David Koresh's Seven Seals Teaching
James Trimm
David Koresh taught that there had been various gospels throughout time (Seven Seals Manuscript,
p. 6, Koresh). He also taught that the Spirit or Mind of God had been
offered to man at various times in various ways. One of these was the
giving of prophets which comprise the Old Testament
(Livingstone Fagan Interview, 7-24-93, pp. 17-18). (This is seen as being pictured in Ezekiel 2:9-3:7).
When God's offering of the Spirit was rejected, another expression of the Thought or Spirit was given in the flesh as Jesus Christ (Ibid., p. 10). Jesus
is seen making this offer in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 where the keys are
seen as "binding or loosing" the seven seals. Koresh taught that when
Jesus Christ was rejected another plan of salvation due to man's
ignorance was enacted when Christ said "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) (Ibid., pp. 15, 17-19). After making this statement, that Spirit which Jesus Christ offered was commended into the hands of the Father (Luke 23:46) (Ibid., p. 8).
Based on 1 Peter 1:305, David Koresh taught, that in the last days another new plan of salvation would be revealed (Seven Seals Manuscript, p. 6).
Since the Spirit, or Mind of God which was offered to man had been commended to the hands
of the Father, then it must be asked, what is in the Fathers hands? In
Revelation 5:1 the Father has a book sealed with seven seals in his
right hand, so this must be that same Mind of God (Fagan Interview,
pp. 8, 10). Koresh believed that it was significant that Christ/the
Lamb in the Heavenly Sanctuary was able to do something at the right
hand of the throne because of his having been slain (Revelation 5;
Hebrews 8 and 9). In Revelation 5 he is opening the seals, and in
Hebrews 8 and 9 he is becoming mediator of the New Covenant, thus the
New Covenant, Koresh taught, is a newly revealed plan of salvation as
the Mind of God is offered to man through the Seven Seals (Seven Seals Manuscript, p. 6).
According to Koresh, when the Lamb comes he comes with his "reward" (Revelation 22:12) not our
reward. This reward is the Lamb's reward - what the Lamb was worthy of
for having been slain. It is the only reward the Lamb receives in
Revelation and is, according to Koresh, the Seven Sealed book (based on
Revelation 5).
Koresh further supports these claims with Isaiah 40:10 and and 62:11 (Fagan Interview,
pp. 9; 30; Second KRLD announcement; 58 min. message). Now according to
Koresh, based on Revelation 10:7, his seventh angels message is the
contents of this sealed book (see Revelation 10 inclusive) (30 second
KRLD announcement; "Divided We Stand - Divided We Fall," by David
Koresh). And since only the Lamb can open these seals (Revelation 5) and
it is the Lamb who brings his reward (Revelation 22:12) Koresh must be
the Lamb (Fagan Interview, pp. 11, 22).
The First Seal
The
first seal (Revelation 6:1-2) according to Koresh, is The Marriage of
the Lamb. Koresh said the key to this seal is Psalm 45 and is the same
event as Revelation 19. Koresh taught that this seal depicts the
marriage of the Lamb to the Holy Spirit ("Eden to Eden," Seven Seals Manuscript). He derived this concept from the teachings of his predecessors.
Lois
Roden taught that the woman in Revelation 12:1 was Eve and that she was
created in the image of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the woman of
Revelation 12:1 also represents the Holy Spirit (By His Spirit...
"Behold Thy Mother," p. 6). She further identified the Holy Spirit as
the "bride" of Revelation 19 (Ibid., pp. 7-8).
Victor
Houteff, founder of the Davidians Seventh-Day Adventist Association,
taught that the man on the white horse in Revelation 6:2 was Adam (Tract 15, pp. 39-41). Now Christ is the second Adam. This individual is then wedded to Eve (Revelation 19:7-11).
The
Marriage of the Lamb, then, is revealing that Koresh is obtaining unity
with the Godhead. Those with him in Revelation 19:14 are also on white
horses and also dressed in marriage garments. So, they must be about to
obtain unity with the Godhead too. Thus the first seal, the marriage of
the Lamb, reveals that those who believe that David Koresh is the Christ
and accept the Seven Seals will obtain unity with the Godhead.
The Second Seal
The
key to the second seal (Revelation 6:3-4) is found in Zechariah 1:8-11
and 6:1-8 and is also depicted in such places as Ezekiel 9 and
Revelation 7 and Revelation 19. In this seal, God makes war with man and
kills all who do not have the seal (those who have rejected Koresh's
message) (Revelation 7 and Ezekiel 9).
The Third Seal
The
key to this seal is Hosea 3; 12:7. In this seal there is a merchant
offering something. That something, according to Koresh, has to do with
paying for a marriage (Hosea 3). This deal has a very high price which
does not seem fair to the ways of man, thus the merchant has "deceitful
scales" (Hosea 12:7) and appears to be charging an outrageous price
(Revelation 6:5-6). This is also the topic of the parable of the Pearl
of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46). What is offered is the first Seal
(the marriage of the Lamb). The alternative is the second Seal. This
merchant offers the Seven Seals, but one must be willing to pay a very
high price. The price is one's self, which leads into the fourth seal,
Death (Revelation 6:7-8).
The Fourth Seal
The
fourth seal (Revelation 6:7-8) is Death, and the grave follows after
it. The language of this seal given in Revelation 6:8 refers back to
Ezekiel 5:12, 17. This section of Ezekiel (Chapters 4 and 5) describes
the seige on Jerusalem by Babylon. To the Branch Davidians, Jerusalem
here refers to Mt. Carmel, and Babylon refers to the world. To the
Branch Davidians, this siege is the one which began on 28 February 1993
at Mt. Carmel and lasted 51 days. Brad Branch, one of the Branch
Davidians who exited Mt. Carmel, said that in his final, private, Bible
study Koresh claimed the Mt. Carmel standoff was also the siege
described in Zechariah 14:2. Koresh said those like Branch who left were
those who "shall go into captivity" (Zechariah 14:2). Koresh also told
Branch that the "chariots" that "come with flaming torches" in Nahum
2:3-4 were the tanks outside.
The Branch Davidians
see these events as a microcosm of a final battle between the kingdoms
of men and the Kingdom of God. They expect literal Jerusalem to be
attacked in a similar battle shortly before the coming of God and the
return of the Lamb (Koresh).
The Fifth Seal
The
fifth seal (Revelation 6:9-11) reveals the souls under the altar. These
are those who died under the fourth seal. They are wearing white robes.
Their numbers are being added to and will have a specific number when
completed (v. 11). It is apparent that they are the 144,000 (Revelation 7
and 14) and are the ones who are at the marriage of the Lamb in
Revelation 19. The 144,000 are called the "first fruits" (Revelation
14:4). They are divided into two parts, the initial group of Seal four,
and those added to them. The Branch Davidians call the initial group the
"wave sheaf." This is because there are two first fruits offerings in
the feasts of Israel. The first is the "wave shear" made during
Passover. The second is the "wave loaf" made during Pentecost.
To
the Branch Davidians the fifth seal is a waiting period of 3 1/2 years
from the death of the fourth seal (19 April 1993) to the judgement of
the sixth seal. A major key to this seal is Psalm 74 obtained in an
interview with Livingstone Faga in March of 1993 (before the fire of
April 19th). In Psalm 74 individuals are, like those in Revelation
6:9-11, asking how long God will wait before making judgement . In Psalm
74 we are told that the sanctuary and meeting places of God had been
burned to the ground (v. 7-8) that their "signs" (the Branch Davidian
banner) were no longer seen, and that their prophet (Koresh) is no
longer with them (v. 9). But judgement will come from the right hand of
God (v. 11) and God will take vengeance. This hand, of course, contains
the Seven Sealed book (Revelation 5:1). Thus, by October 1996, the
Davidians foresee the Second Coming of Koresh and the final judgement of
the world.
The Sixth Seal
The sixth seal
(Revelation 6:12-7:17) involves cosmic disturbances associated with the
return of the Lamb, and the coming of the day of Judgement . There are
several Keys to this seal, Joel 2; Isaiah 13; Habakkuk. 3; Ecclesiastes
12 & Psalm 139 (Compare also Matthew 24:29-31). According to Koresh,
the sun would be darkened because it would be eclipsed by the Merkabah
(mobile throne pictured in Ezekiel 1).
The Seventh Seal
The
seventh seal (Revelation 8:1) is the "new song" which the 144,000 have
learned (Rv. 14:3) from the messianic figure in Psalm 40 (Ps. 40:3) and
is identified with the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) and relates to the
Kingdom to come. Koresh told his followers that they would not fully
understand this seal until his return. Katherine Matson (who had been
Lois Roden's secretary) says that the seventh seal brings us full circle
back to the first, so that if one receives the first seal, he is part
of the 144,000.
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