José Luis de Jesús Miranda
Encyclopedia
José Luis de Jesús Miranda (born April 22, 1946 in Ponce, Puerto Rico
) is the founder and leader of Creciendo en Gracia (Growing In Grace International Ministry, Inc.), based in Miami, Florida
. He claims to be both Jesus Christ returned and the Antichrist
, and exhibits a "666
" tattoo
on his forearm. He has referred to himself as "Jesucristo Hombre" which translates to "The Man Christ Jesus".
. He has claimed that during this period he served stints in prison for petty theft. He became a Pentecostal minister and then a member of the Southern Baptist convention.
De Jesús has gained attention worldwide. He counts with an unprecedented communication powerhouse which is tuned in by over 103 countries every Wednesday and Sunday when he speaks. His worldwide reach counts with:
In early 2007 he acknowledged others' claims that he was the Antichrist
and explained that the term is true. It applies because people are no longer to follow the "Jewish teachings" of Jesus of Nazareth, but rather to follow the Apostle Paul's teachings through De Jesús. According to De Jesús, "Antichrist" means "no longer following Jesus of Nazareth as he lived in the days of his flesh".
Most recently, followers have shown their support by getting "666
" tattoo
s on their bodies. "666", de Jesús explains, is not a sign of the Devil
(he preaches that the Devil was destroyed), but the number of the Antichrist. A gallery of the thousands marked with the number of his name, 666, is available on his official website.
De Jesús and his followers celebrate Christmas each year on April 22, as this is the day de Jesús was born and therefore they claim it is the "real" Christmas.
He has publicly announced the day of his transformation, where he will be dressed back into immortality just as he did in the body of Jesus of Nazareth. He has announced that as of April 19, 2011 there are 438 days left.
De Jesús appears in the 2008 documentary Religulous
.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
) is the founder and leader of Creciendo en Gracia (Growing In Grace International Ministry, Inc.), based in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. He claims to be both Jesus Christ returned and the Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
, and exhibits a "666
Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast is a term in the Book of Revelation, of the New Testament, that is associated with the first Beast of Revelation chapter 13, the Beast of the sea. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of the Bible, the number of the Beast is...
" tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on his forearm. He has referred to himself as "Jesucristo Hombre" which translates to "The Man Christ Jesus".
Early life
De Jesús grew up in poverty in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. He has claimed that during this period he served stints in prison for petty theft. He became a Pentecostal minister and then a member of the Southern Baptist convention.
Current movement
In 2007 the Dallas Morning News reported that de Jesús "preaches to followers in some 35 nations, mostly in Latin America, and has 287 radio programs and a 24-hour Spanish-language TV network."De Jesús has gained attention worldwide. He counts with an unprecedented communication powerhouse which is tuned in by over 103 countries every Wednesday and Sunday when he speaks. His worldwide reach counts with:
- Live transmission every Wednesday at 8:00 pm ET through: www.CreciendoenGracia.com
- His own Satellite Channel 24/7: www.TeleGracia.com which is broadcasted in 16 countries by over 600 cable companies
- His own Radio Station: www.NetGracia.com
- 355 education centers in 30 nations
- 225 radio programs
- 600 cable companies that transmit TeleGracia
- 300 TV programs
- More than 80 music artists around the world
- Millions of people who voluntarily offer their lives to make his word spread
In early 2007 he acknowledged others' claims that he was the Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
and explained that the term is true. It applies because people are no longer to follow the "Jewish teachings" of Jesus of Nazareth, but rather to follow the Apostle Paul's teachings through De Jesús. According to De Jesús, "Antichrist" means "no longer following Jesus of Nazareth as he lived in the days of his flesh".
Most recently, followers have shown their support by getting "666
Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast is a term in the Book of Revelation, of the New Testament, that is associated with the first Beast of Revelation chapter 13, the Beast of the sea. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of the Bible, the number of the Beast is...
" tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s on their bodies. "666", de Jesús explains, is not a sign of the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
(he preaches that the Devil was destroyed), but the number of the Antichrist. A gallery of the thousands marked with the number of his name, 666, is available on his official website.
De Jesús and his followers celebrate Christmas each year on April 22, as this is the day de Jesús was born and therefore they claim it is the "real" Christmas.
He has publicly announced the day of his transformation, where he will be dressed back into immortality just as he did in the body of Jesus of Nazareth. He has announced that as of April 19, 2011 there are 438 days left.
De Jesús appears in the 2008 documentary Religulous
Religulous
Religulous is a 2008 American comic documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles. The title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words "religion" and "ridiculous"; the documentary examines and mocks organized religion and religious...
.