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The Serpent's Root

Transcriber Unknown

The Serpent's Root was a very important Bible study series given by David Koresh. The lessons were given from Passover 1983, to the General Conference Session in 1985. In addition it was the first series of in depth teachings that he gave at Mt. Carmel. We do not know for sure whether the actual complete tape series still exists, but I believe that at least some of it does and that this transcript gives evidence to that possibility. Also, some Koresh audio tapes in my archives are from the 1983-1985 period, but none are identified with the Serpent's Root Series. I have included this important transcript on my web site now for the first time just as I received it in 1996- with the same formatting and paragraph spacing. I have not altered the information in any way. In addition, I have a four paged single spaced typed manuscript titled The Serpent Root's Root 1 which is also a transcription from a different portion of the series by a different transcriber. I hope to add that document to this site soon. Mark Swett 05/25/01

3 P.M. SUNDAY (Sept. 11, 1983) (Transcribed from tape)

THE SERPENT'S ROOT

by

The late Vernon W. Howell (8-17-59 to 4-19-93)

{In} our subject in reference to the Serpent's Root, we are discerning and finding out the image of God revealed in man. In our studies, what we have actually involved, is the truth of God versus the lies of Satan. Ever since the beginning of time man has fallen into sin, the transgression of God's revealed law. Man has gotten worse and worse and worse. This is history. The whole testimony of the bible verifies this. The problem of it is and the mystery of it is that God never destroyed the people because of their sins alone. Every time the people were in great iniquity, God always provided a way of escape. It's the whole testimony of the Bible always.

The antidiluvians were great sinners. They were doing everything they could do to misrepresent the image of God, Paul tells us. But God made a system, so simple to be saved, that all they had to do was to go into the ark and be rescued. It was that simple. It was that simple. Now we look back on that with great amazement, thinking how foolish they were. How foolish. But the thing of it was, the thing of it is, we need to start asking ourselves now, if they were that foolish back then, and we're a whole lot worse of than they were, as far as we can't even remember one day from another, most of the time. We don't even hardly have the Spirit that we should have, most of the time. And how much easier is it going to be for us to miss out? Even though the way is yet going to be made easy for us to be saved. These are things we need to concentrate on.

If God in Their word, the Creators through Their word, create a situation, create a people to fulfill that situation, and then create an understanding of that situation, then we had better take heed if we are in that situation.

Entering Wedge tells us that there's two divine laws that God has laid out, to rule every truth, the guide to every truth. That's the laws of nature and the word. Real quickly here, bear with me, I'll read that statement to you. This is Entering Wedge, page 38. It's another thing we need to go over, and over, and over.

"The two Divine Guides of life, the Word and Nature, as we have already seen, are the best and the only teachers that speak with authority. Anyone, therefore, who neglects their counsel is unwittingly (foolishly) walking in darkness and heading for trouble, and if he should finally get into it (If he should finally get into this trouble he really got into), certain it is that he will be anxious to get out of it."

Right? Don't you think the antidiluvians, who didn't really understand nature like they thought they did, and when they saw those drops a falling, don't you think they wished they could have gotten out of that situation? They ran madly for the ark, didn't they? But when they got there what happened?

(The door was shut.)

The door was shut, wasn't it? No matter how hard they beat, and how hard they squirmed, and hollered, and cried to get out of the situation they was in, they didn't get out of it, did they? They're going to answer to God for that on of these days. But now Houteff says that it is certain that,

"...it is that he will be anxious to get out of it. But as he may hastily grope about, he will find himself just as helpless to get out as he was to keep out."

Take these words in heart. "He will find himself just as helpless (just as helpless) to get out." In other words, this person, without having these two Divine laws, is going to get into a situation. He's going to find it just as hard to get out of it as he was to keep out of it. In other words, he's pretty well stuck, isn't he? He's going to get into it whether he likes it or not. Isn't that what this saying to you all?

Now the two Divine guides, the Word and Nature. It has just been recent that we are actually been able to learn about these two Divine guides, Nature and the Word. Through Sister Roden's message of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been teaching us that the invisible things of God are revealed by the things which are made. We've never been able to dissect that. Never have. And if we dissect it and find ourselves in a bad situation, we're going to want to get out of it. If we find ourselves that we can't get out of it, and we couldn't have kept out of it, if there's any remedy that God offers, I'm sure, I'm sure we'll accept it, right?

"Any theory, therefore, however plausible or logical it may seem, is definitely misleading unless it be one hundred percent in harmony with the two never-erring Guides of life - the Bible and Nature." (Ibid.)

The Bible and Nature. So let us ever keep that in our minds. Because if God has given us a measure of salvation, as never before, let's accept it for once, O.K.? Let's accept it. Turn with me in your bibles to Ezekiel, chapter 21, verses, turn to verse 8.

"Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (9) Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished: (10) It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter..." (verses 8-10a)

Glitter. It's bright. When this sword comes we're going to see it.

"...should we then make mirth..." (verse 10)

Is it something to laugh about? Something to go lightly over?

"...it contemneth the rod of my son, {as} every tree." (verse 10)

Who's this sword prepared for, Danny? The rod of my son? The rod of my son is God's rod, right? Those who represent Jesus, right? Those who are promoting to have God's truth, right? It says the rod of my son, it despiseth every tree. Uh huh.

"And he hath given it to be furbished..." (verse 11)

Who's giving it? God had given it to be furbished.

"...that it may be handled..." (verse 11)

This sword is to be used. Used by someone.

"...this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer." (Verse 11)

Someone is going to receive a slaying weapon, right?

"Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people..." (verse 12)

Who's going to get this sword? God's people. The scriptures make themselves plain.

"...it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh." (verse 12)

Upon thy thigh. Ezekiel's commanded to smite upon his thigh. Now we know that there's been one person in the Bible who ended up wrestling with an angel who received a wounded thigh. He thought that he was being slain. That was Jacob. Good old Jacob, remember? Going back to his father's house? In that night of darkness, he separated all by himself and the angel came to him, and he was worried about Esau. But he fought for his life because that he had met face to face with the slayer. But it turned out to be that the slayer was best, best blessing he could have ever hoped for.

"Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Lord God." (Verse 13)

Now we know in history, that this Scripture was applied by Brother Roden to the Shepherd's Rod movement. And it met its fulfillment. The Shepherd's Rod Movement was given a message of God to give to the people. But how the message was given determined their fate. See, as we've talked about before, the rod is a branch. And the branch always is to bear fruit. It has the seed and the fruit in itself. Now we know that God's rod has to have both the literal rod, the Word of God, the people to give it, but its got to have the Spirit with it too. The Spirit being a symbol of the feminine, the woman. Any time we don't have the Spirit and we're giving someone the truth, the rod, we're only one-sided, masculine, earthy, Mahershalalhashbaz. And in doing so, we're as Brother Roden called the Rods, Sodomites. We're not complete. The Word without the Spirit's not complete. So we know that it says here in verse 13, "Because it is a trial." A trial. We are privileged today to see what happened to the Shepherd's Rod Movement, because they did not mix the Spirit of the love of God with their message. They went around beating people with it. Went around beating, destroying instead of saving.

"Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together...." (verse 14)

This is a little more serious.

"...and let the sword be doubled (be doubled) the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers." (verse 14)

Now, let's look at the great men of the Bible, as far as the world understands them. Cain was a great man. He was a slayer, wasn't he? He was a mighty man, wasn't he? A man without the Spirit. Nimrod was a mighty hunter. Esau was a mighty hunter. See? These men who have privileges with the Word of God, and yet do not receive the Spirit, become as mighty men. They're princes, slayers, mighty men, warriors. But God is telling us that there's going to be a doubling of the sword, the third time. The third time.

In the Judgement of the Living we know that the sword, according to Zechariah, the sword took away the shepherd, right? And the man that was the fellow. Right? Brother Roden's message and Victor Houteff's message. Correct? But not as the same way as it did with the Shepherd's Rod message, because that was for a trial. That was supposed to be a lesson for us. But it's to be doubled the third time. We're in the Third Angel's message now. If we as a people had not accepted to heart, the message of the Holy Spirit, and another message has came and we didn't accept it, then we're twice dead aren't we? Peter prophesies of a certain clouds driven by a tempest, twice dead, you see? Rooted up with no water. Wells without. Its a pretty bad, pretty bad situation for the people of God to find themselves in.

"I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter. Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set." (verses 15, 16)

People are going to have to make their decisions where they want to go. Now I would suggest, the Lord would suggest, that we go from the east to the world into the west, towards the Most Holy Place. I'd go to where we can grab a hold of the horns of the altar, stand before the Shekinah. Because the Lord says:

"I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the Lord have said it." (verse 17)

Now this prophecy in Ezekiel is applying to a time when we are to see the fulfillment of certain things take place. We knew that the Shepherd's Rod Movement, as God's place of truth on earth, is no more, right? They were dispersed, right? The earth opened up its mouth and swallowed up the ones who rejected present truth, Brother Roden's message, correct? We saw that happen. But Ezekiel's saying that the sword was doubled the third time. Now Brother Houteff proclaimed the final phase of the First Angel's Message. Brother Roden was the final phase of the Second Angel's Message. Sister Roden was the final phase of the Third Angel's Message. We as Branches believe that. There'll be no further discussion on that. Now if the sword is to be doubled the third time, that means there is to be a double slaying. Correct? A double slaying.

If God in Their Word tells us of these things, from the beginning, and we did not know them, "they are created now," as Isaiah 48 tells us, we're going to have to admit to God that we have done the unpardonable sin. But God has all foreknown it, that we ourselves have been worse than any other people on the face of the earth. And in doing so, if we being dead or slain, by rejecting the message of the Holy Spirit, God gives us a way out, then we are going to have to accept that way out, or we should accept it out, right?

In other words, as Paul says, "I judge not myself." We were never created to be judges. The Son of Man is supposed to judge. The prophets are to judge. And the people are to accept that judgement. No matter what the devil tells us. No matter what the devil tells us. No matter what the devil tells us.

Timely Greetings, Volume 1, second edition. T.G. number 24, excuse me, number 23, beginning of the chapter, front of page 2. We're to read the Prayer Thought. This here is a timely revelation for us right now. The Lord's fixing to show us where we stand in the Bible right now. Everyone is to be numbered right now. Everyone is to find their lot right now. Everyone who has complained and who's cried to God, and who's cried one to another, that the effect of every vision has failed, and now we're going to find just exactly how well they did fail. We'll find out how righteous we are, and find out where we're going to end up at. That's what this message is purporting to do. God has His sword glittering and its directed to us. As a matter of fact we've already been slain by it.

"We shall read from 'The Mount of Blessing,' page 180, paragraph one. The reading is based on the scripture which says, 'Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye?' (or the beam)...'Even the sentence, 'Thou that judgest doest the same things,' does not reach the magnitude of his sin who presumes to criticize and condemn his brother....When he thinks he has detected a flaw in the character or the life, he is exceedingly zealous in trying to point it out; but Jesus declares that the very trait of character developed in doing this un-Christlike work is, in comparison with the fault criticized, as a beam in proportion to a mote."

That's pretty big. Those who went out to slay the Cains, who had originally slain the Abels, were given a curse seven times worse. Seven times worse.

"It is one's own lack of the spirit of forbearance and love that leads him to make a world of an atom...." (Ibid.)

Now God's calling these things atoms. It's not us. It's not anybody trying to squirm out of anything. We all know we're sinners. But God is calling these an atom, when you see someone that has these things that they are fighting with, or maybe they're not fighting with them, but you see them.

"According to the figure that our Saviour uses, he who indulges a censorious spirit is guilty of greater sin than is the one he accuses (seven times worse); for he not only commits the same sin, but adds to it conceit and censoriousness." (Ibid.)

God forgive me. This is the catch. Though Satan's saying, "Don't believe it. Don't believe it. Don't believe it."

"Satan is doing his level best to make us transgress in this respect so that we lose out eternally. God has delegated no one to be policing another. Only God through His prophets is to reprove sin..." (Ibid.)

Only God through His prophets is to reprove sin. If we don't believe the Shepherd's Rod Message, if you don't believe that it's inspired from God, we had better get out right now, because its worse to be in a situation the people of God are in right now, than it is to be dead already anyway. In other words, you're dead with it and you're dead without it. But to be with it there may be hope.

"Only God through His prophets is to reprove sin, but never to use force of any kind." (Ibid.)

Now that's a statement that has to be reconciled. "But never to use force of any kind." So how does God do this? How's God done it in the past? We've seen the stories of Jesus. We haven't quite learned the lesson which He promoted to teach us.

The chapter of this subject is, "The Fate of Assyria." "The Fate of Assyria, and the Triumph of the Church." Within these T.G.'s, and in the Bible, and in nature, God is going to show us who we are, and where we are, and where we're going, and where we can go.

"Let us turn to Zephaniah 3, and begin with the first verse." (Ibid. p. 3)

This is the statement that God's making.

"'Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!'" (Ibid. page 3)

We know that anyone who has truth, from God, is the oppressing city. Because those who don't hear the truth are very oppressed by it. This is woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city. In other words, they have to have the truth, but God says they're filthy and polluted. Interpretation:

"The antecedent of the pronoun 'her' is found in the thirteenth verse of the preceding chapter. In it is seen that the 'city' here pointed out is Nineveh (Nineveh), the capital city of ancient Assyria. Now to ascertain whether this Nineveh is actually the capital city of ancient Assyria or of some other Assyria; we shall study the remaining verses of the chapter....'She obeyed not the Voice..." (Ibid.)

She, the city, the one who has the oppressing, the oppressing truth in it.

"...obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God." (Ibid.)

Now, if a messenger of God is given a message to the people, and the prophecies of God say the people aren't hearing that message, if another message comes, and they don't have the light of the first message, they're not going to hear either message, are they? Mahershalalhashbaz never learns to cry my mother, my father, because something drastic happens.

"...she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.'" This verse points out the fact that the city and nation here mentioned had the privilege of hearing the voice of Inspiration, of knowing God's Truth, but has failed to take heed -- received not correction, trusted not in the Lord, drew not near to her God. Verse 3." (Ibid.)

(What Timely Greetings, from what book?)

This is Volume 1, T.G.'s

(No, no, the Bible?)

This is Zephaniah. We're in verse 3. Zephaniah 3, chapter 3, verse 3, now:

"Her princes within her {are} roaring lions..." (Ibid.)

Roaring lions. They're strong, aren't they? Like Nimrod, mighty hunters.

"...her judges {are} evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.'" (Ibid., page 4)

You see? When you want to get to the skeleton of a subject, you need to take all the meat off. Get down and really study the subjects. Don't listen to the prophet speak the truth, and go home and say, Well yeah I believe that, and not study what the prophet tells you to study, because if you do this, you're going to leave some of the flesh on that bone. And if you leave flesh on the bone you know what's going to happen? After a few days it's going to stink. It's going to stink. And those that come around you are going to smell the stink. The people in the world aren't deceived by our spiritual death. We may profess to know truth. We may profess to have the truth, and we have the truth, but if it's not according to God's plan, we have nothing. If we don't get down and dig these subjects, and get down to the bone of the subject, and find the skeleton of it, the meat's left, the things we don't understand. The things we haven't considered are going to stink.

"Her princes, being like roaring lions, must be frightful persons who evidently think 'might makes right.'" (Ibid., page 4)

In other words instead of saying, Well let me learn what truth is, that's saying, Well, I don't believe that's truth, I'll use my authority.

"Her judges are, as it were, evening wolves; that is, they are in business, not to execute judgement, justice, and righteousness, but to catch and tear, to fill their den with prey although they have more than they know what to do with." (Ibid.)

See? They're gluttons.

"'They gnaw not the bones till the morrow.'" (Ibid.)

If we would take the things that come out, meat in due season, and eat all that meat in due season, and get it digested, then maybe we wouldn't leave such a spoil. Maybe a little food, as nature teaches us, would do a whole lot more for us than what a big meal does. Lot of people, they have perverted their appetites so much they eat a great big meal, for the body just takes out a little bit and the rest of it goes to waste. Now that's nature telling us that. The people of experience know that you get your body regulated, a little bit of that food does a whole lot more for you. A whole lot more for you, if you digest it. If your body will assimilate it.

"'Her prophets {are} light {and} treacherous persons...." (Ibid.)

Anyone who thinks they know the truth, and teaches another, though it be inspired, they themselves are the prophets. Everyone's prophets in that respect. If they relate the message of truth from the prophet.

"'...her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.' In the language of today this verse would read, 'Her teachers are light-hearted, not serious and sober-minded; they are trifling; they are of no account; they are treacherous persons. Her ministers, rather than having kept the church clean; have polluted it, and have done violence to the law' (have declared it void). Thus far is seen that the Assyria of this chapter represents a people who have been well instructed in the things of God, the law and the sanctuary. But instead of obeying the Lord and ruling justly and righteously, they have greatly transgressed, have gone down into sin as deep as any people can possibly go." (Ibid.)

Now who can that apply to? Who's the one that has the greatest amount of light? This applies to me.

"'The just Lord is in the midst thereof; He will not do iniquity: every morning doth He bring His judgement to light (every morning), He faileth no; but the unjust knoweth no shame.'" (Ibid.)

The sanctuary system. The things that are of darkness is the morning. Is the morning. God will bring that to light. Through the sun and the moon, the moon first, a revelation of the sun, the Spirit of Prophecy, if we'll allow it to be so.

"In view of the fact that God is in the midst of them, they must be well informed in the things of God, well aware that in due season He makes known to them His judgement. In view of all these, the only possible conclusion that one can come to, is that God's church must be in their midst." (Ibid., p.5)

That God's church is the sun and moon, the sanctuary system, the sanctuary system. Just because the prophets of God have the truth, those who cling to the prophets of God, and hear what they to say, because they say it in a way they can understand it, in the flesh, doesn't mean that they're for that. Mahershalalhashbaz has a prophet. But they don't learn to cry my mother, my father, until something happens. The Lord has challenged:

"'I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. I said, Surely thou wilt fear Me...'" (Ibid.)

We have all the history of all the ancient worlds, don't we? Of how God dealt with them. We should know better shouldn't we?

"'...thou wilt receive instruction...'" (Ibid.)

God says, thinking this about us.

"'...so their dwelling should no be cut off...'" (Ibid.)

We don't want to be cut off? Do we? Do we?

"'...howsoever I punished them...'" (Ibid.)

You'd be surprised where we stand right now, prophetically. You'd be surprised what our destination is. You'd be surprised what happened last Passover. "...and corrupted all their doings..."

"'...but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey...'" (Ibid.)

That's pretty scary. It's like your father telling you, Alright, I've had it, you go to your room.

"'...for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.'" (Ibid.)

Fire of my jealousy. But Inspiration is saying now that we know there's to be a literal fire poured out. But the fire of God's jealousy is that He's jealous for His name's sake. He's jealous for the point to be made, that man has never understood before, never wanted to understand before, that God has a certain order of operation. And unless this order is obeyed and followed now, we're going to find out anyway. But a way that will not help us.

"The Lord Himself warns that He has cut off nations, that He has made their towers desolate and their streets waste, that He has destroyed their cities and has left no inhabitants in them. He points out that all this He did as an object lesson for future good, so that they as a nation might fear Him and receive instruction, that their dwellings not be cut off. But in spite of these examples, they rise early and corrupt all their doings. So it is that at long last the Lord arises to the prey, gathers the nations, assembles the kingdoms, and Assyria gets her punishment." (Ibid.)

Now we know this is doing its work out there anyway, regardless of us, don't we? We better start thinking about these things.

"From this we see that the Assyria under discussion exists in the time of the end, the time in which the great and dreadful day of the Lord takes place. This Assyria, therefore, is an antitype of ancient Assyria..." (Ibid. pages 5,6)

Concerning Mahershalalhashbaz it says: Let's look up real quick, get every word. Isaiah chapter 8:

"Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen..." (Isa. 8:1)

A man's pen. You're going to have to accept this from a man's pen, a man's handwriting, man's word. You're going to have to learn this. Man - male and female. Because it refers to a Mahershalalhashbaz - one. Means: He that hasteneth. He's hastening on his own destruction, at the revelation of this.

"And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah." (Verse 2)

These people also, from the testimony, are going to bear witness to this.

"...Then said the Lord to me, call his name Mahershalalhashbaz." (Verse 3)

That means: He that hasteneth.

"...before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria." (Verse 4)

Who is the king of Assyria, does anybody know, from the texts we've read in the Shepherd's Rod volummes? The King of Assyria is God. God is the King of Assyria. So in other words, God's fixing to intervene. People who want to talk to God, that want to hear it strictly from God, can they do anything? We're going to have a chance.

"The Lord spake also unto me again, saying, Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son." (Verses 5,6)

Those who don't have Inspiration.

"Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory..." (Verse 7)

The glory of the Lord is for us to know that God knows the beginning from the end. And we'll accept that. And no matter what happens between, it's in God's hands.

"...and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks." (Verse 7, last part.)

We're going to have a flood.

"And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck..." (Verse 8, first part.)

Ezekiel finds in chapter 47, Ezekiel he has an experience similar.

"...and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel." (Verse 8, last part.)

Thank God that even though God can tell it like it is, we still have Mother to cover us. Mother's still going to cover if people will accept it. Will accept it. It's the only hope we have. So I hope that through the Spirit of God, we're taking a little glimpse of what God's fixing to show us. Get our minds set for the present truth, because all the truth before it is the present truth, but it's going to apply right now.