The spate of religious cults’ mendacious activities since the last Century is alarming and calls for a serious examination. It’s unfortunate that people are deceived into destruction in the name of God. The surprise is that more people especially youths keep trooping into these pseudo halidoms in spite of the woeful news about their operations. One of the recently defunct religious cults is the Branch Davidian led by David Koresh.
David Koresh, the leader of the Branch Davidian in Waco, Texas, thought he was an angel of God or in a more appropriate way, a God incarnate. The Branch Davidian is a group that came out of the schism in the Seventh Day Adventist in 1934 when Victor Houteff, a prominent Adventist in Los Angeles, wrote a book saying the church had become a lax. David Koresh, after he took control of the group by 1990 annulled all the marriages of his followers claiming that only he had the grace to marry; no other was qualified for the marriage institution, so became polygamous and referred to the women as spiritual wives.
Vernon Howell, who adopted the symbolic name ‘David Koresh’, reigned as a king divine in the group and all activities were centered on him. He chose the name ‘David’ to represent the kingdom of David which is to be restored in Palestine and ‘Koresh’ to represent the Hebrew interpretation of the name ‘Cyrus the Great’, the ancient king who released the Jews from Babylonian captivity as documented in the Bible (Isaiah 45:1-7). Vernon Howell, going by his adopted name claimed to be the messiah who will bring the total freedom of God’s children in bondage in the hands of the evil one. The group took a new name – ‘Ranch Apocalypse’ in 1992 to signify an impending religious cataclysm which they claim will be a showdown between them and evil. Koresh and his followers stockpiled food, weapons and fuel in wait for the ‘D’ day.David Koresh attrocities includes sexual abuses, human abuse emanating from physical and mental toture, possession of illegal weapons and instigating his followers against the United States government.
In response to the various kinds of allegations of abuses leveled against the group by former members, the United States Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms decided to search the compound for illegal weapons. On February 28, 1993, the (ATF) raid turned to an exchange of gun fire between the federal agents and the Branch Davidians which lasted until April 19th, 1993. 4 ATF agents died and 16 injured in the standoff before the agents fired tear gas into the compound to force the Davidians out. Fire broke out in the compound and at the end of the showdown, David Koresh had succeeded in leading his brainwashed followers to a disastrous showdown with the government agents that left 80 of them, including Koresh dead in fulfillment of his early predictions that the Apocalypse would begin when the American government will attack Mount Carmel, their compound outside Waco in Texas.
The question is, why must a claimed religious group stockpile weapons? What is the use of physical weapons in the church? The Bible is very straight and simple; anyone can read and understand it. The Bible prophesied about the coming of false christs and prophets in the end times. They are here and misleading people into hell, so be careful, watch and pray so that you’ll not be a victim.
This is a serious menace, God will help us.
I remember the event.
That was pure wickedness.