Present Truth, Plain Facts for Seventh-day Adventists

Welcome to The Shepherd’s Rod Speaks blogsite!

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord” to hear the plain facts and present truth about The Shepherd’s Rod Message directed to all Seventh-day Adventists, who, like the noble Berean’s, are willing to investigate for themselves and hear both sides of the story before passing judgment on what it teaches. This site only speaks for the original published message that was brought to the Seventh-day Adventist church by the late Victor T. Houteff from 1930 to 1954, and thus is not associated with a number of splinter groups and their teachings that have arisen since 1955.

One of the most glaring inconsistencies facing the Seventh-day Adventist church has to do with its highly varied views on last day events. This situation has arisen as church leaders and laity alike find no need for further light (inspiration) to guide them and choose to reject the plain evidences coming straight from the Holy Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy just because it comes from the Shepherd’s Rod message which many blindly reject without careful investigation to know where they stand. One case in point has to do with  Christ’s work as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. Based on a passage from Early Writings page 36 most S. D. A.’s believe that Christ will only stand up once and remove His priestly garments at the close of probation for the world and then the next event will be the pouring out of the seven last plagues (for example, see a post by T. R. Gallegos on the “Our Sword” blog,  http://oursword.blogspot.com/2011/08/last-day-events-seal-then-destruction.html).

“I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus’ work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob’s trouble. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of spirit, and were delivered by the voice of God. The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God.”–Early Writings, p. 36

Many attempt to use this passage to refute the Rod’s teaching that the blowing of the four winds in Revelation 7 represents the mark of the beast system (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 152) and that the 144,ooo must be sealed (marked, Eze. 9:4) before the four winds are let loose. Intimately coupled with the marking or sealing of the 144,000 is the commencement of the judgment of the living which necessitates that Christ stand up at the completion of His work for the judgment of the dead and make an unexpected coming to cleanse/purify the S. D. A. church from its tares before the latter rain can be poured out and the Loud Cry begins. Adventists who are still content in their Laodicean slumber blindly insist that there is only one sealing report and then come the seven last plagues whereas the Bible shows that their are two sealing reports, one for the S. D. A. church and one for the Great Multitude who will be called out of Babylon during the Loud Cry. The Rod clears the apparent difficulty with the passage in Early Writings as revealed below.

WHEN WILL HE LEAVE THE SANCTUARY?

Question No. 38:

“The Shepherd’s Rod” seems to say that Jesus will leave the Most Holy place at the execution of the slaughter of Ezekiel 9, while “Early Writings,” p. 36, seems to say that He will leave the place after His work in the sanctuary is done, and then will come the seven last plagues. How do you reconcile the two?

Answer:

Though the author of Early Writings says that Christ will not leave the sanctuary before His “work is done,” yet elsewhere she writes: “They will feed upon the errors and mistakes and faults of others, ‘until,’ said the angel, ‘the Lord Jesus shall rise up from his  mediatorial work in the heavenly sanctuary, and shall clothe himself with the garments of vengeance, and surprise them at their unholy feast; and they will find themselves unprepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb.’”–Testimonies Vol. 5, p. 690.

Viewing the question in the light of both statements,  we see that Christ leaves the sanctuary at a certain time in the “unrolling of the scroll.” Coming to the church, He finds her not spotless and ready to meet Him, but deep in sin, yet self-complacently feeding upon the errors, faults, and mistakes of others.

Now the problem before us is not to harmonize the Rod with Early Writings, but Early Writings with the Testimonies. These are automatically harmonized when it is understood that Christ leaves the sanctuary more than the one time: Once after “the closing work for the church” (Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 266), and again after the closing work for the world.”–Answerer Book, No. 2, p. 67

For some more information about these two sealing reports and Michael standing up twice, please download a brief study excerpted from Tract No. 1, pp. 19-25.

Two Sealing Reports: One for the Church and one for the World.

[Read more →]

We just received a call the other day from a 4th generation Seventh-day Adventist calling from Takoma Park, Maryland who tried to convince us that the Shepherd’s Rod doctrine that God will establish a kingdom on earth prior to the millennium was a Jehovah Witness teaching. When we read to him the scripture, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed . . .” (Dan 2:44) he proceeded to tell us in his view this would take place after the 1,000 year millennium. Our attempts to reason with him according to what is written in the Word of God met with no avail as he was intent to convert us to his way of thinking rather that humble himself and take God’s Word as it reads.  Attempts by lukewarm Adventists to contradict one of the plainest teachings coming from the Holy Bible about God’s soon coming kingdom are nothing new. Below the Shepherd’s Rod answers a common objection that attempts to turn the writings of Mrs. White against the Bible itself in regard to this premillennial kingdom.

WILL THE KINGDOM BE SET UP BEFORE THE MILLENNIUM?

Question No. 42:

“The Great Controversy,” pp. 322, 323, teaches that “not until the personal advent of Christ can His people receive the kingdom. . . . But when Jesus comes, He confers immortality upon His people; and then He calls them to inherit the kingdom of which they have hitherto been only heirs.” Will you please help harmonize the Bible and “The Shepherd’s Rod” with these and other passages in Sister White’s writings in regard to the setting up of the Kingdom? [Read more →]

Seventh-day Adventists are increasingly uncomfortable when the subject of the ninth chapter of Ezekiel comes up in a discussion. A frequent attempt to disconnect from the soon coming reality of this solemn event is often met with the following reply: “Ellen White says the Ezekiel nine will result in the general destruction of the wicked and this must occur during the seven last plagues, after probation closes.” The exact statement from the pen of inspiration reads as follows:

“Who are standing in the counsel of God at this time? Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among the professed people of God and who murmur in their hearts, if not openly, against those who would reprove sin? Is it those who take their stand against them and sympathize with those who commit wrong? No, indeed! Unless they repent, and leave the work of Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of the work and in holding up the hands of sinners in Zion, they will never receive the mark of God’s sealing approval. They will fall in the general destruction of the wicked, represented by the work of the five men bearing slaughter weapons. Mark this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen, are those “that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done” in the church. Their love for purity and the honor and glory of God is such, and they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they are represented as being in agony, even sighing and crying. Read the ninth chapter of Ezekiel.”–Testimonies Vol. 3, p. 267

The problem with this line of reasoning is that is plainly contradicts scripture and other statements from her writings on the subject of the purification of the church. The Shepherd’s Rod speaks for itself and clarifies the confusion that abounds regarding what Sis. White meant in using the phrase “general destruction of the wicked.” Did she use this same phase to describe another localized destruction that happened sometime in the past? In her use of the term “general” did she imply “universal” as in all of the wicked at the end of time?  Let us step up to the table and reason together and hear what the Rod and the Spirit of Prophecy has to say that is in complete harmony with the Holy Bible. [Read more →]

This past week (May 13-22) brought a lot of media attention to Harold Camping’s failed prediction that May 21, 2011 would result in the rapture of the saints and the subjection of the world to a period of divine judgment for five months before the end of the world. What is interesting about this event were the multitude of stories (Time, Christian Science Monitor, etc.) published which made mention of the top failed prophetic predictions from the past, most notably, William Miller’s expectation of Christ’s return to the earth on October 22, 1844. This association of an actual event that was ordered by God with other false prophecies places the Seventh-day Adventist (S. D. A.) church in an uncomfortable public view. Another failed prophecy that is sometime mentioned in connection with the church’s past is Florence Houteff’s prediction that April 22, 1959 would conclude a 42 month period and result in the purification of the S. D. A. church via the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9. While the former was clearly ordered by God and can be demonstrated from scripture, the latter was a classic example of time setting that inspiration warns us about and resulted in a “knock-out blow” for Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. Unfortunately, in a story that is rarely covered, Florence Houteff’s failed prophecy was solely of her own private interpretation and cannot be found in the original writings of the Shepherd’s Rod message nor attributed to its author, Victor Houteff in any way.

“The preaching of a definite time for the judgment, in the giving of the first message, was ordered by God. The computation of the prophetic periods on which that message was based, placing the close of the 2300 days in the autumn of 1844, stands without impeachment. The repeated efforts to find new dates for the beginning and close of the prophetic periods, and the unsound reasoning necessary to sustain these positions, not only lead minds away from the present truth, but throw contempt upon all efforts to explain the prophecies. The more frequently a definite time is set for the second advent, and the more widely it is taught, the better it suits the purposes of Satan. After the time has passed, he excites ridicule and contempt of its advocates, and thus casts reproach upon the great advent movement of 1843 and 1844.”–Great Controversy, p. 457

Despite all of this publicity which sadly brings a reproach upon otherwise honest Christian’s expectations of the soon return of Christ and the end of the world, what has been the official response of the Seventh-day Adventist church to this recent situation?  As a body of believers one of our most most basic tenants of faith is based on the soon advent of Christ in the clouds of glory to bring an end the reign of sin and this world’s endless pain, sorrow, and suffering. Adventist News Network issued a reply from the church leadership which can best described as rather tepid. Aside from the mention of  ”that day and hour knoweth no man” (Matt. 24:36), no thorough answer was given from the Holy Bible, much less the Spirit of Prophecy to explain why such expectations coming from Mr. Camping can be soundly rejected since they do not harmonize with scripture. Perhaps, the Adventist understanding of this verse is not as well anchored on the solid rock of truth as once thought and cannot withstand close inspection that proves that this verse is indeed speaking of the visible second advent of Christ.  Could it be that the coming spoken of Matthew 24:36 has a parallel with the experience of the 10 virgins and that this coming is not the second advent as most Adventist believe, but rather an unexpected coming of Christ to carry forth the work of the judgment of the living, a cleansing of the earthy sanctuary prior to the outpouring the Holy Spirit and the gathering of second fruits of the harvest during the Loud Cry?

Yes, it is true that the “secret rapture” doctrine promoted by Harold Camping and the host of evangelical Christianity does not have a solid foundation in scripture as most Seventh-day Adventists understand, but could it be that the long hoped for “rapture” of the saints to heaven at the visible second advent is not according the common Adventist expectation either? Do we really believe that we and the angels of God will never know the day and hour of Jesus coming? What about the inspired comment found in Early Writings, p.  285 which plainly states that God will speak the day and hour of Jesus coming to the expectant saints? How do we explain these things to the world?  Rather that shy away from the somewhat uncomfortable situation this publicity brings upon the Seventh-day Adventist church, perhaps our greatest need is to return to our Bibles and seek for God’s answer through His chosen messengers that will clear away the clouds of confusion and provide for us a more sure word of prophecy that we can answer any man a reason of the hope that is within us with meekness and fear.  Thus, an earnest appeal is offered to all Seventh-day Adventists to come up to the table and hear what the Shepherd’s Rod has to say about the unexpected coming in Matt. 24:36 that will clear away all doubts and give us more confidence that God is indeed leading a people upward on the platform of advanced knowledge of His Word in order to prepare the saints the stand in the great and dreadful day that is just before us.  Please download the attached PDF document which has a compilation of statements from the original Shepherd’s Rod message that will truly enrich the soul and bless beyond comparison.

The Shepherd’s Rod Speaks on the Unexpected coming in Matthew 24:36

“On Friday February 18, 2011, Three Angels Broadcasting Network hosted an intensive, three-day Bible symposium focusing on the “seven trumpets” of Revelation 8, 9, and 10. A number of Seventh-day Adventist Bible scholars, evangelists, pastors, lay Bible students, and 3ABN pastoral staff gathered in Studio B for this event, which was the brainchild of 3ABN program development director, Shelley Quinn. The idea grew out of concerns that she and production manager, C. A. Murray, shared with vice president, Mollie Steenson, regarding views on the trumpets that had aired on 3ABN.”

One my ask what was the outcome of this important gathering, did our leading brethren come to a clearer understanding of God’s word? Though carefully worded, it was evident that there were many different opinions voiced and no clear consensus reached. This would be expected when private uninspired opinions are brought to the front without a realization that the church’s greatest need is to humble herself and acknowledge that she needs an inspired revelation to understand this portion of the book of Revelation.  Interestingly, a divinely inspired commentary of this very topic of the 7 trumpets has been in the church for over 75 years since its first publication in a tract entitled “Final Warning” as part of the Shepherd’s Rod tract series of publications. Despite the fact that the majority of the church fails to recognize its need for inspired interpretations of scripture and is content to follow the opinions of the leading men, there are those who recognize their need for more light from God’s Word and take up the challenge to investigate the Rod for themselves and are blessed beyond measure and find that it is the “meat in due season the flock needs now”.  Below please find a copy of the original text on this most important subject of the 7 trumpets.

“Ever since John recorded this imposing symbolization, church history has repeatedly throughout her pages had to make the entry that every attempt made to unlock its mystery has but resulted the more in barricading it with mysticism and confusion. It is necessary, therefore, in clearing the mysticism, first of all to find

The Reason for the Confusion.

The very fact that nineteen centuries of prying at the subject to open it up has only made it the more impenetrable, is the strongest possible evidence that God controls the Scriptures and reveals Them only at the divinely appointed time. The truth of this statement is conclusively substantiated by the angel’s words: “I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your Prince.” Dan. 10:21.

And “when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come,” says Christ, in broader statement of this same truth, “He will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13.

Having been put forth prematurely and without the prompting of the Spirit of Truth, human efforts have accordingly failed to discover and explain the truth of “the trumpets.” And no scripture ever being unfolded without Inspiration, the expositions of uninspired minds are hence of private interpretation, in forewarning of which the Bible says: “. . . no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Pet. 1:20.

So before a person can climb the ladder of Truth, he must first of all free himself from erroneous theories, which keep him bound in darkness. And to loose himself from such weights of error so as to reach the top step of the ladder of Truth, he must carefully investigate and “prove all things” in

Open-Mindedness.

“Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions; but, with a mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as you read, conviction comes, and you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the Word, do not try to make the Word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit the Word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding.”—Messages to Young People, p. 260.

This prime necessity urgently confronts those who have been disposed to accept, as unquestionable Bible truths, theories which are the results of

Adding To and Taking From the Scriptures.

Any explanation of a prophecy which adds to or takes from any part of relevant scripture in order to harmonize the interpretation, can only be false. When the Spirit of God interprets the Scriptures, He does not in any way need to alter any part of Them in order to make the explanation fit that which is being unfolded. When, moreover, the true interpretation of a prophecy is made, it always contains a lesson of present truth “adapted to the necessities of God’s people” (The Great Controversy, p. 609) at the time the scripture is revealed.” (excerpt from Tract No. 5, Final Warning, pp. 4-7, for the complete text please click the link.)

A recent article in the Washington Post has brought into the open the hypocritical stand of the Seventh-day Adventist church in remaining silent against the practice of abortion while its large worldwide network of 170 hospitals and clinics allows elective abortions. What is singularly tragic in this strange paradox is the efforts of the church leadership, most notably the pastor/evangelist Kevin Paulsen, to defend this heinous practice. Predictably, as sincere Adventists are awaking to this shocking reality that has been going on behind the scenes since the 1970′s, individuals and independent ministries are rising to protest Paulsen and the church stand on this issue.

An underlying development in this controversy which is not being widely publicized has to do with the corporate Seventh-day Adventist church’s use of its trademarked names (Seventh-day Adventist, Adventist, etc.) to silence voices of dissent. In particular, the Washington Post article published on January 24, 2011, the 38th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion in the United States, had a number of links that mysteriously went dead shortly after the article was published. These links were to some historical research by George B. Gainer demonstrating the shifting stand of the church leadership over the issue of abortion practices in its hospitals and a vigorous discussion amongst concerned Adventist believers on a Facebook page named “Adventists for Life”. The most alarming aspect to this story posted on the blogs Big Blue Wave and Lets Focus on Life revealed that the Seventh-day Adventist church leadership went to Facebook and had them shut down the Adventists for Life discussion page claiming it was an unauthorized use of the SDA brand name and a “copyright infringement”! According to the Blue Wave blog owner . . .

Mark Price, a Canadian SDA’er who was in charge of the page, alerted the 600 members of the group that he’d been silenced. “The Adventists For Life group is not an organization but an informal gathering of Seventh Day Adventists who are pro-life,” he wrote me. “I am very concerned, as you are, about this kind of power that the Adventist leadership have to shut people up.”

All Seventh-day Adventists should be deeply concerned about these developments and should raise questions about this hypocrisy for the church leadership to use its trademarked name to silence the voice of dissent from among its very own members while claiming to be champions of religious liberty for the rest of the world.  If this trend goes unchecked then who will be able to call sin by its right name without being muzzled like an ox? A strange inconsistency indeed.

Here is a link to a historical review on where the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist church stood on abortion.

FIRST REPORT OF

UN-ADVENTIST ACTIVITIES

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

This is the complete summary of our findings while probing The Shepherd’s Rod infiltration and activities in our churches, also the opinions of men who study and think for themselves, be they wrong or be they right.

Soon after our committee’s work began all of us became convinced that there are more Rodists in our churches than it actually appears and that many others could in one way or another be considered at least sympathizers. This will be seen from the rebuke which we faced everywhere we went. We were confronted with talk backed by references such as the following:

Many of our deep thinking men said, “The successful Rod infiltration is due to our manner of dealing with Its adherers.” They said, “It is because we have injudiciously made our teachings appear inconsistent and our dealings unfair so as to create doubts of our sincerity. Having always protested against those who thought it wise to cast out from among their midst those whom they thought were in error, and now ourselves doing the same as they did is not helping our people. The laity,” they said, “are therefore losing confidence in the leading men.”

Others said, “The Rod’s success is due to our neglecting strictly to abide by the Lord’s command, to let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest; that our saying the harvest is not yet come makes us liars as long as we continue casting out the Rod tares.” Still others thought that our casting out the Rods is nothing short of usurping the angel’s place, that this is no small sin and we are paying for it. A number of them read to us, and others quoted the following:

“. . . The Lord forbids us to proceed in any violent way against those whom we think erring, and we are not to deal out excommunications and denunciations to those who are faulty.’’—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 47.

“. . . The work of separation is given to the angels of God, and not committed into the hands of any man.”—lbid.

[Read more →]

With the Seventh-day Adventist church today essentially giving full sanction to the observance of the pagan institution of Christmas as evidenced by the above screen shot from the church’s flagship website one wonders what to think about this steady retreating towards the world and its customs. Also note the tragic attempt by the church leadership to justify giving heed to this unbiblical tradition as evidenced in a recent article published at Adventist News Network which resorts to some drastic historical revisionism in an attempt to side-step the pagan origins of Christmas. Please notice the promotion for “Revival and Reformation” on the very same webpage. Is not this Christmas custom something that we need to revive and reform in our own homes and churches? Let us come up with the help of the Lord and see what inspiration has to say about this practice and follow what God’s Word instructs us.

What About Christmas?

Question No. 203:

“Do not the ‘Testimonies for the Church’ sanction the observance of Christmas?”

Answer:

As the Testimonies regard Christmas as a heathen custom, passed on to the people in a charming Christian disguise, our greatest concern should be, not merely as to whether the Testimonies sanction the observance of Christmas, but as to whether the custom is Christian or heathen, and as to whether our observance of it would be honorable to Christ, profitable to His followers, and acceptable to God. Let God Himself answer the question:

“Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe: They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” Jer. 10:1-5.

Thus has God warned the church against the customs of the heathen.

Moreover, to multitudes of infidel Christmas revelers, Christ means little if any more than does a common man, and to still other multitudes, His birthday means not half so much as does the birthday of any other man in honor of whom there is observed a holiday.

Furthermore, one of Christmas’ greatest evils is the exchanging of gifts—a sin-breeding custom which is not only jealousy-creating, but is also either pocket or heart-breaking. The results are that while it goads one multitude to display of pride, and lures them into debauchery and immorality, there is another multitude of un-fortunates whom it drives to envy or discouragement, or to both, even to the point of committing suicide.

Still further, as the whole Christmas observance is a specie of heathen worship that is demoralizing the nations, let the Lord’s servants shun its pretentious spirit and spurious humanitarianism by not exchanging gifts.

“Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. For the pastors are become brutish, aud have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.” Jer. 10:7, 15, 21.–Symbolic Code, Vol. 5, Nos. 6-12, p. 9.

(See also: Tract No. 13, Christ’s Greetings)

Righteousness By Faith.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1.

Righteousness by faith is, therefore, the doing of deeds which only in faith bear the evidence of righteousness,—the substance sustaining the hope of something which does not now appear. For example, if, like Abraham, we do without delay all that God has revealed to us, even though we see ourselves unrighteous as did Isaiah when he saw the Lord (Isa. 6:5), then the moment we repent of, and forsake, our evil deeds, we accept, by faith, the unseen reality that the Lord has cleansed us from them. At that moment, we stand, in His sight, not in ours, “as white as snow.” Isa. 1:18. This does not mean, however, that we now count ourselves to have reached perfection, and that we are no longer subject to sin, “for a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again.” Prov. 24:16.

To illustrate: there are a man, woman, boy, and girl, who are always well-dressed and immaculately clean. Not that their clothes do not stain, nor ever wear out; they naturally do. That is something that cannot be avoided. Nevertheless, these persons always keep themselves spotless and clean. But how do they do it?—By simple, ceaseless care: they bathe as often as necessary, wash their clothes as soon as they begin to soil, and mend or replace them without delay. In like manner is the Christian’s faith kept intact. He studies the Word of God, complies with all its requirements, repents as often as he sins, and arises and keeps in the race. And if he makes a mistake, he immediately corrects it. [Read more →]