“And now the only safe and sane procedure is to read closely every page of the solemn message contained in The Shepherd’s Rod publications. Let not a line escape your attention. Study every word carefully and prayerfully. Be earnest and diligent in your perusal of Truth, and “prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thess. 5:21.” — Answerer Book No. 5, p. 29
There is a continual discussion amongst certain professed believers in the Shepherd’s Rod message that there has to be another prophet in the church at the time the purification of Ezekiel 9 takes place. Below is a posted reference that is used to support such a preconceived conclusion.
“Here is the Bible’s own answer, which says that there is to be a people who will have the Testimony of Jesus Christ at the time the earth swallows up the flood, the hypocrites. And since this incident is yet future, it shows that there is to be a prophet in the Church, for the Bible’s own interpretation of “the Testimony of Jesus Christ,” is “the Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). The first part of chapter 19 you will note explains that the Spirit of Prophecy is brought to them by a man, a “fellow servant,” and that those who receive him feel like worshiping him, but he directs them to worship God, not a man.” — Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 24, p. 23
“Brethren, we must not put our dependence in man. “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? You must hang your helpless souls upon Jesus. It does not become us to drink from the fountain of the valley when there is a fountain in the mountain. Let us leave the lower streams; let us come to the higher springs. If there is a point of truth that you do not understand, upon which you do not agree, investigate, compare scripture with scripture, sink the shaft of truth down deep into the mine of God’s word. You must lay yourselves and your opinions on the altar of God, put away your preconceived ideas, and let the Spirit of heaven guide into all truth.–Review and Herald, Feb. 18, 1890.” — Testimonies to Ministers, p. 476.1
Rightly Dividing 2TG 24:23
- “a people” —————- 144,000
- “swallows up” –——— Ezekiel 9
- “flood” ——————— hypocrites
- “incident” –——— Execution period of Ezekiel 9
- “yet future”- ——- Will happen way after this message is written during the incident of Ezekiel 9.
- “prophet in the church” — (see below)
- (SOP) “for the Bible’s own interpretation of “the Testimony of Jesus Christ,” is “the Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev. 19:10).
- “the Spirit of Prophecy is ‘brought‘ to them by a ‘man‘”
(Explanations for items 6, 7, and 8 are provided below)
The discussion below will only be for the controversial portion of 2 TG 24:23.
“there is to be a prophet in the church”
Timely Greetings Volume 2 No. 24 was written and delivered on the Sabbath of January 24, 1948. Sister Ellen G. White died in 1915. Meaning when this reference was written, Sister white has been dead and there had been no prophet in the Seventh Day Adventist Church for 33 years, from the perspective of the yet awakened Laodicean S.D.A. Therefore, when Brother V. T. Houteff was talking about that, “there is to be a prophet in the church”, he was talking about ”a prophet” at that time this reference was written. Why is it that it was during that time and not during Ezekiel 9? It is because that prophet who brought to them, “the Spirit of Prophecy is “brought to them by a man”. Notice the past tense of the verb “brought” which means when this reference was written, the Spirit of Prophecy through the writings of the Shepherd’s Rod message was already in existence and was brought to them by “a man”, Brother V.T. Houteff starting in 1929 and had been in existence for 19 years when this reference in 2 TG 24:23 was written.
“a man”
Why did Brother Houteff gave emphasis to the figure, “a man”? It is because of the Testimony to the Ministers (TM) page 475 where the SDA church falsely added an APPENDIX teaching that the “he” was a “she” whom Sister White predicted for somebody to come in the Spirit and Power of Elijah. (reference below).
“yet future”
Now let us take up the phrase, “yet future”. This means that a “male” not a “female” as according to what the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church believes, teaches, and proclaims that the “he” in TM 475 is actually a “she” represented by Sister Ellen G. White and her writings to justify their fight against the Truth found in the SRod. However, the all wise God, who knows the end from the beginning, allowed them to record their “lack of foresight” due to their pride and arrogance of rejecting the SRod message. As a consequence, the blatantly contradictory APPENDIX was added to the 1962 Edition of Testimonies to Ministers by uninspired Adventist scholars and is permanently engraved to their record (An Appendix does not exist in the 1923 and 1944 Editions of this volume).
By Way of Illustration
If I would say, for example: Okay Brother “A” since that meeting is “yet future”, a “man” will be there to attend that next conference meeting.
This example mentioned only a “man”. But in reality, I am speaking of “myself” as a “man” who will attend a “yet future” conference meeting. If we read again 2 TG 24:23 in its contextual point of view, one will understand that Brother Houteff is talking about himself.
Prophecy Must be Fulfilled
“Prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, [SEE APPENDIX.] and when he appears, men may say: “You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message. . . . There are many who cannot distinguish between the work of God and that of man.” — Testimonies to Ministers, p. 475-476
If we are to read the full context of Timely Greetings Vol. 2, No. 24 it is pointing to the group of people (144,000) and that there is a prophet in the church who will give the Spirit of Prophecy (SOP), which further explained at the last sentence of that paragraph, emphasizing that prophet is “a man” who gave the church the Spirit of Prophecy (SOP). As we know the only one “man” who gave the Spirit of Prophecy right after a “woman”, Sister Ellen G. White was none other than Brother Victor T. Houteff.
It did not state that this man is to arise or be present during the future “incident”, but “a man” who “brought” to them the SOP, (brought past tense), it could not be in the future during the execution of Ezekiel 9. Furthermore, at that time, the bringing of the Spirit of Prophecy is no longer needed by the SDA church. Conclusively, all the Spirit of Prophecy has been has been given and completed by 1954, over 60 years ago.
If for example there is another man after Brother Houteff, then, what kind of Spirit of prophecy will he give then, since all the SOP has been given and the last portion of it by Brother Houteff?
Now, after studying the original Shepherd’s Rod message, which is the divine interpretation of the Holy Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy we know that it was Brother Houteff whom God has entrusted such writings, then, what type of Spirit of Prophecy that another “man” after Brother Houteff brings to this “group of people” (candidates for the 144,000) before Ezekiel 9 who will lead to the kingdom after the death of Brother Houteff?
The only conceivable conclusion if there is another man to come, would just be for the fulfillment of that portion written in the Testimonies to Ministers (TM) 475, where it states that some men will tell the prophet Elijah (VTH) how to teach his message. And thus far, there are at least ten men (false prophets and teachers) amongst Davidians worldwide who are doing this very thing as evidenced by every wind of doctrine blowing in our midst as we speak.
We hope and pray that all sincere Davidians can take the whole context and not only an excerpt of the writing and digest it as God revealed to Brother Houteff to teach us how to dissect every word as we are counseled in Answerer Book, No. 5, p. 29.
As the golden bowl vision revealed in the fourth chapter of Zechariah plainly shows, there is no more Spirit of Prophecy to brought to the Church since it has all been given by Sister White and Brother Houteff, the two pipes (prophets) that bring the oil from the two olive trees into the golden bowl, their inspired writings known as the “Spirit of Prophecy”.
In Conclusion:
Please Note:
FUTURE TENSE:
(1) … The “incident” is yet FUTURE, which is Ezekiel 9.
PAST TENSE: “brought”
(2) The prophet in the church is a man who “brought” the SOP is past tense.
Meaning that man is that prophet who “brought” to the group of people (SDA’s) the Spirit of Prophecy is the past tense of the “incident”, which is none other than purification specified in Ezekiel chapter 9.
The man who “brought” to the group of people a full understanding of Ezekiel 9 is past tense, not during the execution of the slaughter, an event which is in the future. And that man is none other than Brother V. T. Houteff who brought to those striving to be one of the 144,000 the Spirit of Prophecy announcing the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
According to the explanation you have given pertaining the statement that, a man will be there in church when the earth will swallow up the flood shows that during the time of bro VT HOUNTEFF the earth swallowed the flood,and if not so as you are aware it is time to un-chain yourself from the poor way of explaining inspiration the old Laodecean way before its too late and let the word of God un-lock itself.
Nelson, We do not believe you took any time to prayerfully examine the study provided for if you did you would not have provided such a knee jerk response. If you really believe there has to be a prophet “yet future” in the church then how do you harmonize with the original SRod writings which you profess to believe? For example, the vision in Zech. 4 shows only two pipes (prophets) in the NT era which know and accept as the ministries of Ellen G. White and Victor T. Houteff. Where is there room here for another prophet? Have you read General Conference Special lately where its states plainly over and over that Elijah who brings the message of the great and dreadful day of the Lord is the last prophet for the church. Do you believe that Elijah is Brother Houteff or some other rank imposter? Come now and let us reason together sayeth the Lord. We pray and hope you will wake up and stop bait hunting, turn from the arm of flesh (Lennox Sam), and study for yourself before it is to late. Eternity is in the balance.
In Christian concern, The Publishers
surely if their is any man who claims himself/herself to be Elijah in SDA, he/she is a liar. All the prophecies are clearly explained and brought to view by sister Elen White and brother Victor Huteff. The two prophets were inspired and properly directed by the spirit of prophecy. Its upon us to chose either to believe or reject the spirit of prophecy of the two prophets.
Awesome conclusion!!!
It is well articulated, thanks.
This is exactly how i understand it to be. We can never go wrong with the golden bowl.
Praise the Lord, when we get our doctrines only from the golden bowl there is perfect understanding and no confusion.
Here is the Bible’s own answer, which says that THERE IS TO BE a people(future tense) who will have the Testimony of Jesus Christ at the time the earth swallows up the flood, the hypocrites. And since this incident is yet future, it shows that THERE IS TO BE a prophet in the Church(future tense), for the Bible’s own interpretation of “the Testimony of Jesus Christ,” is “the Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). The first part of chapter 19 you will note explains that the Spirit of Prophecy is brought to them by a man, a “fellow servant,” and that those who receive him feel like worshiping him, but he directs them to worship God, not a man. {2TG24: 23.2}
You are willfully blinded. There can be no third or fourth or fifth prophet as revealed in the golden bowl vision of Zechariah 4. So it is that you try to interpret the Rod to suit your preconceived ideas rather that seeking to harmonize all that has been published and let the original SRod message instruct you rather than telling Brother Houteff how to teach his message. Sad situation. Only two pipes (prophets) in the NT era and those two prophets are Ellen White and Victor Houteff, no more, no less. And they will be resurrected after Eze. 9 (Dan 12:2) when the kingdom is set up to resume their work once again.