A Sinful Messiah

             If you were a Branch Davidian prior to April 19, 1993, you thought that Christ lived on a threadbare piece of land ten miles east of Waco, Texas called Mount Carmel. Actually, it was nowhere near the side of a mountain; instead it was more of a slight swelling of the earth on the horizon. He had dimples, claimed to have dropped out of school in the ninth grade, married his legal wife when she was fourteen, enjoyed a beer every now and then, willingly admitted to being a sinner without equal, played a mean guitar and tried to be a rock star, packed a nine-mm weapon, and kept an arsenal of military assault rifles (Rifkind, 65). David Koresh, a charismatic cult leader, is a historical monster because he corrupted the lives of his Davidian followers. .
             The history of the Branch Davidians church is distinct for their end-of-the-world predictions. They adhere to a distinctive reading of the biblical book of Ezekiel. They focus mainly on the passage in which an angel is sent to Jerusalem to place a mark on the foreheads of the righteous people in order to spare them the slaughter by the invaders. The group believes that this passage applies to the modern Seventh-Day Adventist Church. They believe the "destroying angel" will come again to separate the true believers from the rest. All the while, the denomination's leadership is corrupted. Koresh is one of the many leaders of the Davidians that embodies destruction amongst his followers.
             Vernon Howell who later on changed his name to David Koresh for religious reasons became the leader of the Branch Davidians, descendents from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It was in 1990 that David Koresh became the head of the Branch Davidians. But this position did not come easy to him. At a young age, Koresh demonstrated a deep curiosity about the church. By the age of twelve he had memorized and interpreted the New Testament. As Koresh grew, so did his passion with the church.