December 8, 1959
Dear fellow believer,
This special appeal is sent out to urge you to, first, seriously consider your position before God and the position of Mt. Carmel since last spring’s disappointment. Secondly, seriously and candidly weigh the evidence in this special appeal. Ever remember that it is only after a thorough investigation of a message that one can honestly say it is false.
I realize that you have been prejudiced against The Branch by the Mt. Carmel leaders, whether you realize it or not, the same as our SDA Brethren were against the Shepherd’s Rod. History of the gospel is being repeated, for, when a message comes, the majority listen to the leadership and fail to investigate for themselves. When Christ came the leadership – the Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees – were chief among those who said, “We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.” John 9:29.
The truth of the matter is the Jews did not accept all of Moses’ writings, or else they would have recognized and accepted Christ. Our prayer is, Brother, Sister, that you will not let Mt. Carmel leaders confuse you with modern Moses’ writings – The Shepherd’s Rod, which prophesies of The Branch.
“Always man’s greatest test, and one which has ever involved almost an instantaneous decision, has been in the unrolling of the scroll – in the eclipse of a past message by a new one, – present truth.” 3Tr 9:1.
You say that Brother Houteff was a type of Joshua, not Moses, and Sr. White was the type of Moses. To this we say, “…hear ye the rod.” Micah 6:9 “Plain it is, therefore, that the birth of Moses, the hope of ancient Israel, finds its counterpart in the birth of the First Testimony, the hope of modern Israel.” 1SR ped, 68.
The writings of Mrs. E. G. White are a counterpart of the first 40 years of Moses’ life, beginning with his birth. The first Testimony was published in 1850. The second 40 years of Moses’ life was spent herding sheep which coincides with SDA’s wondering in the wilderness from 1890 to 1930. (1 SR ped, 68) After 40 years of herding sheep, Moses was sent back to Egypt to deliver ancient Israel. This coincides with the publishing of the Shepherd’s Rod Volume 1 in 1930. (1 SR ped, 69:2) Here Bro. Houteff shows that the church starts on its second period of wandering in the wilderness which is from 1930 until the Kingdom. Just as ancient Israel wandered in the wilderness with ancient Moses, so modern Israel wanders in the wilderness with the antitypical Moses, the Shepherd’s Rod. Ancient Moses with the shepherd’s rod died on the border of the Kingdom and modern Moses with the Shepherd’s Rod died just before modern Israel is delivered into the Kingdom. Type and antitype are convincing. Here is the statement:
“Purporting to be the ANTITYPE of the first exodus, The Shepherd’s Rod takes its name from Moses’ rod.” 1 SR ped. 6.
This statement from the pen of the author of the Shepherd’s Rod shows conclusively that Bro. Houteff and his work are an antitype of Moses and his work. If we can depend on type and antitype to teach the truth, (2 SR 10:2; 153:0; 255:2; 266:5) the honest are forced to conclude that VT Houteff with the Rod, instead of Sr. White with the Testimonies, would be the antitype of ancient Moses with the rod.
Therefore, the weight of evidence is on the side that proves Bro. Houteff is NOT the antitype of the Joshua who led ancient Israel into Canaan. Hence, if God’s people are to reach Canaan’s land today through an inspired leader, they must look for the Joshua who is Heaven’s appointed leader, (1 TGr 8:26:3)
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and no longer look to antiypical Moses and the grave.
Question – Is Bro. Houteff and The Shepherd’s Rod to set up the Kingdom? For the answer we say, “Hear ye the rod” Micah 6:9. Says God’s servant, “…I cannot say that I have a sufficient knowledge of the Bible to carry me clear inside the pearly gates.” 1 TGr 13:8:0.
“…futile it is to make yourselves believe that a leader can keep on leading and take you further after he is dead and buried. He cannot do good neither can he do evil. God’s advice to you is that you learn not the ways of the heathen, but that you know that the dead are dead….
“Shintoism, you now see, is nothing less than refusing to advance beyond the light of the dead prophets. Nothing less than making the dead prophets God’s last word.” 2 TG 26:24 unrevised.
Since Bro. Houteff has told us that he is not the one to lead us home, the next question poses itself. Is Mt. Carmel as a group of ministers without the prophetic gift to lead us into the Promised Land? (“they do not claim the gift of interpretative Inspiration” Report and Analysis of the G.C. Committee’s Hearing of the S. Rod, p. 39:0). The answer to this question is from the Lord’s servant. “…And there is no doubt that since the church from creation till today has been led and preserved by a prophet, she (including Mt. Carmel) can continue in no other way from here on.” 2 TGr 26:25. Since antitypical Moses (VTH) is in the grave, we must look for another Inspired one – an antitypical Joshua.
For further proof Sr. White shows three sealing truths for the 144,000. (EW 15:1) (1) The Sabbath and Sanctuary, the third Angel’s Message by Sr. White (2) New Jerusalem – The Kingdom message by Bro. Houteff (3) Jesus’ new name – The Branch. An identical statement in meaning is found in 1 SR 32:2. (1) Period proclaiming the true Sabbath Rev. 14:6-11 by Sr. White (2) Sealing of 144,000, Rev. 7:1-8 by Bro. Houteff (3) The Loud Cry, Jesus new name – Branch – Rev. 18:1.
After studying and weighing the evidence of this letter, we may be sure that the honest will say with the wise from many parts of the U.S. and foreign lands that the evidence is overwhelmingly plain that the Shepherd’s Rod message and movement is number two and not number three. Since God’s word demands that we follow present truth – number three – we, the honest, resolve to no longer be mislead by the leadership of #1 or #2, but will, with John, say, “Once I was blind, but now I see.” Hence, we are constrained by the love of Christ to follow God’s Voice and accept Jesus’ New Name, #3.
Says Inspiration, “The True Witness says, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.’ Rev. 3:20. Every warning, reproof, and entreaty in the word of God or through His messengers is a knock at the door of the heart. It is the voice of Jesus asking for entrance. With every knock unheeded, the disposition to open becomes weaker. The impressions of the Holy Spirit if disregarded TODAY, will not be as strong tomorrow. The heart becomes less impressible, and lapses into a PERILOUS unconsciousness of the shortness of life, and of the great eternity beyond. Our CONDEMNATION in the JUDGMENT will not result from the fact we have been in ERROR, but from the FACT that we have NEGLECTED HEAVEN – SENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING WHAT IS TRUTH.” D.A. 489-0.
Dear Brother, Sister, will you hear Heaven’s knock and open your hearts door to this Message of Him whose name is the BRANCH – Christ?
BENJAMIN RODEN
