Jesus Christ is the center of the Christian faith. Many people who practice Christianity around the world believe him to be the Promised Messiah, the Savior, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, etc. It is prophesied in the Bible that one day He will return to Earth to build his kingdom.

For centuries, this prophecy has fascinated and intrigued millions of people worldwide. In fact, there are those who seemed to have been deeply influenced by this prophecy that they’ve become delusional and publicly declared that they are the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. In this list, we’re going to talk about some notable individuals who are firm in their claim that they are the Second Coming of Christ.

10. Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop

On August 18, 1990, a certain man named Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop received a revelation from God, a revelation that changed his life and the 10,000 people who believe in his teachings. Also known as Vissarion or the Teacher, Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and has founded his own church called the Church of the Last Testament.

Vissarion and 4,000 of his devoted followers live in Petropavlovka—a man-made utopia where consuming meat, drinking, smoking, and cursing is prohibited. Petropavlovka is a self-sufficient community that surprisingly doesn’t use money for survival.

Before Sergey became Vissarion, he worked as a traffic cop for the USSR. The disintegration of the Soviet Union caused him to lose his job. Following this event, he received the divine revelation that led him to claim that he is the Christ. It’s interesting to note that the teachings of Vissarion borrow some principles from Hinduism, Buddhism, paganism, collectivism, apocalypticism, and the Russian Orthodox Church. Also, one fundamental aspect of the Church of the Last Testament is their belief in the “outer space mind” or aliens.

9. Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez

In 2011, Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez tried to assassinate President Obama by firing nine shots at the White House. Fortunately, no one got hurt—Obama and his wife were at San Diego at the time. Five days after the failed assassination, Ortega-Hernandez was caught in western Pennsylvania.

So, why did this man try to kill the President? Apparently, Ortega-Hernandez believed that Obama was the Antichrist. Aside from that, he also strongly believed that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ whose mission was to stop the Antichrist from ruling the world. He even made a video declaring this delusional claim. In the video recorded by a student from the Idaho State University, Ortega-Hernandez declared, “It’s not just a coincidence that I look like Jesus. I am the modern day Jesus Christ that you all have been waiting for.”

8. Wayne Bent

Wayne Bent, also known as Michael Travesser to his followers, is the leader of the Lord Our Righteousness Church, a cult based in New Mexico. Before Bent founded this group in 1987, he served as a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor. It was in 2000 that, according to Bent, God showed him a divine revelation that he was Jesus Christ.

Since 2008, Wayne Bent has been in prison, serving a 10-year prison sentence for molesting a 16-year-old girl. Bent has admitted to having intercourse with his female followers, but despite this, he continues to claim to be the Messiah and holds on to the belief that he is innocent and that the government is persecuting him.

He has likened his situation to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. According to Bent, just like the true Messiah, people are creating false charges to destroy him. Bent will be eligible for parole in 2017.

7. José Luis de Jesús Miranda

What makes Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda different from the other people discussed in this list is the fact that besides claiming that he was the Messiah, Miranda also declared that he was the Antichrist. He even had the number 666, a symbol of the Antichrist, tattooed on his arm. Miranda was the leader of the Growing in Grace church, a movement that is based in Miami, Florida. He was a very charismatic person who held a strong influence on his congregation. In 2007, 30 members of Miranda’s church decided to have the number 666 tattooed on their bodies as a sign of their devotion and love to him.

Aside from claiming that he was the Messiah and the Antichrist in one person, Miranda also taught the doctrine that sin and Satan don’t exist. According to him, “his followers…literally can do no wrong in God’s eyes.” Miranda received the divine revelation that he was both the Antichrist and the Messiah in 1973.

In 2013, his wife of seven years, Josefina Torres, revealed via Youtube that Miranda had already died due to liver cirrhosis.

6. Apollo Quiboloy

Apollo Quiboloy is the founder and leader of the The Kingdom of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name, a church that is based in Davao City, Philippines. Quiboloy is a very charismatic person who has attracted 6 million devoted followers. Four million of them are in the Philippines while the remaining 2 million are living abroad.

Quiboloy is no ordinary man. Aside from being the head of his church, he also claims to be the Appointed Son of God or the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. According to him, God has entrusted him with the Sonship and has appointed him to become the Savior of the Gentiles or non-Jewish people. In April 13, 2005, Apollo Quiboloy declared that God has entrusted him with the Kingship. This Kingship that God has supposedly given to Quiboloy gave him the authority to govern God’s Kingdom and execute His laws throughout the world. He also claimed that since 2005 he has been living a state of “sinless” existence.

Before he claimed that he was the Appointed Son of God, Quiboloy was an active preacher of a certain Christian denomination in the Philippines. He left his church and established his own, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name, on September 1, 1985. Quiboloy is a very influential man in the Philippines. He is respected and sought out by many Filipino politicians due to his vast number of followers.

5. Ahn Sahng-Hong

Ahn Sahng-Hong, also known as “Christ Ahn Sahng-Hong” to his followers, was the founder of the South Korean Christian Movement The World Mission Society Church of God or WMSCOG. Aside from establishing this church, Ahn Sahng-Hong also claimed that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ in the “age of the Holy Spirit.” Before founding WMSCOG, Sahng-Hong was an active member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

What makes Ahn Sahng-Hong’s teachings quite interesting is the fact that members are mandated to believe in God the Mother, and no, they’re not referring to Mary who is the earthly mother of Jesus Christ. Mainstream Christianity upholds the belief in Trinity, the extremely complicated doctrine that states that there is one God, but He is three Persons—God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. Ahn Sahng-Hong’s teachings completely go against the doctrine of Trinity by adding God the Mother. However, the phrase “God the Mother” is nonexistent in the Bible.

4. Allan John Miller

Before claiming that he is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, Alan John Miller or simply known as AJ worked as an IT specialist for an Australian company. What makes his claim quite interesting is the fact that he publicly declares that he has vivid memories of the crucifixion. According to him, his suffering and death on the cross wasn’t as “harrowing” as many of us imagine it to be. What’s more, AJ claims that his partner, fellow Australian Mary Luck, is Mary Magdalene—the prostitute whose life was changed after Jesus Christ rescued her from her persecutors.

Surprisingly, AJ’s cult, called the Divine Truth, is fast becoming popular not only in Australia but also in other parts of the world. For instance, Louise Faver, a 39 year old British woman, left his job as a neuroscientist in the UK to go to Australia to live near AJ. Aside from Faver, other people, just like George Hamel who abandoned his family and business in California, are forsaking their “earthly” lives to be near their “savior.”

3. Inri Cristo

Inri Cristo doesn’t only claim that he is the Messiah, but he also dresses and looks quite similar to Jesus Christ, except for the fact that he is 66-year-old and rides a motor scooter when he’s not busy preaching his “Word.” Inri Cristo lives in a farmland outside of Brasilia, which he claims to be the New Jerusalem. Though he is branded by many people as crazy, this old man managed to attract hundreds of followers from around the world. And you’d be surprised to know that the majority of them are beautiful women who are devoted to serving him.

Inri Cristo claims that God spoke to him in 1979, revealing to him that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Since then, he has been to 27 countries to publicly declare this “truth.” In his efforts to convince the lost that he is the “savior” they need, he has been arrested by the police a couple of times and has even been expelled from the UK, Venezuela, and America.

2. Moses Hlongwane

In 2013, a South African man appeared on the eNews Channel Africa to declare publicly that he is the black reincarnation of Jesus Christ. This man whose name is Moses Hlongwane also claims that he is immortal. In that TV interview, Hlongwane said that he was “getting ready” to perform miracles like curing the lame and blind and even resurrecting the dead by “opening the graves.”

His claims might seem too preposterous for many us, but surprisingly Hlongwane has managed to convince several people to become his followers. Some of them, like 84-year-old Paul Sibiya who is giving his whole pension as offering every month, are giving all of their possessions to him. But what’s more alarming is the fact that many of his followers are abandoning their families, just like Sibiya who has left his wife, Alfin, to be near their “god.” Allegedly, Hlongwane is using the money he receives from his followers to spread his own version of the “Gospel” to the world.

Elderly people are not the only ones who are recognizing Hlongwane as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Teenagers too, some of them are as young as 14 years old, believe with all of their hearts that Hlongwane is their true “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

1. David Shayler

David Shayler was once a British agent who worked for MI5. However, in 1997, he made a terrible mistake by accusing MI5 and MI6 of doing illegal activities and mismanagement. His bold accusations eventually got him into deep trouble—his career got ruined, he got imprisoned, his girlfriend left him, and no one would hire him.

Interestingly, these misfortunes in life led David Shayler to believe that he is the Messiah, the modern day reincarnation of Jesus Christ. He strongly claims that he has supernatural powers and that he can control football results, affect the weather, and even stop terrorist threats. But surprisingly, these self-proclaimed “powerful” Messiah admits that he uses cannabis. He justifies his use of drugs by saying that cannabis “makes you more spiritual…and takes you closer to the light.”

Unlike the other Jesus wannabes discussed in this list, Shayler hasn’t managed to gain followers. In 2009, it was reported that he was living as a squat in a farm owned by the government. Also, you’d be surprised to know that this man who claims to be Jesus Christ is a transvestite. He dresses like a woman and goes by the name Dolores Kane. David Shayler was once an articulate man who went from an excellent MI5 agent to a homeless “tranny Jesus.”

Liked it? Take a second to support Toptenz.net on Patreon!

Other Articles you Might Like