Whether you read it from a book or hear it from
the man himself, the story of how David Koresh’s Branch Davidians came to be is
an extensive and complex one. It all started with Victor Houteff, a man who was
basically kicked out of a L.A. Seventh-day Adventist church for sharing “abnormal
views” with other members of the church. In response to the expulsion, Houteff,
a self-proclaimed messenger of God, consolidated his “abnormal views” and shared
them with the public in his first two books: The Shepherd’s Rod Vol. 1 and
Vol. 2. Both of these books served as the basis of his theology, which
is how the first title of the group- Shepherd’s Rod Seventh-day Adventists-
came to be. Even though Houteff’s group attempted for years to stay united with
the original branch, in 1942 Houteff made the decision to cut off completely from the main sect by assembling
the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists Association. The name Davidian coming
from Houteff’s belief that he was the antitypical David (an antitype being the
future of a foreshadowing). When Houteff died in 1955 the responsibility of
prophetic leadership went to his wife Florence.
Florence had called for the most faithful of the Davidians to amass at Mt. Carmel throughout the week of April 16-22 in 1959. According to her, the 22 of April would not only be the end of the twelve-hundred and sixty days mentioned in Revelation Eleven, but also the start of the judgments listed in Ezekiel Chapter Nine. In response, over a thousand “true believers” sold all of their assets, donated their money to the church and assembled at Mt. Carmel, only to see the prophesied day come and go. The aftermath of this unsuccessful prophecy was the disenchantment of many followers and by the late 1930s Houteff’s original group had ceased to exist.
Vernon Howell (later changed to David Koresh) arrived at the Branch Davidian compound in 1981 and was well-liked by nearly everyone except George Roden, who believed himself to be a divinely chosen auger of God who would deliver the message of the apocalyptic seventh angel. The compound was thick with tension due to the rivalry between Roden and Howell until Howell abruptly left the compound and settled down over in Palestine, Texas where he had later been joined by other Branch Davidians whom had been forced out of the compound by Roden. Roden was given a 6-month jail term for filing a legal brief in which he threatened to call AIDS upon the justices of the Texas State Supreme Court. As Roden was serving time, Howell and his followers took over the Branch Davidian compound
Florence had called for the most faithful of the Davidians to amass at Mt. Carmel throughout the week of April 16-22 in 1959. According to her, the 22 of April would not only be the end of the twelve-hundred and sixty days mentioned in Revelation Eleven, but also the start of the judgments listed in Ezekiel Chapter Nine. In response, over a thousand “true believers” sold all of their assets, donated their money to the church and assembled at Mt. Carmel, only to see the prophesied day come and go. The aftermath of this unsuccessful prophecy was the disenchantment of many followers and by the late 1930s Houteff’s original group had ceased to exist.
Vernon Howell (later changed to David Koresh) arrived at the Branch Davidian compound in 1981 and was well-liked by nearly everyone except George Roden, who believed himself to be a divinely chosen auger of God who would deliver the message of the apocalyptic seventh angel. The compound was thick with tension due to the rivalry between Roden and Howell until Howell abruptly left the compound and settled down over in Palestine, Texas where he had later been joined by other Branch Davidians whom had been forced out of the compound by Roden. Roden was given a 6-month jail term for filing a legal brief in which he threatened to call AIDS upon the justices of the Texas State Supreme Court. As Roden was serving time, Howell and his followers took over the Branch Davidian compound