This outline follows the sixth segment of the Arts and Education Cable Television Channel program, "The Road to Rapture," broadcast in October 1999.

1.  David Koresh (Branch Davidians) -- Premillennial -- Historicist

Chronology:

• 1915 -- Ellen G. White, the prophetess of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA), dies.
• 1919 -- The role of prophet is taken by Victor Houteff who organizes the Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Church (Shepherds Rod) and sets up headquarters at Mount Carmel (Waco), Texas.
• 1955 -- Victor Houteff dies and his wife prophesies his resurrection in 3.5 years when he will destroy Davidian opponents.
• 1955 -- Ben Roden establishes Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Church which becomes the dominate strain of the Davidians once Victor Houteff is not resurrected.
• 1978 -- Lois Roden becomes prophetess and bishop once her husband, Ben, dies.
• 1981 -- Vernon Howell appears at Mount Carmel.
• 1983 -- Howell believes God tells him to have sex with Lois Roden but marries another female instead.  He is chased off Mount Carmel.
• 1985 -- Based on Howell's interpretation of the Song of Solomon, he sleeps with teenage girls when he returns to Mount Carmel.
• 1987 -- Lois Roden's son, George, devises a resurrection contest to determine if he or Howell is the true Messiah.  A shoot-out occurs.
• 1988 -- Roden goes to prison for threatening the Texas Supreme Court with AIDS and is committed to an asylum for murdering another "messiah."
• 1989 -- Howell declares that only he has the right to procreate
• 1990 -- Vernon Howell legally changes his name to David Koresh.
• 1990 -- Three warrants for statutory rape are issued against David Koresh which are never served.
• 1993 -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) obtains a warrant to raid Mount Carmel because of suspected firearm violations.   In the first attempt to raid Mount Carmel, four BATF agents are killed.   Believing that Koresh was stalling, that there was child abuse inside the church, and that there was a suicide threat, BATF takes Mount Carmel.  During the raid Mount Carmel catches on fire and 75 to 85 Davidians are burned to death (Davidian Time Line).
• Branch Davidians believe that Koresh will be resurrected, perhaps not physically (Paul Broyles).

Theology:

• Interpreting Revelation -- Futurists believe that the Book of Revelation should be interpreted as events to occur in the future.   However, the SDA Church believes Revelation describes the events between Christ's first and second advents.  The Church takes the historicist understanding of Revelation.  From their viewpoint, we are living during the events of Revelation (see Roberto Ouro, Apotelesmatic Principle:  Origin and Application).
• The Second Messiah -- David Koresh believed he was the latter day "messiah (John Mann, Outline of Branch Davidian Teachings)."  There is a controversy over whether he actually believed he was God.  It is possible that he just thought of himself as a messiah in the sense that some are anointed by God to prophecy--not that he was Divinity (James D. Tabor and J. Phillip Arnold, A Commentary on the Koresh Manuscript).  Orthodox scholars understand that there is no second messiah.  The second coming involves the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah to judge and set up His kingdom.
• The Lamb of Revelation 6:1 -- Koresh believed he was the lamb who opens the seals of Revelation 6:1-17; 8:1-2.  Only the lamb, according to the Branch Davidians, can understand the meaning of the seals (see Mann and Tabor and Arnold).   Orthodox scholars understand that the Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ, not a second messiah.
• Breaking the Seals of Revelation -- From the Branch Davidian viewpoint, ". . . the Waco standoff and 'waiting period' was a test for all humanity. . .  Koresh believed that the world was being offered a chance to listen to the last Christ/Koresh, who could open the Seals, and thus show the way of repentance to our society. . . .  As the Branch Davidians now view things, this was all cut short, since the rejection and death of Koresh, . . .  They assert that the Fifth Seal, which allowed for a time of repentance while the message sent forth, ended with the 'rest killed' as predicted (Rev. 6:11).  The Branch Davidians now believe that the probation period is up, and the Sixth Seal of the Judgment of God is pending (Tabor and Arnold)."   One wonders if Koresh did not force the destruction of Revelation 6:8 to move the prophetic timetable along.
• The "Messiah's" Character -- David Koresh had horrible personality disorders and problems with sin.  Branch Davidians recognize this but believe that a person's character does not necessarily deface his message.   They support their viewpoint by referring to other religious leaders with sin problems and to Scripture which they believe prophesy a latter day sinful-messiah (see the previously mentioned Mann web page and also his page, The Personality of David Koresh).   Most scholars believe that the Messiah is the Lord Jesus Christ who is absolutely righteousness.

Finally, think about this.  Revelation 1:3 pronounces a blessing on everyone who reads the book and does what it requires.   But, Revelation 22:18-19 pronounces a curse on everyone who adds or takes away from the book!

This page is under construction.  Come back often as other self styled prophets will be added in the future.

June 08, 2002, Edition -- © 1999-2002, Ken Bowles

Advertising appearing with the Spiritual Insights Page is not endorsed.