Among other concepts, Victor Houteff taught that he would not die, but would
lead his people to old Jerusalem and thence to the heavenly Canaan. Thus it came
as quite a shock to his followers when, on February 5, 1955, he passed to his
rest at the age of 69. "It just could not be; it just could not be: Houteff
is dead and Jesus hasn't come back yet" they thought, and yet it had
happened: Houteff was dead.
Victor Houteff had consistently taught that he would not die. He also taught
that none of his followers would die either!
"Keep your knees in motion and let not opportunities be neglected, for
the final movement shall be rapid ones. Thus shall you with God as Enoch of old,
and as he was translated without tasting death, so shall you be."-The
Symbolic Code, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Oct 15, 1934), p. 4.
"Moreover, as the Shepherd's Rod is the Elijah message, it is impossible
for anyone who accepts it and lives it to die, for the type demands translation.
Thus it is that Elijah stands as a type of the 144,000."-The Symbolic Code,
Vol. 9, No. 9 (March 15, 1935), p. 9.
"There is nothing that can take the life of the 144,000." The
Symbolic Code, Vol. 2, Nos. 7-8 (July-August, 1936), p. 11.
"Those who believe Present Truth, yet continue to find fault with
Brother Houteff's marriage, prove to us one of two things: either that they are
shallow thinkers, or that they have no faith in what they believe, for the
message teaches that we, as a part of the 144,000, shall never die."-The
Symbolic Code, Vol. 3, Nos. 5-6 (May-June, 1937), p. 8.
But then, in the early spring of 1955, this notice was sent out by the Waco
headquarters to all the faithful:
"Victor Tasho Houteff was born in Raicovo, Bulgaria, March 2, 1885, and
died February 5, 1955, at the Hillcrest Hospital in Waco, Texas."-The
Symbolic Code, Vol. 10, Nos. 3-4 (January-February, 1955), p. 9.
As you might imagine, the news totally shook his followers. They had believed
every word he spoke as unerring.
Although Houteff had appointed his wife to lead his flock until the Lord
should choose another prophet to take charge of it, his entire church
organization began crumbling immediately after his death.
Splinter groups began forming here and there. Some were dissatisfied with the
fact of Houteff's death; others with the fact that the organization continued to
be strongly controlled by his immediate family. Because of events which occurred
between 1955 and 1962, the entire Rod crumbled during that time. Out of its
ashes, in the early 1960s, a number of diehard groups were to arise, which
gathered together fresh, new converts.
But, as the months passed after Houteff's death in 1955, something was needed
to strengthen the flagging interests of the brethren, so the leadership at Waco
publicly announced in print the startling news that the 1260 days of Bible
prophecy would end on April 22,1959! Many of the followers took heart: Prophetic
messages were again coming from Waco! The faithful could now make it through to
the end in full assurance of additional thrilling events, predicted for them by
their unique church that was so full of fascinating teachings. Everyone looked
forward to that date.
But, before we come to April 22, 1959, let us first review the events before
and after the announcement that predicted it:
The first intimation came only nine months after Victor Houteff's death. In
their official organ, The Symbolic Code, of November 1955, the Rod leaders at
Waco announced that "during the last months of his life" V.T. Houteff
had privately expressed certain views which his successors were now in a
position to amplify.
"He expressed the definite conviction that the time prophecy of
Revelation 11:2-12 and Daniel 12:6, 7 could have met their fulfillment only in
type from 538 A.D. to 1798 A.D. and that they have a latter-day
fulfillment."-The Symbolic Code, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 3 [italics theirs].
THE 1955 TIME PROPHECY
With that sketchy thought in mind, the leaders of the Rod were fueling up for
what was to ultimately become their determination of a major time prophecy that
would signalize the end of time.
"We have already entered the period of forty-two months. "-The
Symbolic Code, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 13.
"The fulfillment of the slaughter of Ezekiel 9 is immediately preceded
by the forty-two months (Rev. 11:2) or 1260 days (Rev. 11:3) or 'time, times and
an half' (Dan. 12:7)."Op. cit., p. 12.
"This period terminates with the slaughter of Ezekiel 9 (an act of God),
war brought by Christendom against the two witnesses (an act of man), and a 3 1
/2 -day period when the two witnesses are dead after which they rise in great
exaltation by divine interposition."-Op. cit., p. 13.
Some people just love time prophecies. Time setting seems so exciting. But
the let-down afterward is utterly depressing. The leaders pondered the immensity
of what they had done. For, you see, they had already told the people that
"forty-two months" had already started! Time passed, and yet they
hesitated to say more. Finally, after a three-year wait-and a great deal of
pressure from the field to come forth with a definite date-the major
announcement came on February 17, 1959. Over the signatures of nine members of
the Executive Council of the Davidian Seventh day Adventist Church, headquartered
in Waco, an open letter was addressed to the Executive Committee of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Takoma Park.
"In November of 1955, this association in its official organ, The
Symbolic Code, issued its stand on the prophecy of Revelation 11:1-13, which
concerns the 42 months that the Gentiles tread the Holy City, and the 1260 days
the two witnesses prophesy with power (authority) in sackcloth . . In the
November 1955, Symbolic Code, we published our stand that we were then living in
this time period. Today we believe we are approaching the end of it. In fact, we
believe it will end sometime this spring."
The sensational announcement had been sent to the General Conference, and was
immediately printed in a special edition of The Symbolic Code, which was issued
early in 1959 (vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 5-6).
It was predicted that, on April 22, 1959, God would intervene in a remarkable
manner in Palestine and rid the country of both Jews and Arabs. Then He would
remove mountains of difficulty and perform miracles of guidance so that the
Davidian Seventh-day Adventists might enter the land and take possession of it
in the name of the Lord. The "Davidic Kingdom" would be set up; and,
from their headquarters in Jerusalem, the rapidly forming 144,000 would
evangelize the entire world, and then Jesus would return.
But just before that date, according to Houteff's theories, the men of
Ezekiel 9 with their slaughtering weapons would cut down the apostates in Takoma
Park (the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination) and all other
apostate Adventists throughout the world. All in the Adventist denomination who
had refused to accept Houteff's fables were to be summarily dealt with. They
would die a most miserable death.
The three-and-a-half year prophecy would end in early 1959. At that time the
earthly kingdom would be set up, with the Davidians to be its kings and queens.
The promise was also given that Victor Houteff would be brought back to life to
reign over them all.
Solemnized with the thought of the magnitude of the events rapidly to follow,
the faithful looked forward to April 1959.
Yet for the leaders at Waco, it surely must have been a time of
heart-searching. Could they somehow be wrong?
At this juncture, you might be interested in knowing exactly how they arrived
at this date of April 22, 1959. Leaders at Mount Carmel later told
representatives of the General Conference that they calculated the date in this
manner: The 1260 days of Revelation 11:3-6, in literal time, would be 1260
24-hour days. Since they commenced on November 9, 1955, they would end on April
22, 1959. The events of verses 713 were, according to the Rod, to be fulfilled
after April 22.
But HOW did they arrive at that date, November 9, 1955? The astonishing fact
is that they just selected it, almost at random, as being the date on which the
"light" on the subject was first proclaimed among them at Mount
Carmel! What a haphazard way to figure when the end of the world was supposed to
happen!
But, haphazard or not, they were determined that this would be the great test
that would make or break their entire offshoot organization. They hung
everything on their guesstimate. In their open letter to the General Conference
they included this paragraph:
"By this letter we make it known to you that we are now leaving this
entire matter with the Lord to demonstrate whether He is leading in the work at
Mt. Carmel, or whether he is leading you to stop your ears to the message which
Mt. Carmel has put forth in her official publications . . If the message and the
work of the Shepherd's Rod is God's truth as we believe it to be, the 1260 days
of Revelation 11 as The Symbolic Codes have explained, will end sometime this
spring. Then will follow the war that will kill the two witnesses. Those whom
the witnesses have tormented will gloat over this. But after 3 1/2 days the two
witnesses will be exalted. At the same time will come the earthquake (shaking)
in which will be slain all the hypocrites in God's part of Christendom the
Adventist Church." The Symbolic Code, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 8-9.
Leaders in the Rod seemed always to have a fixation on when their enemies
would be killed so they could rule the world. This morbid wish would later
culminate in David Koresh. The following clear-cut statement was written in
January 1959. The same issuer of The Symbolic Code also made this important
statement:
"If the message and the work of the Shepherd's Rod is God's truth .. the
1260 days .. will end sometime this spring. "Mt. Carmel hereby serves
notice that it now leaves the prophecy of Revelation 11 as the Code has
explained it, as the test by which the Lord will demonstrate whom He is
leading."-The Symbolic Code, vol. 14, no. 6, p. 29.
THE 1959 GATHERING
Thus the die was cast. If all these major events did not occur in the spring
of 1959 as predicted, the Rod and its teachings would be an obvious fake. So
said its leaders as the deadline drew near. It is astounding that, in the years
since then, many forgot about what happened in the late 1950s,-and continued to
be lured into the ranks of Rod splinter groups.
Responding to an official call to assemble at their Waco headquarters by
April 16, 1959, in expectation of a hurried move to Palestine "as soon as
Divine Providence should indicate," several hundred followers gathered at
the Mount Carmel Center to await the beginning of final events. (See The
Symbolic Code, vol. 14, no. 9, third special edition issued early in 1959, pp.
2-3.)
Both eye-witnesses and published reports indicate that between 800 and 1,000
persons were gathered at the Shepherd's Rod tabernacle at Mount Carmel Center,
near Waco, Texas, during the period from April 16 to 22, 1959. This number
included leaders, followers, children, news reporters, and a few
curiosity-seekers.
On the morning when they were supposed to do so, a delegation of several
Rodites managed to enter the Takoma Park office of Reuben R. Figuhr, president
of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and solemnly began to tell
him of the doom that was coming to Adventism that day. Always in command of
every situation that he dealt with, Figuhr ordered them out before they could
complete their presentation.
April 22 arrived. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. It was, at the very
least, a prophetic disaster. The largest shake-up in the history of the Rod was
about to take place. Hundreds of members would drift back into the Adventist
Church or out into the world. Those remaining would splinter into splintery
splits.
One of the largest of these split-offs, which appropriately enough called
itself "The Branch," would later send a few colonizers to the nation
of Israel in a settlement project which soon withered away.
FLORENCE STEPS IN-AND CLOSES IT
We now turn our attention to Florence Houteff. Victor had married her when he
was 51, and she was only 17. So, when Houteff died at the age of 69, Florence
was 35. At his death, Florence assumed full control of the Waco group. That same
year she began coming out with her own predictions. Most of the disastrous
predictions of the next four years were either her brain child or were developed
by herself and fellow associates at the Waco center.
In 1955, when Houteff died, Florence sold off the original Waco headquarters.
The expanding city of Waco had nearly reached it by this time, and so the land
was divided into lots and sold to individuals and groups. Then, with the money
collected from the sale, the present property, near Elk, Texas, was purchased.
It is located about 10 miles east of Waco.
Total membership in the Rod was about 1,400 during Florence Houteff's
leadership.
But, when the prophecies failed to produce the Second Advent in 1959,
Florence started doing some second thinking. All about her was to be seen the
desolating effects of following human theories. Miserable families living on the
Waco property, waiting for what?
Perhaps she was more down-to-earth and practical than some of the other
leaders. She had looked into the careworn faces of the assembled pilgrims at
Mount Carmel, listened to their problems, and pondered what she heard.
Apparently, she saw the utter foolishness of the whole thing.
Surely, it would take someone in a key position to totally change the entire
situation. From June 1960 to March 1962, she did just that.
Immediately after the debacle of April 22, special services were held daily
at Rod headquarters at Mount Carmel in the hope that God would yet signally
overthrow His enemies, destroy the Adventists, punish the world, and set up the
Davidians in their new Palestinian kingdom. Weeks passed, and the hundreds of
faithful ones, still gathered there, realized that something must be done-and
soon.
At about that time, several Seventh-day Adventists came onto the property and
spoke with some of them. They learned that a number of them were penniless. Many
had sold their homes, businesses, and property before heading down to Waco. In
fullest confidence that the leaders of the Rod knew what they were talking
about, all had come prepared for an imminent move to old Jerusalem where they
would be enthroned in the Davidic Kingdom, and begin world-wide evangelism.
But now, one after another, individuals and families began to quietly leave
Mount Carmel. They had to find work and start life over again. By now it was
June, and already a small part of the assembled Davidians had left. But the
larger number were still there.
On June 20, Elder A.V. Olson, a Seventh-day Adventist General Conference
officer, preached at the local Adventist church in Waco, located but a few miles
from the Mount Carmel Center. On the following day two leaders of the Rod
visited him and requested that he meet with their executive council. This he
did, and surprisingly enough, the council asked him to speak to the entire
congregation gathered at Mount Carmel!
Entering the podium of the new tabernacle, he, with the help of the local
Adventist pastor, spoke to them each evening and on Sabbath mornings, from June
24 through July 7. These meetings were primarily question-and-answer sessions,
with questions being sent up from the floor for him to answer. Over 600
Davidians were still encamped at Mount Carmel, and the meetings were
well-attended. Because the interest kept growing, and with it the number of
questions, the General Conference sent down one of their research scholars,
Elder Robert L. Odom (the one in charge at that time of putting together a
special three-volume index to the Spirit of Prophecy).
Throughout the meetings, the Rod leaders were attentive, kind, and friendly.
The Adventist workers were given full freedom in presenting their responses to
the questions. As a result, a number of the Davidians decided to return to the
Adventist denomination while others said they were seriously considering it.
At the close of the final meeting, Florence Houteff, Victor's widow and
principal leader of the Rod, read before the assembly a resolution voted by her
followers, in which they expressed their appreciation for the meetings held by
the Adventist workers,-and requested the setting up of a joint committee to
analyze the teachings of the Rod and "to freely discuss our
differences." The full text of this resolution was included in an official
letter sent by Mrs. Florence Houteff to the followers on July 14, 1959.
The meetings began on Monday afternoon, July 27, and consisted of nineteen
sessions of approximately two hours each. Friday afternoon, August 7, was the
last meeting. Seven representatives from each organization were in attendance
throughout the meetings.
At the beginning of the first session, a basic 22-point Statement of Beliefs
of Adventists was read-and agreed to by the Rod as being their beliefs also.
Then, for ten sessions, the Rod presented the special views that they had
inherited from Houteff. In the next six, the Adventists presented their analysis
of those views.
The next step was for a series of replies by the Rod, but at this point a
strange thing occurred. From the very start, the Rod agreed that its special
teachings were based on both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, but now, after
sixteen sessions of having used both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, the Rod
representatives said they now wanted to switch to the Bible only in support of
their views-without any reference to or use of the Spirit of Prophecy writings
by either side in supporting or opposing their views.
Florence was at those meetings, but a majority of the Rod delegates seemed
terrified to learn that they had NO unique teachings to offer that were
reliable. Overwhelmed, they were unwilling to face any more revelations in
Takoma Park meetings.
The Adventist representatives requested an adjournment in order to discuss
this new plan of action. Upon meeting again, they said that the Rod motion was
not consistent with its policies and teachings of the past thirty years. Indeed,
on page 11 of his very first publication (The Shepherd's Rod, vol. 1, 1930),
Victor Houteff had declared:
"This publication contains only one main subject with a double lesson;
namely, the 144,000, and a call for reformation . . The wonderful light between
its pages shines upon a larger number of scriptures which we have had no
understanding of heretofore. The interpretation of these scriptures is supported
by the writings of Sr. E.G. White, that is termed the Spirit of Prophecy."
Over the next three decades, this had continued to be their consistent
position, as indicated in, for example, the following representative statement
that ran in six consecutive issues of their periodical in the early 1940s:
"Our being, as you know, unswerving adherents of the Bible and of Sister
White's writings, full-fledged S.D.A.'s, we are sure that both the Bible and
Sister White's writings support the 'Rod' one hundred percent."-The
Symbolic Code, vol. 7, nos. 7-12, p. 5, July-December, 1941.
The Adventist representatives also maintained that the recent April 22
disaster at Mount Carmel also revealed the inaccuracy of the Rod positions. An
appeal was made for them to include the Spirit of Prophecy in their replies.
After another adjournment, the Rod said that they dare not include the Spirit
of Prophecy in their doctrinal defense (for to do so would mean that the
Adventists could use those writings in refuting their positions).
So the meetings concluded with appeals by the Adventists for the Davidians to
return to the denomination. The greatest tragedy was their unwillingness to
return to simple, humble acceptance of the Spirit of Prophecy! When we leave the
Inspired Word of God, we are in a most dangerous position, and Satan will have
the rule over us erelong.
Time passed. On December 12, 1961, Mrs. Florence Houteff and her associate
leaders made a public-and very frank-statement in print. They declared that the
fundamental teachings of Houteff and the Rod were not sound. To be certain that
this statement would receive wide circulation, they again put it into print on
January 16, 1962.
As if this was not enough, on March 11, 1962, Florence and her associate
leaders resigned from what had been, until April 1959, the main body of the
Davidians. In the process, they dissolved the corporate body and put the Mount
Carmel Center property up for sale. Having done this they themselves scattered
across America, just as their followers had been scattering for nearly three
years.
Surely, it did seem that the Rod was finished.
The next step was for a series of replies by the Rod, but at this point a
strange thing occurred. From the very start, the Rod agreed that its special
teachings were based on both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, but now, after
sixteen sessions of having used both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, the Rod
representatives said they now wanted to switch to the Bible only in support of
their views-without any reference to or use of the Spirit of Prophecy writings
by either side in supporting or opposing their views. Florence was at those
meetings, but a majority of the Rod delegates seemed terrified to learn that
they had NO unique teachings to offer that were reliable. Overwhelmed, they were
unwilling to face any more revelations in Takoma Park meetings.
The Adventist representatives requested an adjournment in order to discuss
this new plan of action. Upon meeting again, they said that the Rod motion was
not consistent with its policies and teachings of the past thirty years. Indeed,
on page 11 of his very first publication (The Shepherd's Rod, vol. 1, 1930),
Victor Houteff had declared:
"This publication contains only one main subject with a double lesson;
namely, the 144,000, and a call for reformation . . The wonderful light between
its pages shines upon a larger number of scriptures which we have had no
understanding of heretofore. The interpretation of these scriptures is supported
by. . the Spirit of Prophecy."
Over the next three decades, this had continued to be their consistent
position, as indicated in, for example, the following representative statement
that ran in six consecutive issues of their periodical in the early 1940s:
"Our being, as you know, unswerving adherents of the Bible and of the
Spirit of Prophecy, full-fledged S.D.A.'s, we are sure that both the Bible and
the Spirit of Prophecy support the `Rod' one hundred per cent."-The
Symbolic Code, vol. 7, nos. 7-12, p. 5, July- December, 1941.
The Adventist representatives also maintained that the recent April 22
disaster at Mount Carmel also revealed the inaccuracy of the Rod positions. An
appeal was made for them to include the Spirit of Prophecy in their replies.
After another adjournment, the Rod said that they dare not include the Spirit
of Prophecy in their doctrinal defense (for to do so would mean that the
Adventists could use those writings in refuting their positions).
So the meetings concluded with appeals by the Adventists for the Davidians to
return to the denomination. The greatest tragedy was their unwillingness to
return to simple, humble acceptance of the Spirit of Prophecy! When we leave the
Inspired Word of God, we are in a most dangerous position and Satan will have
the rule over us erelong.
Time passed. On December 12, 1961, Mrs. Florence Houteff and her associate
leaders made a public-and very frank-statement in print. They declared that the
fundamental teachings of Houteff and the Rod were not sound. To be certain that
this statement would receive wide circulation, they again put it into print on
January 16, 1962.
As if this was not enough, on March 11, 1962, Florence and her associate
leaders resigned from what had been, until April 1959, the main body of the
Davidians. In the process, they dissolved the corporate body and put the Mount
Carmel Center property up for sale. Having done this they themselves scattered
across America, just as their followers had been scattering for nearly three
years.
Surely, it did seem that the Rod was finished.
BOOKSTORE