Case 339: Waco (Part 1/3)

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The Christian Bible is composed of 66 books, which are divided into the Old Testament, based primarily on the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament, an exploration of the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. The very final book of the Bible is the Book of Revelation, a 22 chapter series penned by a prophet known as John of Patmos. It is an apocalyptic text that details a spiritual battle between good and evil, culminating in Jesus returning to earth. Combining warnings to followers with prophecies about the future, the Book of Revelation anticipates the ultimate defeat of Satan and a final judgment passed on all human beings. Those deemed worthy by their deeds during life and their adherence to Christ will be saved, resurrected to live in a new heaven and earth free from pain, suffering and death. Unbelievers and individuals deemed to be wicked will be sentenced to a lake of fire, a final demise and the ultimate punishment for lost souls dubbed the Second Death. The mysterious language of the Book of Revelation and its many prophecies have led to countless Christian scholars, leaders and adherents attempting to predict when this end of the world will come.
In Chapter 5 of the Book, John of Patmos introduces the prophecy of the Seven Seals, seven separate events that will take place between Jesus' lifetime and his eventual return, known as the Second Coming. These prophecies are written on a book or a scroll sealed shut with seven whack seals, which no one but a figure dubbed the Lamb of God is able to open. Quote, Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
Do not weep. See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Traditionally, the lamb of God has been interpreted as Jesus himself, whom Christians believe was sacrificed to atone for humanity sins, just as actual lambs were sacrificed in stories of the Old Testament. However, some individuals have used scripture to argue that this lamb was a different messiah who would assist Jesus in the final spiritual battle. They found more passages in other parts of the Bible that also prophesied a second messiah, whose name was Cyrus the Great. In Hebrew, the name Cyrus translates to Karash.
The Seventh Day Adventist Church originated in the state of New York during the 1840s and places a particular emphasis on the impending second coming of Christ. The name Adventist stems from the group's belief that Jesus will soon return to worth, with several pioneers of the Adventist faith attempting to predict when his return would occur. Although opinions have differed, a consistent theme is that Christ will return after a period of turmoil. In addition to this emphasis on the second coming, Seventh Day Adventism has a number of other defining features. Its adherents observe the Sabbath on Saturdays instead of Sundays as most other Christians do, engage in missionary work to spread the word of Christ, advocate for a vegetarian diet, and believe firmly in God's final judgment predicted by the Book of Revelation. Bible study must be ongoing and is crucial to the faith, as all truth that can be known lies within its passages. By the early 1920s, the Seventh Day Adventist Church had spread from the East Coast of America to the West as well as overseas. One adherent to the faith was an immigrant from Bulgaria named Victor Hotev. Victor had immigrated to the US at the age of 22 and initially lived in Illinois before later relocating to California. Although he was originally baptized in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Victor later converted to Seventh Day Adventism in 1919 at the age of 34 He became consumed by his faith and spent all of his spare time when he wasn't working, pouring over the Bible, especially the Book of Revelation. While learning a living as a washing machine repairman, Victor also taught classes at a Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath school, a weekly religious education program held on Saturday mornings before church service. Victor began to worry that other members of his faith weren't taking it seriously enough. He made a list of problems he had observed in other congregants, including a disbelief in prophecy, selling church merchandise, following earthly trends and fashions too closely, and a lack of reverence. When Victor began speaking more openly about his concerns in his classes and at other Adventist gatherings, church elders took note and asked him to stop. They also objected to some of his interpretations of scripture. Victor refused and in 1930 he published a manuscript titled The Shepherd's Rod in which he called for denominational reform and a recommitment from all Seventh Day Adventists. Victor predicted that the second coming of Christ was imminent and that soon there would be an apocalypse where Christ warriors would defeat the evil armies of Babylon, a term Seventh Day Adventists used to refer to the fallen state of traditional Christianity. That same year, Victor's actions led to him being disfellowshipped by the church, but he maintained a strong following of his own. When he could no longer teach Sabbath school in church, he continued to do so at a house across the road. Some study groups at different Adventist churches across the country worked off his ideas, which led to those who promoted Victor's material being disfellowshipped too. Eventually, the church declared Victor's work to be outright heresy, and in 1934, he began his own organisation called The Shepherd's Rod. This was later officially renamed The Davidian Seventh Day Adventists. The name Davidian stemmed from Victor Hoteff's belief that he was destined to restore the Davidic Kingdom, the historic Kingdom of Israel ruled over by descendants of King David. A direct ancestor of Jesus, King David's lineage is key to Christianity's messianic prophecies. Seeking a base that would allow him to establish headquarters for his new church, Victor scoured a map of the United States looking for a suitable place. He wanted somewhere with cheap land and a culture receptive to religion. By 1935, he'd found a location that fit perfectly, and purchased almost 200 acres of land that sat northwest of the Texan city of Waco.