in vernacular…and so they remain in Uganda and not beyond. He has called himself Nyarwino (One with deadly pointed teeth), Sebalwanyi (master of fighters) and quite like Gaddafi, Sebagabe (king of kings).

Eyadima and Mobutu used to call themselves “The Guide.” Kenyatta was Mzee (Wise Old Man), Nyerere was “Teacher,” Kamuzu Banda was “Chief of Chiefs.” Nguema Biyogo was “The National Miracle,” while Houphouet-Boigny of Ivory Cost was “The No. 1 Peasant.”  Amin was “The Conquerer of the British Empire.”

Then Bokassa. Former ruler of the Central Africa Republic. The first African former ruler tried for murder and cannibalism.

Evidence for cannibalism during prosecution?

1.      The frozen body of a schoolteacher hanging on a freezer hook in Bokasa’s State House

2.      Mounds of human flesh prepared for roasting

3.      Court testimony of Bokassa's former cook having prepared meals with human flesh and watching his boss eat them with relish

Bokassa was convicted of murder and sentenced to death"  

Presidential cultism has been and still is live and well in Africa....