Sumith Prasad
Showtime’s crime series ‘Waco: The Aftermath’ offers a detailed look at the history of the Branch Davidians, especially from the time Vernon Howell joined the sect while Lois Roden served as the leader of the same. Soon, Vernon became one of the most significant individuals in the group as he started to supposedly have visions of God. Although Vernon got separated from Lois’ group for a while, he eventually became the “messiah” of the Branch Davidians. In both the show and reality, Branch Davidians have used a very nuanced flag. If you are curious about the meaning of the same, here’s what we can share about it!
Branch Davidian Flag: A Symbol of Apocalypse and Beliefs
The Branch Davidian flag is a blue and white flag with a serpent and seven seals. The serpent is considered as a reference to Isaiah 14:29 in the Bible, which reads, “Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.” The Bible verse revolves around the Philistines, who are asked to not rejoice in the death of Ahaz, the king of Judah, specifically when Hezekiah would emerge. The “fiery flying serpent” can be the works of the king.
According to a Davidian, the serpent is also connected to Isaiah 30:6, which reads, “The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.” In addition to the serpent, there are seven seals on the flag. Those seals represent the one on a scroll that causes the apocalypse when opened. These seals are significant since the Branch Davidians of the past believed that an apocalypse would occur, especially David Koresh.
It is often contested that the white star-like figure in the flag is the Star of David. However, according to a Branch Davidian survivor, the same is not the Star of David but the six wings of the fiery flying serpent. Koresh allegedly believed that “he was fulfilling the fifth Seal so the sixth Seal could become a reality.” In an interview, the surviving Branch Davidian said that the mother of the late Julliete Martinez, who sewed the flying fiery serpent flag that was seen during the Waco siege, apparently confirmed to him that the figure is not the Star of David.
The Branch Davidian flag represents the titular movement’s association with the apocalypse. When the ATF and the FBI attacked the Mount Carmel Center, the “home” of the Branch Davidians, they allegedly started to consider the same as the beginning of an apocalypse. Their expectations are well displayed in their flag, which is connected to an apocalypse.
Read More: Is Waco: The Aftermath’s Angie Graham Based on a Real Person?
