Please do not take what someone charges against the Shepherd’s Rod without your own personal investigation of its claims. In so doing you will find as have many other earnest Bible students over the years that there in nothing in the original Shepherd’s Rod message that is against the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. In fact, you will be amazed to discover that where the Rod is taught the Bible and the SOP are taught as they are all in harmony since they are controlled by the same spirit. Please do not neglect your duty in this regard as your soul salvation is at stake to know what is truth and what is error.

In Christian concern, The Publishers

Thank you for your question, we will be happy to answer. This is a subject that is often confused when certain folks falsely charge that Shepherd’s Rod believe that they are the five men. Nothing could be father from the Truth. The Shepherd’s Rod teaches what the Bible teaches backed up by the Spirit of Prophecy as explained below. These six men, one with a writers ink horn by his side and the other five bearing slaughter weapons are heavenly angels.

“And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.”-Ezekiel 9:2

The key to identifying who the six men are is to notice that they come “from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north.” This is heaven where God’s throne is located as confirmed in the following scripture.

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:” – Isaiah 14:13

The fact that the six men in Ezekiel 9 are called “men” does not mean that they must be human beings. After all elsewhere in scripture heavenly angels as sometimes called men (Gen. 19:1, Judges 13:36, Dan. 9:21). God would never ask mere sinners to carry out such a dramatic act of divine judgment. Only holy angels of God who obey His every command would be called to do such a thing, like the angels who smote the first born of Egypt.

The Spirit of Prophecy also confirms this position as plainly stated in the following passage.

“Finite man is likely to misjudge character, but God does not leave the work of judgment and pronouncing upon character to those who are not fitted for it. We are not to say what constitutes the wheat, and what the tares. The time of the harvest will fully determine the character of the two classes specified under the figure of the tares and the wheat. The work of separation is given to the angels of God, and not committed into the hands of any man.” – Testimonies to Ministers, p. 47 (See also: GC 140-1, 2 SG 24-5).

If you have any further questions or would like to read for yourself what the original Shepherd’s Rod message says to confirm our brief reply here, please send us an email at upa5453@gmail.com with your name and address and we will be happy to send you some tracts that deal with the subject of Ezekiel 9 in more detail.

Yours to search for Truth as for hidden treasure letting no man tell you who says what but the Bible alone.

The Publishers

It seems like you are determined to avoid the plain truth that the Seventh-day Adventist church must be purified before the Loud Cry. One wonders if you even carefully and prayerfully read the original post which contained irrefutable evidence from the Shepherd’s Rod that this is an absolute prerequisite before God can pour out the Holy Spirit on the 144,000 who will gather in the Great Multitude from the fallen churches of Babylon.

Our original post included a quote from Testimonies, Vol. 3, pp. 266-267 that included the expression “They will fall in the general destruction of the wicked . . . “ In your first comment you appeared to insert the word “all” without identifying that you were using a different source to quote from, RH, September 23, 1873 par. 5. This is very misleading on your part. Nonetheless, the truth still stands plain as day. Sis. White in the RH version which states “They will fall in the general destruction of all the wicked, represented by the five men bearing slaughter weapons.” is still referring to the destruction of the wicked “in the church” not the world as you want to believe. Below coming from the Holy Bible, the SOP and common sense are seven proofs that the destruction of the wicked in the Seventh-day Adventist church must occur before the Loud Cry and the seven last plagues.

Contradiction: Ezekiel 9 occurs at the second coming or during the 7 last plaques, after probation closes since Sis. White says “They will fall in the general destruction of all the wicked, represented by the five men bearing slaughter weapons.” (RH, September 23, 1873 par. 5).

Response: The seven points listed below prove that the purification of the church (Ezekiel 9) must occur prior to the Loud Cry, the seven last plagues, and therefore the Second Advent.

“He (God) gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence.”’–5T 675

1. The work of judgment or purification is first to begin in the church clearly implies that the work of judgment is to extend out into the world during the Loud Cry (1 Pet. 4:17, 5T 210-12, 3T 266-7, TM 431). Two purifications are clearly revealed in GC 425 and Rev. 14:14-19, one for the church, one for the world. The church is the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God (5T 211).

2. Only a purified church must proclaim the Loud Cry (GC 425, EW 277-8, Isa. 66:15-20). The Holy Spirit cannot descend on the SDA church with power and force in its present Laodicean condition.

“Only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it [the Third Angel's message] when it shall have swelled into the loud cry.”–The Review and Herald, Nov. 19, 1908.

“God’s displeasure is upon His people, and He will not manifest His power in the midst of them while sins exist among them and are fostered by those in responsible positions.”–3T 270.2

So what must happen to the tares in the church? Read Matt. 13:30, 39-40. What does it mean to be “burned”? It means destructive judgment ending in death (see: Rev 18:8, Isa. 4:3, 4).

“Thus the Jewish people sealed their rejection of God’s mercy. The result was foretold by Christ in the parable. The king “sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” The judgment pronounced came upon the Jews in the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the nation.” — COL 308.3

3. The judgment for the world is still ongoing while the door of probation is shut for SDA’s (9T 97.1). Rev 7:13, 14 shows the judgment scene ongoing, meaning that probation is still open for the Great Multitude in the world, after 144,000 are called forth or separated from the tares in the church.

4. God’s people separated into groups prior to the second coming (see EW 282-3 compared to 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Jn. 14:3, and COL 123). There is a separation prior to the coming of the Lord to bring the saints home, the culmination or final separation of the saints from the wicked on the earth.

5. The church must be pure and free of defilement in order to escape the punishment of the plagues (Jos. 7:13, 3T 265, GC 425.1, Rev. 7:14, 15).

“In His dealings with His people in the past the Lord shows the necessity of purifying the church from wrongs. One sinner may diffuse darkness that will exclude the light of God from the entire congregation.” — 3T 265

“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator.” – GC 425.1

6. God’s wrath not to fall until judgment of the dead as well as the living is decided (TM 446).

7. Christ is married at the close of human probation while the door is shut beforehand (Mt 25:10).
“Behold the bridegroom cometh” is not the 2nd advent but rather the coming to the sanctuary to begin the judgment of the living (GC 425-28).

“Probationary time will not continue much longer. Now God is withdrawing his restraining hand from the earth. Long has he been speaking to men and women through the agency of his Holy Spirit; but they have not heeded the call. Now he is speaking to his people, and to the world, by his judgments. `. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; his hand is still stretched out to save.”–Southern Watchman Dec. 1, 1909

Q: Can God pour His Spirit out on the church while the wheat and tares are mixed together?
A: “Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.” — 5 T 214.2

“If the presence of one Achan was sufficient to weaken the whole camp of Israel, can we be surprised at the little success which attends our efforts when every church and almost every family has its Achan?”– 5T 157

Contrast with the purified church during the Loud Cry as seen in the following passages.

“Only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it [the Third Angel's message] when it shall have swelled into the loud cry.” — The Review and Herald, Nov. 19, 1908.

“The great issue so near at hand will weed out those whom God has not appointed and He will have a pure, true, sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain. . . .” — 3 SM 385.3

“Clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. “Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners” (Song of Solomon 6:10), she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.” — PK 725.1

Secondly, here is the quote I read(please note the word “all”:
“Who are standing in the counsel of God at this time? Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among the professed people of God, and murmur in their hearts, if not openly, against those who would reprove sin? Is it those who take their stand against them, and sympathize with those who commit wrong? No, indeed! These, unless they repent, and leave the work of Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of the work, and holding up the hands of sinners in Zion, will never receive the mark of God’s sealing approval. They will fall in the general destruction of all the wicked, represented by the five men bearing slaughter weapons. Mark this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen, are those “that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done” in the church. Their love for purity and the honor and glory of God is such, and they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they are represented as being in an agony, even sighing and crying. Read Ezekiel, chapter nine.” {RH, September 23, 1873 par. 5}

– Note: There is a quotation in 3T with the word “all” omitted. Nevertheless, I did not add the word “all.” It was published in the Review and Herald while Mrs. White was very much alive.

Finally, Mrs. White said these would perish IN the general destruction of all the wicked. You seem to have completely ignored the word “in”.

It would be wise for you to humble yourself before God and reconsider your position about what inspiration is stating when she refers to “the general destruction of the wicked” in Testimonies Vol. 3, pp. 266-267. Your position has two major flaws that do not harmonize with the facts of history and the authors original intent.

1. “nominal adventists” as you conjecture are not Seventh-day Adventists. The expression as used in Early Writings pp. 22 and 33 refer to:

“THOSE WHO UNITED IN SOUNDING THE FIRST AND SECOND ANGELS’ MESSAGES BUT WHO REJECTED THE THIRD ANGEL’S MESSAGE WITH ITS SABBATH TRUTH, BUT NONETHELESS CONTINUED TO ESPOUSE THE ADVENT HOPE, ARE REFERRED TO BY MRS. WHITE AS THE “NOMINAL ADVENTISTS,” OR THOSE WHO “REJECT THE PRESENT TRUTH” (PAGE 69), ALSO “DIFFERENT PARTIES OF PROFESSED ADVENT BELIEVERS” (PAGE 124). IN OUR EARLY LITERATURE THESE PEOPLE WERE ALSO REFERRED TO AS “FIRST-DAY ADVENTISTS.” {EW 299.1}

Furthermore, as mentioned in Early Writings, p. 261, there will be some honest souls from among “nominal adventists” in our day who will be called out of Babylon along those in the other fallen churches when the Loud Cry is proclaimed with power and force by the 144,000. Please note, this is after the Seventh-day Adventist church is purified via Ezekiel nine.

2. Your claim that the sinners in Zion will be destroyed, as you attempt to emphasize, “will fall in the general destruction of ALL the wicked” is a very dangerous position for you to take. Inspiration plainly states “They will fall in the general destruction of the wicked, represented by the work of the five men bearing slaughter weapons. Mark this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen, are those “that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done” in the church“–3 T 266. Your addition of the word “ALL” to inspiration places you under the condemnation “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”–Rev. 22:18. We earnestly urge you to repent before God and change your course before it is too late.

In Christian concern, The Publishers