1. The Message of The Shepherd’s Rod through Bro. Victor T. Houteff came for the first time in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1929. USA. It was then directly rejected by the angel of the Laodicea Church, which is the General Conference of SDA leadership.
2. In 1935 the servant of the Lord, Bro. Victor T. Houteff and his followers moved to Waco, Texas. There then the General Association of Davidian SDA was established, which was later also known by the name, The Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in Waco, Texas, USA. 3. The Message of the Shepherd’s Rod was created ever since in 1929 in Los Angeles, California up to 1955 in Waco, Texas. And in 1955 the servant of the Lord died after having united the whole message of the Rod of the angel of Revelation 18 : 1 with the Spirit of Prophecy of the third angel of Revelation 14 into the so-called THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY of Revelation 19 : 10 margin.
4. In 1954 the Lord has instructed His servant to write in the Symbolic Code (10 SC 1 : 3 – 6, Sept 1954) to let them sell the whole properties of the Mount Carmel Center beginning with the excess properties first to be sold.
5. The servant of the Lord, Bro. Victor T. Houteff died in 1955. The Organization of Mount Carmel Center was then run by Mrs. Houteff as Vice President and her fellow workers.
6. In 1962 the Mount Carmel Center of the Lord which was ever been established by His servant, Bro. Victor T. Houteff, the prophet, was then liquidated and then sold to the Presbyterian Church.
7. Due to the fact that no more instruction from the Lord could ever be found, either through Bro. Houteff or through Mrs. Ellen G. White and her testimonies, or through the Old Testament prophets and their positive words of prophecies, or through any parable of Jesus in the New Testament, that could ever direct us to the reestablishment of the Mount Carmel Center later, it must be then clear that the dissolution of the Mount Carmel Center of the Lord in 1962 should have been for good and for ever. 8. Nevertheless the fate of his followers who survived the death of Bro. Houteff in 1955 could not be left without any assurance from the Lord. This should be understood because long beforehand through prophet Zechariah 13 : 6, 7 the Lord would have taken the rein in His own hand upon the little ones of those scattered after the death of their shepherd in 1955. Even Mrs. White has stated the same things through her testimonies in her book entitled Testimonies to Ministers, p. 300.9. Prophet Zechariah and Mrs. Ellen G. White have ever assured us, that after the death of the servant of the Lord in 1955, then ever since the Lord would have taken the rein in His own hand up to the great and dreadful day of the Lord when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 would be fulfilled.
10. The Lord God is now working in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. That is, the Lord is now working no more through an Organized Body such as through a General Association of Davidian SDA. in the USA. The Lord would have to work through the associations of those little ones, who are to be led by His own appointed teachers of the Rod whose dedication to the work would no more be done through the laying on of hands.
Let us therefore beware !
As soon as after the death of the servant of the Lord in 1955, there have been established in the USA several new Headquarters of Mount Carmel Center such as those mentioned here below :
Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in Elk, Texas, Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in Salem, South Caroline, Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in Mountain dale, New York, Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in Waco, Texas.
The Mount Carmel Center of DSDA in Waco, Texas today is the last established in 1991 on the original location of the Mount Carmel Center of the Lord established by His servant Bro. Houteff in 1935, which was liquidated and sold to the Presbyterian Church in 1962, and was again be bought back.
All of those owners of the above mentioned Organizations of the Mount Carmel Center still persist, that the establishment of their Organizations is lawfully legal, because they have based their establishments of the Organizations solely upon the Constitution and the By-laws of the Leviticus of Davidian SDA., codified by the servant of the Lord himself. Whereas they intentionally fail to admit that no single instruction from the Lord could ever be found either through the message of the Rod, or from any testimony from Mrs. White or from any prophetic words of the old Testament prophets, to direct us to the reestablishment of the Mount Carmel Center in Waco, Texas, after its dissolution in 1962, and after the death of Bro. Houteff in 1955. They even fail to admit up to this very day that the Eleventh-hour Call applies solely for the salvation of the laities in the churches, and not for the salvation of the Organization.
Meanwhile those Mount Carmel Centers of Davidian SDA above are now competing among themselves to teach the message of the Rod as best as possible to excite their people and to gain the amazement of the new comers on their Organizations that their leadership is truly under the guiding hand of the Lord and His Spirit of Truth.
Let us, therefore, as Truth seekers beware, that though the message of the Shepherd’s Rod or the Eleventh-hour Call presented by those Organizations of Mount Carmel Center mentioned above, could in general be deemed right and true, they, as the illegal Organizations of Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in this time of the end, would at last be given to salt.. Turn to salt, means eternally lost. Remember the fate of Lot’s wife in the past.
The types of those marishes and miry places of the great river of the prophecy of Ezekiel 47
Let us remember that those presented through the chart of the great river of Ezekiel 47 are mainly the antitypical events which are to transpire in the future. According to the prophecy we have been now living in the period of “ENGEDI”, which is the Laodicea period. Whereas those prophesied through the antitypical events in the future are to take place in the period of “ENEGLAIM.”
Salvation of those in ENEGLAIM in the future will be worked out by the 144.000 elected saints of God, when the third angel’s message is to be proclaimed with a loud voice unto the entire world. The result is to be as waters coming out of a great river first is measureable and later no more could be measured that people must swim to pass it. And the waters represent people of those prophesied in Revelation 7 : 9, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindred’s and people, and tongues. They are to be saved into the Kingdom through the message of salvation. But conversely the servant of the Lord said :
“But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed : they shall be given to salt.” (Ezekiel 47 : 11). The ”marishes” and the ”miry places” represent denominations and sects separate of the “mighty river” and that they shall not be saved, or healed. “Turned to salt,” means eternally lost as was Lot’s wife. “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man ………..Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ……… Remember Lot’s wife.”(Luke 17 : 26, 28, 32).” The Shepherd’s Rod, vol. 2, p. 297.
As in the antitype in ENEGLAIM the third’s angel message of those 144.000 elects of God would have failed to salvage the sects and the denominations in the future, then in the type in ENGEDY today during this time of the end, no wonder if the Eleventh-hour Call would have also failed to salvage the antitypical sects and the denominations. The sects and the denominations in the Laodicea Church today would unavoidably represent the General Conference of SDA and the Organizations of that Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA mentioned above. Sects and the denominations could not represent personal being of man or woman.
Since the message of the Shepherd’s Rod or the Eleventh-hour Call applies only to the Laodicea Church in the time of the end, it would not difficult for anyone of us to identify those Organizations in our midst who are to be represented by the sects and the denominations.
To identify our position in the Chart of the great river of the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 47
Let us identify carefully that the waters that come out from the spring must unavoidably represent the message of the Shepherd’s Rod the first time came through Bro. Victor T. Houteff in Los Angeles, California, USA. The spring of the waters also represents “p o – w e r” and the “p e o p l e” or “the Church.”
At the prophetic Chart the progress of work during the period of ENEGLAIM was measured periodically. There are several times of measurement. Whereas the progress of work during the typical period of ENGEDI, we should have known them ourselves from the factual events. We, therefore, could have identified them ourselves on the other chart beginning with the message the first time came in 1929 from the spring in Los Angeles, California through the servant of the Lord Bro. Victor T. Houteff. The spring of water according to the author is to represent (1) the message of the Rod, (2) the power, and (3) the people or the Church. Now let us follow how the measurement carried out during the antitypical period of ENEGLAIM, and then to find out when the measurement should have taken place during our typical period of ENGEDI.
1. During the antitypical period: Let it be identified that after the waters began to flow out representing the 144.000 elects of God began to proclaim the message to the world, and then began the first measurement.to take place. The result is that the waters have reached up to the ankle.
2. During the typical period of our time: The typical time began in 1929 up to 1935. The achievement during this typical period is that the number of Houteff’s followers is enough to move them to Waco, Texas, to establish the Organization of Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA, to have the Organization of General Conference of SDA been reorganized according to the Call for a spiritual revival and reformation by Mrs. White in the Review and Herald, February 25, 1902.
3. During the antitypical period : At the second measurement the waters has reached up to the knee.
4. During the typical period of our time : From 1935 up to the time of his death in 1955 Bro. Houteff has accomplished the work of creating the message of the angel of Rev. 18 : 1 and of having united it with the third angel’s message of Rev. 14 into the so-called THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. And this is THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY of Revelation 19 : 10 margin.
5. During the antitypical period : Up to this time of the third measurement the waters has reached up to the waist.
6. During the typical period of our time : This typical period begins in 1955, and up to the great and dreadful day of the Lord when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 is to be fulfilled. Since the measurement will take place at the end of the period, then the progress of this typical period will be identified by the emergence of the 144.000 living saints to stand with the Lord on the Mount Zion in the Palestine.
7. During the antitypical period : In the antitypical period in the future during the period of ENEGLAIM which represents the whole world of Babylon outside, there are sects and denominations represented by miry places and marishes, separate from the mighty river, that they shall not be saved or healed. “Turned to salt,” means eternally lost as was Lot’s wife. Thus said the servant of the Lord.
During this typical period of ENGEDI, after the death of Bro. Houteff the shepherd, the Lord would have taken the rein in His own hand. Now is the time when the message of the Rod as the Eleventh-hour Call would have at the end to employ the 144.000 unemployed laymen in the Church to go into the vineyard to accomplish all the work in the whole world. Whereas those Organizations and their affiliates represented by “miry places and marishes” would be totally slaughtered at the fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel 9.
Since all the antitypical events are sure and positive, we should have unavoidably met the sects and the denominations in our typical period of ENGEDI now. Who are they exactly? They are of course none other than the Organizations we have been familiar with as mentioned here below :
a. The General Conference of SDA b. The General Association of Davidian SDA di Waco, Texas, c. The General Association of Davidian SDA di Elk Texas, d. The General Association of Davidian SDA di Mountain Dale, New York e. The General Association of Davidian SDA di Salem, South Caroline f. And so on …….
C o n c l u s i o n
Bro. Houteff as the last prophet of God has accomplished his work up to 1955. Ever since the time he died even up to this very moment, we are no more under the leadership of any Organization of God. Since the message of the Shepherd’s Rod as The Eleventh-hour Call could no more save any Organization of Mount Carmel Center in this time of the end, let us beware, therefore, that up to the time he died in 1955 Bro. Houteff has never left behind for us a message nor an order that his Organization of Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in Waco, Texas, should have been reestablished on its original location to continue his mission of saving the Church up to the great and dreadful day of the Lord when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled.
Even his own Organization, after being painfully defended by his own wife as Vice President after his death, it could not survive much longer. Do you know why? The only answer is because the Shepherd’s Rod message as the Eleventh-hour Call could not save the Organization. Thus could it be understood that after the whole properties of the Mount Carmel Center of Davidian SDA in Waco, Texas be sold in 1962, it would then be dissolved for good and for ever.
And just ever since that the Lord has taken the rein in His own hand to meet the fulfillment of the prophetic words of prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 13 : 6, 7) and as those predicted before by Mrs. Ellen G. White in her book Testimonies to Ministers, p. 300. And then how could all those things be carried out today among us?
To this end are the prophetic words of John the Revelator to meet their fulfillment as follows : “BLESSED IS HE THAT READETH AND THEY THAT HEAR THE WORDS OF THIS PROPHECY, AND KEEP THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN THEREIN : FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND.” – REVELATION 1 : 3.
Every one of us has now to read and to study for himself the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy and the Shepherd’s Rod message, because the authors of those publications have already died. However, that is not as yet enough. We are yet to hear more from those who are still alive. This is to prove that after all the prophets of the Lord died in this time of the end; they should have been succeeded by other divinely appointed agencies. And to this end Bro. Victor T. Houteff has ever said before he died :
“The Bible and the books of the Spirit of Prophecy being the sole source of the Shepherd’s Rod message, therefore when the Rod is taught, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are taught. And since none but the Spirit of Truth, who transmitted the mysteries of Inspiration, can interpret them, then those who attempt to teach them without this inspired interpretational Authority, inevitably fall into the forbidden practice of private interpretation (2 Peter 1 : 20) — the great evil which has brought Christendom into its present almost-boundless state of schism and consequent confusion, strife, and impotency.
As we dare not follow in such a path, w e must therefore as teachers of the Shepherd’s Rod(the official publications of the Davidian SDA Association), teach only in the light of the Rod those passages which in one way or another need to be interpreted. Thus only will all present Truth believers ever become of the same mind, seeing eye to eye and speaking the same things(1 Cor. 1 : 10; 1 Pet. 3 : 8; Isa. 52 : 8).“ – Fundamental Beliefs of Davidian SDA, pp. 26, 27.
The above statements would apply in force after he died in 1955. That means the Lord would have appointed teachers of His own choice to teach us more of the message, even to interpret those passages in the golden bowl of Zechariah chapter 4.
There are many more passages of the message in the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY to be interpreted more fully after the death of Bro. Houteff as the last prophet in the time of the end. And regarding the teachers of the Lord own choice the servant of the Lord has ever said :
“God will send forth into His vineyard m a n y who have not been dedicated to the ministry by the laying on of hands.” – The Acts of the Apostles, p. 110.
That means, there are to emerge among us many more divinely appointed teachers of the Shepherd’s Rod, who will have never been dedicated to the ministry by the laying on of hands, because they are not to come from whatever Organization of Davidian SDA Headquarters in this time of the end.
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THE RIVER OF EZEKIEL’S VISION
by V. T. Houteff
It was previously explained that Zechariah’s prophecy is applicable to the church in the time of the “Loud Cry.” Thus it becomes present truth. We quote from Zechariah 12 : 8. “In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them” — before the great multitude of Revelation 7 : 9.
The church in her purity is called by these Scriptures, “The house of David.” Therefore, this term becomes one of the names of the church in the time of the “Loud Cry.” Thus the church under this name shall be as God before the people. The meaning here is the same as in Exodus 7 : 1, “And the Lord said unto Moses See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet” (servant). That is, “Thou shalt represent My person, and act like God by requiring obedience to thy commands, and by punishing disobedience with such punishment as none but God can inflict; to which end thou shalt have My omnipotent assistance.” This is the commission to the church in the time of the harvest. The apostle Peter was vested with such divine power when he said: “Thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost…. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. Then Peter said unto her…. behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.” (The Acts 5 : 4, 5, 7, 9, 10.)
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanliness.” (Zech. 13 : 1.) Note that this fountain is able to wash away two things; first sin, and second uncleanness. What is the difference between the one and the other? “Sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3 : 4.) And the result of sin is the decay of the body. “Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.” (Lev. 15 : 2.) The Biblical term for sickness is, “Uncleanness.” Also, taking into the body in the form of food of that which is forbidden by the Word of God, is transgression of the law, and corruption of the body (uncleanness).
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Cor. 6 : 17.) “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light…. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful workers of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Eph. 5 : 5 – 8, 11.) God is able to heal the soul and the body; but He will not heal the latter before He has healed the former — “sin” first, then “uncleanness.” “I will also save you from all your uncleanness: and I will call for corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.” (Ezek. 36 : 29.) The power that is able to wash away the filthiness of any man is “opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” and is represented by the “fountain” of Zechariah’s prophecy.
Says Ezekiel: “In the five and twentieth year of our captivity,” and “in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither.” (Ezek. 40 : 1.) As recorded in the forty-seventh chapter, Ezekiel was shown in vision certain particulars of the temple building some years before the Israelites were made free from Babylonian captivity. It has been previously explained that the Temple erected after their captivity was a type of this particular church in the time of the “loud cry” — “house of David.” Therefore, the river coming out from the temple according to Ezekiel’s vision is applicable at this time, and is but the expansion of this “fountain” that is to be in the “house of David” the church. “From this fountain flows the mighty river seen in Ezekiel’s vision.” — Counsels on Health,” p. 210. Thus far we have explained the application of this “fountain,” the place and the time; also that the mighty river seen in Ezekiel’s vision flows from it. Now we shall study the meaning of this mighty river.
Ezekiel 47
Ezek. 47 : 1: “Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.” As the waters came from the south side of the altar, and then went toward the east, it shows clearly that they proceeded from the north, which symbolically denotes that whatever the meaning of the “waters” may be, they come from the throne of God, for it is “in the sides of the north.” (Isa. 14 : 14; Psa. 48 : 2; 75 : 6.)
While Ezekiel’s attention was turned to the interior where he first saw the waters, he says: “Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters, the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: Which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither; for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim, they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” (Ezekiel 47 : 2 – 12.)
It will be noticed that as Ezekiel first saw the waters by the side of the altar, they were of little significance in comparison with that which he saw outside the gate. As the tiny rivulet immediately swells into a mighty river, it represents something of very rapid growth. These waters denote the same as the waters in Revelation 17 : 15, “Peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” For the angel said to Ezekiel: “Which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.” (Ezek. 47 : 8.) Therefore, these waters represent a very great multitude “which no man could number” that shall be healed from sin and disease, saved in the time of the “loud cry” through the ministry of the “house of David” (the church). As Ezekiel could not swim this river, the symbol is in perfect harmony with Revelation 7 : 9, “A great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues… clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”
Note that the reason the waters are healed, is because they are “brought forth into the sea.” If the mighty river represents the saints from the earth, then the sea must be a symbol of the sinless worlds (inhabitants) in the universe of God. As the river is brought into the sea, it denotes that the saints shall come in contact with the eternal nations who know not sin, and being “brought forth,” we must be “healed” before we meet each other! The facts of this symbol prove that this is the last section of God’s church — the church that shall be translated without tasting death! Get ready, get ready, get ready, we are now standing on the winds of eternity — life that shall never cease.
The waters that make up this mighty river represents a multitude of saints endowed with healing power from the throne of God; for the Word says, “And everything shall live whither the river cometh.” (Ezek. 47 : 9, last part.) This healing is not indefinite, but permanent; for we read: “And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the river shall come, shall live” (eternally).
After the angel had measured three times a thousand cubits, says Ezekiel: “And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. And by the river upon the bank thereof,” said the angel, “on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” (Ezek. 47 : 6, 7, 12.)
The value of the leaves and the fruit of these trees is identically the same as the tree of life according to Revelation 22 : 2, “And on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bear twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” The significance is that the church of God (house of David) is endowed with power from the throne to offer life eternal with no taste of death to those who accept the truth, and are willing to become a part of this mighty river. As this is the only section of God’s church that has been granted the authoritative gospel of permanent healing and life everlasting the Word declares: “He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.” (Zech. 12 : 8.)
“And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither…. And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim…. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.” (Ezek. 47 : 9, 10.) The fish represent those who are to be converted to the church — “river.” “And everything shall live whither the river cometh.” (Ezek. 47 : 9.) The ministry is symbolized as the fishers. “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (Mark 1 : 17.) The apostles at one time left the gospel net and ceased to be fishers of men, as they went fishing for gain, “and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore…. then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered Him, No. And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” (John 21 : 3 – 6.) Success never fails when the command of the Master is obeyed. If the ministry had been constantly inquiring of Jesus where and how to cast the net, there would have been a multitude of “fish” — converts — and never a lack of “meat” — means.
“For the forefront of the house stood towards the east.” (Ezek. 47 : 1.) The position of the house proves that it represents a true worship, for thus God’s chosen people were instructed to build their temples. Israel worshipped God with their backs toward the east to remind them that they should have no respect for sun worship and idolatry.
“Then said he unto me, these waters issue out towards the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea.” (Ezek. 47 : 8.) It is remarkable to note how perfect these symbols are in each instance. This direction of the compass denotes that the message of the “loud cry” is to start eastward when it is first revealed. The church membership being largely east of California and across the Atlantic, naturally the message must start toward the east. This symbolical prophecy reveals that the message of the “loud cry” is to originate in California. Thus fulfilling the prophetic words of the “Spirit of Prophecy” in a letter to Elder E. E. Andross: “I feel confident Elder Andross, that the brethren in Southern California will find a blessing in reviewing the teachings of the Scripture concerning the 144,000 and bringing to bear upon these teachings whatever light there may be in the published writings of the Spirit of Prophecy, and as prayerful consideration is given the matter in all its bearings, I believe that God will make the truth sufficiently clear to make possible the avoidance of needless and unprofitable questions not vital to the salvation of precious souls.”
East being the Biblical direction of idolatry, it also signifies that the message is headed toward the conversion of sinners and destruction of idolatry. “And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirits to pass out of the land.” (Zech. 13 : 2.)
The angel measured four times a thousand cubits eastward (a thousand — “ten” times one hundred). Why four times a thousand? Why not more or less? It has been previously explained that number “ten” is a symbol of universal, and the number four completeness of the earth or the four points of the compass. Thus it symbolically denotes that the message is world wide; and while it starts toward the east, it spreads from pole to pole, and encircles the earth completely (10 x 100 = 1,000 — four times.) In perfect harmony with the words of Christ: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24 : 14.)
“But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.” (Ezek. 47 : 11.) The “marishes” and the “miry places” represent denominations and sects separate of the “mighty river,” and that they shall not be saved, or healed. “Turned to salt,” means eternally lost, as was Lot’s wife. “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man…. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot…. Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17 : 26, 28, 32.)
“And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they [the two cities] shall be a place to spread forth nets.” (Ezek. 47 : 10.) These two cities reveal that the fish are caught in two places, En-gedi (S.D.A. church) where the 144,000 are gathered — the first fruits. En-eglaim (Babylon or the world) where the great multitude of Revelation 7 : 9 are gathered. The diagram on the chart, page 294, represents the S.D.A. church (En-gedi) as it becomes the “House of David,” and the place of the river (En-eglaim) denotes the world. The stream from the fountain where it first starts to the east gate, represents the 144,000, and the river stands for the great multitude. “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” (Psa. 46 : 4, 5.) – Shepherd Rod Vol. 2, pages 290 – 298.
