BRANCH SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONS

VOLUME 5, NUMBERS 1-3

That everyone who thirsteth for the truth may obtain it, these Lessons are, as a Christian service, mailed without charge. They levy but one exaction: the soul's obligation to itself to prove all things and hold fast to that which is good. The only strings attached to this free proffer are the golden strands of Eden and the crimson cords of Calvary – the ties that bind.

THE UNIVERSAL PUBLISHING ASSN.
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CONTENTS

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NOTE --- "Hosea's wife being representative of the Lord's wife... Hosea himself is a representative of the Lord. And since His wife is His church, she and her children are a representation of His church family - - ministers and laity. She represents the ministers because they bring forth the converts, the children that make up the laity." – Tract No. 4, page 50.

NOTE --- "From this bill of indictment which God has drawn up against those who profess to be His, we see that their ignorance is the result of their Rejection of the Prophets. Every succeeding Jewish generation rejected the living prophets, at the same time bearing recognition and honor to the preceding ones who were slain by, and for speaking to, the fathers." – Ibid., page 54.

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Lesson 1, page 2

NOTE --- "... Jezreel typifies the prophets who have been killed, as well as those who today are being 'killed' (rejected), by all who despise the gift of prophecy..." – Ibid., page 56.

NOTE --- "Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day." – 2 Kings 17:23.

ANSWER --- "... the valley of Jezreel... is typical. That is, as Jezreel represents the prophets... then the 'valley of Jezreel,' the place where Jehu destroyed the rejectors of the prophets... must stand for the destruction of those who reject the Spirit of Prophecy today." – Tract No. 4, page 56.

NOTE --- "... the prefix 'Lo'... in the Hebrew, means 'No.' Accordingly... Lo-ruhamah means 'no mercy'..." – Ibid., page 12.

NOTE --- " 'In the days of Pekah,' who reigned twenty years, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, invaded Israel, and carried away with him a multitude of captives from among the tribes living in Galilee and east of the Jordan. 'The Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,' with others of the inhabitants of 'Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali,' were scattered among the heathen in lands far removed from Palestine. From this terrible blow the northern kingdom never recovered." – Prophets and Kings, page 287.

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NOTE --- "After the appointed time of captivity. God remembered His promise of mercy to them, and '... stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of Heaven given me; and He hath charged me to build Him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.' 'And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.' ...In so

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Lesson 2, page 2

doing, God again kept His promises to Judah. But the ten tribes, Israel, He did not deliver..." – Tract No. 4, pages 18,19.

NOTE --- "In spite, though, of the Lord's repeated great mercy and wonderful deliverances in her behalf, Judah's continual sins finally led her utterly to forsake Him by denying His only begotten Son: 'And they cried out all at once, saying. Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas.' Luke 23:18. Thus did Judah's backsliding at last bring upon her the dreadful anathema: '...ye are not My People..." – Ibid., page 19.

SPECIAL NOTE – "So far in this allegory, we see the history of the church up to the crucifixion of Christ." – Ibid., page 19.

"... the first division began in the days of Abraham, when the church was in 'her youth;' continued on to her exodus from Egypt, the days when she 'sang;' and terminated with the crucifixion of Christ,..." – Ibid., page 14.

NOTE --- "The apostle Paul gave the key to this whole prophecy by revealing the interpretation of that part of it which met its fulfilment in his day... (Read Romans 9:24-26). So we see that Chapter One of Hosea's vision foretells God's rejecting the Jews, which we know He did after they rejected His Son. At that time was fulfilled the sad pronouncement: 'Ye are not My people, and I will not be your God.' Yet in the very next breath, as it were, the Jews are called 'the children of the living God.' This paradox is cleared in Chapter Two, as it is in Romans 9: the Jews who did not reject Christ, but who became Christians, are the ones called 'the children of the living God.' Clearly, then, in the simultaneous fulfilment of these contrasting decrees were the death throes of the Jewish nation and the birth pangs of the Christian Church." – Ibid., pages 12,13. (Parenthesis Ours.)

NOTE --- "So, happily, the same people, Israel and Judah, who were set aside and scattered, will 'in that day' (our time) be reaccepted..." – Tract No. 8, page 13.

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NOTE --- "...Jezreel, the one addressed, is symbolical of a prophet who is to command his 'brethren, Ammi,' and his 'sisters, Ruhamah,' to go to their 'mother' and plead with her to reform." – Tract No 4, page 51.

"The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader, and is steadily retreating toward Egypt." – 5 Test., p. 217.

"Obviously, therefore, God ordained that one of the laity, Jezreel, His chosen agent, was to herald the message to Ammi and Ruhamah, ...who in turn were to plead with their 'mother,' the ministry." – Tract No. 4,page 51.

NOTE --- "Here is brought to view a layman's movement of both men and women who are to arise and proclaim the message of reformation to the church, their mother (S.D.A.)." – Ibid., page 57. (Paren. Ours)

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Lesson 3, page 2

NOTE --- "The church is charged with the terrible sin of whoredom, -- intermingling with the world, -- and of bringing forth 'children of whoredoms'...converts begotten not by 'the Spirit of Truth' but by the spirit of the world. ...Let dress and health reform and a thorough acceptance of the Spirit of Prophecy ...be urged upon them, and thousands... will abandon their membership." – Ibid., pages 58,59.

NOTE --- "...with the passing of the apostles, the Christians drifted likewise. In lowering the Christian standard and exalting the pagan, the church played the harlot with the heathen." – Ibid., page 20.

"...'I will go after my lovers, that give me... bread... water... wool... flax... oil... Selfishness, ambition, greed -- these are Satan's righthand helpers." – Ibid., page 22.

"The church (S.D.A.)... fearful that she may lose a selfish gain, tithes and offerings, if she fails to acquire to large membership... says 'I will go after my lovers... Too much hasty work is done in adding names to the church roll. Serious defects are seen in the characters of some who join the church. Those who admit them say, We will first get them into the church... then reform them... this is a mistake..." – Ibid., page 59. (Parenthesis Supplied.)

ANSWER --- "Who is to bring this revival and reformation, this great change -- The BRANCH... Here is seen an organization having a Leader and an under leader -- the Lord and Joshua." – 1 T.G.r, 8:24,26.

"The work of Christ as man's intercessor is presented in that beautiful prophecy of Zechariah concerning Him 'whose name is the Branch.' " – Great Controversy, page 415.

"Zechariah's vision... applies with peculiar force to the experience of God's people in the closing up of the great day of atonement." – 5 Test., p. 472.

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NOTE --- "All who follow in the decadent trend of the Christian church, departing from the way of the Lord, and going in 'a way which seemeth right unto a man'... will experience The Rod of God's Chastening." – Tract No. 4, page 23.

NOTE -- "Instead of overtaking (Christianizing) her lovers, they overtook (paganized) her. She 'shall not find them,' because she has failed to save them." – Ibid., page 24.

NOTE --- "God's method of bringing His church to a self-realization

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Lesson 4, page 2

of her dangerous condition is portrayed in Christ's parable of the prodigal. ...after going through her prodigality, she will penitently return to her first Husband -- the Lord." – Ibid., pages 24,25.

NOTE --- "Just as God chastened her in olden time by permitting Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to abolish the ceremonial system by destroying ancient Jerusalem and its temple, just so did He chasten her in the Christian era by permitting Rome to gain control over her and to supplant her true religious system by a counterfeit – a pagan priesthood and a pagan sabbath. Then was His word fulfilled: 'I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.' Since these ordinances (her feast days, her sabbaths, etc. ) were part of 'a compacted prophecy of the gospel... the ceasing of the ordinances therefore typifies Rome's supplanting the Truth." – Ibid., pages 25,26.

"This prediction was made over a thousand years before she lost her vineyards (the land of Israel), and before she 'fled into the wilderness (land of the Gentiles)... a thousand two hundred and threescore days... But while she was there in fugitive retreat from her own land (Israel)... she, like the wayward prodigal, had to have a bitter experience, longing again for home..." – Ibid., pages 26,27. (Parentheses Added.)

"...this symbolism shows the Christian church endowed with the sanctuary truth... And since the Seventh-day Adventist church is known to be the only one with this doctrine, it is evident that this symbolical prophecy of church history brings us this side of 1844 A.D. to the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Consequently, the allegory now reveals her present condition, and God's counsel to her... the lessons which they contain are expressly for the church at this hour." – Ibid., page 27.

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NOTE --- "By contrast, a wilderness is the opposite of a vineyard. And since a vineyard is figurative of the home of God's people (Isa. 5), the wilderness can only represent the home of the Gentiles." – Tract No. 12, pages 40,41.

"...we see from this scripture that the woman left her vineyard (homeland -- Palestine) and went into the Gentile world after her child was born; that is, in her Christian period, when the dragon persecuted her..." – Ibid., page 43.

NOTE -- "God brings her, not into her vineyard, not in the Promised Land, but into the 'wilderness' (into the lands of the Gentiles),

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Lesson 5, page 2

there to speak comfortably to her, and to help her reform. After this comforting meeting takes place she is to have her vineyards from thence..." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 21, page 12.

NOTE --- "The Valley of Achor, you note, is her door of hope -- it is the only way out of her predicament. The valley has but one significance: it stands for a thorough purging, for destroying the sinners that are in her midst before possessing the land -- her only hope of becoming a decent, respectable wife of God. It was in the Valley of Achor that Joshua stoned the last of the sinners in Israel -- Achan and his household. Then it was that the Israelite nation was permitted to take the promised land, the vineyard. Just such a purging as this is the church's only 'door of hope,' says Inspiration, her only escape from her present plight. Then she is to return to her former position and grace. Then she is to receive the promised blessing as verily as ancient Israel received hers. That remarkable incident in the Valley of Achor is now seen to typify the purging for the repossession of the promised land -- typifying the Judgment for the Living..." – Ibid., page 12.

"Here we see that the church -- the Lord's sanctuary -- was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God... Men, maidens, and little children all perish together." – Testimonies, Vol. 5, page 211.

"...Joshua is Heaven's appointed judge... Here is seen an organization having a Leader (The BRANCH) and an under leader -- the Lord and Joshua..." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 8 revised, page 26. (Parenthesis Supplied.)

"Joshua is well instructed that the burden and the ingenuity for building this spiritual temple, belongs to Him Whose name is 'the BRANCH.' " – Ibid., page 27.

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NOTE --- "Yes, rather than be her Lord, God is indeed to be her husband, for one can have lords many, but only one husband." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 21, page 13.

"She shall then no longer call Him 'my Lord,' 'but rather 'my Husband' (margin). The relationship of a husband being closer than that of a lord, it denotes an elevation to a more intimate connection and walk with God." – Tract No. 4, page 38.

NOTE --- "My First Vision... The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus' new name." – Early Writings, page 15.

"Israel is spelled with six letters. Had this name been more or less it would spoil the picture. Why? Because the six letters indicate the sixth section... Had the name been of seven letters, it would denote

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Lesson 6, page 2

'close of probation' instead of 'beginning of harvest. Israel, in the time of harvest, will receive a new name by the mouth of the Lord... it will be perfect, to finish the picture of probationary time, as well as to indicate the end of all the redeemed, or close of probation." – Shepherd's Rod, Vol. 1, page 233.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David... and this is the name wherewith she shall be called..." – Jeremiah 33:14-16.

NOTE --- "...Hosea's vision... extends... from the crucifixion to her fast-approaching liberation from bondage..." – Tract #4, p. 14.

NOTE --- "These verses plainly show that God's presence will in that day be in His church, that even the heavens will be listening to God's voice while He speaks to His people here on earth... 'corn... wine... oil'... Truth... Jezreel, too, shall the earth hear. Plainly, all these promises are to be fulfilled during probationary time... Now that the whole truth of these chapters is disclosed for the first time since the prophet wrote them, and since no prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation... (2 Pet. 1:20,21), the fact is that God had us in mind... when He caused these things to be written... You must... therefore, not fail to wholeheartedly and actually join this mighty layman's movement for revival and reformation throughout Laodicea and to finish the gospel work... You cannot afford to lose out." 2 T.G. 21:14,15.

"Who is to bring this revival and reformation... The BRANCH." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 8 revised, page 24.

"The promise, 'I will sow (multiply) her unto me in the earth, 'bears further substantiation... ingathering of souls... after the 144,000 are sealed... And they shall bring all your brethren... out of all nations... in the time of Jezreel's message, the whole world shall behold the glorified relationship of The Father, Mother, and Children." – 4 Tr. 50.

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NOTE --- "These scriptures plainly set forth the fact that God was to scatter Israel throughout the nations, leave them without a king or a home-land for 'many days.'..." – Tract No. 10, pages 45, 46.

"It was because they had persisted in turning aside from His law, that God was compelled to let them go into captivity." – Prophets and Kings, page 297.

NOTE --- "Zedekiah, at the beginning of his reign, was trusted fully by the king of Babylon, and had as a tried counselor the prophet Jeremiah... Through Jeremiah, Zedekiah and all Judah, including those taken to Babylon, were counseled to submit quietly to the temporary rule of

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Lesson 7, page 2

their conquerors." – Ibid., page 440.

"But Judah's king lost sight of his high priviledge of bringing honor to the name of the living God. Of Zedekiah it is recorded: 'He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah... And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar... and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord..." – Ibid., page 447.

"Foremost among those who were rapidly leading the nation to ruin, was Zedekiah their king. Forsaking utterly the counsels of the Lord as given through the prophets, forgetting the debt of gratitude he owed Nebuchadnezzar, violating his solemn oath of allegiance taken in the name of the Lord God of Israel, Judah's king rebelled against the prophets, against his benefactor, and against his God... To the 'profane wicked prince' had come the day of final reckoning. 'Remove the diadem,' the Lord decreed, 'and take off the crown.' Not until Christ Himself should set up His kingdom, was Judah again to be permitted to have a king. 'I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it,' was the divine edict concerning the throne of the house of David; 'and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.' " – Ibid., pages 450, 451. (Emphases supplied.)

ANSWER --- "The crown removed from Israel passed successively to the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome." – Education 179.

NOTE --- "That time is at hand." – Ibid., page 179.

"In the time of the end, every divine institution is to be restored." – Prophets and Kings, page 678.

"The disciples of Christ were looking for the immediate coming of the kingdom of His glory; but in giving them this (the Lord's) prayer, Jesus taught that the kingdom was not then to be established. They were to pray for its coming as an event yet future... While they were not to behold the coming of the kingdom in their day, the fact that Jesus bade them pray for it, is evidence that in God's own time it will surely come." – Mount of Blessing, page 159. (Emphases Ours.)

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NOTE --- "Let us remember that David of old reigned around 1000 B.C. This prophecy by Ezekiel was given about 575 B.C. which was over 400 years after David's time, and yet Ezekiel declares David is to reign some time in the future from Judah's captivity in Babylon." – The Man On The White Horse, page 4.

"I saw that God would raise up a Joshua that would lead us into the kingdom." – Review and Herald, May 29, 1860.

"Who is to bring this revival and reformation, this great change? -- The BRANCH... What can all this mean? -- Just this: Joshua is Heaven's appointed judge, ruler. He himself is crowned as such." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 8 revised, pages 24,26. "Obviously, then, as a result of this revival and reformation within the Laodicean church, another church emerges of which Joshua is in charge, not the angel of Laodicea." – Ibid., page 24.

ANSWER -- "In other words, Joshua has the gift of interpretation through Inspiration; this is his crown as priest and ruler of the temple." – M.W.H. 48

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Lesson 8, page 2

NOTE --- "And in response to the Lord's Own command, Joshua crowns (authorizes) his helpers whom the Lord Himself names. In other words, as members of 'the house of David,' Joshua authorizes them to engage in the work. So, Joshua is responsible to the Lord, but his helpers are responsible to Joshua." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 8 rev. p. 26.

"The crown Joshua gives to his helpers, in building this Spiritual house, is the 'knowledge' of the message God gives to him, so they may teach it to others. In this manner the Spiritual temple, the 144,000, is built." – The Man On The White Horse, page 48.

NOTE --- "Observe that in the message which they 'sent after Him,' his servants did not say, 'We will not have YOU to reign over us,' but rather, 'we will not have THIS MAN to reign over us.' What they objected to was Christ's reigning over them through someone else. Clearly, then, before He is coronated, and prior to His return to reckon with His servants, He appoints a 'man' to reign over them in His stead. Whereupon they say to Him, by their attitude and stand toward His message, 'We will not have THIS MAN to reign over us,' although 'this man,' as we now see, is the antiypical David (the 'simple means'), the visible king." – Tract No. 8, page 71. (Caps for V.T.H. Italics)

ANSWER --- "Whereas antitypical Ezekiel is depicted as the judge, at the same time, Zechariah says he is 'Joshua.' In the symbolism of joining the two sticks, Ezekiel calls God's servant 'David.' In John (chapter ten) Jesus says he is the 'porter' who opens the Door to the Kingdom. Luke states he is the 'one' left in charge of the work and His citizens are so displeased with the 'one,' to the point where they hate the Lord for it and send Him a message saying so. Malachi states that the 'one' the Lord puts in charge, with whom His citizens are displeased is 'Elijah.'... Joshua of old was chosen to lead Israel... into the Promised Land and to purify the camp... So it is with antitypical Joshua. All these are depicted as one and the same individual who brings to the church the message of Christ's Righteousness, the Investigative Judgment of the Living..." – The Man On The White Horse, pages 28, 29.

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NOTE --- "In Saul, God had given to Israel a king after their own heart... They did not ask for one who had true nobility of character, who possessed the love and fear of God... They were not seeking God's way, but their own way. Therefore God gave them such a king as they desired, -- one whose character was a reflection of their own. Their hearts were not in submission to God, and their king also was unsubdued by divine grace." – Patriarchs and Prophets, page 636.

NOTE --- "Samuel began his prophetic inspection of the noble-appearing sons of Jesse. Eliab was the eldest... resembled Saul for stature and beauty... As Samuel looked upon his princely bearing he thought, 'This is indeed the man whom God has chosen...' and he waited for the divine sanction that he might anoint him. But Jehovah did not look upon the outward appearance. Eliab did not fear the Lord... The Lord's word to Samuel was, 'Look not on his countenance... height... because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.' No outward

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Lesson 9, page 2

beauty can recommend the soul to God. The wisdom and excellence revealed in the character and deportment, express the true beauty of the man; and it is the inner worth, the excellency of the heart, that determines our acceptance with the Lord of hosts." – Ibid., p. 638.

ANSWER --- "...the fact that many kings reigned over Israel, may in the minds of some give rise to the question: Why David a Type? Inevitably because he is the only one who perfectly fits the antitype the leadership in the time of the Loud Cry of the Third Angel's Message (which begins first in the church). This being so, then it necessarily follows that Saul, the first king who reigned over Israel, and who was largely responsible for the early experience of David's life, is a type of the church leadership... which was raised up in 1844... On account of his outwardly kingly appearance, Saul was chosen by the people... in spite of God's disapproval... Then finally when God rejected him and anointed David to be king in his stead, he was determined to retain the throne by attempting to kill David, but ended up, even before David ascended it, by deliberately killing himself... Time has already demonstrated that the S.D.A. organization is fulfilling the type. Preferring to incorporate, and to elect officers by the people's vote they have thereby manifested that they have cared not so much to please God... as they have to please themselves by being as much as possible like the other denominations --- just as in Saul's time the people wanted to be like the nations around about them... And although chosen by the people, yet the General Conference officers were nevertheless accepted by God to be the rulers over His people now, as Saul was anciently. Just as he betrayed his trust, however, by disobeying the Word of God as spoken to him by the prophet Samuel, so the present church organization, 'the ancient then... before the house, have, says the prophet to the church today, 'betrayed their trust.' -- Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 211." – Tract No. 8, pages 47-49.

ANSWER --- "O how wonderfully particular is our God: the names, Obed, Jesse, and David in the Hebrew tongue mean Christ -- a servant (Obed), who is to be My presence (Jesse), the beloved (David)." – Ibid., page 96.

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ANSWER --- "Zechariah shows how closely Joshua is related to the Branch (Christ). Joshua is Yahshua (Messiah) in Hebrew. 'Jesus -- 1. A name, the Greek form of Joshua.' Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary, p. 931." – The Man On The White Horse, page 48.

NOTE --- "In the symbolism of joining the two sticks, Ezekiel calls God's servant 'David.'...Joshua of old was chosen to lead Israel (Num. 28:17-23) into the Promised land and to purify the camp (Josh. 7). So it is with antitypical Joshua. All these are depicted as one and the same individual who brings to the church the message of Christ's Righteousness, the Investigative Judgment of the Living -- the message that judges the present-day church, Aholah and Aholibah." – Ibid., pp. 28,29.

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Lesson 10, page 2

"Mustard seed being the smallest of all seeds, this parable shows that that which is to start the Kingdom will be very insignificant, contrary to all human expectations." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, #11, p. 6.

"Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning... when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness." – T.M., page 300.

"The Kingdom is here again shown to start with something small... What could the leaven be but an unpopular message born by some insignificant one and put into the church, the loaf." – 2 T.G. 11:6.

"...in the day of the Branch... in the day this family tree is completed, then it is that the kingdom of peace (the church purified) sprouts so to speak, from the ground up." – 1 T.G.r. 31:5.

"The work of Christ as man's intercessor is presented in that beautiful prophecy of Zechariah concerning Him 'whose name is the Branch.' " – Great Controversy, page 415.

"Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God's people in the closing up of the great day of atonement." – Testimonies Vol. 5, page 472.

"And there shall come forth a rod (1929 – Shepherd'd Rod, V. T. Houteff) out of the stem of Jesse (1844 – S.D.A., E.G. White), and a Branch (1955 – The Branch D.S.D.A., Benjamin L. Roden) shall grow out of his roots:" Isaiah 11:1 (Parentheses Ours)

ANSWER --- "Roden means 'ruler' in Hebrew." – M.W.H., page 43.

"...if we consider that 'rod' refers to David and 'en' means 'out of,' we will see that the two, 'Rod' and 'en' -- Roden, refers to a ruler 'out of' David... or lineage of David... 'Roden,' discloses that (in antitype) he is of the house of David..." – Ibid., p. 52.

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NOTE --- "Those who follow any other procedure in organizing an Executive Council or General Conference are not following Bible order, or instruction by Inspiration. Those who do not follow the plan and order set forth by the Lord Himself, are proceeding after the manner of the Gentiles, or those wicked princes in Moses' day who were swallowed up when 'the earth opened her mouth' to consume them." – The Man On The White Horse, page 17.

ANSWER --- "We are now able to understand what Sister White meant, when under the influence of Inspiration she wrote, 'Counselors of the character that God chose for Moses are needed by the president of the General Conference.' T.M. 343. Moses was guided by Inspiration. Hence, it is plain to see Ellen G. White was shown that the G.C. President should be appointed by the Lord Himself through the gift of Inspiration and not by a popular vote of the people. This is made very plain when we consider another statement by the Spirit of Prophecy. 'As a people

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Lesson 11, page 2

we should study God's plans for conducting his work... It is not wise to choose one man as president of the General Conference.' T.M. 342. Had the General Conference and the church at that time accepted this counsel by Inspiration and cooperated with the Lord by recognizing that God had appointed Mrs. White the General Conference President, and that they were to follow her direction as she followed the example of Moses when commanded by the Lord to choose the seventy, the church would have been led by the Lord through Inspiration, rather than by uninspired, so-called educated men who were elected by the people." – Ibid., pages 13,14.

ANSWER --- "(a) The regular officers of this Association shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. (b) The president shall be called and chosen in accordance with the procedure set forth in Exodus, chapter three, verses ten, fifteen, and sixteen; chapter four, verse seventeen; Ezekiel, chapter three, verse seventeen, and Luke, chapter six, verse thirteen. (c) All other officers of this Association shall be appointed in accordance with the procedure set forth in Numbers, chapter eleven, verses sixteen, seventeen, twenty-four, and twenty-five, and in Acts, chapter six, verses one to seven; and chapter thirteen, verses one to three." – The Leviticus of D.S.D.A., pp. 5,6.

"Here we see all officers of the Association are chosen in harmony with God's command to Moses of old. It is also plainly seen that Moses chose his co-workers (the 70) according to God's directions. Read Num. 11:16,17,24,25... Therefore, it is plainly seen that the President of the General Conference or the Davidian Association is called and chosen by Inspiration and not by a majority vote of any committee or body of people." – The Man On The White Horse, pp. 16,17.

ANSWER --- "The builders' failure to continue with the work and bring revival and reformation before Haggai and Zechariah were called to the prophetic office, and their success after God through the prophet took over, perfectly demonstrates that without the living Spirit of Prophecy in the midst no revival and reformation efforts can succeed, and that is why they all heretofore have failed." – 1 T.G.r. #10, page 27.

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NOTE --- "...without the living Spirit of Prophecy in our midst, there can be no success in any revival and reformation, and... the sooner we know it the quicker we shall achieve our goal." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 10 revised, page 27.

ANSWER --- "Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits practices." – Review and Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.

ANSWER --- "But this is not saying that the decisions of a General Conference composed of an assembly of duly appointed representative men from all parts of the field should not be respected. God has ordained that the representatives of His church from all parts of the earth, when assembled in a General Conference, shall have authority." – Testimonies, Vol. 9, page 261.

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Lesson 12, page 2

"The General Conference is to be composed of men who are to be 'respected,' and who are to have authority when they are 'duly appointed.' The Bible explains the instructions Sister White was given by Inspiration for the church in her day and for God's people at this time and for all time. 'And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them... And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and I will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.' Num. 11:16,17. The remnant church... Rev. 12:17... is to follow Bible order. God's chosen instrument appoints to the executive offices men whom God names and to whom His Spirit is given. This is what Inspiration means by men 'duly appointed.' A General Conference organized after this pattern is Divinely called and chosen." – The Man On The White Horse, pages 14,15.

NOTE --- "Who is to bring this revival and reformation, this great change? -- The BRANCH... What can all this mean? Just this: Joshua is Heaven's appointed judge, ruler... Here is seen an organization having a Leader (The Branch) and an under leader -- the Lord (The Branch) and Joshua." – Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 8 revised, page 24,26. (Parentheses Ours.)

"But let it be remembered that the Exodus Movement, the type, was in two sections, the first section being led by Moses and the second by Joshua... it was the last... that possessed the land." – Answerer Book 3, page 20.

"Finally, Moses' arrival in Egypt and his success in freeing the Hebrew host... coincides with the arrival of The Shepherd's Rod in 1930 A.D...." – The Shepherd's Rod, Vol. 1 p.e., page 71.

"...the President, the antitype of Joshua... follows the antitypical Moses (V.T.H.) and acts as chairman of the Executive Council, which is called and chosen by him under God's direction... Those who follow any other procedure... are not following Bible order..." – The Man On The White Horse, page 17. (Paren. Supplied)

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Dear Bro. Roden,

I wish to tender my greetings to you and the other brethren in the precious name of our most wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has found it so fitting and appropriate in keeping with His loving kindness and tender mercies to reveal to us these wonderful and precious truths as revealed and embodied in the message pertaining to the feasts of the Most High. I rejoice to realize hat God has not left us in darkness, but has found to Himself a man who will do and dare to make His truth known even though the heavens fall. I am so happy to study these precious timely messages, and so I will be glad if you can send to me the tracts mentioned in the booklet 'The Eleventh Hour Judgment of the Living.' As a matter of fact I will like to have all the written materials that you can send. Realising that the day of the Lord is upon us and my condition, I want to fortify my mind with present truth that I may be able to stand the day of the Lord, be ready when His Spirit is poured out.... Send all available writings for me for I pass them out to my friends. Let us be faithful to God and He shall do to us what He sees right. May God bless and keep you till the DAY STAR arise in your hearts. Sincerely yours in the restoration of Zion.

CANADA

Dear Brethren,

Please continue to send me The Branch, I need them very badly. Yours in Christ.

MARYLAND

Dear Sir,

I am a devout Indian Christian and am interested very much in Christian Prophecy. Please send me regularly copies of the Palestine and the New Israel from Volume 4 (Branch Sabbath School Lessons). I will be sending you a draft on the _____ Bank towards your publications. Thanking you,
P.S. I was introduced to this publication by my cousin. Yours faithfully.

INDIA

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Dear Sir:

I understand from a friend that you advocate the seventh day Sabbath. How did and what date did your group begin? If you have any publication to offer that expounds your truths I would be interested in receiving them. Sincerely yours,

WEST VIRGINIA

Dear Brother in Christ,

Grace and peace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose coming is well nigh. We thank you very much for your wonderful magazine and other literature you have been sending for a long time. We do enjoy your precious magazine. We did scatter the additional copies with much care and prayer. Several souls were being saved as a result of reading your nice literature. We may be able to win more souls for Christ during this year. But we require more copies of your useful paper and other literature. With much hope of hearing from you favourably, I am yours sincerely in His Services,

NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I felt in the Spirit of the Lord to write a few words to you lovely people there in the Branch. And the thing I wish to say is plainly this; I love you all very much. My heart is with the Lord, and this message, bless you all (2 Cor. 4:16). I thank God for leading me to the truth, I pray I will be linked with the Spirit that others may come into the truth...

MASSACHUSETTS

Dear Elder Benjamin Roden,

Greetings in the lovely name of our Lord and Saviour the BRANCH. I have really been long delayed to write this letter... we have distributed about 15,000 copies of translated tracts of "As Birds Flying" in 5 different places where hundreds of our believers gathered together and hundreds by post. So far we received 347 letters requesting for other publications. We need some 20 (extra) copies of BRANCH Sabbath School lessons from next month. We plan to start our service with some members who are willing. Convey our hearty greetings to the dear beloved ones. With Christian love and prayers, very sincerely in His service.

INDIA

Gentlemen:

Through a friend I was allowed to see a copy "The Star and the Trumpet"

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dated April 1968. I was much beholden by this publication to the point where my friend allowed me to make a photocopy of it. I wonder if it would be possible to get about seven copies of this outstanding publication which I could give to others? Yours very truly,

OREGON

Dear Sir,

I am a S.D.A. but I never heard of what are the truths of today. I feel I am not ready to meet the coming King for I am not clothed in Truth. How could I acquire the present truths if no one to refer to, less of books to read. I have heard of Houteff, but because we are living on the isles afar off, I am wanting. Lacking. Please help me in order to be saved. You are my only hope. Send me – spare me the source of truth. Please, please give me the (1) Shepherd's Rod Vol. 1, (2) Shepherd's Rod Vol. II. I need also the Timely Greetings Vol. 1 & II with their numbers, or I can buy them. Bill me later. Help me to be saved. Help me. Send me sample of all tracts, magazines, booklets, etc. Please pay special attention to me, for I know your busy. Very respectfully,

PHILIPPINES

Dear Sir,

I got your address out of the Sabbath Handbook. Do you have a Sabbath Church there or do you just mail out literature. Would like to hear from you for I am a Seventh-day Pentecostal. I believe that all nine gifts of the Spirit is still in the church because Heb. 13:8 says Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yours in Christ,

TEXAS

Dear Brethren:

May I present this request of mine to you in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Well brother, I have been reading some of your literature which a brother in the Advent Message is often time receiving from you. I am very interested. If possible please, send me the following books: 1. The Shepherd's Rod and 2. Timely Greetings and other stories of Seventh Day Adventist, Sabbath School Lessons, and hymns. I am your brother in the name of Jesus Christ,

ZAMBIA, AFRICA

Dear Sir;

Please send me all free religious literature you have to offer. Thank you!

NEW YORK

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Dear Sir,

Thank you for the Branch Sabbath School Lessons which you have been sending to us here. Before further comments, I wish to request you for more issues of the Branch Sabbath School Lessons and Literature etc. The Branch Sabbath School Lessons that you have been sending to us here, do a tremendous job than you may expect. I use the lessons in teaching most of the believers and they always appreciate the teachings... I am to enquire also whether you have more lessons or another group of books for study, that we should be pleased to have them for studies... We finally pray for God's guidance and to let Him extend His work to an incessant end.

NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA

Dear Brother:

We received your letter from the corresponding Sec., and wished we could have attended the Feast of Purim... Maybe someday we can come down and visit you. We were there in 1959 and would like to see how it looks now. We enjoy the Sabbath School Lessons, and have just finished studying Vol. 4 – 10 & 11 on Eze. 17. Keep on sending them. Enclosed is a check for ________. Sincerely,

MICHIGAN

Dear Sir,

I am happy to inform you that I read the Sabbath School Lessons you sent to my friend and find them good for my salvation. I wish you could put my name on a mailing list, that I may receive my own. I am your Bible student since 1957 when I started to receive Timely Greetings and Eleventh Hour Call pamphlets. I want to continue with your literature. Thank you.

ZAMBIA, AFRICA

Dear Sirs:

I am writing in order to find out if it would be possible for a person to purchase all the volumes from "The Shepherd's Rod," and if so, what would be the price per volume or for the whole set?... I would appreciate an immediate reply. Thank you.

CALIFORNIA

Dear Friend:

We had been receiving the Branch S. S. Lessons for about 2 years already. We are very glad to receive them... Please continue to send us... I have four children two boys, and two girls. They are all studying... May the Lord bless you all...

PHILIPPINES

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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CONVOCATIONS FOR THE YEAR

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