Yoneq's Teaching on Race and Slavery

Pursuant to our goal to educate people on what the Twelve Tribes is behind the veil of their simple lifestyle, cute children, folk dances and eclectic cafe's, I will start a series exposing Yoneq's "inner" teachings.

These teachings are not meant for public consumption and are not even given to new members until they are deemed "ready" to "receive" them. I will start with one of Yoneq's earlier teachings written in 1988 concerning race and slavery. Many of you will find this teaching to be highly offensive. I will state up front, "The Views of Yoneq's twisted mind, are not shared by VOICE or any contributors of this site, it's host or the majority of mankind"

APPROACH: I do not plan to alter or edit or even comment on the original teaching. The Twelve Tribes consistently criticize those of us in "the world" for misinterpreting or twisting their teachings and beliefs. My approach is simple, expose it to the light as it is. The teaching will speak for itself. I will gladly entertain and respond to comments from prospective, current or ex-members as well as concerned family members/friends. Just click on the comment button at the end of the article.

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Teaching - "Unraveling the Races of Man" - Yoneq 11/22/1988

We need to unravel the races. When we talk about racial things, since we are a new creation, new creatures in Messiah, there can be no offense. If there is offense, you can know it is your flesh.

Martin Luther King and others have been inspired by the evil one to have forced equality. Ham is totally delivered in Messiah. If we are prejudiced in any way it is the flesh because the heart, the new heart is never prejudiced. This is essential.

Submissiveness - If slaves were mistreated because of the civil war, it was because of their unsubmissiveness. Lincoln set slaves free with the Emancipation Proclamation. Was it good or bad that Lincoln set the slaves free? Was the purpose of the civil war good??

If the slaves were mistreated, it was the fault of the slave. Even if the master was unreasonable the slave was to bear up under it. This was Ham's discipline. For 4,000 years Israel had slaves. Servant and slave in the Bible is interchangeable. Ham was a servant (slave) to Shem. This is the Word. You can't break the Word. The more men try to liberate Ham the worse he gets. It is more destructive for man to try to redeem himself, changing the social order. The 3 races are to be distinct.

Jefferson had slaves and wrote the Declaration of Independence. Did his having slaves nullify the fact that all men are created equal?

Abraham had slaves - Jefferson had slaves. Masters had to answer how they treated their slaves, and in some ways slaves have to answer to how they honored their masters.

Paul and Yahshua didn't rebuke anyone who had slaves, so it is alright by principle to have slaves. Slavery is the only way for some people to be useful in society. They wouldn't do anything productive without being forced to. They would be worthless fellows. The reason Canaan was to have an offspring was to be a slave until the end of the age, a slave of slaves to his brothers. This hasn't been repealed. When Yahshua died on the cross He didn't annul it. The curse isn't broken in the world. A slave would win the affection of his master by being submissive as according to the Scriptures, even when the master is abusive. In the same way wives are to be submissive and they will win their husband like the slave wins the affection of his master.


Ham deserved the curse more than anyone else. Even animals know this principle - of being submissive. Only obstinate humans won't be submissive. No matter what a slave goes through he can always choose to be submissive - in the same way that wives are submissive.

Acts 13:1 - ("Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul.") Niger means black. When people first started saying this word, it wasn't bad, but it became a curse word, having a bad connotation. Before the civil rights, black men would say, "Yes, boss man", in the south. Yes man, no man. This was respect. We need respect in people. We must beat respect into our children. Ham must get this respect in them. These blacks, during the pre-civil rights time, were really slaves - they had respect for people. They got along well because they were submissive - submissive in their suffering. Evidently what was passed on from the real slaves was respect, kindness, etc.

Ham will be cursed and will be a servant. Shem will be blessed. Striving for civil rights is of the world - it is disorder to the established social order. In the social order in the world there is a distinction between black and white. We shouldn't try to change it and mess it up. It is going against something fundamental. Ham should have been a slave all through history. Gen.9:25-26 - ("he said, 'Cursed be Canaan; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.'' He also said, 'blessed by the Lord my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.'") This is what Ham should be like in the world - like black nannies - this is wort of what they were to do. They were to be a helper to Shem. It was to be a natural thing. There is nothing wrong with this. Civil rights, forced equality is anti-Christ, trying to change the heart - it can't be done. Ham is finally being submissive for the purpose of the curse that was put upon them. Prov.30:17 - The sin of Ham was great and Ham deserved the curse. Ham's eye mocked is father so his eye was plucked out. Somehow this was a universal lesson for Ham and all men. The original Ham was deserving of the curse - where is the original Ham? He's had 4,0900 years of Sheol, the place of dead spirits - discipline.

After the flood Ham was delivered into a pure world and he made fun of the only righteous man on the earth. We must know how to judge him. Ham's deed was so evil that he will be judged at the white throne judgment. He came through the flood and he didn't value his salvation. Disrespect against anyone is disrespect against God. It is against God's image. It is what you think of God, Himself - being disrespectful to His authority on earth. When Ham saw the rainbow nothing went off in his heart toward our Father. So the sin of Ham would be like one of us showing disrespect to authority, or when we go into the kingdom showing disrespect to Yahshua. In the commonwealth of Israel it is showing disrespect to elders. This was like when David's heart was smote when he cut Saul's cloak. If it doesn't smite you, maybe you don't belong to Him.

There has never been such an evil-hearted man as Ham. It was an awful sin. What made him do such a thing? Ham's sin was like that of Ananias and Safara's - It was the start od something to our Father - it set the tone. His heart was dark and untolerable. It was not out of ignorance - Ham knew better. Ham had the knowledge of good and vile just like the other brothers and Ham chose the vile. This is the basis of judgment. He knew the right thing to do. Ham is still paying for it today. Ham had come to the knowledge of the truth. Ham was still linked to the past - why the world was destroyed. Ham had witnessed the world mocking his father and it should have been dealt with at the flood. So baptism corresponds to the flood - I Peter 3:21 - ("And baptism, which this prefigured, now save you - not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Yahshua, Messiah.") So we must live out our baptism or we will be under the same curse as Ham.

Prov.20:20 - The perfect vision proverb. ("If you curse father or mother, your lamp will go out in utter darkness.") Lev.20:9 - You can't pay this sin off - not respecting your father or mother. ("All who curse father or mother shall be put to death; having cursed father or mother, their blood is upon them.") Showing disrespect for authority in subtle ways - all disrespect for authority in any way will be recorded as disrespect. Any disrespect for authority in your heart will disqualify you to rule with Messiah - the blood guilt is on you - your sins are piling up. Rom.6:23 - is to believers. ("For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Yahshua, Messiah our Sovereign.") Still the wages of sin is death - the 1st death.

No one can have authority who despises authority. Ham showed that he despised authority. Ham was in the "washed" world (after the flood) - all rebellion was gone.
When you are in the world, don't get upset trying to make the world a better place to live. I Cor.5:9-10 - expect these things from the world. ("I write to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons - not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world.") The curse upon Ham's seed is still upon Ham and he won't succeed in this age except where the curse is removed. No matter what declarations or movements have arisen, the curse hasn't been removed. Gen.9:18-27 is the story. There were the 3 sons of Noah and the story still goes on today. Cursed be Ham and Canaan. Canaan - humiliated. Vanquish - to bring into subjection.
The Civil was - was it good or bad? Was it necessary? This is a principle - not His sovereign will.

I Peter 2:18-23 - A slave finds favor with God if he is beaten unjustly. He was talking to slaves here. I Peter 3:1 - Wives be submissive to husbands in the same way. A slave bears up under injustice. If slaves did this they would have great reward. Eph.6:509, Col. 3:22-25 In the Civil war days they had the Scriptures. Col.4:1 - ("Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven.")

Philemon 1:18 - ("If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.")

Slaves were exhorted to work as for the Lord. Paul and Peter didn't have John Brown's murdering spirit. Titus 2:9-10, I Tim.6:1-5, I Cor.7:21 This is freedom without social upheaval. Neither Paul or anyone would tamper with the social structure of any nation. We are the only ones who call people back to the Constitution. The Prodigal son saw a slave better off than himself.

Philemon - According to Roman law the master had absolute authority over the slave's life. We should realize as Paul did that slavery is regarded in some nations as a necessary part of the social order (without the abuses it would be a good thing to make slaves into welfare people). Severe laws punish those who interfere with the rights of the slave owners.

Yahshua believed in the individual worth of every human person. Only in Yahshua's body on earth are men liberated to use grace and faith up to the ability of each individual. Gal.3:28 - ("There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Yahshua the Messiah.") The attitude of slave s- Yahshua's parable about the slave who came in from the field - Luke 17:1-10

Unredeemed Ham still feels worthless and insecure. Ham needs the truth. The nations try to legislate this equality when Ham needs freedom, but freedom will only come when the word cuts them and the gospel shows them where they are and where they are going. Pual writes to Philemon as a slave owner to give Onesimus his inalienable rights as an owner. Slave could be set free without social upheaval and disorder 9if they could function). Pual wrote this way to avoid a revolt - a slave revolt between the slaves and the master. This was the answer to why Paul didn't urge Philemon to just set the slaves free. It was to avoid a revolt or a disruption in the social order. They weren't fit to live a life of freedom. II Peter 3:16 - Peter said that the unprincipled man won't understand Paul's writings. They always distort the word. We must trust first. Then revelation will come. You must receive first like a little child. I Tim.6:3 - slaves and masters.

Our Father is making a way for us. II Peter 2:18-19 Anti-Christ - They do something by human maneuvers what only Christ can do. This is true of the Civil rights, freedom, Emancipation Proclamation, etc - trying to do with these movements what only Yahshua can do. The gospel must reach the black man before the lid blows off.
Col.3:11, Gal.3:28, Eph.2:15 Slavery is over for believers in Messiah, but not so in the world or the nations.

We need our Father to remove all disrespect from us and our children. What Ham did was detestable, deserving the curse.
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Link to this and other Yoneq Teachings Concerning Race
Also see related discussion on Common Ground Cafe discussion room



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Story of a Brother and Sister's Interaction with the TT

I would like to share a story of a brother and sister and their interaction with the TT. The brother is a man who, although he did not know it at the time, helped me to see just what Yoneq was all about.

The brother was very concerned because his sister and her husband had joined the Twelve Tribes. This was back sometime when they were considered "The Northeast Kingdom Community". The brother was a devout Christian and had encountered the traveling “sent-out ones” prior to his sister’s joining. But instead of taking them up on their offer to "come and visit us" he researched them to try to find out what they believed. That was when he discovered that you can't know what they believe unless you are accepted by them, baptized “into” them and make a covenant to "never leave". This is only after they convince you that everything you have ever been taught or learned on your own was "evil" and from Satan. Only then will they start to "teach" you their inner doctrines.

Unlike the brother who researched the group before interacting with them, the sister took another path. She went to visit them. She was bombarded with love and being several months pregnant was overwhelmed by the little children and the simple life they lived. Her husband was a recovering alcoholic and was often unemployed and had just gotten a job that required he work the midnight shift. So she was vulnerable and wondering how they would be able to support a family. So the TT took advantage of this and centered all their conversations around how everyone is taken care of and how the fathers and mothers had time to raise their children "right" in community. "We have everything in common and no-one lacks for anything". She was surrounded by little children. As you can imagine, the sister was ready to "receive" this message. So much that she was willing to believe that everything else she had believed before meeting these lovely people was wrong.

So she decided to move into Island Pond. When she told her husband, he was not happy. He was not willing to give up the job that he just got and move in with people he did not know. The TT convinced her that she needed to forsake everything to follow "Yahshuah" and that included her husband if he was going to get in the way of her finding "salvation". So she left him. It was not until sometime later that she was to be "baptized" because they still had to "prepare" her to be "ready" to "give up her life". She thought she was ready right away, but they told her they would let her know when she was ready.


During this time, her husband agonized over the thought of losing his wife and their unborn child. He visited her during the day which was difficult because they lived over 3 hours away from Island pond and he had to work at night. He was getting very little sleep and was desperate about what he should do. They both had been Christians and during his visits he was constantly told that he was "choosing the world" over "salvation" and his wife and child. In his heart he knew they were wrong but he did not know what to do. So finally on the day that she was to be baptized, he knew that she would be lost forever, he decided that he would follow her. He was not accepted by the community at first because they said "You’re not really willing to give up your life. You just want to be with your wife". So he lived among them but not as someone who was accepted. He had to constantly work to prove that he wanted to be apart of "the body" a part of "Messiah". It was not until some time later that he was baptized, when they felt he was "ready".

Witnessing this whole process, the brother was convinced this group was a dangerous coercive group from the research that he had done on the subject. He was not sure what he should do but he knew he had to do something. So being a Christian, he decided to get some council from other believers and to pray about what to do. Finally, he decided that he felt "lead" to go to the community and to just compare the life and words of the community with the Bible. Essentially, he felt that he should go to Island Pond and read directly out of the Bible. To not interpret it or to get into any arguments or be judgmental but to just read it. This scared him because he almost felt as if he was being lead to consider if they were right or not. What if what he read in the Bible supported what they were saying and the life they were leading. Was God telling him to go join this community? Because he was in college he would have to wait until the end of the semester to make the trip. My friend had everything he owned with him in college and he knew that when he made this trip he would have to pack everything he had into his car. He was terrified because maybe God was telling him that he needed to take everything and join this group which he felt in his heart was rotten to the core. But he decided he needed to follow his calling to go and read the Bible to the “Northeast Kingdom Community”.

So he did. There is a very long story about the actual trip he made to get to Island Pond, but to attempt to make keep this story as short as possible, I will skip that part. He asked a friend to meet him in Island Pond so they could support each other. One would pray and the other would read. When he got there, his friend was not there yet. He had a mixed welcome from the people of the community. Some were very warm and welcoming and when he told them his story and what he was called to do, they just smiled and encouraged him. While others were very cold and told him that he had “no right” to do it.

There was a community wedding that day which is a huge event within the Edah and there were many people from multiple communities present. Hakam (Eddie Wiseman ) approached the brother and asked why he had come. He explained his calling and Hakam’s response was, “You must be a very proud person to think that you should do this. There are some of us that were preachers for 15 or more years before we came to Yashuah and they have been here for more than 15 years and they do not have the pride to stand up and teach the Edah”. The brother explained that he was not trying to be proud and that he did not intend to “preach” to anyone, that he was only going to read the Bible. Surely they should not have a problem with someone reading out of the Bible. “You do not have the right” was the response. A couple of the members insisted the brother go into the house beside where the wedding was taking place and meet someone. When he followed them, he discovered the person they wanted him to meet was Yoneq (Elbert Eugene Spriggs). He had read that Yoneq was out of the country so he was very surprised to run into him. And as you might think given his internal fears that maybe God was leading him to join the community, he was frightened. Yoneq asked him what he believed about the “end times” and he attempted to explain his personal beliefs about eschatology when Yoneq interrupted him and said, “So you read a lot of Hal Lindsey’s books. So what!”. The brother was a bit amazed at being judged and dismissed so quickly and that Yoneq himself must read a great deal to be able to identify and classify his beliefs so quickly. Yoneq then made a comment about my friend’s sister and that she had chosen the right path and that he should follow her. The brother had not told him or anyone at the wedding that he had a sister that lived there so it was obvious that he had been watched and reported on since he had gotten there. Not knowing what to say next, he excused himself and said that he wanted to go watch the wedding.

He met more people, some who were visiting, some who were new members, some that had been members quite a while. It was obvious who the “leaders” were verses the “followers” by the response he received. Followers were happy that he was there and encouraged him to “stay with us”, while leaders were cold and aloof. All would shake his hand and welcome him but there was a defined difference.

Later that day, he met his sister at the Common Grounds Café and had lunch with her. The environment was very alluring with flute based music and a pleasant incense like aroma. While there, Yoneq came in and with a smile said, “You need to enter the Kingdom”. The brother replied, “I already did when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior”. Yoneq said “That is not enough, he doesn’t just want your heart! He wants your skin and teeth! You need to be willing to give up everything you have to the “Body””. The brother replied, “Everything I have belongs to God. However, everything that I own is out there in that car and you can have it. But I don’t think it is my stuff that you want, it sounds more like you want my soul and I have already given that to Christ”. Yoneq dismissed him with a “You’re not ready” and left the building.

That night the brother went back to the Common Grounds Café and was met by a couple of the visitors that he had met earlier at the wedding. He determined that he had spent enough time meeting people and too much time arguing that he would do what he had come there to do in the first place. His friend had arrived and was told to “just pray”. So he sat down at a table that had mostly visitors and new members and asked the group if he could read to them out of the Bible. They did not have a problem with it so he began to read out of 1 Corinthians. A couple of elders at a table across the room started to mock him. He recognized them as some of the men who were cold to him earlier in the day. Now they laughed and mocked him reading the Bible. The members at his table just chuckled under their breath but the visitors urged him to continue. He read on. Then Yoneq entered the building as if someone had told him what was going on and he demanded, “You have no right to be reading that book! It was written for the anointed and you are not a part of the Body so it is not for you to read and try to teach us!” The brother said, “I am not trying to teach you anything, I am just reading the words straight out of the Bible. Why would you have a problem with this? Maybe I am trying to learn something myself”. Yoneq replied, “You can’t learn anything out of that book because you do not have the anointing! The book you are reading from was written to the Church at Corinth. Its words are for the Church. You are not a part of the Church therefore it is not for you!!”. One of the visitors, a young girl, asked, “Doesn’t it say in the Bible that the law is for the sinner and not the righteous?”. The brother looked at her and said, “Yes it does say that in 1Timothy. And I am not going to argue anymore but simply do what I came here to do and that is read the Bible. 1Timothy was a letter not written to a Church but to a man by a real apostle (Paul)”. And then he began reading 1Timothy and when he got to Chapter 4 which read:

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received in thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4:1-4

Yoneq stood up and walked over to him and shouted, “I want to burn that Bible!!”. The brother looked up and humbly replied, “If you are the kind of person who could do such a thing, then go ahead and do it” not thinking that he would actually do so. Yoneq took the Bible out of his hands and asked the question, “You won’t charge me for it?” and when the brother replied, “No.” Yoneq walked over to the fireplace and threw the Bible in. Someone nearby stirred the fire to make sure the book burned well. Dumbfounded by the angry action of what appeared to be nothing other than a lunatic leader, the brother stood up as if to want to throw Yoneq into the fire after the Bible. His friend who had been praying this whole time looked up and grabbed him by the knee. This brought him back to his senses and he sat back down and said a quick prayer. His friend took a small New Testament Bible he had in his pocket and handed it to him. Yoneq angrily walked out of the building. And the brother started reading 1 Tim where he had left off using his friend’s copy.

I am sorry this was such a long story. Most of the historical facts of the brother and sister prior to coming to Island Pond were recounted to me directly by the brother in the story a number of years ago. I wrote it down because it was a turning point in my life, because I was a first hand witness to the confrontation in the Common Sense Café. It was that day that I started to doubt in my heart what Yoneq taught and personally represented was not for me to follow. He did not have a “righteous anger” as the Lord did with the merchants in the temple. I can only explain it as a defensive, personal anger as if that humble college kid could actually have threatened him or his teachings. It was not until later, after I had time to pray and think (reason) about it, that I realized it was not the kid at all. It was the Word of God that convicted Yoneq. Which made me consider that possibly the kid was right and God had sent him to read the Bible at just the right time when Yoneq would be back in the country and in Island Pond. It was sort of one of those David and Goliath kind of moments. Yoneq got angry when 1Timothy 4:1-4 was read. Go back and re-read that text. How condemning this was to his teachings and him personally. For me, if the kid had not been humble and tried to teach us out of his own wisdom, I personally would not have heard a word he said. But he simply read the Bible. Yoneq went into a tail spin and burned the kid’s bible in front of new members and visitors! It certainly confirmed for the kid that he was not being called to move in so Yoneq actually ran one soul off and many of the visitors also decided to leave as well. Though at least one of these, a young girl, came back later. The final straw for me was how Yoneq spun the whole story later. It was not accurate and that just did not sit right with me. How could God be speaking to and through this young man and also through Yoneq? And the message and attitude and demeanor of both were such that it was obvious who was speaking for God.



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Interesting Discussions

In addition to experimenting with my own discussion board, "Common Ground Cafe", I thought it would be helpful to create some links to discussions that are/have already taken place between, ex-members, current members, potential members, TT sympathizers and other interesting people. Many people are still trying to heal from years of abuse under coercive authoritarian religious groups such as the Twelve Tribes. Many question their belief in God and are searching for answers. You will gleam valuable information about how life is truly lived within the Twelve Tribes communities. Sit back with a cup of java and investigate what members, sympathizers and ex-members have to say and if you like, join in the discussion.

• Marriage within the Twelve Tribes (archive version)- This discussion explores the challenges of being married and living within the TT. There is discussion around the TT's practice of separating husbands and wives upon entry into the community and when there is dissent by either spouse towards the community. In these cases, the TT encourages the spouse within the community to remarry. Marriage within the Twelve Tribes (new version continued)
  

• Homeschooling and Children's Use of their Imagination - This discussion explores the method the TT use to educate their children. Also discussed is the teaching that children are not allowed to use their imagination to "Fantasize" (pretend).
  

• The Twelve Tribe's Apostle of God Yoneq - This discussion explores the claims of Elbert Eugene Spriggs and his origin from an offshoot of a Christian church to the self proclaimed return of Elijah. Is he telling the truth or just delusional?
  

• Sexual Abuse in the TT Part I - This was a discussion that took place a number of years ago. Given the anonymity of online bloggers it is impossible to validate the reality of claims that are made. Although real names are given of known members and leaders within the group which give the conversations som backing. FACTNET did not reveal IP addresses at this time and there was a large amount of anonymous posters. There seemed to be a great deal of interaction from members within the TT at this time. Notice the reaction and attitudes (spirit) of those claiming to be within the TT.
  

• Sexual Abuse in the TT Part II - This is the second thread on this topic. Some news articles document actual cases of alleged abuse and how the TT responded. Additionally a number of personal stories are shared by ex-members. Very disturbing information and interaction of TT members on the discussion board.
  

more to come.......

Disclaimer - The thoughts and opinions of the online posters within these discussion threads do not necessarily represent the views of YATT and its contributors.


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