Looking For Jacob-The 144 000

click on links below

Primary Purpose Who Are The Davidians

Why Agitate Where Not Wanted Work Within or With

Others May-You Cannot Fundamental Beliefs

Close Move Print

THE SHEPHERD'S ROD

WHAT IS IT?

    The primary purpose of The Shepherd's Rod is to unlock the long-concealed mystery concerning the ever-challenging and much discussed subject of the 144,000 (Rev. 14:1), with the central object in view of bringing about among God's people that "thorough reformation" foretold by the Spirit of Prophecy (Testimonies, Vol. 8, p. 251).

    These truths, Divinely revealed, are of supreme importance to the church just now because of the trying, sifting circumstances through which God's people are soon to pass. Being vital concerns to salvation, they call for decided action from ministry and laity alike to separate themselves from all worldliness and to anchor themselves on the Solid Rock by obedience to all the truth known to the church, if they would escape the forthcoming ruin that is to take every sinner.

     Its dominant doctrinal concern being the truth of the 144,000, and a correct understanding of it being a life-and-death matter to all, the Rod unfolds it from several different angles, each urging the Denomination to prepare for the glorious deliverance of the saints and against the inglorious destruction of the sinners as foretokened by the marking and the slaying recorded in Ezekiel 9.

     No new denomination is advocated;Seventh-day Adventist Denomination has been the instrumentality of God since 1844 to carry on His work on earth, and that the Rod adds "power and force" "to the third message." ?Early Writings, p. 277. Purporting to be the antitype of the first exodus, The Shepherd's Rod takes its name from Moses' rod, the instrument through which the Lord manifested His power in the deliverance of the children of Israel. The Shepherd's Rod, the only Rod that has ever spoken, is predicted and recommended in Micah 6:9: "Hear ye the Rod, and [Him] Who hath appointed It."

Click Here To Read Fundamental Beliefs....

Close Move Print

Why Agitate Where Not Wanted?

If the Davidians think they have a message, why are they not content to go their way and let others go theirs? Why should they agitate their message in our church?

Tracing the church's history down through the ages, we find that if all had taken the same position as the questioner, the advancing Truth would never have reached the church in any period. Had God's messengers at sundry times failed to agitate their message in their own churches, how, then, would the various reformatory messages have reached His people? Is He not more interested in them than He is in the heathen? John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles, all sacrificed their lives in order to take their message to their own church. Why, then, should not the Davidians do likewise?

"Against these men [Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, Tyndale, Baxter, Wesley], persecution raged with relentless fury; yet they ceased not to declare the truth. Different periods in the history of the church have each been marked by the development of some special truth, adapted to the necessities of God's people at that time. Every new truth has made its way against hatred and opposition; those who were blessed with its light were tempted and tried. The Lord gives a special truth for the people in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands His servants to present the last invitation of mercy to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls." --The Great Controversy, p. 609.

Consequently, we dare not refuse to publish the special Davidian truth for the church today.

Close Move Print

OTHERS MAY-YOU CANNOT

If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians; and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers, who seem to be very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it; and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as will make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their success, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing; and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or have a legacy left to them; but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely a helpless dependence on Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small.

He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, bit He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing, and then to make your work still more precious, He may let others get the credit for work which you have done, and thus make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time and money, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you; but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you in a jealous love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Settle it forever then, that, you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hands, or closing your eyes in ways that he does not seem to use with others. Now when you are so possessed with the living God that you are in your secret heart pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.
--Living Waters. (4 Symbolic Code, Nos. 4-9, 1938

Close Move Print

                                                        FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS

Emerging in 1930 from within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination ("the church of the Laodiceans"), the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association has ever been committed to the prophetic work (predicted in Isaiah 52:1) of preparing the Laodicean church, the last with "the tares" among "the wheat," for the final proclamation of the gospel "in all the world." Matt. 24:14.

This Association, in common with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, holds ''certain fundamental beliefs, the principal features of which, together with a portion of the Scriptural references upon which they are based," are originally summarized as follows:

"1. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, contain an all-sufficient revelation of His will to men, and are the only unerring rule of faith and practice. 2 Tim 3:1517.

"2. That the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual Being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished; the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the work of redemption. Matt. 28:19.

"3. That Jesus Christ is very God, being of the same nature and essence as the Eternal Father. While retaining His divine nature He took upon Himself the nature of the human family, lived on the earth as a man, exemplified in His life as our Example the principles of righteousness, attested His relationship to God by many mighty miracles, died for our sins on the cross, was raised from the dead, and ascended to the Father where He ever lives to make intercession for us John 1:1, 14; Heb. 2:9-18; 8:1, 2; 4:14-16; 7:25.

"4. That every person in order to obtain salvation must experience the new birth; that this comprises an entire transformation of life and character by the recreative power of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16; Matt. 18:3; Acts 2:37-39.

"5. That baptism is an ordinance of the Christian church and should follow repentance and forgiveness of sins. By its observance faith is shown in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. That the proper form of baptism is by immersion. Rom. 6:1-6; Acts 16:30-33.

"6. That the will of God as it relates to moral conduct is comprehended in His law of ten commandments; that these are great moral, unchangeable precepts, binding upon all men, in every age. Ex. 20:1-17.

"7. That the fourth commandment of this unchangeable law requires the observance of the seventh day Sabbath. This holy institution is at the same time a memorial of creation and a sign of sanctification, a sign of the believer's rest from his own works of sin, and his entrance into the rest of soul which Jesus promises to those who come to Him. Gen. 2:1-3; 1; Ex. 20:8-11; 31:12-17; Heb. 4:1-10.

"8. That the law of ten commandments points out sin, the penalty of which is death. The law can not save the transgressor from his sin, nor impart power to keep Him from sinning. In infinite love and mercy, God provides a way whereby this may be done. He furnishes a substitute, even Christ the
Righteous One, to die in man's stead, making 'Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.' 2 Cor. 5:21. That one is justified, not by obedience to the law, but by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. By accepting Christ, man is reconciled to God, justified by His blood for the sins of the past, and saved from the power of sin by his indwelling life. Thus the gospel becomes 'the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.' This experience is wrought by the divine agency of the Holy Spirit, who convinces of sin and leads to the Sin-Bearer, inducting the believer into the new covenant relationship, where the law of God is written on his heart, and through the enabling power of the indwelling Christ, his life is brought into conformity to the divine precepts. The honor and merit of this wonderful transformation belong wholly to Christ. 1 John 3:4; Rom. 7:7; Rom. 3:20; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 John 2:1, 2; Rom. 5:8-10; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:17; Heb. 8:8-12.

"9. That God 'only hath immortality.' 1 Tim. 6:15. Mortal man possesses a nature inherently sinful and dying. Eternal life is the gift of God through faith in Christ. Rom. 6:23. 'He that hath the Son hath life.' 1 John 5:12. Immortality is bestowed upon the righteous at the second coming of Christ, when the righteous dead are raised from the grave and the living righteous translated to meet the Lord. Then it is that those accounted faithful 'put on immortality.' 1 Cor. 15:51-55.

"10. That the condition of man in death is one of unconsciousness. That all men, good and evil alike, remain in the grave from death to the resurrection. Eccl. 9:5, 6; Ps. 146:3, 4; John 5:28, 29.

"11. That there shall be a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust. The resurrection of the just will take place at the second coming of Christ; the resurrection of the unjust will take place a thousand years later, at the close of the millennium. John 5:28, 29; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:5-10.
"12. That the finally impenitent, including Satan, the author of sin, will, by the fires of the last day be reduced to a state of non-existence becoming as though they had not been, thus purging God's universe of sin and sinners. Rom. 6:23; Mall 4:1-3; Rev. 20:9, 10; Obadiah 16.

"13. That no prophetic period [meaning prophetic time-setting of the exact date of Christ's coming] is given in the Bible to reach to the second advent, but that the longest one the 2300 days of Dan. 8:14, terminated in 1844, and brought us to an event called the cleansing of the sanctuary.

"14. That the true sanctuary, of which the tabernacle on earth was a type, is the temple of God in Heaven, of which Paul speaks in Hebrews 8 and onward, and of which the Lord Jesus, as our great high priest, is minister; and that the priestly work of our Lord is the antitype of the work of the Jewish priests of the former dispensation; that this heavenly sanctuary is the one to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days of Dan. 8:14; its cleansing being, as in the type, a work of judgment, beginning with the entrance of Christ as the high priest upon the judgment phase of His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary foreshadowed in the earthly service of cleansing the sanctuary on the day of atonement. This work of judgment in the heavenly sanctuary began in 1844. Its completion will close human probation.

"15. That God, in the time of the judgment and in accordance with His uniform dealing with the human family in warning them of coming events vitally affecting their destiny (Amos 3:6, 7), sends forth a proclamation of the approach of the second advent of Christ; that this work is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; and that their three-fold message brings to view a work of reform to prepare a people to meet him at His coming.

"16. That the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, synchronizing with the period of the proclamation of the message of Revelation 14, is a time of investigative judgment, first with reference to the dead, and secondly, with reference to the living. This investigative judgment determines who of the myriads
sleeping in the dust of the earth are worthy of a part in the first resurrection, and who of its living multitudes are worthy of translation. 1 Pet. 4:17, 18; Dan. 7:9, 10; Rev. 14:6, 7; Luke 20:35.

"17. That the followers of Christ should be a godly people, not adopting the unholy maxims nor conforming to the unrighteous ways of the world, not loving its sinful pleasures nor countenancing its follies. That the believer should recognize his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that therefore he should clothe that body in neat, modest, dignified apparel. Further, that in eating and drinking and in his entire course of conduct he should shape his life as becometh a follower of the meek and lowly Master. Thus the believer will be led to abstain from all intoxicating drinks, tobacco, and other narcotics, and the avoidance of every body-and-soul-defiling habit and practice. 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 9:25; 10:31: 1 Tim. 2:9, 10; 1 John 2:6.

"18. That the divine principle of tithes and offerings for the support of the gospel is an acknowledgment of God's ownership in our lives, and that we are stewards who must render account to him of all that He has committed to our possession. Lev. 27:30; Mal. 3:8-12; Matt. 23:23; 1 Cor. 9:9-14; 2 Cor. 9:6-15.

"19. That God has placed in His church the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as enumerated in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. That these gifts operate in harmony with the divine principles of the Bible, and are given for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ. Rev. 12:17; 19:10; 1 Cor. 1:5

"20. That the second coming of Christ is the great hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel and plan of salvation. His coming will be literal, personal, and visible. Many important events will be associated with His return, such as the resurrection of the dead, the destruction of the wicked, the purification of the earth, the reward of the righteous, the establishment of His everlasting kingdom. The almost complete fulfillment of various lines of prophecy particularly those found in the books of Daniel and the Revelation, with existing conditions in the physical, social, industrial, political, and religious worlds, indicates that Christ's coming 'is near, even at the doors.' The exact time of that event has not been foretold. Believers are exhorted to be ready, for 'in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man' will be revealed. Luke 21:25-27; 17:26-30; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Rev. 1:7; Heb. 9:28; James 5:1-8; Joel 3:9-16; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Dan. 7:27; Matt. 24:36, 44.
21. That the millennial reign of Christ covers the period between the first and the second resurrections, during which time the saints of all ages will live with their blessed Redeemer in Heaven. At the end of the millennium, the Holy City with all the saints will descend to the earth. The wicked, raised in the second resurrection, will go up on the breadth of the earth with Satan at their head to compass the camp of the saints, when fire will come down from God out of Heaven and devour them. In the conflagration which destroys Satan and his host, the earth itself will be regenerated and cleansed from the effects of the curse. Thus the universe of God will be purified from the foul blot of sin. Rev. 20; Zech. 14:1-4; 2 Peter 3 :7- 10.

"22. That God will make all things new. The earth, restored to its pristine beauty, will become forever the abode of the saints of the Lord. The promise to Abraham, that through Christ he and his seed should possess the earth throughout the endless ages of eternity, will be fulfilled. The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. Christ, the Lord, will reign supreme and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea will ascribe blessing and honor and glory and power unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Gen. 13:14-17; Rom. 4:13; Heb. 11:8-16;
Matt. 5:5; Isa. 35; Rev. 21:1-7; Dan. 7:27; Rev. 5:13." -- Year Book of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination, 1940 Edition, pp. 5-8.

IN ADDITION to these fundamental tenets of faith held in common with the Seventh-day Adventists, the Davidian Association holds:

1. That the prophetic gift in the Seventh-day Adventist church (through the medium of which the church was brought forth in 1844 and nurtured and preserved for seven decades) ceased its manifestation in 1915 and was not remanifested until 1930, and that this cessation and this remanifestation are paralleled by the cessation of the prophetic gift in the Old Testament and the remanifestation of it in the New.

2. That the present manifestation was timed to the 430-year prophecy of Ezekiel 4, and that it is the "addition" anticipated in Early Writings, p. 277.

3. That it was manifested anew in the closing work for the church to effect the sealing of the 144,000 servants of God (Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 266), and to give power and force (Early Writings, p. 277) to the Three Angel's Messages (Rev. 14:6-11) so that the 144,000 might be empowered to accomplish the closing work for the world, and to gather all their brethren out of all nations (Isa. 66:19, 20; Rev. 18:4).

4. That the destruction of the tares from among the first fruits of the living (Matt. 13:30, 48, 49; Ezek. 9:6, 7) results in the purification of the church.

5. That immediately thereafter, the angels let loose the four winds (Rev. 7:1-3), whereupon ensues the time of trouble and Michael's standing up to deliver from it, all whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life (Dan. 12:1).

6. That the angels' letting loose the four winds to blow over the four corners of the earth (Rev. 7:1), does not anticipate a World war but rather a world wide decree enforced throughout Babylon by the image-beast, and that then no one may buy or sell save he who worships "the image." Rev. 13:15-17.

7. That subsequently, the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:7) for the 144,000, the sons of Jacob, logically develops on their way home (Gen. 32:1, 24) to the land of their fathers (Ezek. 36:28; 37:21, 25).

8. That the foregoing epochal event shall cause the 144,000 to have their names changed as did their father, Jacob (Gen. 32:28), and as a body receive a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name (Isa. 62:2).

9. That these events shall ultimate in the setting up of the Kingdom (Dan. 2:44; Isa. 2:1-4; Mic. 4; Ezek. 37), wherein the 144,000, those who follow the Lamb "withersoever He goeth" (Rev. 14:4), shall stand with Him on Mt. Zion (Rev. 14:1), and there "receive the forces of the GentiIes. " Isa. 60:5, 11.

10. That with this sequence of events will ensure the Loud Cry of the angel that lightens the earth with his glory (Rev. 18:1), as the other Voice cries, "Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev. 18:4.

11. That in response to this call, many nations will say: "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Mic. 4:2.

12. That the Voice will cease to cry when all the saints shall have been gathered out of all nations. Then shall "the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." Amos 8:11, 12.

13. That then will follow the dissolution of the world-wide organization of the image of the beast (Rev. 19:1-3), the close of the investigative judgment of the living (Rev. 15:5-8), the end of probationary time (Rev. 22:11), and the pouring out of the seven last plagues upon the wicked (Rev. 16).

14. That under the seventh plague, the hosts arrayed for the battle of Armageddon will fight with, and will be decimated by, the armies of Heaven (Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 406), and that Christ shall appear in all His glory, destroy the remaining wicked, resurrect the righteous dead (1 Thess. 4:15-17), and usher in the millennium (Rev. 20:5).

15. That for a little season (Rev. 20:3), a hundred y9ars (Isa. 65:20), after the millennium, the wicked shall live again and then finally be destroyed by fire (Rev. 20:9), whereupon all things shall be renewed, and God's original plan shall proceed to perfect fulfillment in an uninterrupted eternity of heavenly joy (Rev. 21:4).

Close Move Print

Work Within or Without

On the one hand I find your literature teaching its believers not to leave the ranks of the Mother church, while on the other hand I find it causing no end of trouble to the church. How do you reconcile your precept with your example? Why not devote your time to evangelistic efforts, bringing erring souls to the knowledge of the Truth, and let the church alone?

Assuredly we do believe that this is no time to be pulling apart, but indeed to be pressing together. And the message which we are bearing to the church, not only does not contain any doctrine or teaching which would warrant our leaving her ranks to become a separate cult, but does on the contrary absolutely forbid our doing so. For these reasons, we have from the beginning steadfastly refused, even in the face of abusive treatment, to leave the Mother church.

So far as we are concerned, therefore, existing controversy and schism is the responsibility of the Denomination's leading brethren, and none of ours, for we are only carrying out the Lord's express precept and example never to sacrifice Truth. And they themselves admit that we should obey God rather than men. Upon them, therefore, rest the heavy guilt of repeating the tragic folly of the Jews in Christ's time, by rejecting the message of the hour, "entering not in themselves" into the expansion of Truth, hindering those who would enter in, and casting out those who do enter in.

So, to devote our time to evangelizing the world while neglecting the church, would be a criminal act, one of highest treason both to God and to His people. The church must first be saved from her Laodicean condition of being "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." She, not the world, is just about to be spued out. She "is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard."-Testimonies to Ministers, p. 15.

Think, though, what an eternal joy it would be for Him to fit her up and use her to His glory, rather than to have to forsake her! So before raising up another as a last resort, He is trying to save her, and He will save her, as He promises:

"Satan will work his miracles to deceive, he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out. The chaff is separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouth. The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy...."

"The great issue so near at hand will weed out those whom God has not appointed, and he will have a pure, true, sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain." -B-55-1886, ( See 1SM:380)

Were the Lord-Who Himself when upon earth spent all His time in the exclusive endeavor to save His lost church then-to send us to the world rather than to His lost church today, He would not only be bringing in the innocent to perish with the guilty, but would also be completely reversing His own practice and contradicting His own orders to his apostles that they preach present truth to the church first (Matt. 10:5, 6).

In mercy and in consistency with His eternal procedure, therefore, He purposed that "while the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin among [His] people upon earth." This is her special work. "Then the church which . . .at His coming [He] is to receive to Himself will be ?a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.' "-The Great Controversy, p. 425

"The Lord does not now work to bring many souls into the truth," furthermore says the Spirit of Truth, "because of the church-members who have never been converted, and those who were once converted but who have backslidden. What influence would these unconsecrated members have on new converts? Would they not make of no effect the God-given message which His people are to bear?" -Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 371.

Yes, the honest heathen must and will be evangelized, but "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 10:6) must be sought first. How thankful, therefore, and how cooperative they ought to be, and will be, when they discover that rather than being rich and increased with goods, and in need of nothing, they are actually "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked"?in need of everything; and that the Lord is waiting for them to wake up to the fact so that He can make them what they ought to be

For these reasons, God says now to work within the Laodicean congregation rather than without. And what He says, that He means, and we dare not disobey, regardless what men may say or do.

-Victor Houteff, 2 Answerer, pp. 57-63.

Close Move Print

WHO ARE THE DAVIDIANS?

INTRODUCTION

The primary purpose of this document is to introduce the Davidian movement and its true principles to those who are not directly connected with the Seventh-Day Adventist church. We attempt to set forth some of our fundamental beliefs and core philosophies. As a result of the publicity given to the Branch Davidian movement in recent years, we believe that it is important to set before the public the contrast between the Branch Davidians and true Davidians.

TRUE DAVIDIANS BELIEVE IN JESUS

First and foremost, the Davidians are full-fledged Christians. We believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that man is separated from God because of the choice of Adam and Eve to disobey Him (Rom. 5:12-21), that man is lost and cannot save himself. We believe that these facts necessitate the need for a Saviour. This Saviour is Jesus Christ. Indeed, rather than destroy the world, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" "when the fullness of the time was come" "that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16: Gal. 4:3-5). This concept is unfolded in the Davidian message in both symbolic prophecy and literal terms and comprises the very foundation of our religious experience. To have the privilege of reuniting with God in the coming kingdom and future world, one must be "born again?of water and the Spirit" and become a "new creature" in Christ Jesus (John 3:3-6; 2 Cor. 5:17).

True Davidians are aware of the Biblical fact that "no man cometh to the Father but by me [Jesus]" and "there is no other name under heaven whereby men may be saved" (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Finally, we believe that the redemption and salvation of man is beautifully illustrated in the types and symbols of the Old Testament sanctuary services in every particular. God did not desire to have so many of His animal creation perish. The various offerings and ceremonies were ordained by God to reveal the multiple phases of Jesus' work, and just how particular He is about how He is to be worshipped. It is written: "Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith 'sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure'. Then said I, 'lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.'" (Heb. 10:5-7). It is our purpose to model our lives after His, even in the face of scorn, persecution and death.

DAVIDIANS AND THE FAMILY

True Davidians believe that the family unit is the basic component of society and that the family circle is sacred. If the family unit is strong and intact, respecting the rights, property and consciences of others, then society will prosper. If the family unit is disrupted, especially on a large scale, then society will feel its effects in various forms. It is unequivocally held that the marriage institution is ordained by God and constitutes the most sacred relationship in the human family. It is also firmly held that marriage is a union of one man and one woman as it was "in the beginning". Divorce is not an option, unless it is based upon established Bible grounds (see Matt. 19:3-12) and if it be possible for the two parties to be reconciled then we encourage it by all means. In fact, the burden of the Davidian message is to restore the family relationship to its proper place in today's society. Referring to the message of latter-day Elijah, the last Heaven-sent message for the world, the Bible says: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Mal. 4:5,6)..

DAVIDIANS ARE NOT BRANCH DAVIDIANS

True Davidians do not believe in stockpiling weapons in preparation for a confrontation with government authorities or for any other purpose. We believe that the governments that exist today are "ordained of God" (Rom. 13:1-6) and that the laws of the land should be obeyed (1 Pet. 2:17; Tit. 3:1) as long as they do not conflict with the Law of God (Acts 5:29; Matt. 22:15-21). Our only "weapon of warfare" is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17). We countenance no other, for we are well aware that the battle is the Lord's, that He will fight for us, and that when He is for us, no one can win a thing against us. As stated in the previous section, the Davidian message does not condone adultery, polygamy or any other deviation from the original, Biblical plan of marriage and the family. We certainly do not acknowledge David Koresh as the messiah. We do not acknowledge him as the author, originator or even an authentic representative of the Davidian message. The only author of the Davidian message is Victor T. Houteff, who was a Sabbath School teacher and member in the Seventh-Day Adventist church at the time he wrote his first book ";The Shepherd's Rod Volume One

DAVIDIANS AND THEIR MISSION

The mission of the Davidian movement is multifaceted, but lists these as its primary objectives: 1) To call for a "revival and reformation" in the Seventh-Day Adventist church (see Isa. 52:1). Put another way, a call to return to the original principles upon which the church was founded and an invitation to accept the additional Bible understanding unfolded by the Davidian message. 2). To establish a multifaceted institution composed of training and charitable facilities that will assist in taking the message to the church and caring for the poor, sick, aged, orphaned, widowed and unfortunate in the church initially (known in Davidian circles as "The Camp of Ezekiel 4:2). 3). To announce the restoration of the Kingdom of David in the Holy Land "in the last days" of earth's history history history before Christ's Second Coming in power and glory.

THE KINGDOM--THE CHRISTIAN'S CROWNING HOPE

Davidian" is derived from our belief in the re-establishment of ancient David's kingdom in anti-type, or, in our time (see Ezekiel 36, 37; Jeremiah 30-33; Hosea 1:10,11; 3:4,5). It will be as real as any of the kingdoms of the earth and will be put on display for all nations to see. Indeed, it is the crowning hope of the Christian as exemplified in the Lord's prayer "thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heavenn" (Matt. 6:10).

exalteth a nation" (Prov. 14:34). Then the unfailing promise shall come to pass that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness, then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14). Further information concerning the Kingdom is available upon request.

DAVIDIANS BELIEVE IN SALVATION BY GRACEE

As Christians, we feel it our duty to extend an invitation for all who desire to understand and partake of the free gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The process is very easy; first, come to Jesus just as you are (Matt. 11:28-30). Don't wait for a better opportunity, or to make yourself better than you are right now. Once you come to Jesus, acknowledge your sinful condition (Rom. 3:23; 6:23), confess your sins (1 John 1:7-9) and believe that He has died for you. Then tell Him that you choose to be His servant and will submit to His will for you. Rise from your knees in faith that He has forgiven you and just that moment you become a Christian, a "new creature" and heir to the Heavenly kingdom.

We pray that this document has helped to clarify our mission and place in the world. May God bless you as you continue in your search for truth.

SELECTED QUOTES

The Holy Bible
" The Greater Light "

The Spirit of Prophecy
" The Lesser Light "

The Shepherd's Rod Message
"The study of the Shepherd's Rod message is the study of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy"

Mind Character and Personality Developement
"The improvement of the mind is a duty which we owe to ourselves, to society, and to God."

Contact Us

Copyright � 2008 TheShepherdsRodMessage.com