Godsloveandlaw's Blog

….He was born in Raikovo, Bulgaria,  on March 2, 1885. In 1907, he came to America. Just like many truth seekers, he searched for God’s truth and found it in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He was baptized approximately around 1919. Originally from the eastern part of US, he moved to Los Angeles in the early 20’s (some say 1922). In December of 1925 , he requested membership to a Los Angeles church, then known as the Tabernacle church.

As he became familiar with the church, he began teaching at times the “Sabbath school” lessons in the years 1928 and 1929. Only God knows what began to tick in this man’s mind and heart, but he began to view the scriptures in a new and different light. He would spend long hours reading and searching God’s word and Ellen White’s writings. He had no teacher, save the Holy Spirit to guide him.

Then later in those Sabbath schools, he began to share this new and unique light that had been revealed to him. But some within the church began to complain, because it didn’t fit with the understood teachings of the traditonal SDA beliefs. Soon the higher ups of the church let him know that he was “off base” in some of his teachings. Because they had never heard of such descriptions of certain parables and prophecies and visions of the prophets explained in this new way, they rejected his new ideas.

Here we should quote our prophetess about what she predicted in regards to receiving new light (knowledge) of God’s word. In Councels on Sabbath school work, P.25    “Precious truths that have long been in obscurity are to be revealed in a light that will make manifest their sacred worth; for God will glorify His word, that it may appear in a light in which we have never before beheld it.” It is worthy to note that these divine words were given by the prophetess under the heading “Sabbath school work”– his very first interpretive teachings given to the people, was in Sabbath school.

Apparently everything was smooth for awhile, he continued teaching the pre service classes. Then some trouble came. It appears he got into a disagreement with a fellow church member, a Mr.  Spicer.  He  was letting Mr. Spicer know, that he was not keeping the Sabbath holy, as God had intended. His careful instructing  to Mr. Spicer lead to the disturbance.  Details were sketchy.

So with this and the complaints about his different interpretations of scripture, he was asked by the church leadership to not teach his unique ideas anymore. He had been writing his new found light down in his first  book called “The Shepherd’s Rod.” Leading men of “experience” had reviewed it and told him it was in error, yet  didn’t respond to his rebuttals to  their supposed “errors”. Ultimately, soon after,  when the leaders asked that he retract his teachings and he said he would not,  the church dis-fellowshipped him.

But he was not deterred, he began to publish his first book of 255 pages called “The Shepherd’s Rod ” in December of 1930. He knew he had to  publish these new found discoveries in God’s word. Never before had anyone interpreted the scriptures in certain important areas, as he did. The voice was quite strong, and he became a zealous man in publishing and spreading his work, and sent them to his fellow members through out the SDA churches.

An uproar soon hit throughout this denomination in the early 30’s. Many were impressed, as they read these new found interpretations, but many (particularly the leading teachers and higher ups) were scornful. Such new ideas were against “tradition”. Who was this ONE man to think he had any special light to give the people?  The prophets were done and over, they had came already. This was only this  “man’s” opinion, they thought.

The uproar spread. Soon the SDA leadership was forced to make known their official position on his new interpretations. In 1933, a hearing **was set up to examine his writings. He was to meet with “leading men” of the SDA.  The works such as “The Harvest” explanation,  “Ezekiel 9” and what it means to the church, “Matt 20, the correct interpretation, “Hosea chapters 1 and 2”  the true meaning about  God’s relationship to His church throughout history, and more.

He was promised one week to discuss in depth his above mentioned studies and other interpretations. But after the VERY FIRST study, the meeting was abruptly halted. No arrangements were ever made to continue the study. What happened? If one looks at the true facts, it appears it was halted  because his work was too unsettling and shed light on God’s soon to come judgements about to come TO THE CHURCH FIRST( per his new found revealed light from Scriptures and Ellen White’s writings). This could not be tolerated, afterall, this work would scare the members and the Laodicean church would be aroused from it’s lukewarm “we are in safety” position.

Undeterred, he began to write and write more, revealings kept coming. The publications began to go out far and wide. But so too, did the public attacks. Although many saw the works and were amazed at the truths he uncovered and how he was able to blend the Scriptures with Ellen White’s writings to help explain end time events to come, particlularly of the upcoming judgement for the living and God’s earthly kingdom. But plenty of higher ups within the SDA publicity labeled him an over-zealous “offshoot” who wrote his own wild imaginations.

So as with most all churches, the leadership controlled the situation, and made charges concerning his work and,  as the general membership began to hear the label of “offshoot” , they followed like sheep, and blindly believed the “leading men.” Thus the  true investigative work was discouraged and his writings mostly ignored. And as time went by, the label “offshoot” was too mild and more disparaging labels, such as “fanatic”, “deceiver” and such were used. The people were in effect told  ” he interprets wrongly, listen to our tradtional interpretations.”  Does that ring a bell? (EGW prophecy prediction.)

Just as the SDA leadership rejected the Lord’s message to His church in 1888 (Righteousness by faith) so too they again rejected the Elijah message to His church.

 Nevertheless, His work became voluminus and he added helpers. His interpretive works  included the book of Isaiah and it’s prophecies, Ezekiel’s prophecies, Joel’s prophecies, Daniel’s prophecies, Zechariahs prophecies, Hosea’s prophecies  and more. He also drew fascinating  detailed charts, to give mental descriptions of the prophecies.

But the main theme in all his work , was the revelation that God was soon to CLEANSE HIS CHURCH (known parably as seperation of the wheat from tares) , so that God’s kingdom would indeed start here first on earth, in front of the world’s heathen.Then after all the world could witness that God was indeed with His people (His pure church) they would have no excuse in deciding –for or against God in the last days.

The traditional SDA had ignored this ,the Lord’s judgements in the church and the set-up of His earthly kingdom, written in scripture and Ellen White’s writings. Many preferred to keep such startling information hushed. But he did not stay quiet about it, he couragously told the people of the judgements to come amid the public ridicule brought by the leading SDA men. For indeed,  it began to become clearer and clearer that he saw that it was his duty to prepare the way for God’s last church, the SDA. He began to understand, that God was revealing all these interpretations and new light because he was the ELIJAH TO COME. Many today are also coming to this same conclusion after studying his work.

His name  was Victor T. Houteff.

Did he fit all of the 10 characteristics, earlier highlighted? Yes he did.

We as SDA members now have a challenge. Do we accept Mr. Houteff as the “Elijah to come” and his interpretations of end time prophecies, or do we wait for another? If you’ve honestly studied his work, can his work be improved upon and made clearer, so that we understand what the “great and dreadful day of the Lord”, really is?  I think one would have to be hard pressed to answer yes to that.

Let us remember that each time God has sent His messengers (prophet or prophetess) , the message they had for the people was of extreme importance. Shall we ignore this message, just like the Jews did of old, and suffer the consequences? 

If you say,  “I’ve never heard of him” then  remember that the prior  Elijahs (type and anti-type) were also  not known  for who they really were. Don’t be one of those who Jesus said of —  “They knew him not.”  Many today are discovering in these very LAST DAYS who he was, for his writings are being researched and found out to contain awesome light, that could have ONLY come divinely, with the main purpose  to prepare us for “the great and dreadful day”  the beginning of the judgement for the living.

As brother Houteff died in 1955, his work he started, by God’s divine planning, continues and in fact is gaining powerful momentum particularly via the internet. Let’s look at what EGW said about the continual work being done.

“Men will go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is their work to make crooked things straight. Some things must be torn down, some things must be built up. The old treasures must be reset in a framework of truth. They are to preach God’s word; their testimony must not be molded by opinions and ideas that have regarded as sound, but by the Word of God, whcih liveth and abideth forever. They are to lift up Christ and call sinners to repentance.”(EGW 1888 materials)

Your servant in  Christ, Rob

** Full details of the meeting can be read in the booklet called “The great controversy over the Shepherd’s Rod.” It can be read online, from the site below.

If you would like to investigate for yourself  his work, it can all be seen here  http://www.shepherds-rod.org/  I suggest you start with the charts, as they are indeed an amazing site  (on top left called “Rod Study Charts”.)  May the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth. It is with prayer and humbleness that we arrive at the truth.

Also beware of a break away group  from the original Shepherd’s Rod teachings called “Branch Davidians”.This group has “added and subtracted” from the original writings. For an indepth study on this group and how they fell off  the path of the original Shepherd’s Rod teachings,adding and subtracting to the original message, click this site http://www.scribd.com/doc/36265086/Branch-Davidians-Shepherd-s-Rod-Who-Are-They

This entry was posted on October 29, 2011 at 2:47 am and is filed under Elijah. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.