Godsloveandlaw's Blog

The dictionary describes the word “Rumor” as –  “a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth. Gossip, hearsay, talk, speculation.”

A while back we posted about how a SDA woman was trying to learn the Lord’s message of Elijah  and then later she came in contact with her fellow SDA friend who told her in no uncertain terms a most terrible and alarming falsehood. The “Shepherd’s Rod” people teach that one day they will rise up in the SDA church and commit the killing told of in Ezekiel 9.

What we’d like to do in this post is make a comprehensive verifiable post with documented writings that one may copy and therefore by ready to show anyone who would so recklessly and naively utter those same sentiments to their victims. Sadly, as I get more seasoned in the message, this truly disgusting and Satanic rumor really amazes me and is spread more than people realize.

Recently it has become painfully clear that this sister who was so excited to know new truth from the Lord, has been scarred. What is even worse is that her favorite New York phone ministry (they provide fellowship and Bible studies via phone conferencing) had a minister  a few days after she heard that charge from the sister, who said the same thing! Two rumor blows within two weeks!

She has expressed no further desire to study the message of the hour. The Satanic work has done its damage. Yet another soul has been stopped from stepping into the ark for us today (learning the sealing message), to be ready for the church’s “surprise” judgment (Mal. 3:1-2). Things may change, but Satan’s rumor work has affected her and only the Holy Spirit can draw her back now.

But this sister is not totally guiltless here. God requires each of us to search out the Truth and we cannot trust in man (ie. rumors) over studying ourselves.

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, who heart turns away from the Lord.”(Jer. 17:5)

But let us look at concrete Biblical, Spirit of Prophecy, and Elijah message writings concerning who are the ones that the Lord directs to actually “do” the execution of judgment upon God’s house.

Before we go further , however, we as SDA should know that it was our own prophetess who let us know that this Ezekiel 9 will affect us as a church. This was NOT started by Victor Houteff. He shed further light on this but  did not originate this application to the church.

“Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled; yet the time is passing, and the people are asleep. They refuse to humble their souls and to be converted. Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths revealed to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience. The time is short. God is calling; will you hear? Will you receive His message? Will you be converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon, every case will be decided for eternity.” (Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, page 260)

The “every case” is every SDA member (“people who have such great light and important truths revealed to them”), the judgment to come will reveal survivors who live forever or fallen ones who fall in the church judgment. There may be some who do not fall but their fate is even worse as they see what they have done by fighting the Lord’s message, the damage they caused. There will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (See SRod, vol. 2, p.185-186)

“He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had  the writer’s inkhorn by his side;” (Ezekiel 9:1-3)

The area of mis-application stems from the usage of “men” and “man”. These words obviously could be taken literally if one did not have a firm grasp on Inspiration. Satan knows how so many people can be hood winked into making false interpretations. Hence the groundwork of a Satanic rumor is formed.

One needs to understand that Scripture can describe angels as a human appearance  or “man”. Several references prove our case.

“And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.” (Daniel 8:15)

“Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.” (Daniel 9:21)

“I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist.” (Daniel 10:5)

Lot calls the two angels who came to him while in Sodom  “men” as well–

“..unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.” (Genesis 19:8)

So we see that angels can be described as men. Let us now move on to the Spirit of Prophecy. As mentioned our prophetess was first to speak about the church judgment in regards to Ezek. 9 and the following is quite clear who is allowed to execute God’s judgments.

“To His angels He gives the commission to execute His judgments. Let the ministers awake, let them take in the situation. The work of judgment begins at the sanctuary. “And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.” Read Ezekiel 9:2-7.” (Testimonies to Min. p.431)

“Angels keep a faithful record of every man’s work, and as judgment passes upon the house of God, the sentence of each is recorded by his name, and the angel is commissioned to spare not the unfaithful servants, but to cut them down at the time of slaughter.Here we see that the church–the Lord’s sanctuary–was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God.” (Testimonies, vol.1, p.198)

“When God was about to smite the first-born of Egypt, He commanded the Israelites to gather their children from among the Egyptians into their own dwellings and strike their door posts with blood, that the destroying angel might see it and pass over their homes. It was the work of parents to gather in their children. This is your work, this is my work, and the work of every mother who believes the truth. The angel is to place a mark upon the forehead of all who are separated from sin and sinners, and the destroying angel will follow, to slay utterly both old and young.” (Testimonies, vol. 5, p.505)

“Let both grow together until the harvest;” then the angels will gather out the tares, which will be appointed to destruction…. The time of the harvest will fully determine the character of the two classes specified under the figure of the tares and the wheat. The work of separation is given to the angels of God, and not committed into the hands of any man.” (Review and Herald, Sept. 5, 1893)

Clearly Inspiration shows us the dire and solemn responsibility given not to man but to the angels of God.

Ok, let’s go straight to the horse’s mouth as they say. Let’s look at what is published in the Shepherd’s Rod.

“…the enemy of truth is determined that light shall not reach the people (“Testimonies to Ministers,” p. 411), also that he is doing everything to tear down Mt. Carmel Center and the work she is carrying on.

1. “I have been told,” says one, “that Mt. Carmel Center is being builded as a sort of fort where weapons are being stored for the purpose of slaying all the S.D.A.’s who do not accept the message of the Rod.  Is this true?”

Nothing could be quite so absurd as the story which the questioner has been told, and we admonish our brethren not to believe what they are told by Mt. Carmel’s enemies, any more than while they were investigating the Sabbath truth they believed the wild stories told about Adventists.” (Symbolic Code, vol. 3, no.11-12, p.2)

Question: “Are the 144,000, after being sealed, to go and kill all the others in the S.D.A. church who failed to receive the seal?”

   Answer: The slaying of the tares in the church is plainly foretold that this work is not man’s duty to perform. The prophet Ezekiel, in vision, was shown that the angels who bear the slaughter weapons are the ones whom the Lord commissioned to “slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women”…but to “come not near any man upon whom is the mark.” (Ezek. 9:6.) The Lord makes this destruction of the “tares” still plainer by His parabolic illustration, saying:

   “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn.”

   “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.” (Matt. 13:30, 49.)(Symbolic Code, vol. 1, no. 16, p.3)

There we have it. English language cannot be more clear. Victor Houteff responded to the slanderous rumor concerning our subject matter leaving no doubt that the Shepherd’s Rod teaching  (Also known as the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist teachings) does NOT advocate any murderous acts to be committed by any human beings. You may search ALL the writings of the message, Tracts, Timely Greetings, Shepherd’s Rod books (vol. 1 and 2), The Answerer, Jezreel Letters, and the Symbolic Codes and not fine ONE reference that has a smidgen of even a hint that such terrible teachings exist.

So what does this whole exercise tell us? Inspiration spells it out without doubt.

“The more you are jostled, misapprehended, misstated, misrepresented, the more evidence you have that you are doing a work for the Master, and the more closely you must cling to your Saviour.” (Testimonies, vol. 8, p.130)

“The Devil will use any willing tool to slander and abuse the followers of Jesus Christ. Scoffers will scoff, and liars will lie, whether they bear the title of Reverend, or be patrons of brothels. And the higher the position, the greater the criminality.” (Ascension Robes, p.6)

If you happen to unfortunately come in contact with one who, unsuspectingly, spreads Satan’s lie about this deadly rumor, ask them one simple question.

Can you provide me with any references from the Shepherd’s Rod as proof of what you say? As sure as the Lord lives they will vacillate  and never perform their Christian duty to provide honest evidence of such charge. The honest will admit they “heard” of the charge but have no concrete evidence.

“Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? (John 7:50)

The Holy Commandments are God’s precious laws that He wants obeyed and one of those is the 9th Commandment. “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

Let’s look at how the Satanic rumor has evolved:

1. In 1930 Victor Houteff published the first of the many publications ,which  was entitled “The Shepherd’s Rod”,volume 1
2. In the October 15, 1935 news publication (Symbolic Code) we find one of the first suggestions that the idea that the 144,000 will, after being sealed, commit the work of the angels of Ezek.9 was circulating. (See above reference)
3. In November of 1937, we see that the rumor was more defined by the comment in Sym. Code vol. 3, no.11-12, p.2 (See above ref.) Obviously the rumor had developed to the point that God’s servant was now making a sort of “fort” to commit future killings. True absurdity.
4. Fast forward to Waco Texas, 1993. David Koresh and his band of so called “Davidians” (they were Branch Davidians, not connected to original doctrinal Davidian SDA groups) engaged in the tragic events with government ATF personnel. Satan accomplishes his goal–taint the name –Davidian. Koresh had led a commune of sorts, engaging in terrible activities, drugs, alcohol, sex with minors, etc.
5. Soon these events filtered through out the world, giving further ammunition that “Davidians” are aggressive, gun loving, off-shoot people who are not right with God. The confusion of the Branch DSDA with the true DSDA was now common place, especially within the SDA church. The Waco disaster therefore, gave Satan much fuel to keep lighting his killing rumor through out the SDA church.

So here we are today, the deadly rumor still very much alive. However only those who study for themselves will be free of Satan’s snares which include rumors, twisting truths and falsehoods as his specialty!

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.” (Proverbs 19:9)

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” (Exodus 23:1)

Stay strong you who love the Truth and God’s word. Satan is active but if we know his ploys in advance, how fortified  and prepared we are!

This entry was posted on August 15, 2015 at 3:52 am and is filed under Delusion, Satan, The spirit of predjudice. 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.