PURPOSE: To reveal when and what the fountain is, and the river that flows from it.
INTRODUCTION:
1SM 181 -“Let the plain, simple statements of the Word of God be food for the mind: this speculating upon ideas that are not clearly presented there is dangerous business.”
Also see GC 587 / 1TG 5:14/2TG 46:43/3SC 3, 4:13. We should not follow implications, additions, and subtractions. We must be in the middle of the road – following what is written. We need to keep to the writer’s point of view, and we should teach “according to its context.”
THE FOUNTAIN – ZECH 13
A fountain is the source of a river. Since the River of Ezek. 47 starts from the fountain of Zech. 13:1 (CH 210 / 6T.227), we should start studying about the fountain first.
ZECH 13:1 – “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”
The fountain is opened to the House of David. According to Zech. 12:1-14, the House of David has to be gathered at Jerusalem first, then the fountain is opened to them in Jerusalem.
ZECH 12:10 – 14 /ZECH 13:1 –There are 7 events, one following another (according to 1TG 18); the last of which is the great mourning at Jerusalem: “To find the time in which the mourning takes place, it is necessary that we go further back into the twelfth chapter (of Zech.)…Thus one event is contingent upon another, one following the other, the last of which in this chapter is the great mourning in Jerusalem. In the day of this event of mourning, therefore, the fountain for sin and for uncleanness is opened. Let us now connect Zechariah 13:1 with verse 2” – ITG 18:13, 14. Also see 2TG 44:48/ 8Tract 18/ 2SR
290. QUESTION: To those who try to teach that the Fountain opened in California in 1929 (Salem and Mountaindale Associations): Was there any great mourning in 1929 in California? A big NO!
(a) ZECH 13:2 – “Two things now stand out clearly in these verses: (1) that the House of David must come into existence before the cleansing fountain is opened; (2) that the cleansing begins with cutting off the names of the idols, and throwing out of the land the false prophets and the unclean spirits…These scriptures (Isa 13:9-15 /Zech 1:12 – 18 in connection with Zech 12:1-14 / Zech 13:1) are self-explanatory, and they make the subject as clear as crystal: AS SOON AS THE HOUSE OF DAVID IS SET UP, AS SOON AS THE FIRST FRUITS REACH MT. ZION AND THERE STAND WITH THE LAMB, CLEANSING FOUTAIN WILL BE OPENED” – ITG 18:20
(i) It is opened in the day of cutting off the names, not the bodies of those idols. The cutting of their bodies and of their names is not done at the same time. Their bodies are cut off in the earthly sanctuary –as the slaughter of Ezek 9 and their names are cut off from the Book of Life in the heavenly sanctuary after Ezek 9. “The Judgement of the Living on earth commences with Ezek 9, but in ehaven (in the books) after Ezek 9. The Judgement of the Living is in two phases. The first phase is a separation that takes away the wicked from among the righteous, Ezek 9. The second phase is the book work…This second phase, the judicial session in heaven, is what commences after Ezekiel 9. We can, however, say that the slaughter of Ezek 9 is what marks the Judgement passing from the dead to the living – 12SC 3:19, 20.
This proves the fountain, is opened after Ezek 9. There is no evidence from the Bible or SRod that it is opened twice or one at a time, neither is it the Blood of Christ – which was shed for all world, not only for the House of David.
(ii) 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.” 2SR 290. The time the SDA church changes the name from “SDA” to “House of David” is after the slaughter of Ezekiel 9 (Isa 62:2 /Isa65:10,12,15). “…then Ezekiel’s description of the mystic temple (chapters 40-47) which is yet to be built” – ITG 13:6. The name or the building of the House of David did not start in 1844 or 1930. The SDA church is still called SDA and this Assn is not a church on its own (though it is “provisionally known as Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association” – (LD 3) – and is not free from
tares! “Only those who survive the Judgement of the Living, in the House of God (1 Peter 4:17)…the ones who escape alive from the Judgement of the Living in the House of God. Thus the antitypical temple is to be built (Ezekiel chapters 40-43) and the cities are to be spread abroad.” (ITG 11:11). The House of David is here said to begin to be built by those who escape alive the slaughter of Ezekiel 9 – then the cities of the Kingdom in Palestine are to be built! Therefore, the SDA church can only become the House of David after it passes through the slaughter – and those who survive it – the 144 000, as a foundation of the Kingdom – the stone of Dan 2 and Zech 12:3 – begins the House of David period – the Loud Cry period. The House of David, therefore has no tares in it (2TG 44:48), therefore, it can only exist after Ezek 9.
(i) 2TG 44:48 (Commenting on Zech 12 and 13) – “The revival and reformation herein presented – mourning and heart searching caused by appreciativeness of God’s great mercy and goodness shall be in the day the governors of Judah say, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength; in the day the Lord makes even the most feeble among them as David, and the house of David as God, as the angel of the Lord. When this thorough reformation takes place then the cleansing fountain shall be opened to the whole house of David. In that day the wicked shall be cut off and kept out of the house of David….”
(ii) ITG 10:26 – “At the time Jerusalem, the city of the saints, is to become a burdensome stone for all the people of the earth. That is, they will hate the city and its inhabitants and will attempt to take it, but instead they will be cut in pieces; for the Lord will defend His people….And the house of David – the Kingdom that is to be set up, which is but the church purified, no sinners among them (Isa 52:1), shall be as the angel of the Lord before the people.”
(c) What is the Fountain? Why for sin first then uncleanness?
Fountain = “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” – 2SR 291. Sin causes sickness. Therefore before sickness (the effect) can be eradicated, sin (the cause) must be. The fountain is opened to cleanse both at the same time – all at Jerusalem. If the fountain was opened in 1929 to cleanse sin, why are believers still falling sick and dying in Salem and Mountaindale Associations? To claim that the fountain is opened twice, one in 1930 and some other time, other than the only one time indicated by the Rod, is adding to the work of inspiration.
“The typical wave-loaves, which signified the completion of the first fruit harvest (Lev. 23:17), were baken with leaven to symbolize that the sins were not blotted out at the time the ‘servants of our God’ were sealed. Hence the investigative judgement for the living (blotting out the sins) will begin after the sealing of the 144 000 (the spiritual wave- loaves), and after the outpouring of the Spirit.” Tract 3 Supplement p. 15.
(d) What cleanses us today if not the fountain?
ISM 367 / 2Ans 34 / 2TG 42:36/2TG 23:7 – 12 – it is righteousness by Faith not a self-attained righteousness, but an accounted one – i.e. credited to our account, if we are striving to sign and cry.
2. THE RIVER OF EZEKIEL 47
(a) ZECH 13:1 /6T. 227/CH 210 – The River of Ezek 47 flows from the fountain of Zech 13. The fountain has been proved by inspiration that it is opened after Ezek 9 slaughter, therefore the river from the fountain can only start to flow out, only once, after the slaughter also! Now, today – how can we build HQs on a river which is not yet there!.
(b) EZEK 47:1-2,8 /2SR 292:0 – The stress here is on the direction not the meaning of water, because 2SR 295:0-2 has fully given us the meaning of water, Rev.17-15 –people (verse 8
/ 1SR 128 /1SR p84-87), should the water be taken to mean message what dirt is in it that need healing (correction!).
(c) VERSES 3-6 – Eastward – 2SR 297: 0-2 – is only quoted here to liken the direction of the River to the movement of the message, but does not say the fountain was opened in California. The fountain is to be opened to the House of David at Jerusalem after the survivors reach there and cry the great mourning at the very Jerusalem! There was no House of David, 144 000 or a great mourning in California in 1929! The reason for moving the HQs from California to Waco, Texas was not to follow a river (but only to liken it to that future direction of the river) but to be centrally located 1SC 10:3 /3SC 11,12:3. The meaning of East is idolatry, Sunday worship, which must be opposed in the Loud Cry period. The meaning of 4 times measurements is universality going to the four corners of the earth, after first starting eastward.
NOTE: After V. T. Houteff’s death (1955), his wife allegedly assumed the leadership of the Association – but sold off the place of Mt. Carmel, in Waco (to Pentecost Church) and buy another piece at Elk, 25 miles west of Waco. This is where she made a false prediction of Ezek 9 that it is to take place in 1959, but the prediction failed – she was disappointed and led her Council to reject the message and to close the Association, then that Elk place was taken over by the Branch Davidians – under the Rhodens and later by David Koresh.
In 1961, the true Davidians reorganised themselves in California and registered the Association there in 1963. But in 1970 a Don Adair’s Council (not session) shifted the HQs from California to Salem, South Carolina. Don started teaching theories on Ezekiel 47 and HQs, and the majority of the Council that shifted the HQs left him there. They went back to re-open the Association in California, with the same 1963 registration. In 1981-83 was another trouble at Salem. Adair yet taught that those in the chariot of Zech 6, are Laodeceans and Davidian blacks who cannot be of Israel, cannot be sealed among the 144 000 – therefore should not be chosen Vice President of the Association! Another division took place – the blacks left for New York, then Mountaindale. In 1987 – 88, the Yucaipa (California) and Mountaindale Associations merged – and at the same time the Pentecost Church at old Mt. Carmel agreed to sell back the Waco Mt. Carmel Centre to the Davidians! Though Br. A. Hilbert of M’dale tried to block the move back to Waco by resurrecting the Don Adair theory on Ezek 47, which he himself had opposed in his past! However, the majority went back to Waco in 1991, and the place is once more open for work after 30 years of wanderings – the end of the “knock-out blow” (White House Recruiter p.33).
(d) Verses 8-9 – east country or desert = land of idolatry, the fallen world, Babylon, where the woman rules. It is outside the vineyard or kingdom – which that time will be, in Palestine. The Sea – EW 39 = 40 = eternal beings – nations of the unfallen (other) worlds.
(e) Verse 10 – 2SR 295 – 296 – These waters, as we have already seen are God’s people – who in them is His life – saving message – under the Pentecostal power (Joel 2:28).
Fish – Mark 1:17 = the converts to their message – the Great Multitude. Engedi / Eneglaim
– 2SR 298 – are locations on the stream and river. The main point here is to show where the two fruits originate from: the stream or 1st fruits, from Engedi = SDA. And the 2nd fruits, from Eneglaim = the world. “Engedi (SDA church) where the 144 000 are gathered …The diagram on the chart, page 294, represents the SDA church (Engedi) as it becomes the ‘House of David.’ – 2SR 298. It is the 144 000 (not a mixture of wheat and tares or as Laodicea and Davidian) who start the House of David period – i.e. after they escape the slaughter according to ITG 11:11. Therefore, the time the SDA becomes the House of David is not 1929 to date, but after Ezek 9 slaughter. The 144 000 are said to be “from the SDA Church, and Great Multitude “gathered” from the world. Gather = Harvest. Harvest = Judgement of the Living, which brings the two fruits:
“We are not in the seventh seal; the half hour silence is yet future…The judgement of the Living on earth commences with Ezekiel 9, but in heaven (in the books) after Ezekiel 9. The Judgement of the Living is in two phases: The first phase is a separation that takes away the wicked from among the righteous, Ezekiel 9. The second phase is the book work…This second phase, the judicial session in heaven, is what commences after Ezekiel 9. The trumpet is even now blowing, but as yet, the day has not been announced. We can, however, say that the slaughter of Ezekiel 9 is what marks the judgement passing from the dead to the living. Regarding the judgement, although the message of the Shepherd’s Rod does announce the judgement of the Living a number of times, yet according to The Answer, Book No. 2, pp. 38-42, we are still in the time of the Judgement of the Dead” 12SC 3:19-21.
If this is the case, how can we have a 144 000, a House of David, a fountain opened to them
– before Ezekiel 9 slaughter? Impossible! It is time to believe and teach only the pure Rod.
(f) Verse 11. 2SR 297:3 – These unhealed waters, people, isolated from the river can only be the unbelieving, unconverted sects – Revelation 9:20-21, who choose to remain in the idolatry of Babylon with the Mark of the Beast – despite the Loud Cry message!
(g) Verse 7, 12: 2SR 295:3 – 296:1 – These trees symbolise leaders or “the Ministry of the House of David” 2SR 295:0 – the ministry of the Loud Cry period = 144 000. They are similar to the Tree of Life (Rev 22:2) because of the power given to them to impart eternal life – making the: “the House of David …like God” Zech 12:8.
NOTE:
1. The fountain is opened only to the House of David, the 144 000 only, after they have reached Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, after they have survived the slaughter of Ezekiel 9. The House of David is the new name of the purified SDA church, in the Loud Cry period. The fountain is God’s power from His Throne, which can heal both sin and its effect – sickness.
This power is first given to the House of David, the 144 000, who, as “trees” in turn impart eternal healing to the Great Multitude in the Loud Cry period.
2. The stream from the fountain is the 144 000 and the River is the Great Multitude. This river (people with saving message) passes through Babylon (desert) to bring life and salvation to those willing to be converted and be saved.
This study is important. It is important to teach only the truth. All those who teach theories, additions, subtractions and implications, will not be sealed – because they will not endure to the end. (See ITG 7:7-8, 12-13 /2TG 46:43 ,44). This shows that not all Davidian Associations will be sealed because each is following some wrong theories – including those on HQs. God has only one movement and one HQs at a time! (See 2SR 125, 225).