INSPIRATION'S CURE FOR THE DAVIDIAN DILEMMA
{BL-19}
| Subject: |
The LIVING Spirit of Prophecy |
August 5, 1959
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| Aim: |
To show that to have the LIVING Spirit of Prophecy is to have
a spirit-filled Truth-producing human agent active in our midst.
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| Gem Thought: |
"...no matter how hard men try to bring about revival and reformation
among God's people, their efforts are doomed to failure even before they
start if God does not Himself through His prophets take charge of the
work." 1TGr 10-21:1.
"...That without the living Spirit of Prophecy in our midst,
there can be no success in any revival and reformation, and that the sooner
we know it the quicker we shall achieve our goal." 1TGr 10-27:2.
"...the Davidians hold that the belief that the Spirit of Prophecy
is to repose in the church to the end of time, is one of the foundation
stones of Seventh-day Adventism." 3AB 58:2.
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Introduction:
Almost without exception Davidian Seventh-day Adventists today do not correctly
understand the meaning of the term, "the living Spirit of Prophecy,"
even though the Shepherd's Rod message has, many years ago, clearly and precisely
defined this term. Davidians have in past years toiled to teach "Mother"
(SDA) that she needed a spirit-filled, Truth-producing human agent or "the
living Spirit of Prophecy" active in her midst.
Sad to say, despite Davidian's instruction to "Mother," she herself
has lost sight of this "landmark" of the Rod message; one hears Davidians
on every hand repeating the long disproven Laodicean idea that the "writings
of the prophets is the living Spirit of Prophecy." Others in the Davidian
ranks even say that they aren't sure just what it means to have "the living
Spirit of Prophecy," even though much money, time, and effort have been
spent to teach SDA the correct definition of this very term.
Therefore, at this time of disappointment in the Davidian camp, the Lord in
His great mercy designs to bring Inspiration's cure for the Davidian dilemna
by herewith re-activating the Rod's positive declarations as to the exact meaning
of "the living Spirit of Prophecy" so that all may realize their need
of It and quickly fill that need.
I. Inspiration's definition of "the living Spirit of Prophecy."
- "Then it was that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were called to
their prophetic office and commissioned to receive and to reorganize the builders
for the deserted temple project... The happy and surprising result was that
within four short years the stately spiritual edifice was quickly finished,
whereas all previous and strenuous efforts of kings and people, covering a
period of over thirty years completely failed...
"Let us now realistically consider why the builders' efforts and
the king's decrees at first failed and why at last they succeeded: Before
Haggai and Zechariah were called to the prophetic office, many of the Jews
returned from Babylon to Jerusalem, although the majority remained in Babylon;
that is, the builders voluntarily went to build only because the captivity
had ended and because the king had decreed that the temple of God should
be built. But both the builders' and the kings' efforts were a complete
failure -- all came to naught. Then it was that through His prophets, Haggai
and Zechariah God directed the work, and then it was that they quickly finished.
In other words not before the Lord took the reins in His Own hands through
the Spirit of Prophecy did the work prosper. In fact, sacred history proves
that nothing has ever prospered in God's work without the living Spirit
of Prophecy in its midst." Revised 1TG 10-20
| we see in our type: |
1. 30 year's efforts of people "completely failed" to rebuild
the temple.
2. Then God "through His prophets... directed the work" and
finished in "four short years."
3. History (type) shows the need of the church today to be |
The LIVING Spirit of Prophecy – Page 2
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"the
living Spirit of Prophecy" -- God directing "through His prophets."
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Conclusion:
From this excellent record of the experience of God's people in the building
of the typical temple, we may see clearly what the experience of God's people
must be in the building of the antitypical temple -- the 144,000. The type
demands that the builders of today, to be successful, must have God's inspired
representative in their "midst" to tell them what God wants done and
how. Only a foolish virgin, in the light of this type, would dare insist that
the written word is "the Living Spirit of Prophecy."
Therefore:
we see our antitype:
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- In the writings of these two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, is revealed
the work of Joshua and the Branch, builders of the Spiritual Temple.
- "...a leader and an under leader the Lord (BRANCH) and Joshua."
1TGr 8-26:3 "...Now (in Joshua's time) its proclamation makes
known that the Lord 'is taking the reins in His Own hands'..."
1TG 8:27:3.
- "As they 'sent a message after Him, saying, We will not have
this man to reign over us,' the only conclusion admissible is that
shortly before His return, Christ shall inform His 'citizens' that He
is taking 'the reins in His own hands' to set up His kingdom, and that
they, upon hearing the announcement, shall refuse to submit themselves
to the one through whom He is to rule. 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,
'..." Tract 8:71 p. 1 & 2.
- "ONE SHEPHERD TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT A MULTITUDE OF THEM FAILED
TO ACCOMPLISH." 2TG 2:1
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- Note: Even though the foregoing portion of Inspiration is sufficient within
itself to show concretely what it means to have "the living Spirit of
Prophecy" in our midst, additional testimony is presented in the remaining
portion of this lesson to show that God has given an abundant and undeniable
"weight of evidence" to clarify the matter once and for all.
- "Not long ago a certain minister said: 'My conception of
the Spirit of Prophecy is different from yours; the prophecies in the Bible
are my Spirit of Prophecy.' Now so he must say if the Spirit of Prophecy were
not ever-active. But if the Spirit of prophecy begins and ends with the Bible
then all Christians have the Spirit of Prophecy. If this is so though why
does the Revelation make a distinction between Christians who have the Spirit
of Prophecy and those who do not? This minister's idea is, to say the least,
illogical, for it puts Rev. 12:17 and 19:10 in the realm of the meaningless.
"But what is still worse, this same minister in later speaking to his
congregation made The Shepherd's Rod teachings appear contradictory to Mrs.
White's writings, which he termed the 'Spirit of Prophecy'!" Tract 6:46.
| we clearly see: |
- The S.D.A. minister thought the Bible to be the Spirit of Prophecy.
- If the Bible is the Spirit of Prophecy, then ALL Christians have it.
- Rev. 19:10 and 12:17 speak of those who have the Spirit of Prophecy,
showing that the majority, even though they have the Bible, do not have
the Spirit of Prophecy.
- The minister termed Sr. White's writings the Spirit of Prophecy, but
since all SDAs have them, then Revelation
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The LIVING Spirit of Prophecy – Page 3
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does not refer to them. Her prophetic voice is silent now.
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Conclusion:
Although all Christians have the truths that the Prophesying Spirit (or the
Spirit of Prophecy) brought, and some, such as the Seventh-day Adventists and
the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists have very recent truths brought by the Spirit,
yet none of them have the living Spirit Prophesying (Spirit of Prophecy) in
their midst, for their prophets are dead.
"...By cutting down the tree, to the heathen it symbolized their dead
chief, and by propping it up, it symbolized life though one be dead. Now the
fact that the spurious Christmas tree is widely celebrated not only by Christians,
but also by non-Christians, the world by this act is worshiping the dead, a
form of Shintoism. Worshiping the dead prophets and killing the live ones, is
a brutal effort to block the progress of Truth, to deceive self and others.
There is no doubt, the Church from creation till today has been led and preserved
by the prophets and she can continue in no other way from here on." 2TG
26-23:1, 3.
One must be careful to differentiate between the "publications" containing
that which the Spirit has prophesied and the Prophesying Spirit Itself. All
Christendom has the product of the Spirit of Prophecy, but Revelation 19:10
and 12:17 refer to those who have the Prophesying Spirit of Prophecy active
in their midst when the earth opens and swallows the flood.
The wise will ever keep in mind "That without the living Spirit of Prophecy
in our midst there can be no success in any revival and reformation, and that
the sooner we know it the quicker we shall achieve our goal. " 1TGr 10-27:2.
The wise, again, will at this point realize that "the living Spirit of
Prophecy" cannot be the publications termed the Bible, the Testimonies,
the Shepherd's Rod, for they are just ink and paper, the product of the Holy
Prophesying Spirit (Spirit of Prophecy).
- "To have the Spirit of Prophecy, is to have the Spirit Who
uttered the prophecies and who only can interpret them, for 'no prophecy of
the Scripture is of any private interpretation," nor without the inspiration
of the same Spirit. 'For prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20,
21), and consequently only holy men of God in the Spirit can interpret the
Scriptures." u2TG 14:17.
| crystal clear facts: |
- "To have the Spirit of Prophecy is to have the Spirit."
- Only holy men (prophets) are filled with the Spirit Interpreter.
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- Note: "...the Scriptures are not privately interpreted -- not
without the Spirit of God in the man, not by the man alone and not without
God's own appointment. " 2TG 45:7.
Conclusion:
Thus we see that to have "the living Spirit of Prophecy" is to have
a holy man filled with the Spirit for the purpose of interpreting. Do Seventh-day
Adventists or Davidians have a Spirit-filled man (prophet) in their midst so
that they may be successful in their revival and reformation? The answer is,
obviously, NO. Then, Brethren, you had better appropriate the truth presented
here for "the sooner (you) know is (that you must have a living Spirit-moved
interpreter) the quicker (you) shall achieve (your) goal."
- "Obviously, the remnant are those who are left after the earth opens
her mouth and swallows up the flood. They as a body keep the commandments
of God, and have the living Spirit of Prophecy, the Spirit Who dictated the
Scriptures, Who has led God's people into all Truth down through the ages,
and Who still is." u 2TG 16:22
| more clear facts: |
- The remnant have the Holy Ghost.
- Since the Holy Ghost speaks through man, the remnant have a prophet
at this time.
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Conclusion:
To those who would continue to insist that "the writings of the prophets"
are the living Spirit of Prophecy, let them now tell us how the writings could
be the living Spirit of Prophecy. Did the writings dictate themselves? Brethren,
make sure you differentiate
The LIVING Spirit of Prophecy – Page 4
between the product of the Spirit (the Bible, Sr.
White's and Bro. Houteff's writings) and the dictating SPIRIT OF PROPHECY ITSELF.
To make a mistake in this matter is to deify the ink and paper upon which the
product of the Spirit is written and to steal away the office of the Holy Prophesying
Spirit. None wish to be guilty of this.
Even Catholics realize that they must have a living connection with Heaven
and that is why they always keep a pope on the throne. Think this over, Brethren,
and take a lesson even from them. Though wrong in application they are right
in the principle itself.
- "...after the earth swallows the dragon's flood... the remnant
as a body truly keeps the commandments of God, STILL HAS the Spirit of Prophecy
in its midst,..." u2TG 45-9, 10.
"The remnant that are left, the saints who were not swallowed by the
Dragon's flood as the earth opened her mouth, you note HAVE the 'testimony
of Jesus Christ,' the living Spirit of Prophecy active in their midst...
"Let now no one deceive himself by thinking that the Bible Itself is
the active Spirit of Prophecy. Let us be God's real people, logical thinkers,
not bait hunters. The Bible, you know, without the human channel is as inactive
as though It were but ink and paper. Moreover the Spirit too apart from man,
is also inactive: He, too, works through the human agent. Hence, without an
inspired interpreter the concealed prophecies and the Spirit that unfolds
them are inactive. Moreover, how could it be said of one particular group
having the Spirit of Prophecy, when all the sects in Christendom have the
Bible?" u2TG 24-23, 24.
| note very carefully: |
- At the earth's opening for the tares destruction, the remnant STILL
HAVE the living Spirit of Prophecy, a prophet active in their midst.
- Spirit without man is inactive; hence the living Spirit of is the
Spirit-filled, truth-producing human agent (prophet).
- The Bible without Spirit-filled man is inactive.
- All Christendom has the Bible, but not a prophet. The remnant only
have the living SPIRIT OF PROPHECY -- Spirit-filled interpreter.
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- Special Note: The Timely Greeting (2TG 24-23, 24 u) reference given above
that states the remnant "have...the living Spirit of Prophecy active
in their midst..." does not read the same in the revised version.
Please make special note that the revised version is not copyrighted by Bro.
V.T. Houteff and therefore cannot be accepted as Inspiration's Word. Evidently,
from the way the revised has been written, the Enemy has tried to make it
appear that God's people will not have a living prophet until after Eze. 9.
Make the comparison for yourself between 2TG 24 page 23 unrevised and revised.
Bro. Houteff says the remnant "have" a prophet at Ezekiel 9, and
the usurper says they "do not" until after.
- "Let us now note that they (Israel) fell into ruin only because they
refused to give heed to the prophets who were sent to reform their ways,
to correct their erroneous interpretation of Moses' writings and to lighten
the path of their feet the rest of the way – clear to Paradise. Having deprived
themselves of the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy by doing away with the prophets
they completely cut off Heaven's communication line and were thus left in
gross darkness and led into error, fanaticism, and crime...Of Moses writings
the Jews made a mighty weapon against Christ and the prophets of that day."
1TG 15-5, 6.
| clear cut Truth: |
- The Jews did away with the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy by "doing
away with the prophets."
- They used Moses' writings to do away with the gift of the Spirit
of Prophecy.
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Conclusion:
The fact that the Jews used Moses' writings as a weapon to do away with Christ
and the prophets, the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy, shows pointedly that the
writings were not the Spirit of prophecy, but rather, the tool used to do away
with the Spirit-filled
The LIVING Spirit of Prophecy – Page 5
prophecy-interpreting human agent. So today: The writings
of Bro. Houteff (the only Moses with a Rod in modern times) are being used to
do away with the living Spirit of Prophecy in the Branch.
- Finally, Brethren:
"Since it now is clear as sunlight that the ever-unfolding, Inspired
interpretation of the Scriptures is the ever-living Spirit of Prophecy, the
eyes of the church at work, (1 Samuel 9:9) – parenthesis theirs– then to be
without these spiritual eyes is to try to walk, as it were, in dense darkness."
2TG 45-8.
"...His seers are His 'eyes'. See 1 Samuel 9:9. That is, God's Spirit-filled
servants who lead into all Truth..." 1TGr 5-18.
| mark with care: |
-
To have "the living Spirit of Prophecy" is to have "ever-unfolding" Truth.
-
It is brought by God's eyes – prophets.
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Without living eyes – prophet– the church is in darkness.
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Conclusion:
Again, we see that to have "the living Spirit of Prophecy" in our
midst "active" is to have a prophet in the church. When the prophet
dies the "eyes" are closed and the church is left in darkness, as
far as the unrevealed prophecies are concerned.
"Upon the death of Sister White, in 1915, the gift of Inspiration, the
active Spirit of Prophecy, became quiescent, no longer manifesting Itself for
a time. With the church thus cut off from the very source of its life...how
could it maintain its vitality and growth? Hence, now as then, there has followed
the same inevitable spiritual malnutrition and deformity, accompanied with a
long train of woes. " 3AB 60.
The principle stated above points out that when a prophet dies (and the "eyes"
are closed) the church is cut off from life and falls into woes, etc. This principle
holds true whether it be applied to Sr. White, Moses, Isaiah, Bro. Houteff,
or any prophet of the past.
Since it is "...God's chosen instrument, (the ground wire) – parenthesis
theirs – (prophet) fused to the Spirit of God, (the live wire) – parenthesis
theirs – ...(that)...electrifies the church..." 2TG 45-8, then
when the connection is broken by the death of the ground wire (prophet), the
Spirit of God becomes inactive, quiescent, because "...the Spirit, too,
apart from man, is also inactive..." 2TG 24-23, 24. In God's electrical
system a live man is used for the ground wire, while in man's electrical system
a dead man is used for the ground wire.
SUMMARY:
- Mark these points with care unto your salvation:
The living Spirit of Prophecy is not just the Truth.
The living Spirit of Prophecy is not just the Holy Spirit.
The living Spirit of Prophecy is not just the human agent.
The living Spirit of Prophecy IS a Truth-producing, Holy Spirit-filled human
agent (at work, not dead in a grave) 2TG 45-8
God + Jesus + Holy Spirit + human agent = Heaven's Powerhouse. Id.
Are you connected with Heaven's Powerhouse, Brother, Sister?
"...the church's contact with God's chosen instrument (prophet)...fused to the Spirit of God...is what electrifies the church, and thus
opens the line of communication between the church and Heaven...a church
not having this vital connection with Heaven is a spiritually dead church...wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked...Hence likewise
is every individual who is not in contact with the church." Id.
Where is God's Spirit-filled "chosen instrument" – the "eyes"
– prophet, of the church "at work" today in SDA? DSDA?
answer: In the grave, disconnected from the live wire – Spirit. The
The LIVING Spirit of Prophecy – Page 6
ground-wires,
Sr. White and Bro. Houteff, have through death been disconnected from the
Holy Spirit live wire.
What say you, Brethren, are you going to continue attempting to build God's
temple without the living Spirit of Prophecy?
To do so, Brethren, means failure for "...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. " 1TGr
26-23
Davidians, how are you continuing from here on?
You say, "No more prophets, no more light" but God says that He "...will continue speaking unto her until she become a great and powerful resplendent
light in all the world..." Tract 8:3.
- Elijah, the "closing-work for the church" prophet:
Since Elijah directs the "closing work," (2TG 30-22)
Since V.T. Houteff is dead and cannot direct it,
Since at Ezekiel 9 the remnant STILL HAVE a prophet, (2TG 45:9)
Since V.T. Houteff isn't resurrected until Jacob is delivered from his trouble
(E. W. 285), which is after Ezekiel 9 (2TG 10:29 #4 -- #5),
| THEN: |
Elijah cannot be V.T. Houteff, for Elijah is on hand before, at,
and after Ezekiel 9 just as the Tishbite was on Mt. Carmel, and Joshua
before, at, and after Valley of Achor.
Elijah must be on hand now to finish the work in fulfillment of the
Rod's declaration that Elijah is "imminent" – future, from
the time Jezreel Letter #9, page 1, para. 6 was written. |
"...there is to be a people who will have the Testimony of Jesus Christ
at the time the earth swallows up the flood...and since this incident is
yet future, it shows that there is to be a prophet in the Church...(deleted
in revision)
"Divine vision, Spirit-filled interpreter, and unfailing faith, is what
we all need to have, lest we all perish." Unrevised – u2TG 24-23:1 and
27:3.
Yes, INSPIRATION'S CURE FOR THE DAVIDIAN AND SO-CALLED 100% ROD'S DILEMMA IS
TO ACCEPT THE LIVING SPIRIT OF PROPHECY – THE BRANCH MESSAGE AND MESSENGER.
"...And since God so declares, it must be that there is but one such
people at this particular time who have the living testimony of Jesus Christ,
the Gift of the Spirit of Prophecy. Moreover, for God to place the Gift with
more than one people, would be for Him to cause confusion and disaster to His
own work, to thwart His own purpose. Still further, if more than one has the
Gift, then they all would necessarily have to agree as one. But since there
are no two sects that agree with each other, the truth that there is but one
sect that has the Gift is an absolute reality. And while you may choose to keep
the Sabbath commandment, you cannot inspire yourself with the Spirit of Prophecy
– this Gift is bestowed upon the remnant by God Himself." 2TG 34-23
Yours
to accept the Living Spirit of Prophecy – the eyes of the Church,
Benjamin
Roden
Note: Emphases & Parentheses in quotations ours
unless otherwise indicated.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Send all tithes and correspondence to Box 3088, Odessa, Texas
until otherwise instructed.
Travel funds must be on deposit at Odessa office for those going with Branch
groups to Israel. Have openings for 25 more families and 1,000 young people
between ages 16-25. MOVE OUT OF YOUR TENTS IN AMERICA TO HOUSES IN ISRAEL!!!
LET US JOIN TOGETHER IN AN ALL-OUT EFFORT TO SWELL THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE
INTO A LOUD CRY! Write in for the needed literature.
[PUBLISHER'S NOTE]
[The foregoing address is no longer in use, and the announcement regarding
moving to Israel was relevant to the time then present (1959). Keep your eyes
and ears open to the Living Spirit of Prophecy for further information regarding
this heaven-predicted move.]
