Unfulfilled religious prophecies, Jesus and Messiah Claimants

This page attempts to list time-specific historical predictions (or prophecy) by claimed prophets or leaders within various churches whose predictions failed to happen. Biblical prophecy is not included, and is dealt with in separate articles.

The "prophets" listed here include anyone who has predicted or prophesied about the future within visible religions. It should also be noted that, where the prophesier belonged to religions affiliated to Christianity, the vast majority of Christians have never believed in these extra-Biblical prophecies[citation needed].

Claims by mainstream churches

Lutheran Church

The founder of the Lutheran Church was the reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546 A.D.). According to one authority, Luther ventured to predict: "For my part, I am sure that the Day of Judgment is just around the corner. It doesn't matter that we don't know the precise day... perhaps someone else can figure it out. But it is certain that time is now at an end." (Reformation Principles and Practice: Essays in Honor of Arthur Geoffrey Dickens, p 169). Some take the position that this would not be a failed prediction, because on the larger scale of time, "near" can be centuries in God's eyes. The reason for Martin Luther to say that the time is near, is to urge all people to examine themselves and ask themselves if they are sure they would be saved if the World were to end at any moment. However, his words indicate that he believed the end was near based on human understanding. Another work says: "In all of his [Luther's] work there was a sense of urgency for the time was short... the world was heading for Armageddon in the war with the Turk." (Luther's View of Church History, John M. Headley, Yale University Press, 1963, pp 13,14) Even after his death in 1546, Lutheran leaders kept up the claim of the nearness of the end. About the year 1584, A zealous Lutheran named Adam Nachenmoser wrote a large volume entitled Prognosticum Theologicum in which he predicted: "In 1590 the Gospel would be preached to all nations and a wonderful unity would be achieved. The last days would then be close at hand. Nachenmoser offered numerous conjectures about the date; 1635 seemed most likely." (Prophecy and Gnosis—Apocalypticism in the Wake of the Lutheran Reformation, Robin Bruce Barnes, p 64) Other date predictions followed but all failed.

Roman Catholic Church

Cardinal Nicholas de Cusa (1401-1464 A.D.) was " a cardinal of great learning...At the age of 23 Nicholas became a doctor of law, but when he lost his first lawsuit he left the profession of law for the study of theology. Possessing a thorough knowledge of the Greek, Latin and Hebrew languages, and a rare degree of eloquence, soon attracted attention... was made a cardinal (1449 A.D.)" (Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature by McClintock and Strong, Volume II, p. 611). Cardinal de Cusa later held that the end of the world would come in the year 1700 A.D. Another Catholic scholar, Arnald of Villanova predicted that an Antichrist would appear in 1378 A.D. (Visions of The End, McGinn, p. 147)

Baptist Church

Some Baptists also have a history of date and time predictions that have failed. In the early 1900s, the well-known Dr. Isaac M. Haldeman, pastor of the First Baptist Church in New York City, predicted that before the

Jews returned to Palestine to establish a Jewish State--an event that happened in 1948--that the Antichrist would appear. Haldeman explained: 'The Scriptures teach that this man (the Antichrist) will be the prime factor in bringing the Jews back, as a body into their own land; that he will be the power that shall make Zionism a success; that through him the nationalism of the Jews shall be accomplished." There is still a group of believers that continue to believe that Haldeman was correct; and that in truth, Adolf Hitler was the Antichrist predicted in the Bible (or perhaps one antichrist of many). They offer as "proof" the fact that the end result of WWII and the holocaust drove many Jews out of Europe to their new Israel. The fact that Hitler's Holocaust killed millions of Jewish believers (called "saints" in many Old Testament prophetic passages) would correlate positively with several Bible predictions that the Antichrist will seek to murder multitudes of "saints." (The Signs of the Times, Isaac Massey Haldeman, pages 452, 453).

The "one of many" Antichrist theory has some stability within Biblical limits. In 1 John 2:18, John writes that "many Antichrists have come."

Anabaptist Church

Certain Anabaptists of the early Sixteenth Century believed that the Millennium would occur in 1533." (When Prophecy Fails, Festinger, Riecken and Schaeter, page 7) Another source reports: "When the prophecy failed, the Anabaptists became more zealous and claimed that two witnesses (Enoch and Elijah) had come in the form of Jan Matthys and Jan Bockelson; they would set up the New Jerusalem in Munster. Munster became a frightening dictatorship under Bockelson's control. Although all Lutherans and Catholics were expelled from that city, the millennium never came." (Soothsayers Of The Second Advent, William Alnor, page 57.)

Presbyterian Church

Thomas Brightman who lived from 1562 to 1607 has been called "one of the fathers of Presbyterianism in England." This well educated and esteemed fellow predicted that "between 1650 and 1695 [we] would see the conversion of the many Jews and a revival of their nation in Palestine...the destruction of the Papacy...the marriage of the Lamb and his wife." (A Great Expectation--Eschatological Thought in English Protestantism to 1660 by Bryan W. Ball and E.J. Brill, page 117). This did not happen.

Christopher Love who lived from 1618-1651 was a bright graduate of Oxford and a strong Presbyterian. Love predicted that: (1) Babylon would fall in 1758 (2) God's anger against the wicked would be demonstrated in 1759 and (3) in 1763 there would occur a great earthquake all over the world. (The Logic of Millennial Thought by James West Davidson, page 200). None of this occurred.

Assemblies of God Church

The Assemblies of God Church has made an indelible impression because of its active evangelical work. Like other popular groups, this community has a rich history of failed predictions. One definitive study of predictions made within this church was published by an Assemblies of God scholar and pastor, Professor Dwight Wilson. The book was entitled Armageddon Now! On the jacket of his book is this caveat: "The author cautions his fellow Premillenarians that they will lose their credibility if they continue to see in each political crisis a sure fulfillment of Biblical prophecy--despite their obvious errors concerning earlier crises."

During World War I, The Weekly Evangel, an official publication of the Assemblies of God, carried this prediction: "We are not yet in the Armageddon struggle proper, but at its commencement, and it may be, if students of prophecy read the signs aright, that Christ will come before the present war closes, and before

Armageddon...The war preliminary to Armageddon, it seems, has commenced." (April 10, 1917 edition, page 3). Other editions speculated that the end would come no later than 1934 or 1935 (May 13, 1916 pp 6-9 etc).

The Anglican Church (Episcopal Church)

In volume II of The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, author Leroy Edwin Froom tells us about a prominent Anglican prelate who made a relevant prediction: "Edwin Sandys (1519-1588), Archbishop of York and Primate of England was born in Lancastershire... Sandys says, 'Now, as we know not the day and time, so let us be assured that this coming of the Lord is near. He is not slack, as we do count slackness. That it is at hand, it may be probably gathered out of the Scriptures in diverse places. The signs mentioned by Christ in the Gospel which should be the foreshewers of this terrible day, are almost all fulfilled." (The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers, pages 417, 419.)

Mennonites

Russian Mennonite minister Claas Epp, Jr. predicted that Christ would return on 1889-03-08 and when that date passed, 1891.[1]

Calvary Chapel

The founder of the Calvary Chapel system is the charismatic Pastor Chuck Smith. Some years ago, he published a book entitled End Times. On the jacket of his book, Smith is called a "well known Bible scholar and prophecy teacher." In this book he wrote: "As we look at the world scene today, it would appear that the coming of the Lord is very, very, close. Yet, we do not know when it will be. It could be that the Lord will wait for a time longer. If I understand Scripture correctly, Jesus taught us that the generation which sees the 'budding of the fig tree', the birth of the nation Israel, will be the generation that sees the Lord's return; I believe that the generation of 1948 is the last generation. Since a generation of judgment is forty years and the tribulation lasts seven years, I believe the Lord could come back for his church anytime before the tribulation starts, which would mean anytime before 1981. (1948 + 40 - 7 = 1981) However, it is possible that Jesus is dating the beginning of the generation from 1967, when Jerusalem was again under Israeli control for the first time since 587 B.C. We don't know for sure which year acturally marks the beginning of the last generation." (pages 35, 36). This same viewpoint was published by the popular Pastor Hal Lindsey in his widely published book entitled The Late Great Planet Earth (see page 43).

Claims by other groups

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Though not strictly unfulfilled (due to its predication on the Prophet’s longevity), the first President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (colloquially, though incorrectly, known as the “Mormon church”), Joseph Smith, Jr., prophesied that if he lived to be 85, he would see the Son of God. We read: "President Smith then stated… it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh—even fifty-six years should wind up the scene."- See volume 2, page 182 of the History of The Church. Joseph added that the voice of the Lord told him the following: "'My son, if thou liveth until thou art eighty-five years of age, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man,' I was left to draw my own conclusions concerning this; and I took liberty to conclude that if I did live to that time, He would make his appearance, But I do not say whether He will make his appearance or I shall go where He is." See History of the Church, Volume 5, page 336.

One writer notes that: "in 1890 there was a widespread belief among church members that Joseph Smith's prediction of 1835, that fifty-six years would 'wind up the scene,' would be fulfilled." (See Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Klaus J. Hansen, page 76). Although, as even Joseph Smith specified in the above-mentioned quotation, this was never spelled out in his own revelation.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Main article: Controversies regarding Jehovah's Witnesses#Unfulfilled predictions

Charles Taze Russell, the first president of what is now the Watchtower Society, predicted that Armageddon would break out in 1914. World War I, which broke out in this year, was referred to colloquially as "Armageddon", at least until World War II.

Joseph Franklin Rutherford, the second president of the Watchtower Society, predicted that in 1918, God would begin to destroy churches and millions of its members. [2] He also predicted that in 1925, the Millennium would begin, with Biblical figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David coming back to life. [3]

"In the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell." Finished Mystery p. 485

Catholic Apostolic Church

The well known Scottish cleric, Edward Irving, is the founder of the Catholic Apostolic Church and a forerunner of the Pentecostal movement. In 1828 he wrote a work headed The Last Days: A Discourse on the Evil Character of These Our Times, Proving Them to be the 'Perilous Times' and the 'Last Days' on pages 10-22 we find some telling information which includes the following: " I conclude, therefore, that the last days... will begin to run from the time of God's appearing for his ancient people, and gathering them together to the work of destroying all Antichristian nations, of evangelising the world, and of governing it during the Millennium... The times and fullness of the times, so often mentioned in the New Testament, I consider as referring to the great period numbered by times...Now if this reasoning be correct, as there can be little doubt that the one thousand two hundred and sixty days concluded in the year 1792, and the thirty additional days in the year 1823, we are already entered upon the last days, and the ordinary life of a man will carry many of us to the end of them. If this be so, it gives to the subject with which we have introduced this year's ministry a very great importance indeed." No more needs to be said about this prediction.

New Apostolic Church

In 1951 the then reigning head of the New Apostolic Church, Chief Apostle Johann Gottfried Bischoff, declared that he would not die before Jesus Christ returned to take the predestined into his kingdom (First Resurrection). In 1954 this teaching, called "The Botschaft," became an official dogma. Those ministries especially the apostles who did not preach this lost their office and were excluded from the New Apostolic Church. Bischoff died in 1960, without this dogma being fulfilled.

Other claims by period

Third century to eighteenth century

Date Author/Predicter Prediction/Notes

0002 Montanus Christ returns and sets up the New Jerusalem in the small town of Pepuza in Phrygia.

1000 Uncited

In Europe, the imminent coming of the year 1000 AD caused a "chiliastic panic" (named from the Greek χιλιοι = "thousand"), that a series of severe disasters would happen, which the Book of Revelation in the Bible says will come at the end of the thousand years.

1420 Taborites Christ returns and every city on earth is destroyed by fire.

1533 July 15 Elizabeth Barton Henry VIII dies after disobeying God's will and marrying Anne Boleyn.

1533 Melchior Hoffman Return of Christ in Strasbourg

1534 April 15 UncitedJohann Matthys, a new Gideon, sallies forth from the town of Münster with 30 men and defeats the evil forces of Francis of Waldeck, the town's expelled Bishop.

Nineteenth century

Date Author/Predicter Prediction/Notes

1843 William Miller

William Miller, an important figure whose major surviving offshoot is the Seventh-day Adventist Church, used the Book of Daniel to predict the Second Coming, and said it would be between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844.[4]

1844 October 22 William Miller

William Miller revised the Return of Christ to this date, which is known as the Great Disappointment.[4] (Members of the Bahá'í Faith believe that Christ did return on May 23 1844 as the Báb (the Gate), the forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh (Glory of God)

1873 or 1874 May 21 Charles Taze Russell

Russell, founder of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, now associated with Jehovah's Witnesses, reinterpreted Miller's teachings.

Very small splinter groups, such as Dawn Bible Students, Chicago Bible Students, or Associated Bible Students claim they are following the original teachings of Russell. Jehovah's Witnesses, on the other hand, say they only follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, and agree that Russell understood most of the basic teachings of the Bible. Witnesses and Bible Students point out that Russell stated several times in his writings that he may be mistaken in his chronological calculations, and that his calculations are not infallible. ||

1878, April Nelson H. Barbour Barbour predicted believers would go to Heaven during April 1878.

[edit] Twentieth century

Date Author/Predicter Prediction/Notes

1973 January 11-January 21 David Berg Colossal doomsday event in USA heralded by comet Kohoutek

(David Berg)[5][6]

1975 Herbert W. ArmstrongA number of predictions, most of them dire, such as drought causing population of America to fall by one-third. See 1975 in Prophecy! (Herbert W. Armstrong)[7]

1980s Hal LindseyA United States of Europe forms with its own central government and is in control of its own military and political structures. (Hal Lindsey). [8]

1988 September 11-September 13

Edgar C. Whisenant Return of Christ. (Edgar C. Whisenant, in the book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988)

1989 Benny Hinn A short man appears within a "few" years who will rule the world as the Antichrist. (Benny Hinn)[9]

1989 - 1999 Benny Hinn The East Coast of America is badly damaged by earthquakes in

the next ten years.

1989 - 1999 Benny Hinn Fidel Castro dies "within ten years".

1990s Benny HinnAmerica's first female President will be appointed "in the next few years". Unfortunately, she ends up destroying the nation. (Benny Hinn)[10]

1990s Oral Roberts Televangelist Jim Bakker is put on trial for fraud but is found completely innocent. Prediction by Oral Roberts.[11]

1993 David Berg Christ returns (David Berg - Children of God)[12]

1994 William KannThe island of Guam is sunk after being hit by a tidal wave from an Earthquake in Japan and a subsequent volcanic eruption. (William Kann)[13]

September 6, 1994 Harold Camping Second Coming of Christ occurs September 6 (Harold Camping,

in the book 1994?)

1995 Benny Hinn God destroys America's Homosexual community. Benny Hinn.[9]

1996 William Kann Canadian Civil War (William Kann).[13]

2000 Hal Lindsey Battle of Armageddon (Hal Lindsey)

October 2000 Jim Searcy Jesus returns and defeats HRH The Prince of Wales, who is the Antichrist (Jim Searcy)[14]

Twenty-first century

Date Author/Predicter Prediction/Notes

Prior to December 26, 2002

Richard Eby Richard Eby who claimed the Rapture would happen before he dies, died on December 26, 2002

References1. ̂ Bartsch, Franz and Richard D. Thiessen. Epp, Claas (1838-1913). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia

Online. April 2005. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 3 November 2006. 2. ̂ Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 7, 1917, p. 485. 3. ̂ The Watchtower, May 15, 1922; Sep. 1, 1922; Apr. 1, 1923; Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1925, p. 110 4. ^ a b Shelley, Bruce (January 1, 1999). American Adventism: The Great Disappointment. Retrieved on 2006-04-

01. 5. ̂ David, Moses (8 September 1973). THE CHRISTMAS MONSTER. Retrieved on 2006-04-01. ML#269 - The

Children of God 6. ̂ "40 DAYS!"--And Nineveh Shall Be Destroyed! (Jonah 3:4) --MO (12 November 1973). Retrieved on 2006-

04-01. ML#280 - The Children of God 7. ̂ Armstrong, Herbert W. (June, 1956). 1975 in Prophecy!. Retrieved on 2006-04-01. 8. ̂ Hal Lindsey, Late Great Planet Earth. 9. ^ a b Fisher, G. Richard; M. Kurt Goedelman. PROPHECY OR PRESUMPTION? TIME IS RUNNING OUT ON

THE SPURIOUS ORACLES OF BENNY HINN. Retrieved on 2006-04-01. 10. ̂ Let Us Reason Ministries. Retrieved on 2006-04-01. 11. ̂ ORAL ROBERTS. Retrieved on 2006-04-01. 12. ̂ Berg, David. Prophecy. Retrieved on 2006-11-05. 13. ^ a b Pebble, Little. Prophecies. Retrieved on 2006-04-01. 14. ̂ 42 FAILED END-OF-THE-WORLD PREDICTIONS FOR THE YEAR 2000. Religions Tolerance.org.

Retrieved on 2006-04-01. 15. ̂ "2007 Rapture".

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfulfilled_religious_prophecies"

List of messiah claimantsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of people who have been said to be a messiah either by themselves, or by their followers. The list is divided into categories, which are sorted according to date of birth (where known).

Jewish messiah claimantsMain article: Jewish messianic claimants. Note that for messiahs lacking articles, there may be more detail here.

The Jewish Messiah originally meant a divinely-appointed king; David and Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great [1] are examples of such. Later, especially after the failure of Bar Kokhba's revolt, it came to represent a figure who would deliver the Jews from oppression and usher in a new world.

Judas of Galilee (?), son of Hezekiah/Ezekias, member of the Zealots faction who led a bloody revolt against a Roman census in AD 6. (JA18)

Simon (ca. 4 BC), a former slave of Herod the Great who rebelled. Athronges (ca. 3 BC) Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 4 BC - AD 30), a wandering prophet and teacher who was crucified by the

Romans; Jews who believed him to be the Messiah were the first Christians. Theudas (? - 46), who attempted a short-lived revolt against the Romans before being slain. (JA20.5.1) "Egyptian Prophet", c.55, (an allusion to Moses), with 30,000 unarmed Jews doing The Exodus

reenactment massacred by Procurator Antonius Felix (JW2.13.5, JA20.8.6, Acts 21:38) Menahem ben Judah (?), allegedly son of Judas of Galilee, partook in a revolt against Agrippa II before

being slain by a rival Zealot leader. Simon bar Kokhba (?- ca. 135), founded a short-lived Jewish state before being defeated in the Second

Jewish-Roman War. Moses of Crete (?), who in about 440-470, convinced the Jews of Crete to attempt to walk into the sea to

return to Israel; he disappeared after that disaster. Ishak ben Ya'kub Obadiah Abu 'Isa al-Isfahani (684-705), who led a revolt in Persia against the

Umayyad Caliph 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. o Yudghan (?), a disciple of Abu 'Isa who continued the faith after Isa was slain.

Serene (?), who around 720 claimed to be the Messiah and advocated expulsion of Muslims and relaxing various rabbinic laws before being arrested; he then recanted.

David Alroy (?), born in Kurdistan, who around 1160 agitated against the caliph before being assassinated.

Nissim ben Abraham (?), active around 1295. Moses Botarel of Cisneros (?), active around 1413; claimed to be a sorcerer able to combine the names

of God. Asher Lemmlein (?), a German near Venice who proclaimed himself a forerunner of the Messiah in

1502. David Reubeni (1490-1541?) and Solomon Molcho (1500-1532), adventurers who travelled in Portugal,

Italy, and Turkey; Molcho was eventually burned at the stake by the Pope. A mostly unknown Czech Jew from around the 1650s[2].

Sabbatai Zevi (1626-1676), an Ottoman Jew who claimed to be the Messiah, but then converted to Islam; still has followers today in the Donmeh.

o Barukhia Russo (Osman Baba), successor of Sabbatai Zevi. o Jacob Querido (?-1690), claimed to be the new incarnation of Sabbatai; later converted to Islam

and led the Donmeh. o Miguel Cardoso (1630-1706), another successor of Sabbatai who claimed to be the "Messiah ben

Ephraim." o Mordecai Mokia (1650-1729), "the Rebuker," another person who proclaimed himself Messiah

after Sabbatai's death. o Löbele Prossnitz (?-1750), a proven fraud who nevertheless attained some following amongst

former followers of Sabbatai, calling himself the "Messiah ben Joseph." Jacob Joseph Frank (1726-1791), who claimed to be the reincarnation of King David and preached a

synthesis of Christianity and Judaism. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), a Chabad Rebbe who declared as his life's goal to

prepare the way for the Messiah; some followers believe him to be the Messiah.

Christian messiah claimantsSee also: Second Coming and List of people who have claimed to be Jesus

Some verses in the Bible suggest that Jesus will come again in some fashion; various people have claimed to, in fact, be the second coming of Jesus. Others have been styled a new Messiah still under the umbrella of Christianity.

Simon Magus , mid first century Montanus , who claimed to be the promised Paraclete, mid second century Adalbert , a bishop who claimed miraculous powers circa 744; he was excommunicated by the Pope. Tanchelm of Antwerp (ca. 1110), who violently opposed the sacrament and the Eucharist. Ann Lee (1736-1784), a central figure to the Shakers who thought she "embodied all the perfections of

God" in female form. John Nichols Thom (1799-1838), a Cornish tax rebel. Hong Xiuquan of China (1812-1864), claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus. Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), born Shiite, he claimed to be the promised one of all religions, and founded the

Bahá'í Faith. Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (1892-1975), Messiah of the Rastafari movement. Never claimed himself to

be messiah, but was proclaimed by Leonard Howell, amongst others. Georges-Emest Roux (1903-1981), the "Christ of Montfavet," founder of the Eglise Chrétienne

Universelle. Sun Myung Moon [3] (b. 1920), founder of the Unification Church. Claims he is the Second Coming of

Christ[4]. Yahweh ben Yahweh (1935-2007), born as Hulon Mitchell, Jr., a black nationalist and separatist who

created the Nation of Yahweh and allegedly orchestrated the murder of dozens of persons. Iesu Matayoshi (b. 1944), in 1997 he established the World Economic Community Party based on his

conviction that he is God and the Christ. Jung Myung Seok (b. 1945), claims to be the Second Coming of Christ, founder of Providence Church,

and fugitive wanted for rape among other crimes Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda (b. 1946), Puerto Rican preacher who has claimed to be "the Man Jesus

Christ", who is indwelled with the same spirit that dwelled in Jesus. Founder of the Growing in grace" ministries.

Inri Cristo (b. 1948) of Curitiba, Brazil, a claimant to be the second Jesus. David Icke (b. 1952), of Great Britain, has described himself as "the son of God," and a "channel for the

Christ spirit." David Koresh (Vernon Wayne Howell) (1959-1993), leader of the Branch Davidians. Maria Devi Christos (b. 1960), founder of the Great White Brotherhood. Sergei Torop (b. 1961) who started to call himself "Vissarion," founder of the Church of the Last

Testament and the spiritual community Ecopolis Tiberkul in Southern Siberia. David Shayler (b. 1965) ("Righteous Chav") who declared himself the Messiah in 2007. Apollo C. Quiboloy (b. 1950) claims that Jesus replaced the Father, the Father replaced the Spirit, so

Pastor Apollo now replaces Jesus. He is called "His Appointed Son" by thousands in the Philippines and now in other countries.

Jim Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) James Warren "Jim" Jones was the American founder of the Peoples Temple, which became synonymous with group suicide after the November 18, 1978 mass murder-suicide by poison in their isolated agricultural community called Jonestown, located in Guyana.

Muslim messiah claimantsMain article: People claiming to be the Mahdi

Islamic tradition has a prophecy of the Mahdi, who will come alongside the return of Isa (Jesus).

Syed Mohammad Jaunpuri (1443-1505), who travelled Northeastern India; he influenced the Mahdavia and the Zikris.

Báb (1819-1850), who declared himself to be the promised Mahdi in Shiraz, Iran in 1844. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian, 'the Promised Messiah' return of Jesus as well as the

'Mahdi', founder of the Ahmadiyya religious movement. Muhammad Ahmad ("The Mad Mahdi") (1844-1885), who declared himself the Mahdi in 1881,

defeated the Ottomans, and founded a short-lived empire in Sudan. Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (1864-1920) of Somaliland, who engaged in military conflicts

from 1900 to 1920. Rashad Khalifa (1935-1990), a numerologist who analyzed the Qu'ran; claimed to be the "Messenger of

the Covenant" and founded the "Submitters International" movement before being murdered. Juhayman al-Otaibi (1936-1980), who seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca in November 1979 and

declared his son-in-law the Mahdi.

Other/combination messiah claimantsThis list features people who are said, either by themselves or their followers, to be some form of a messiah that do not easily fit into only Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

André Matsoua (1899-1942), Congolese founder of Amicale, proponents of which subsequently adopted him as Messiah.

World Teacher (unknown), claims to be the Maitreya and promised one of all religions; promoted by New Age activist Benjamin Creme and his organization, Share International.

List of people who have claimed to be Jesus ChristFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The list of people who claimed to be Jesus Christ consists of those notable people who have made statements about being Jesus Christ.

Who Image When Claim

John Nichols Thom born 1799

Cornishman who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and his body temple of the Holy Ghost. He was killed by British soldiers at the Battle of Bossenden Wood, on May 31, 1838 in Kent, England.

Ayya Vaikundar 1833–1851According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of Ayyavazhi Narayana, who was one among the trinity in Vaikundar was the one who incarnated as Jesus.

Klaus Kinski 1926–1991

Famous Polish-German actor who developed the idea that he was Jesus after performing as him in a monologue; while filming Aguirre, the Wrath of God, he often slipped into the Jesus role. As director Werner Herzog said, "Often, it was difficult to talk to him, because he answered like Jesus" [1].

Jim Jones May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978

Claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Akhenaten, Buddha, Lenin, and Father Divine. [2] (see Jonestown).

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

December 11, 1931 – January 19, 1990)

He claimed to realize he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ [3].

Matayoshi Jesus born 1944In 1997 He established the World Economic Community Party based on his conviction that he is the God and Christ. [4]

Marshall Applewhite 1945–1997

Applewhite posted a famous Usenet message declaiming, "I, Jesus—Son of God—acknowledge on this date of September 25/26, 1995: ….[5] This was two years before he and his Heaven's Gate cult committed suicide to rendezvous with a spaceship hiding behind the comet Hale-Bopp.

Hogen Fukunaga born 1945 He claimed to realize he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and the Buddha [6].

Suma Ching Hai Birth date unknown, possible late 1950s

A meditation teacher who claims to be an incarnation of Avalokitesvara and a living reincarnation of the Buddha

and Jesus Christ. [7] [8]

Sergei Torop born 1961

Russian who claims to be "reborn" as Vissarion, the returned Jesus Christ. He founded the Church of the Last Testament and the spiritual community Ecopolis Tiberkul in Southern Siberia. [9]

Grigory Grabovoy born 1963

A Russian religious leader who claims the ability to abolish death, resurrect the dead, cure cancer and AIDS, teleport, pinpoint mechanical problems on airplanes, and that he is Jesus. He promised grieving mothers of the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis that he could resurrect their dead children for an amount of rubles roughly equal to US$1500, each.

Apollo C. Quiboloy born 1963A Cebuano pastor who claims to be the Christ. He has also marked Pastor Eli Soriano as being condemned to hell.

Religious leaders

Bahá'u'lláh — Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. Believed by Bahá'ís to be the "Return of Christ in the Glory of the Father" predicted in the Bible.

Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda — Organizer of the Growing in Grace who claims that the resurrected Christ "integrated himself within me.".

Luc Jouret — Leader of the Order of the Solar Temple and was believed to be the third reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

Maitreya — The expected world teacher who is promoted by the British author Benjamin Creme. Charles Manson — Founder of "The Family". Jung Myung Seok — Founder of Providence Church, international fugitive wanted for rape among other

crimes. Ariffin Mohamed — Also known as Ayah Pin, is the founder of banned Sky Kingdom in Malaysia. He

claims to be the incarnation of Jesus Christ, as well as Muhammad, Shiva, and Buddha.[1]

Others

Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko — A supporter of the New Chronology, claims that Jesus Christ is the same person as the prophet Elisha, Saint Basil of Caesarea, and Pope Gregory VII.

Vince Taylor — Musician. G.G. Allin — Claimed to be "Jesus Christ, God and Satan all in one." Mehmet Ali Ağca a Turkish assassin who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II Tom Graeff — filmmaker who claimed to be Jesus Christ II in the early 1960s Arden "Aardvark" Anderson — American boxer who repeatedly claimed throughout his career that he

was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ David Icke — Claimed he was the Son of God on UK chatshow 'Wogan' in 1991. He later refuted his

claim, saying that the media had misinterpreted his remarks.

Notes1. ̂   From My Best Fiend. the documentary detailing his life.

2. ̂  Galanter, Marc (1999). Cults: Faith, Healing, and Coercion. Oxford University Press; 2nd edition. ISBN 0-19-512370-0. (meta-citation)

3. ̂  Fear is the Master, a video that uncovers the cult of Rajneesh [10] 4. ̂   "After the Upper House Election, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi should hand the seat of the

Prime Minister to Jesus Matayoshi, the one true God."Cgunson 5. ̂  I, Jesus—Son of God—acknowledge on this date of September 25/26, 1995: 1. I am about to return to

my Father's Kingdom. 1A. This "return" requires that I prepare to lay down my borrowed human body in order to take up, or reenter, my body (biological) belonging to the Kingdom of God (as I did appx. 2000 years ago when I laid down the body that was about 33 years old in order to reenter my body belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven). Marshall Applewhite (1995). UNDERCOVER JESUS SURFACES. alt.consciousness.mysticism. Retrieved August 15, 2005.

6. ̂  Link to a BBC article on his statements and claims. 7. ̂  For the past three weeks the face of "the master", as her followers call her, has smiled out from

laminated posters tied to traffic lights and road signs advertising the event and bearing the message: "See the living god". Mullins, Andrew. "Cult warning on travelling 'god'", The Independent (London), 20 June 1999. 

8. ̂  Followers of Suma Ching Hai claim she is the living reincarnation of Buddha and Jesus Christ, and go so far as to drink her bathwater and buy up her used personal items, marketed as "Celestial Clothing." One disciple bought her sweat socks for $ 1,100 because "when the Master leaves the physical world, at least I will have her socks." Phillips, Andrew. "Cash and the campaign", Maclean Hunter Limited, 13 January 1997. 

9. ̂   In an article from The Guardian he states: "It's all very complicated," he starts quietly. "But to keep things simple, yes, I am Jesus Christ. That which was promised must come to pass. And it was promised in Israel 2,000 years ago that I would return, that I would come back to finish what was started. I am not God (My emphasis). And it is a mistake to see Jesus as God. But I am the living word of God the Father. Everything that God wants to say, he says through me".

List of Buddha claimantsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The people described below have:

claimed to have attained enlightenment and become buddhas claimed to be manifestations of bodhisattvas identified themselves as Buddha, or been honored as buddhas or bodhisattvas due to: being identified as the reincarnation of one such (e.g.,

the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama); popularity; evidence in the form of auspicious signs.

Many people in recent times have also claimed to be Maitreya, the successor of Gautama Buddha, the historical founder of Buddhism. Many have either used the Maitreya incarnation claim to either form a new Buddhist sect or have used the name of Maitreya to form a new religious movement or cult.

An asterisk (*) below indicates a significant number of followers, while a double dagger (‡) marks those entries referring to a royal line of deification rather than an individual.

Bibliography Hogue, John Messiahs: The Visions and Prophecies for the Second Coming (1999) Elements Books

ISBN 1-86204-549-6

Who Image When What

*Guan Yu 160-219

Legendary warrior during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. Today, many people, including both police and mafia, consider him to be a divine object of reverence. In certain schools of Taoism and Chinese Buddhism he has been deemed divine or semi-divine. Reverence for him may date back to the Sui dynasty. Many Buddhists accept him as a bodhisattva that guards the Buddhist faith and temples. He is known as Sangharama in Sanskrit.

‡Wu Zetian 625-705 The first and only ruling female emperor in the history of China, and founder of her own dynasty, the Second Zhou dynasty. Ruled under the name Emperor Shengshen. Gained popular support by advocating Buddhism but ruthlessly persecuted her opponents within the royal family and the nobility. Proclaimed herself an incarnation of Maitreya and made Luoyang the "holy capital".

‡Gung Ye 901-918

Korean warlord and king of the short-lived state of Taebong during the 10th century. Claimed to be the living incarnation of Maitreya and ordered his subjects to worship him. His claim was rejected by most Buddhist monks and later he was dethroned and killed by his own servants.

*The Dalai Lamas(Tenzin Gyatso) 1395-present

In Tibetan Buddhism, the successive Dalai Lamas form a tulku lineage of Gelugpa leaders that began in 1391. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama to be one of innumerable incarnations of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lama was the head of the Tibetan government, administering a large portion of the country from the capital Lhasa. The Dalai Lama is the supreme head of Tibetan Buddhism, and the leaders of all four schools consider the Dalai Lama to be the highest lama of the Tibetan traditions. The current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th of the lineage.

‡Nurhaci 1559-1626Also known as Emperor Tai Zu. Founder and leader of the Qing Dynasty. Believed he was a manifestation of Manjushri Bodhisattva.

*Lu Zhong Yi 1849-1925

The 17th patriarch of the I-Kuan Tao. I-Kuan Tao followers believe that he is the first leader of the "White Sun" Era, the era of the apocalypse, thus he is the incarnation of Maitreya

Peter Deunov 1864-1944

Also known as Master Beinsa Douno. Spiritual teacher, founder of a teaching and school of Esoteric Christianity. Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, identified Master Beinsa Douno as a manifestation of Maitreya in the late 20th century.

*L. Ron Hubbard 1911-1986

Founder of the Church of Scientology. Declared himself to be "Metteya" (Maitreya) in the 1955 poem Hymn of Asia. In the book's preface, his editors indicated that Hubbard possessed specific physical characteristics said to be outlined in unnamed sanskrit sources as properties of Maitreya.

Samael Aun Weor 1917-1977

Samael Aun Weor stated in The Aquarian Message that "the Maitreya Buddha Samael is the Kalki Avatar of the New Age." The Kalkian Avatar and Maitreya Buddha, he claimed, are the same "White Rider" of the book of Revelation.

Rahmat Ahmad 1922–Benjamin Creme Founder of Share International, Proclaims the present existence of a "World Teacher" called Maitreya.

Jim Jones 1931–1978

Leader of the Peoples Temple cult. Possibly as a way to gather followers to his religious movement, he claimed to be a living incarnation the Buddha, as well as Jesus Christ, Pharaoh Akhenaten, Father Divine and Vladimir Lenin.

Ruth Norman (Uriel) 1930s-1994

Founder of the of the Unarius Academy of Science. Claims to have had fifty-five past lives, some included were reincarnations of the Buddha, Socrates, King Arthur, Confucius and a king of Atlantis.

*Lu Sheng-yen 1945-

Founder and spiritual teacher of the newly created Buddhist lineage called the True Buddha School. Claims that, in the late 80s, Lu had reached enlightenment while training under a formless teacher. Lu claims to be an incarnation of Padmakumara, a deity in the Western Pure Land kingdom. He has since then called himself "Living Buddha Lian Sheng".

Raël 1946–

Claims that, in 1973, he was visited by extra-terrestrial beings who informed him that he was to found a movement which would bring the world to a new enlightenment. Published his first book in 1973, concerning the alleged encounter. The International Raelian Movement currently has approximately 60,000 followers in 86 countries worldwide. Claims to be Maitreya, based on evidence such as the traditional year of Maitreya's arrival, the Buddhist year 3000. There are two calendars in Buddhism, corresponding to the Northern branch (1973 CE = "Northern" Buddhist year 3000) and Southern branch (1973 CE = "Southern" Buddhist year 2417). Other support for Raël's claim includes ancient Buddhist wall carvings allegedly depicting drawings of the arrival of UFOs in the mountains. According to the Raelian Movement, Rael's encounters with extra-terrestrials took place in an inactive volcano which he had previously frequented.

*Ching Hai 1950s

A meditation master who professes to be an incarnation of God, the Buddha, and the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Popularly known as Guan Yin, for whom her meditation method is named.

*Li Hongzhi 1951-

Founder of Falun Gong. Said to have proclaimed himself a buddha, though he has denied this. However, many pictures of Li Hongzhi show him wearing a kasaya, or a monk's robe, posing like a Buddha.

*Ram Bahadur Bomjon 1989-

An 18-year old Nepalese ascetic whom many have hailed as a new Buddha. According to his brother Gangajit, a "very clear and white" light "different from sunlight" emanated from his head. On November 8, 2005 Dorje arose and said to the public, "Tell the people not to call me a Buddha. I don't have the Buddha's energy. I am at the level of rinpoche." Despite his protestations of not having attained enlightenment, many continue to insist he is a buddha.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Buddha_claimants"

List of people who have been considered deitiesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The list of people considered to be deities consists of those notable human beings who were considered deities by themselves or others. The list distinguishes people who claimed divinity or were worshiped as deities during their lifetimes, and examples of individuals who were deified posthumously (hero cult). For people considered avatars in Hinduism, see list of people who have been considered avatars.

Relevant distinctions Apotheosis means divinization or deification, usually posthumously.

o Imperial cults are religions in which an Emperor, or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title), are worshiped as demigods or deities.

o Hero cults involved the deification of selected historical individuals. o Jesus of Nazareth has the special position of being the only individual widely accepted as

historical that is considered a deity in a contemporary world religion (Trinitarian Christianity, ca. 2 billion adherents).

o Other contemporary religions with a following larger than one million which deify historical individuals include Tibetan Buddhism (Lamas) and Shinto (Tennos).

Euhemerism is the historical position that all gods were human, reducing theism to ancestor worship. Ancestor worship involves the elevation of all deceased ancestors to the status of deities. In Ancient

Egyptian religion, by the New Kingdom, all deceased (not just pharaohs) were held to become the god Osiris.

Culture heroes are gods or demi-gods that may or may not have a historical individual as their nucleus (e.g. Gilgamesh, Fu Xi or Rama).

Theosis , Advaita, Unio Mystica is the state of being in perfect union with the Godhead (Brahman) in mysticism (see Mahāvākyas, Thou Art God).

Imperial cults

Who   Image   When   Notability  

Egyptian pharaohs 3050 - 30 BC

Egyptian pharaohs were kings of Ancient Egypt, and were considered by their culture to be gods. Their titles equated them with aspects of the likes of the hawk god Horus, the vulture goddess Nekhbet and the cobra-goddess Wadjet. The Egyptians believed that when their Pharaoh had died, he would continue to lead them in the next life, which is why his burial was grand and completed to perfection, to please him in the next life and ensure his immortality to protect his people. See List of pharaohs.[1][2]

Naram-Sin 2255-2119 BC The first Mesopotamian king to claim divinity

Chinese Emperors 221 BC - AD 1911

Deified as "Son of Heaven" since the Qin Dynasty under Qin Shi Huang

Roman Emperors 42 BC - AD 363

Following Julius Caesar who in 42 BC was formally deified as "the Divine Julius" (Divus Iulius), and Caesar Augustus henceforth became Divi filius ("Son of a God"), some (not all) Roman Emperors of the 1st to 4th centuries claimed divinity, including Tiberius 14-37, Caligula 37-41, Claudius 41-54, Hadrian 117-138, Commodus 161-192, Constantine I 306-312, Julian the Apostate 361-363

Further information: Imperial cult (ancient Rome), Augustus (honorific), and Augusta (honorific)

Japanese emperors  ? - 1945

Claimed, at least by some Shintoists, including government officials, to be divine descendants of the goddess Amaterasu. Hirohito, the Showa emperor, allegedly repudiated this claim in the Ningen-sengen in 1945.

Natchez rulers 700 The Natchez were a theocracy ruled by "The Great Sun." This ruler has sometimes been deemed a God-king.[3]

Dalai Lamas 1391-considered re-incarnations of Avalokiteśvara in Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Lamas are incarnations of Amitabha Buddha.

Inca Emperors 1438 The Inca Emperors had a status very similar to that of the Pharaohs of Egypt.

Posthumous deificationMain article: apotheosisWho   Image   When   Notability  

Imhotep 2600 BCAncient Egyptian architect and physician, who two thousand years after his death, was raised to that of a god, becoming the god of medicine and healing.

Dido 814 BC

Founder and first queen of Carthage, after her death, she was deified by her people with the name of Tanit and assimilated to the Great Goddess Astarte (Roman Juno) [4]. The cult of Tanit survived Carthage's destruction by the Romans; it was introduced to Rome itself by Emperor Septimius Severus, himself born in North Africa. It was extinguished completely with the Theodosian decrees of the late 4th century.

Homer (hero cult)8th

century BC

venerated at Alexandria by Ptolemy IV Philopator

Romulus (hero cult) 771-717 BC

Founders of Rome, sons of Mars, Romulus served as first king. After his death, Romulus was defined as the god, Quirinus, the divine persona of the Roman people. He is now regarded as a mythological figure, and his name a back-formation from the name Rome, which may ultimately derive from a word for "river". Some scholars, notably Andrea Carandini believe in the

historicity of Romulus, in part because of the 1988 discovery of the Murus Romuli on the north slope of the Palatine Hill in Rome.[5]

Hephaistion 356-324 BC Deified by Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great (hero cult)

356-323 BC

Some believe he implied he was a demigod by actively using the title "Son of Ammon–Zeus". The title was bestowed upon him by Egyptian priests of the god Ammon at the Oracle of the god at the Siwah oasis in the Libyan Desert. [6]

Jesus of Nazareth ~4 BC - ~33 AD

Considered to be God in most Christian views of Jesus, God the Son in Trinitarian Christianity. This is based on interpretations of the Canonical Gospels where he may have said he was God Incarnate, who took on human nature and human flesh and is the second person of the Holy Trinity. One commonly cited statement attributed to Jesus on his godhood is John 10:30 — "I and the Father are one." His followers believe that using his own power, he rose after dying by crucifixion, but see Death and Resurrection of Jesus for details.

Simon Magus 1st century

Considered a god in Simonianism. Apocryphal accounts of self-deification: "There was a Samaritan, Simon, a native of the village called Gitto, who in the reign of Claudius Caesar, and in your royal city of Rome, did mighty acts of magic, by virtue of the art of the devils operating in him. He was considered a god, ..."[7]

Antinous 111-130 Deified by Hadrian

Ali 599-661According to the Alawite faith, Ali is one member of a trinity corresponding roughly to the Christian Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [8]

Sugawara no Michizane 845-903Japanese Imperial courtier banished from the capital and deified upon his death to appease his angry spirit. Worshipped as Tenjin, kami of scholarship.

Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah 985Sixth Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, ruling from 996 to 1021. Many of the druze believe he is an incarnation of God and that he will come back as the Mahdi

L. L. Zamenhof 1859 - 1917 Considered a god by members of the Oomoto religion.

Wallace Fard Muhammad

~1877 - ~1934

Posthumously (?) deified by Elijah Muhammad . He is also given other titles by the Nation of Islam.[9]

Emiliano Zapata 1879-1919 Achieved semi-deity status as Votan-Zapata, after the Mayan god Votán.

Kanichi Otsuka 1891 Shinreikyo states of its founder "God became one with a human body, appeared among humanity, and founded Shinreikyo."[10]

Involuntary deification

Who   Image   When   Notability  

Hernan Cortez 1471 - 1541 Identified as Quetzalcoatl by Moctezuma II

Jiddu Krishnamurti 1895-1986 renounced the status of messiah and Maitreya incarnation given him by the Theosophical Society.

Haile Selassie I 1892-1975

Among most followers of the Rastafari movement, Haile Selassie is seen as God incarnate, the Black Messiah and "Earth's Rightful Ruler" who will also lead African peoples to freedom. Rastas say that his royal titles (ie. King of Kings, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Root of David) were prophesied as belonging to the returned Messiah in Revelation 5:5. Their faith in his divinity first appeared in Jamaica, soon after his 1930 coronation in Addis Ababa.[11]. Before his coronation he was called Ras (meaning Prince) Tafari.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 1921- Considered a god in the village of Yaohnanen, a cargo cult in

Vanuatu [12] . See Prince Philip Movement.

Self-deification

Who   Image   When   Notability  

Guan Yu 160

Claimed to be an incarnation of Maitreya and asked his subjects to worship him. In Hong Kong both police and gangsters consider him to be a divine object of reverence. In certain schools of Taoism and Chinese Buddhism he has been deemed divine or semi-divine status. The reverence for him may date back to the Sui dynasty.[13]

Danila Filippovich 1700He believed that he was God and started the Khlysts. (There are various transliterations of his name including Danila Filipov, Danila Filipich, and Daniil Filippovich)[14]

Bahá'u'lláh 1817-1892

claimed to be the "Supreme Manifestation of God", an intermediary between God and humankind making him not an "incarnation of God", but "a pure mirror to reflect the attributes of the Deity into this temporal plane."[15]

Jehovah Wanyonyi 1924-

"I am the one who created Adam and Eve. I made their bodies and their blood", […] "I still use human beings by speaking through them, like I spoke through Jesus Christ until he went to Heaven." There are between 120 and a 1000 followers who consider him God.[16][17]

Father Divine ~1880-1965 Was considered by his followers to be "God in the flesh"[18]

Juanita Peraza (Mita) 1897 According to the Mita faith, Mita (Peraza) was the incarnation of the Holy Ghost on earth.[19]

Lou de Palingboer 1898-1968

A divorced Dutchman named Louwrens Voorthuijzen who proclaimed himself "Lou the farmer of European eel", this being the translation of his proclaimed name "Lou de Palingboer". He was a figure who mixed marketing European eels with proselytism. His followers also considered him a living God on a mission against evil.[20]

Jim Jones[citation needed] 1931-1978 Founder of Peoples Temple

Yahweh ben Yahweh 1935-2007

He was born as Hulon Mitchell, Jr. and his self-proclaimed name means "God, Son of God." He could have only been deeming himself to be "son of God", not God, but many of his followers clearly deem him to be God Incarnate.[21][22]

Matayoshi Jesus 1944-In 1997 He established the World Economic Community Party (世界経済共同体党) based on his conviction that he is the God and Christ.[23]

Claude Vorilhon 1946- claims to be Maitreya, messenger of the "Elohim" (who are in fact ancient astronauts)

Vissarion 1961- claims to be Jesus Christ returned, which makes him not "God" but the "word of God"

References1. ̂ The rulers of Egypt, first the kings and later the pharaohs, were gods as well as men who ruled by divine right.

Each king was 'the son of god', who at the point of death became one with his father, to be god in a cosmic Heaven. Christopher Knight, Robert Lomas (August 1, 2001). The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus, 100. Google Print. ISBN 1-931412-75-8 (accessed July 13, 2005). Also available in print from Fair Winds.

2. ̂ The king had a superhuman role, being a manifestation of a god or of various deities on earth. The king's principle original title, the Horus name, proclaimed that he was an aspect of one of the chief gods, Horus, a sky god who was depicted as a falcon. Other identifications were added to this one, notably, "Son of Re [the sun god]" and "Perfect God," both introduced during the 4th dynasty (c. 2575–2465 BC), when the great pyramids were constructed. The epithet "Son of Re" placed the king in a close but dependent relation with the leading figure of the pantheon.Merriam-Webster (1999). Encyclopedia of World Religions (Hardcover). Merriam Webster, Incorporated. ISBN 0-87779-044-2. 

3. ̂ The community leader would be called the Great Sun. Natchez social organization was based on the relationship of community members to the Great Sun. In the 17th century, French explorers and colonists met this leader, who lived in a large house on the top of a platform mound at the site that is now preserved by the State of Mississippi as the Grand Village of the Natchez. The Great Sun enjoyed the status of a living god[1]

4. ̂ Virgil, Aeneid 1.446f, Silius Italicus, Punica 1.81f 5. ̂ Carandini. La nascita di Roma. Dèi, lari, eroi e uomini all'alba di una civiltà (Torino: Einaudi, 1997) and

Carandini. Remo e Romolo. Dai rioni dei Quiriti alla città dei Romani (775/750 - 700/675 a. C. circa) (Torino: Einaudi, 2006)

6. ̂ Not the least of the many extraordinary facts about Alexander is that both in his lifetime and after his death he was worshipped as a god, by Greeks and Ancient Macedonians as well as, for example, Egyptians (to whom he was Pharaoh). The episode that led to Callisthenes' death in 327 was connected to this fact. Greeks and Ancient Macedonians believed that formal obeisance should be paid only to gods. So the refusal of his Greek and Macedonian courtiers to pay it to Alexander implied that they, at any rate, did not believe he genuinely was a living god, at least not in the same sense as Zeus or Dionysus were. Alexander, regardless, did nothing to discourage the view that he really was divine. His claim to divine birth, not merely divine descent, was part of a total self-promotional package, which included the striking of silver medallions in India depicting him with the attributes of Zeus. Through sheer force of personality and magnitude of achievement he won over large numbers of ordinary Greeks and Macedonians to share this view of himself, and to act on it by devoting shrines to his cult.Cartledge, Paul (2004). "Alexander the Great". History Today 54: 1. 

7. ̂ Justin Martyr, First Apology [2] Chapter XXVI 8. ̂ Encyclopedia Britannica, online edition 9. ̂ "The Honorable Elijah Muhammad identified the Master as being the answer to the one that the world had been

expecting for the past 2,000 years under the names Messiah, the second coming of Jesus, the Christ, Jehovah, God, and the Son of Man."NOI.org quoting Elijah Muhammad

10. ̂ "When I sat cross-legged by myself just like the great statue of the Buddha in Nara, I felt that the earth, about the size of a watermelon, was underneath me and I could see the other me walking about on it. I experience the real "me" looking down at the other "me" on this small planet. I was and understood everything on this earth (Shinreikyo History:5). Religious movements home page on the website of the University of Virginia. This entry was written by Jeffrey Hadden.

11. ̂ Rastafarians regard Haile Selassie I as God, in part because Marcus Garvey's prophecy -"Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer" - was swiftly followed by the ascension of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia. BBC

12. ̂ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6734469.stm 13. ̂ "People worship Emperor Guan not merely as a law-protecting heavenly deity, but also as god of war, god of

wealth and god of righteousness. They pray to Emperor Guan for many reasons…"[3] 14. ̂ His teaching of Twelve Commitments stated, "I am God predicted by the prophets; I descended on the earth to

save the human souls; there is no God but me. There is no other teaching. Do not seek for it."St. Petersburg State University article(A bit of dispute here as there are sites that indicate he taught any and all Khlysts could mystically become God incarnate through him)

15. ̂ Cole, Juan (1982). "The Concept of Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings". Bahá'í Studies monograph 9: pp. 1-38. 

16. ̂ International Cultic Studies Association (2001). "INTERNATIONAL: Kenya-"God" and 400 Followers Living in Kenya". Cultic Studies Journal 18, No. 4. 

17. ̂ BBC News (November 12, 2001). "Kenyan 'God' sent Aids as 'punishment'". Retrieved December 29, 2004. 18. ̂ http://www.cesnur.org/testi/bryn/br_miller.htm "Father Divine: A General Overview", Timothy Miller, 1999,

Retrieved June 6, 2007, "Followers of Father Divine proclaimed him God in the flesh, and for most Americans nothing could have been more ridiculous than a small African-American deity."

19. ̂ Essay in Latin American Issues Volume 13 states she taught that, "when a shooting star moving in the distance suddenly approached her and landed on her forehead, filling the room with light (Cruz). She had become the living incarnation of the Holy Spirit, who at that moment revealed to her the name of God in this new era: 'MITA'" or "Spirit of Life."

20. ̂ De God die Lou heette (Dutch language) "The God that was called Lou" VPRO TV programme. 21. ̂ "He identified himself as the 'grand master of the celestial lodge, the architect of the universe'"Crimelibrary

22. ̂ Miami Herald(October 15, 2001). "the old message of self-esteem has been crowded out by one that elevates their leader to Grand Master of All, the God of the Universe, the Grand Potentate, the Everlasting Father and the persecuted Messiah."

23. ̂ "After the Upper House Election, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi should hand the seat of the Prime Minister to Jesus Matayoshi, the one true God."[4]