Branch Davidians, who are they? Where did they come from? These are the questions that you must answer in order to fully understand the whole movement. When I first heard of the Branch Davidians it was when they were broadcast around the world in Waco Texas facing off against the FBI.
So upon reading about them in the text book I decided to start a little research through Google. It was amazing what I found out about the Davidians.
This is not a new religious movement that was just started, it has actually been around for a long time.
It was started by a man named Victor Houteff. He started this new religion in 1929. They are an offshoot of Seventh Day Adventist (SDA which in many Christian Churches they are seen as a cult as well). Mr. Houteff, first embrassed the Seventh Day's teachings until he read into Micah 6:9 "Hear ye the Rod" and from this verse he concluded that the SDA. (Why from one verse he came to this conclusion I do not know.) He started to make his interpretations of the Bible and claimed that the SDA were in error and he called for reform. The SDA started to shun him and his followers. He finally completely broke away from the SDA and started his own church known as The Shepard's Rod.
As in many NRMs Mr. Houteff believed he was a devine messenger of God sent to straighten out the rest of the world. He thought he was here to interpret the sealed scroll found in Revelations, that would reveal all that was to take place in the end times before Jesus Christ would return.
He was to assemble 144000 people and go to Palestine and establish a kingdom and help over throw Babylon and signal the end of the world. Mr. Houteff founded the Mount Carmel Center in Waco Texas with 11 people. He recruited from the SDA ...