Shepherd's Rod / Davidian History - Temcat's House

Shepherd’s Rod and the Davidians
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 publicand
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."
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