7Th-day-Adventist

Ellen G. White Founder

Seventh-Day Adventists started in the 1800s as a denomination.

Seventh-Day Adventists follow a doctrine called the 28 Fundamental Beliefs.

The Seventh-Day Adventist Sabbath is on Saturday

Seventh-Day Adventists believe in what’s called Heavenly Sanctuary.

Many Seventh-Day Adventists still follow the teachings of the prophet Ellen White.

Seventh-Day Adventists believe death is an unconscious state.

Seventh-Day Adventists believe Jesus is coming back.

VEGETARIANISM (1 Timothy 4:1-6)

The highest-ranking authority in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church is the General Conference.

Salvation required Faith PLUS Works

ANNIHILATION OF THE WICKED

INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT

THE LAW OF MOSES

Accounts
Eyewitness
of Mrs. White's Visions

No, these are not the accounts you read about in SDA school.

No, these are not the accounts you saw published in the Adventist Review.

No, these are not the accounts you heard about from the pulpit at campmeeting.

So what are these eyewitness accounts? These are the other accounts. The ones most SDA church members are unaware of. They are written by Christians, men and women of integrity, who were eyewitnesses to the visions of Ellen White. And these accounts paint a quite different picture of her visions...

Eyewitness account of "a beloved brother" (published by James White)
"I cannot endorse sister Ellen's visions as being of divine inspiration, as you and she think them to be; yet I do not suspect the least shade of dishonesty in either of you in this matter. I may perhaps, express to you my belief in the matter, without harm - it will, doubtless, result either in your good or mine. At the same time, I admit the possibility of my being mistaken. I think that what she and you regard as visions from the Lord, are only religious reveries, in which her imagination runs without control upon themes in which she is most deeply interested. While so absorbed in these reveries, she is lost to every thing around her. Reveries are of two kinds, sinful and religious. Hers is the latter. Rosseau's, "a celebrated French infidel," were the former. Infidelity was his theme, and his reveries were infidel. Religion is her theme, and her reveries are religious. In either case, the sentiments, in the main, are obtained from previous teaching, or study. I do not by any means think her visions are like some from the devil."
A Word to the Little Flock, 1847, page 22

Joseph Bate's eyewitness account
Although Joseph Bates eventually came to believe in Mrs. White's prophetic calling, he initially expressed reservations about the visions:

"It is now about two years since I first saw the author, and heard her relate the substance of her visions as she has since published them in Portland (April 6, 1846). Although I could see nothing in them that militated against the word, yet I felt alarmed and tried exceedingly, and for a long time unwilling to believe that it was any thing more than what was produced by a protracted debilitated state of her body."
A Word to the Little Flock, 1847, page 21
Adventist minister Isaac Wellcome's eyewitness account
Isaac Wellcome, a minister who was baptized by James White in 1844 and was active in the Second Advent Movement, wrote:

"Ellen G. Harmon... was strangely exercised in body and mind...falling to the floor... (we remember catching her twice to save her from falling upon the floor)... in meetings she would speak with great vehemence and rapidity until falling down, when, as she claimed, wonderful views of heaven and what was being transacted there were shown her. She claimed to have seen that Christ had left the office of mediation and assumed that of Judge, had closed the door of mercy, and was blotting out the names, from the book of life.... We saw her in Poland, Portland, Topsham, and Brunswick during the beginning of this career, and often heard her speak, and several times saw her fall, and heard her relate wonders which she said her heavenly Father permitted her to see. Her supernatural or abnormal views were not readily understood as visions, but as spiritual views of unseen things, which were quite common among the Methodists.... These visions were but the echoes of Elder [Joseph] Turner and others' preaching, and we regard them as the product of the overexcited imagination of her mind, and not as facts."
(Isaac Wellcome, History of the Second Advent Message (Yarmouth, Maine: Advent Christian Publication Society, 1874); Jacob Brinkerhoff, The Seventh-day Adventists and Mrs. White's Visions (Marion, Iowa: Advent and Sabbath Advocate, 1884), 4-6.)
Eyewitness account of Lucinda Burdick
Lucinda Burdick and Mary Bodge joined Ellen Harmon for prayer one afternoon in 1845. Here is Ms. Burdick's account of what happened:

"While I was engaged in prayer, suddenly, Ellen Harmon became rigidly prostrate upon the ground. Miss Bodge immediately sent for James White who she said was the only one that could talk with her while in one of these spells. He and many others hurried to the spot and he immediately began to ask her a great variety of questions.
"Her eyes remained open and assumed a glassy stare. Sometimes as she answered his questions she would rise stiffly to a half sitting posture only to fall back rigidly prostrate upon the ground. Her position upon the ground seemed so uncomfortable that I placed her head in my lap and supported her thus throughout the event.

"Many of the questions asked her by White were relative to the spiritual standing of people who lived in the surrounding country. Some she declared were right with God while others had spots upon their garments. It was noticeable that the spotted ones were those who rejected her visions or hesitated to accept them fully. ...

"This trance condition lasted more than an hour and someone suggesting that the gathering dew would cause them to take cold, White said, 'I guess it will be the will of the Lord to bring her out,' and immediately she arose and assumed her normal behavior.

"Soon after this both confidence and interest in this fanatical couple vanished as the visions were not only childish and devoid of sense, but absolutely contradictory. Considerable scandal was created by the intimacy of this man and woman, but the "talk" gradually subsided after their marriage in 1846 about a year after the incident just related."
(Letter from Lucinda Burdick, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Sept. 26, 1908)

Another Testimony written by Lucinda Burdick
"I became acquainted with James White and Ellen Harmon (now Mrs. White) early in 1845. At the time of my first acquaintance with them they were in a wild fanaticism, --used to sit on the floor instead of chairs, and creep around the floor like little children. Such freaks were considered a mark of humility. They were not married, but traveling together. Ellen was having what was called visions: said God had shown her in vision that Jesus Christ arose on the tenth day of the seventh month, 1844, and shut the door of mercy; had left forever the mediatorial throne; the whole world was doomed and lost, and there never could be another sinner saved. She very soon pretended to see that Saturday must be kept as the Sabbath. Her visions were something new, and there seemed to be first no decided opposition to them in the different churches where they traveled. They caused a great deal of discussion and excitement, and all seemed disposed to investigate. But, after a little while, her visions began to conflict one with the other. It was ascertained by myself and others who saw her in vision, that she could throw herself into vision when she chose (this she confessed), but that James White could control them, and bring her out when he pleased."
(An Examination of Mrs. Ellen White's Visions, Miles Grant, Boston: Published by the Advent Christian Publication Society, 1877)
Ellen White admits eyewitnesses doubting her visions
Ellen White herself noted that "many" who witnessed her visions felt that they were witnessing fanaticism and mesmerism:

"...if it pleased the Lord to give me a vision in meeting, some would say that it was the effect of excitement and mesmerism." (Testimonies Vol. 1, p. 71)
"If I had a vision in meeting, many would say that it was excitement and that someone mesmerized me." (Early Writings, p. 21)

Conclusion
Some have claimed that, while in vision, Ellen White performed supernatural feats, such as not breathing for an hour, holding up objects with supernatural strength, etc. If this is true, then why did Mrs. White admit that "many" who witnessed her "visions" said they were simply the result of excitement or mesmerism? There are only two possible answers. Either the witnesses actually believed that victims of "mesmerism" and "excitement" could stop breathing for long periods of time and manifest supernatural strength, or the witnesses did not witness anything of a supernatural nature. You decide.

Many Adventists agree that these statements are the most shocking ever penned by Ellen White:
"But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion everywhere."1
"Every species of animal which God had created were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the flood. Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men."2

A Summary of Mrs. White's main points about Amalgamation
It was "a sin" serious enough to require "the destruction" of the human race.
It was a vile, "base crime".
This vile sin "defaced the image of God."
It occurred both before and after "the flood."
Its effects can be seen "in certain races of men."

Analysis
There is no doubt that Ellen White understood her statements to be describing the sexual union between man and beast. At the time Mrs. White penned this "inspired" section, it was believed by some...
"...that crosses between men and animals had created a no-man's-land between man and beast, populated by gorillas, chimpanzees, wild bushmen of Africa, Patagonians, and Hottentots."3
Of course, we now know that to be false. Science has long ago proven that it is impossible for humans and animals to produce offspring.
This leads to the question: If she did not receive the amalgamation ideas from God, then where did she get them? One likely source is the Book of Jasher. Many of Mrs. White's statements about the pre-flood era appear astonishingly similar to statements in the Book of Jasher, a fictional account of earth's early history published in 1840. In that book we find that the pre-flood humans experimenting with amalgamation...

"... the sons of men in those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other."4
Which race is a product of amalgamation?
Mrs. White said the results of amalgamation could be seen "in certain races of men." The question that has haunted the SDA Church for more than 140 years is, which races are the result of amalgamation of man and beast?
Ellen White's statement provoked instant controversy and stinging criticism of her in the 1860s forced church leaders to attempt to defend their prophet. In 1868, four years after the amalgamation statements first appeared in print, Adventist leader Uriah Smith5 published his defense of Ellen White. In that book he conjectured that the union of man with beast had created "such cases as the wild Bushmen of Africa, some tribes of the Hottentots, and perhaps the Digger Indians of our own country".6

James White "carefully" reviewed Smith's book prior to its publication, and then recommended it in glowing terms to the readers of the church's official magazine, the Review and Herald:

"The Association has just published a pamphlet entitled, 'The Visions of Mrs. E.G. White, A Manifestation of Spiritual Gifts According to the Scriptures.' It is written by the editor of the Review. While carefully reading the manuscript, I felt grateful to God that our people could have this able defense of those views they so much love and prize, which others despise and oppose."7
As noted, the prophet's husband carefully read Smith's book. It is inconceivable that the statements about the Bushmen of Africa passed by James White without notice. His endorsement of the book indicates his implicit approval of the explanation. In fact, because it supposedly established Mrs. White's claims, James and Ellen took 2,000 copies of Smith's book with them to peddle at camp meetings that year!8 By promoting and selling Smith's book the Whites placed their stamp of approval on his explanation of the amalgamation statement.
Without Smith's explanation, anyone reading Ellen White's statement might easily be confused as to exactly which race she was talking about. While Smith may have limited the amalgamation to the Bushmen, a few Adventists have gone further and applied the statements to the negro race.9

SDA Scholars Perform Mental Gymnastics
While the "Bushmen of Africa" explanation was good enough for the Whites and Smith, it eventually fell out of favor with SDA leaders. It became increasingly difficult to explain these statements to an increasingly educated and racially tolerant denomination.

Despite the controversy, both the critics and supporters of Ellen White agreed that Mrs. White was talking about the union of man with beast. However, by 1947 an Adventist biologist named Dr. Frank Marsh convinced an SDA panel to interpret Mrs. White's statement to mean the interbreeding among species, not interbreeding between man and beast. Dr. Marsh argued convincingly that the union of man and beast is impossible. Despite the fact that James White, Uriah Smith, W.C. White (her son), and D.D. Robinson (her secretary) all indicate Mrs. White believed her statement to refer to the interbreeding of man with beasts, the mounting scientific evidence made it impossible for Adventists to continue to defend her statement based upon its intended meaning.10 Thus, they developed a new meaning for the statement, a meaning which was unknown to Ellen White, and a meaning which is extremely difficult to extract from the text of the amalgamation quotes themselves.

One recent Adventist scholar, Francis D. Nichol, in his book Ellen G. White and Her Critics, informs us that the word "amalgamation" was used commonly in the 19th century to refer to intermarriage between the black and white races. He also notes that Ellen White used the word "amalgamation" to refer to the intermarriage between those of different faiths. Nichol argues that Mrs. White's statement was referring to amalgamation between "man and "man", namely, the interbreeding between humans of different races or different religions.

Intermarriage between the races?
This explanation raises more questions than answers:

How could intermarriage between races deface the image of God in man? How could one human (made in the image of God) married to another human (made in the image of God) deface the image of God?
If intermarriage between races is a "sin" and a "base crime", then why is it never described as such in the Bible?
Many Biblical scholars believe Moses' wife Zipporah was a different race. Were the children of Moses an amalgamated species? If so, why did God offer to make the children of Moses into a great nation? Why didn't God destroy them for committing a base crime?
Intermarriage between godly and ungodly?
Another theory proposed by those wrestling to come up with a way to explain away this statement is that Ellen White meant the intermarriage between the righteous sons of Seth and the wicked. However, this interpretation seems to contradict the context of the statement. Gordon Shigley explains:

"It was difficult to read the statements within their context without seeing a series of sins, of which the last sin--the 'one sin above another'--was obviously the climax. It was not likely that Ellen White was talking about intermarriage since she already had described that sin in an earlier paragraph. ...it is impossible to make the amalgamation of beast with beast or man with man the one sin greater than idolatry, adultery, polygamy, theft, or murder."11
Again, this interpretation raises far more questions than it answers:
Is intermarriage between the godly and ungodly a "sin" or a "base crime?" Interestingly, Mrs. White describes the intermarriage between the sons of Cain and Seth just four pages earlier on page 60 of Spiritual Gifts. She says the intermarriage "displeased God", but she does not call it a base crime. Neither does the Bible. Samson married a Philistine woman over the objections of his parents and the Bible simply says:
"But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord..." (Judges 14:4)
If marrying an ungodly woman was a "base crime" worthy of the destruction of the human race, why would the Bible say that Samson's marriage to a Philistine was "of the Lord?"
How could the results of intermarriage between people of different faiths now "be seen" in "certain races of men?" Which races show visible evidence of intermarriage between believers and unbelievers?
White Estate Plays Word Games: What does Amalgamation mean?
While the current defenders of Mrs. White at the White Estate cannot seem to provide a definitive explanation as to what Mrs. White was talking about, they assure us on their web site that whatever it was that Mrs. White was talking about, it was not the union between man and beast:

"No dictionary has ever used 'amalgamation' to describe the cohabitation of man with beast. ... Mrs. White never hinted of subhuman beings or any kind of hybrid animal-human relationship. ... The burden of proof rests on those who affirm that Mrs. White gave a new and alien meaning to the term."12
The word "amalgmation" comes from "amalgam" which has two primary meanings:
1 : an alloy of mercury with another metal that is solid or liquid at room temperature according to the proportion of mercury present and is used especially in making tooth cements
2 : a mixture of different elements14
How was the word used in the 1800s? Webster's 1828 dictionary:

Amalgamation - The mixing or blending of different things.15
Webster's 1913 dictionary:
A*mal`ga*ma"tion (#), n. [Cf. F. amalgamation.]
The mixing or blending of different elements, races, societies, etc.; also, the result of such combination or blending; a homogeneous union.16
While dictionaries do not explicitly describe amalgamation as the union of man and beast, they certainly allow for that definition. The word "amalgamation" is widely used in the English language to describe a mixture of any two or more different elements. For example, the word is used today to describe the following combination of the human with the non-human:13
The mythical creature called a Werewolf--a being that is part human and part wolf--has been described as an "amalgamation".
The Sphinx is described as an amalgamation of a lion and a human.
Science Fiction buffs use it to describe the offspring of the union between human and alien beings!
Thus we can see by these few examples that it is a perfectly valid usage of the word to describe the combination of an animal with a human.
A "new and alien meaning"?
The White Estate claims that we are under a "burden" to prove that Mrs. White was talking about the union of man and beast because that specific definition never appears in a dictionary. They write:
"The burden of proof rests on those who affirm that Mrs. White gave a new and alien meaning to the term."17
Is that true? Are we under the burden to prove the word can be used in that manner? Or is this simply a "smoke-screen" used to hide the truth?
Let us examine some of Mrs. White's other uses of the word to determine whether or not they appear in the dictionary:

"Every noxious herb is of his [Satan's] sowing, and by his ingenious methods of amalgamation he has corrupted the earth with tares."18
"...by union with the world, the character of God's people becomes tarnished, and through amalgamation with the corrupt, the fine gold becomes dim."19

No dictionary specifically describes Satan mixing evil properties into herbs to produce tares as amalgamation. Neither does any dictionary specifically describe the union of Christians with the world as a process of amalgamation. Therefore, is Mrs. White giving a "new and alien meaning to the word" by such uses? Of course not! All of Mrs. White's usages of the word amalgamation clearly fit within the dictionary's definition of the word. The word is used in thousands of ways to describe the hybrid union of any two things that are different. How could a dictionary possibly list every potential use of the word amalgamation? It would take thousands of pages for just a single word! Just because a particular usage of a word does not appear in the dictionary does not prove that the usage is incorrect!

For Mrs. White to use the word to describe the union of man and beast is not "new and alien," nor is it without precedent. As noted above, the word is used in reference to the Sphinx, the Werewolf, half-human, half-alien beings, and a host of similar unions.

"Base Crime" proves White Estate and Nichol wrong
Mrs. White describes amalgamation as a base crime. Why? What is a base crime? What does the dictionary say? First, let us look at Webster's 1828 dictionary:
Base - Mean; vile; worthless; that is, low in value or estimation; used of things.20
Webster's 1913 dictionary:
Base - Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations. A cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind.21
Here are the synonyms to the word "base" from Webster's 1999 dictionary:
Synonyms: BASE, LOW, VILE mean deserving of contempt because of the absence of higher values.
BASE stresses the ignoble and may suggest cruelty, treachery, greed, or grossness [base motives].
LOW may connote crafty cunning, vulgarity, or immorality and regularly implies an outraging of one's sense of decency or propriety [refused to listen to such low talk].
VILE, the strongest of these words, tends to suggest disgusting depravity or filth [a vile remark].22
If the amalgamation was "human with human, and beast with beast," then how could these relationships be described as base crimes? How could sexual relations between married human partners be described as base crimes? Doesn't God honor marriage, whether or not both partners are of the same race or religion? How could union between different species of animals be a base crime? Animals have no such moral capacity to commit a base crime!
If the union of human with human is not a base crime, and if the union of animal with animal is not a base crime, then what is a base crime?

A base crime is an act of vile immorality. Mrs. White uses the phrase base crime only one other time in her writings. She used the phrase to describe Potiphar's wife's vile and adulterous sexual advances upon the youthful Joseph.23

The Bible is very clear that sexual relations between humans and animals is a vile, base crime. It is condemned in the Bible as an abomination worthy of the death penalty.24 Notice carefully that the crimes of adultery and bestality are in close context with one another in the Levitical law:

Lev. 18:20 - "Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her."
Lev. 18:23 - "Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it [is] confusion."

To reiterate, Mrs. White uses the term "base crime" only two times in her entire writings. One, the sexaul assault upon Joseph, refers to a violation of Lev. 18:20. The second, the amalgamation statement, refers to a violation of Lev. 18:23. Furthermore, Mrs. White says the amalgamation "caused confusion everywhere", clearly linking it to Lev. 18:23 which states that bestality "is confusion". Mrs. White's choice of the words "base crime" and her allusion to the resulting "confusion" is irrefutable evidence she was describing bestiality, not intermarriage between humans with racial or religious differences.
Genetic amalgamation?
A recent and even more outlandish defense of Mrs. White's statement has arisen with the advent of genetic engineering. Some have suggested the ancients performed genetic manipulations in the laboratory. This sounds plausible to those who do not understand the difficulties of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is an extremely complex process that science is only now beginning to grasp. It requires the use of super-computers and highly advanced technology. While there is no evidence that the people before the flood possessed this type of enabling technology, Mrs. White says this amalgamation also happened after the flood! There is absolutely no evidence that the advanced technology needed to accomplish genetic engineering ever existed in any society after the flood. It is pure conjecture--mental gymnastics at its best.
Is Amalgamation the greatest reason for the flood?
If Ellen White is correct, that the "one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race" was amalgamation, why was that sin never mentioned in Genesis? Moses mentions the sins of corruption and violence in Genesis 6:11-13, but never amalgamation. One would think that if amalgamation was the "one sin above another" that caused the flood, Moses would have at least mentioned it! How could such a grievous sin pass by Moses without mention?
Why were these "inspired" statements removed?
If the amalgamation statements were true, then why not include them in the book Patriarchs and Prophets? Why remove them from this edition? If this sin caused the flood, shouldn't people should be warned about it so that they don't repeat it? If the "bushmen of Africa" are the result of union between man and animals, doesn't the world have a right to know about it? The White Estate is always bragging about how Ellen White was "years ahead of science". Well then, why not let the world know about this amazing scientific finding of Ellen White? Shouldn't the world's leading scientists be made aware of this so that they can begin studying the bushmen? Wouldn't it be a wonderful proof of Ellen White's divine inspiration if scientists were to examine the bushmens' DNA and prove they are indeed half-animal? Why should prophetic utterances need to be deleted from later editions of a prophet's writings?
We are not the first to ask these questions. People have been asking those questions for over 100 years. The removal the amalgamation statements created such a controversy that the White Estate decided it was important for them to provide an explanation for the omissions. Her son W.C. White writes:

"Regarding the two paragraphs which are to be found in Spiritual Gifts and also in The Spirit of Prophecy regarding amalgamation and the reason why they were left out of the later books, and the question as to who took the responsibility of leaving them out, I can speak with perfect clearness and assurance. They were left out by Ellen G. White. No one connected with her work had any authority over such a question, and I never heard of anyone offering to her counsel regarding this matter.
"In all questions of this kind, you may set it down as a certainty that sister White was responsible for leaving out or adding to matters of this sort in the later editions of our books.

"Sister White not only had good judgment based upon a clear and comprehensive understanding of conditions and of the natural consequences of publishing what she wrote, but she had many times direct instruction from the angel of the Lord regarding what should be omitted and what should be added in new editions."25

Now you know the reason, straight from the pen of the prophet's son.
Did Mrs. White remove the statements because they created a controversy? No!
Did she remove them because they were wrong? No!
Did she remove them because the brethren faced a predicament trying to explain them to new converts? No!
Did she remove them because they made her appear biased and uneducated? No!
Supposedly she removed them because an angel instructed her to do so. That leads us to our final question:
Why didn't the angel instruct her to omit the lines before they were published?

NOTES

1. Ellen White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p. 64.

2. Ibid., p. 75.

3. Gordon Shigley, "Amalgamation of Man and Beast: What Did Ellen White Mean?", Spectrum, vol. 12, no. 4, p. 13. Gordon Shigley wrote this article while a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin.

4. Jasher 4:18.

5. In 1868 Uriah Smith still professed belief in Ellen White as a prophet. By 1883 he did not hold the same degree of conviction: "It seems to me that the testimonies, practically, have come into that shape, that it is not of any use to try to defend the erroneous claims that are now put forth for them." (Smith to Canright, March 22, 1883).

6. Uriah Smith, The Visions of Mrs. E. G. White, A Manifestation of Spiritual gifts According to the Scripture, p. 103, (Steam Press, Battle Creek Michigan, 1868). NOTE: This book is not available in any SDA bookstores today. Here is the full quotation from pages 103-104:

"Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men." This view was given for the purpose of illustrating the deep corruption and crime into which the race fell, even within a few years after the flood that signal manifestation of God's wrath against human wickedness. There was amalgamation; and the effect is still visible in certain races of men." Mark, those excepting the animals upon whom the effects of this work are visible, are called by the vision, "men." Now we have ever supposed that anybody that was called a man, was considered a human being. The vision speaks of all these classes as races of men; yet in the face of this plain declaration, they foolishly assert that the visions teach that some men are not human beings! But does any one deny the general statement contained in the extract given above? They do not. If they did, they could easily be silenced by a reference to such cases as the wild Bushmen of Africa, some tribes of the Hottentots, and perhaps the Digger Indians of our own country, &c.; Moreover, naturalists affirm that the line of demarkation between the human and animal races is lost in confusion. It is impossible, as they affirm, to tell just where the human ends and the animal begins. Can we suppose that this was so ordained of God in the beginning? Rather has not sin marred the boundaries of these two kingdoms?
7. James White, Review, Aug. 15, 1868.

8. Shigley, p. 18, footnote #11: "This information appears as a handwritten note at the bottom of a copy of Uriah Smith's 'Objection 39: The Negro Race Not Human,' provided by [Professor] Frank Marsh."

9. The author is saddened to say, that as an SDA for 33 years, I know for a fact that behind closed doors in private conversations a few white American SDA's still believe this "inspired" statement applies to the entire black race. One person claimed to have seen an unpublished manuscript in the White Estate vault indicating such, but proof is lacking. In a statement received from a former SDA via e-mail, October 2004: "I found the testimony from the guy that was in the vault and Dr. B showed him where EGW wrote about women being with apes. Well, I wanted to tell you back in the early 1980s my husband had a good friend that went to Andrews. He told my husband about seeing this writing while doing research in the vault. We wondered all these years about it. I was pleased to confirm it with that part of your site. We suspect he was kicked out of school, as bearing that statement he began preaching to kids on campus about what he had found, referring to black people as monkeys."

10. See Shigley, pp. 11-18.

11. Shigley, p. 11.

12. See www.whiteestate.org web site, "Comments Regarding Unusual Statements Found In Ellen G. White's Writings".

13. For example, in a review of the book Blood of the Wolf, the reviewer makes this statement: "This has nothing to do with Tribes or Auspices, just the physical and psychological aspects of being spirit, flesh, human and wolf all rolled up into a single disturbing amalgamation." (reference found on http://www.nocturnis.net/reviews/268 on the date Nov. 26, 2006). A second example is the Sphinx: "Some scholars believe that the famous Sphinx, with its lion's body and human head, was an amalgamation of Leo and the nearby constellation of Virgo, the Maiden." ("Leo the Lion may have inspired the Great Sphinx", Feb. 19, 2006, http://archive.recordonline.com/archive/2006/02/19/features_buzzandsundayextra-19bzcosmic-02-19.html). For an example of the word "amalgamation" used to describe human-alien union, see Christ Links forum posting #25114, March 14, 2006: "There are people in hiding, underground citys and such, who are amalgamating man and beast. ... The grays appear to be a human/animal amalgamation of some kind." (http://www.christianlinks.com/forums/showthread.php?p=25114#post25114)

14. Merriam-Webster Dictionary © 1999 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

15. Webster's 1828 Dictionary.

16. Webster's 1913 Dictionary.

17. See www.whiteestate.org web site, "Comments Regarding Unusual Statements Found In Ellen G. White's Writings". White Estate quoting F.D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, p. 308.

18. Ellen White, Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 288.

19. Ellen White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 23, 1892.

20. Webster's 1828 Dictionary.

21. Webster's 1913 Dictionary.

22. Merriam-Webster Dictionary © 1999 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

23. See article written by Ellen White, Signs of the Times, Jan. 8, 1880.

24. Leviticus 18:23, 20:16.

25. W.C. White, Selected Messages, Vol. 3, p. 452.

Chapter Title as it appears in Spiritual Gifts (Vol. 1)TopicQuote from Ellen White's Spiritual Gifts, (Vol. 1), 1858Quote from H.L. Hastings' Great Controversy, 1858
Fall of ManAdam and Eve instructed by God:"I saw that the holy angels often visited the garden, and gave instruction to Adam and Eve concerning their employment, and also taught them concerning the rebellion of Satan and his fall." p. 20"We are taught that our first parents received their instructions while in their state of innocency, and even after their transgression, directly from the divine legislator himself." p. 20
Paradise lost:"He [Satan] had been shut out of heaven, they out of Paradise." p. 22"...sin that turned paradise into a desert. p. 17
The First Advent of ChristAngels announce first coming:"They [angels] triumphantly heralded the advent of the Son of God to a fallen world to accomplish the work of redemption..." p. 28"...they [angels] sang...This was the Messiah's errand...to reconcile all things to God." p. 80
John the Baptist"Multitudes left the busy cities and villages, and flocked to the wilderness to hear the words of the wonderful, singular Prophet. John laid the axe at the root of the tree. He reproved sin fearless of consequences, and prepared the way for the Lamb of God." p. 30"Multitudes heeded the proclamation, and were baptized of John in Jordan, confessing their sins..." "...a moral giant heralded the coming of the greater Proclaimer of the divine will, and exhorted the nation to repent, and by reformation, prepare for the approaching manifestation of a mightier one..." p. 81
The Ministry of ChristHurling Christ over the precipice:"I was then shown that Satan and his angels were very busy during Christ's ministry, inspiring men with unbelief, hate and scorn. ... Again as the plain truth dropped from his holy lips, the multitude laid hold of him, and led him to the brow of a hill, intending to thrust him down." p. 36"...filled with wrath, they thrust him out of the synagogue, and dragged him toward a frightful precipice, that they might hurl him down headlong and destroy him. They hated him without a cause." p. 82
The Trial of ChristTorture of Jesus:"They cruelly scourged him, and put an old purple, kingly robe upon him, and bound his sacred head with a crown of thorns. They put a reed in his hand, and mockingly bowed to him, and saluted him with, Hail king of the Jews! They then took the reed from his hand, and smote him with it upon the head..." "They covered his head with an old garment; blindfolded him, and then struck him in the face, and cried out, Prophesy unto us who it was that smote thee." p. 50,51"They bound his temples with a twisted thorn. They beat him cruelly with their hands. They arrayed him in a gorgeous robe--blind-folded him, and bade him prophesy unto them. They drew his blood with the gory scourge. They gave him a reed for a sceptre, and cried in mockery, "Hail, King of the Jews." p. 83
The Crucifixion of ChristJews revile Jesus:"As Jesus hung upon the cross, some who passed by reviled him, wagging their heads..." p. 59"Jews derided him, Pharisees and priests wagged their heads contemptuously..." p. 83
The ResurrectionLying about the resurrection:"They [Jews] decided to hire the [Roman] soldiers to keep the matter secret." p. 68"...both Jews and Romans agreed to lie about his resurrection..." p. 84
The Ascension of ChristCaptives led to heaven:"Angels came to receive the King of glory, and to escort him triumphantly to heaven. After Jesus had blessed his disciples, he was parted from them, and taken up. And as he led the way upward, the multitude of captives who were raised at his resurrection followed." p. 77"Earth rejected Christ, but heaven received him; and with him a glorious multitude of captives whom he had delivered from the grasp of death..." p. 85
Evil Counsels:"Satan counseled with his angels, and with bitter hatred against God's government..." p. 79"Haughty and hardened, the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers to counsel together, against the Lord..." p. 85
The Disciples of ChristDo not preach in Jesus' name:"...they beat them, and commanded them to speak no more in the name of Jesus." p. 85"They straitly [sic] charged them, under grievous penalties, to cease to speak in the name of Jesus. They scourged them publicly." p. 88
The Great ApostasyEarly persecution of Christians:"Notwithstanding the persecution and sufferings those Christians endured, they would not lower the standard. They kept their religion pure." p. 103"Still, in all their persecutions, they trusted in the living God. They labored, and suffered reproach." p. 95
The Curse of the Jews:"The curse of God followed them, and they were a byword and a derision to the heathen and to so-called Christians. They were degraded, shunned, and detested, as if the brand of Cain were upon them. ... . I saw that God had forsaken the Jews as a nation; but that individuals among them will yet be converted..." Early Writings (Spiritual Gifts) p. 213"[The Jews] have left their name for a curse to the world; have been a hissing and a byword among all nations... Yet if they continue not in unbelief, God is able to graft them in; and so...shall be saved." p. 93
The Mystery of IniquityBible under attack:"The will of God plainly revealed in his word, was covered up with error and tradition, which have been taught as the commandments of God." "The Bible was hated, and efforts were made to rid the earth of the precious word of God." p. 111, 109"The truths of God were hidden beneath countless fables. The commandments of God were made void through man's tradition. The word of God was sealed, prohibited, perverted, and mutilated." p. 97
The Church and World UnitedProfessing Christ:"I saw that a very large company professed the name of Christ, but God does not recognize them as his. " p. 126"A profession of allegiance to God is not enough to constitute a man a friend of God. The being called by the Christian name avails nothing." p. 109
Ministers preach smooth things:"The ministers preach smooth things to suit carnal professors." p. 127"There are too many who have no higher calling than to minister thus to the comfort of the itching of the ears that wait upon their words." p. 125
SpiritualismDemonic instructions"I saw the rapping delusion. Satan has power to bring the appearance of forms before us purporting to be our relatives and friends that now sleep in Jesus. ...for the spirits of devils will yet appear to them, professing to be beloved friends and relatives, who will declare to them unscriptural doctrines." p. 173"The demons of darkness are invoked, and their strange responses--a medley of falsehood, blasphemy, and folly--are received as revelations from celestial 'spheres' ... satanic revelations authorize adultery, fornication, and the countless abominations that are, with such witchcraft, 'the works of the flesh.'" p. 127
CovetousnessCovetousness"[Satan said] They may profess what they please, only make them care more for money than the success of Christ's kingdom..." p. 179"Sin is winked at that money may be gained. Worldlings are courted for their influence and their gold..." p. 126
ShakingShaking God's people:"They will rise up against it [straight testimony], and this will cause a shaking among God's people. ... Some had been shaken out, and left by the way." pp. 184, 186"This shaking will remove everything that can be removed, while the things that cannot be shaken, and the kingdom that cannot be moved, shall abide..." p. 145
Deliverance of the SaintsShouting Hallelujah:"At the end of every sentence the saints shouted, Glory! Hallelujah!" p. 205"Much people cry Hallelujah...the saints of God rejoice..." p. 162
The Second ResurrectionSatan's army attacks"Jesus closes the gates of the City, and this vast army surround it and place themselves in battle array... But fire from God out of heaven is rained upon them." p. 216, 217"His [Satan's] hosts compass the camp of the saints about and the beloved city, and then, upon that countless throng...comes down the storm of sheeted flame." p. 165
Closing "...the great controversy was forever ended." p. 218

Analysis
The Origin of the Christmas Tree
Far be it from us to discourage the celebration of the Savior's birth into this world. However, it must be pointed out that a double-standard was practiced here. Hundreds of years prior to Christ's birth pagans set up trees in their homes to honor their pagan deities:

"The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in pagan Rome and Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm tree denoting the Pagan Messiah as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. The mother of Adonis, the Sun-God and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, and when in that state to have brought forth her divine son."3
The practice of setting up evergreen trees on December 25 has absolutely no connection to anything at all relating to Christ's birth, but was simply one of the many pagan traditions adopted by the Christian church after the death of the apostles.
"The Christmas tree...symbolized the new-born God as Baal-Berith, 'Lord of the Covenant,' and thus shadowed forth the perpetuity and everlasting nature of his power, now that after having fallen before his enemies, he has risen triumphant over them all. Therefore, the 25th of December, the day that was observed at Rome as the day when the victorious god appeared on earth, was held as the Natalis invicti solis, 'The birth-day of the Unconquerable Sun.'"4
A Double-Standard on Pagan Symbols?
Ellen White soundly condemned the Catholic church for adopting the use of pagan symbols:
"To secure converts, the exalted standard of the Christian faith was lowered, and as the result 'a pagan flood, flowing into the church, carried with it its customs, practices, and idols.'"5
"Although these worshipers of idols professed to be converted, they brought their idolatry with them into the church, only changing the objects of their worship to images of saints, and even of Christ and of Mary His mother. As the followers of Christ gradually united with them, the Christian religion became corrupted and the church lost its purity and power."6

"Many heathen nations claimed that their images were mere figures or symbols by which the Deity was worshiped, but God has declared such worship to be sin."7

Even today, putting up the sign of the cross in an SDA church, or on its steeple is condemned by some. In one SDA church I attended I remember hearing of a debate that erupted as the church decided whether or not to purchase decorative lights for the church sanctuary which had crosses engraved on them! The early Adventists looked down upon using the cross as a symbol:
"The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross..."8
Here we have a prophet that blasted Rome for adopting pagan practices, and shunned pagan symbols--even the symbol of the cross. And yet, ironically, that same prophet said God would be "well pleased" to have an evergreen standing in their church sanctuaries on the same December 25th date upon which the heathen Romans put up evergreen trees in honor of Baal-Berith!
Is God really "pleased" to have pagan symbols in His church?
It seems as if the early Adventists were willing to sacrifice their high ideals about pagan symbology when they realized the tree could be used as a money-making device. Does placing "offerings for God" upon a Christmas tree sanctify this pagan symbol and make it acceptable in God's sight? Paul writes:
"What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? ...And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? ...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."9
Perhaps Ellen White stated it best when she wrote...

"He [Satan] has deceived them, benumbed their sensibilities, and planted his hellish banner right in their midst, and they are so completely deceived that they know not that it is he. ... They are idolaters, and are worse, far worse, in the sight of God than the heathen, graven-image worshipers who have no knowledge of a better way."10
NOTES
1. Ellen White, Review and Herald, Dec. 11, 1879.

2. Ellen White, Review and Herald, Dec. 9, 1884.

3. Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, p. 97.

4. Ibid., p. 98.

5. Ellen White, Great Controversy, p. 384.

6. Ellen White, Early Writings, p. 211.

7. Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 306.

8. Ellen White, Signs of the Times, Aug. 12, 1908.

9. 2 Cor. 6:14-17.

10. Ellen White, Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 440.

Visions or Partial-Complex Seizures
By Delbert H. Hodder, M.D.
Published in: Evangelica Nov. 1981
The Seventh-day Adventist church was born in the period of time that immediately followed the "Great Disappointment" of 1844. From all religious denominations sincere people left their churches to join the "Millerite Movement", a movement that, with evangelistic fervor not since seen, was predicting the end of the world and the coming of Jesus Christ on October 22, 1844. In preparation for this event, earthly possessions were dispensed with and conflicting family and social ties were severed as they waited for Christ to return. Christ did not return as expected on October 22, 1844, and the magnitude of this "Great Disappointment" can be only partially imagined today. It was from the group of people that suffered and survived this disappointment that the Seventh-day Adventist church was conceived and grew to be a major Protestant denomination containing more than 2,000,000 members [in 1981] and medical and educational institutions that circle the globe.

There is no one individual entirely responsible for the development of the Seventh-day Adventist church, but there is no question that Ellen G. White was the one most influential person during the time of its formation. Were it not for Mrs. White one wonders if there would be a Seventh-day Adventist church today. Her 100,000 pages of writing continue to be an authority for the Adventist church second only to the Bible. Seeing the Bible through the writings of Mrs. White has resulted in some of the unique doctrines held by the Adventist church. Mrs. White claimed to be a "messenger of God" and the church accepted her as a "prophet of God" and continues to believe that God gave her specific instructions and guidance through her visions. It was the supernatural nature of these visions" that was one of the most significant early evidences that she was being used by God as a prophet, and it is these same events that continue to be evidence of her inspiration to most Adventists.

When Ellen received her first "vision" she was distraught and uncertain as to what to do with the information presented.1 In an age when there were many psychics "prophesying", in an age when the group with which she identified had fallen into disrepute following the "Great Disappointment", in this age, she recognized the risk of speaking the "truth" she felt was revealed to her. Based on her convictions that God was leading, she took the necessary risk and made her "visions" public, for she and the early Adventist church were intent on finding "the truth."

It was several months ago that I casually read Rene Noorbergen's book, Ellen G. White, Prophet of Destiny.2 My reading was prompted by my general interest in Mrs. White and by my need for general information as an elder and Sabbath school superintendent in my church. As a pediatrician with special interest in pediatric neurology, I was astonished to discover the similarity between Mrs. White's "visions" and a type of seizure called "psychomotor" or "partial-complex" seizure. I soon discovered the similarities between Mrs. White's personality and the recently described personality of those with this form of seizure disorder. Although educated from first grade through medical school at Seventh-day Adventist schools, I had never before critically looked at Mrs. White's "visions", but always had accepted them on faith. With my subspecialty interest in pediatric neurology, the description of these "visions" had significance that might not be found by someone without a background in medicine and neurology. As with Mrs. White, I feel a sense of responsibility to share this information.

When F. D. Nichol discussed epilepsy in his book, Ellen G. White and Her Critics,3 he unfortunately omitted the one type of seizure with which her spells were consistent. There is no question that her "visions" are inconsistent with grand mal and petite mal seizures, but as the following discussion will show, her spells were consistent with partial-complex seizures in that they contained all the unique elements of this form of epilepsy. Since this form of epilepsy is always acquired and not inherited, we must first look at Ellen before her "visions" were present.

Ellen was in good health until age nine when she received a significant head injury. I quote from Rene Noorbergen and his book, Ellen G. White, Prophet of Destiny, a description of this event and its immediate consequences:

Ellen's life took a drastic turn when, on the way home from school one afternoon in Portland, Maine, alarmed by the angry shouts of a classmate, she reeled around. For a moment she stood there, transfixed, while the girl raised her hand and viciously hurled a stone at her head. The impact was so great that Ellen was thrown to the ground. Upon returning to consciousness, she found herself in a merchant's store where she had been carried by worried bystanders. Refusing to be driven home, she pulled herself up and clung to the arm of her twin sister. Bleeding profusely from a head wound, she staggered home, supported by her sister and a schoolmate, once again falling unconscious before reaching her house.
For a full three weeks, she wavered between life and death, and when she finally regained enough strength to get around, she was burdened with a disfigured face and the after-effects of a serious head injury.

It influenced her health to such a large extent. . . that it forced her to forego further schooling. In fact, she never quite got beyond the third grade. . . Following her misfortune, she became an avid Bible student, fascinated by the religious revival taking place around her. Being intensely religious, she did not miss a chance to associate with others who shared her interest, inasmuch as her regular friends shunned her after the accident.4

Based on this description, it is clear that Ellen suffered a severe head injury, using the current medical definition of "severe." A severe head injury is associated with an immediate unconsciousness lasting an hour or more or in the sudden or progressive deterioration of the level of consciousness after an initial lucid period. Abnormal neurologic signs may develop and persist for hours or days or may be permanent. This type of head injury is usually associated with extensive cerebral edema (swelling), bruising and laceration of the brain, or an intra-cranial hemorrhage.5 Approximately 10 percent of the people who suffer such a severe head injury develop a seizure disorder.6 If a hemorrhage has occurred, this percentage is significantly higher. Mrs. White's immediate loss of consciousness followed by a lucid interval and a subsequent prolonged loss of consciousness is typical of the presence of a cerebral hemorrhage, specifically an epidural hematoma, but not diagnostic of such.
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Seizure disorder often develops from a severe head injury such as that suffered by young Ellen.
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At the age of 14, Ellen had her first "dream" that seemed to have significant religious meaning for her.7 At the age of 17, less than two months after the "Great Disappointment," she had her first "spell" that was interpreted by her as a "vision." Ellen is reported as having approximately 2,000 of these "visions" during her life with those in the latter part of her life mainly occurring during sleep and thus being similar to those that occurred at the age of 14. [Editor's Note: The "2,000 visions" number is a disputed number. The number of "visions" actually on record is less than 200.]

From Rene Noorbergen's book once again, I found the following description of her spells.

"Suddenly her voice broke clear and musical, and we heard the ringing shout, 'Glory to God! We all looked up and saw that she was in vision. Her hands were folded across her breast. Her eyes were directed intently upward, and her lips were closed. There was no breathing although the heart continued its action. "As she looked intently upward, an expression of anxiety came into her face. She threw aside her blankets, and, stepping forward, walked back and forth in the room. Wringing her hands, she moaned, 'Dark! Dark! All dark! So dark!' Then after a few moments silence, she exclaimed with emphasis and a brightening of her countenance, 'A light! A little light! More light! Much light!"'
"In vision her eyes were open. There was no breath... but there were graceful movements of the shoulders, arms, and hands, expressive of what she saw. It was impossible for anyone else to move her hands or arms. She often uttered words singly, and sometimes sentences which expressed to those about her the nature of the view she was having, either of heaven or of earth.

"Her first word in vision was 'Glory', sounding at first close by and then dying away in the distance, seemingly far away. This was sometimes repeated. "When the vision was ended... she would exclaim with a long drawn sigh, as she took her first natural breath, 'D-a-r-k!' She was then limp and strengthless." "She drew her first breath deep. long, full, in a manner showing that her lungs had been entirely empty of air. After drawing the first breath, several minutes passed before she drew the second, which filled the lungs precisely as did the first; then a pause of two minutes, and a third inhalation, after which the breathing became natural.'

"The time Mrs. White is in this condition has varied from fifteen minutes to one hundred and eighty. During this time the heart and pulse continue to beat, the eyes are always open, and seem to be gazing at some far distant object, and are never fixed on any person or thing in the room. They are always directed upward. They exhibit a pleasant expression . . . There is never the slightest wink or change of expression. . . It is sometimes hours and even days after she comes out of this condition before she recovers her natural sight. She says it seems to her that she comes back into a dark world, yet her eyesight is in no way injured by her visions.8

From these and other descriptions in Ellen G. White Prophet of Destiny, the following summary of events during a "vision" can be made. Mrs. White could occasionally sense she was about to have a "vision"; they began abruptly; she was unaware of her surroundings while in "vision"; and she was amnesic for events that took place in her environment. Her eyes were open and she stared upward without blinking. There was imperceptible breathing, but she did frequently repeat certain words or phrases while in a "vision" and never became cyanotic (blue). Her heart beat was normal. During the visions' she sometimes appeared very anxious. She had various automatic-like motor movements such as the wringing of her hands. The "visions" terminated with deep sighs and the "visions" were followed by a prolonged phase where she was lethargic, frequently couldn't see or hear, and in general, had a depressed mental status for a varying period of time.
Subsequent to the invention of the electroencephalogram (EEG) in 1929, there has been a wealth of new information related to the understanding and treatment of "epilepsy." Prior to the last twenty years, in fact, epilepsy was frequently classified into only two categories, that being big seizures (grand ma]) and little seizures (petit mal). Eighty percent of all seizures were previously classified as grand mal. Today, generalized grand mal seizures constitute only 20 percent of all seizures, whereas, a type of seizure called psychomotor seizure, renamed in 1970 as partial-complex seizure,9 now appears to be the single most prevalent form of epilepsy, constituting 42 percent of all the focal seizures and 26 percent of all types of seizures.10 The older term of "psychomotor" was first used in 1902 as a label for seizures that combined psychic and motor events.11 The more recent nomenclature is based on the fact that the seizure involves a focal area of the brain rather than the whole brain and presents with complex symptomatology. The complexity of the seizure is based on the area of the brain involved-the temporal lobe and the underlying limbic system-the parts of the brain that are involved in high level cerebral activity.

Partial-complex seizures occur only in a brain that has been injured and, thus, are not inherited or run in families as do other types of seizures.12 In contrast to grand mal seizures, these seizures may occur quite frequently in an individual, are generally not associated with progressive neurologic dysfunction, and do not shorten one's expected life span. Although partial-complex seizures usually last only seconds to a few minutes, they very rarely may be prolonged at which time they are called "complex partial status epilepticus."13

These seizures frequently begin in adolescence and continue throughout life. They generally occur spontaneously, but stresses may precipitate a seizure. Such stresses are: psychological, hormonal changes, drowsiness, illness and sleep. Another factor that makes these seizures "complex" is the ability of some patients to not only sense an impending seizure, but at times to be able to abort or precipitate them. I had a patient whose spells consisted of altered, but not loss of, consciousness, and a generalized "good" feeling that swept over his body. He frequently precipitated these spells by "concentrating." He nearly had a serious automobile accident secondary to a seizure that he had precipitated while driving. The near accident was enough impetus for this adolescent to stop precipitating these events, since his joy from driving exceeded his "joy" from his seizures. Grand ma] and partial-complex seizures are followed by a period of neurologic dysfunction typically manifest by headache, lethargy, or sleep; this is called the "post-ictal" period. The duration of this post-ictal phase usually varies directly with the duration of the seizure. This period essentially results from the exhaustion that has occurred in the parts of the brain that were involved in the seizure.

________________________________
There is an astonishing similarity between Mrs. White's "visions" and a type of seizure called "psychomotor" or "partial-complex" seizure. ________________________________

Grand mal seizures are frequently associated with the absence of breathing, secondary to the respiratory center in the brain and the respiratory muscles being involved in the seizure. These patients generally become somewhat cyanotic. With partial-complex seizures, breathing generally continues but may be imperceptible. Observers of Mrs. White in "vision" repeatedly emphasized that using the monitoring equipment available, a candle and a mirror, she was not breathing. Yet, she is described repeatedly as saying words or even sentences during her "visions" which can only be attributed to air passing the vocal cords which suggests she had to be inspiring air in order to be able to expel enough air to speak. Her heart beat and pulse rate were also noted to be normal so the heart was continuing to pump blood through the lungs to the rest of the body as usual. Although it is possible that something "supernatural" was happening in that oxygenation was taking place through channels outside the lungs, the normal oxygenation of her tissues, as is documented by her normal color, and the presence of a pulse, suggested that the lungs were the source of her oxygenization and that shallow, relatively imperceptible breathing was taking place as would be typical in a partial-complex seizure.

In common with all types of seizures is the alteration in the level of consciousness that occurs with partial-complex seizures. There are several unique characteristics of partial-complex seizures that occur during the altered consciousness and these include: eyes being open, staring, and frequently turned up, automatisms, hallucinations, and various psychic phenomena. All of these unique characteristics were present in Mrs. White's "visions."

In partial-complex seizures, the consciousness is always altered, but not always completely lost. It is clear by the previous descriptions of Mrs. White's "visions" that she had lost consciousness during these spells. She was unresponsive to various forms of external stimuli and was amnesic for the events which occurred in her environment during the period of the "visions." It needs to be emphasized that the hallucinations that may be seen during a partial-complex seizure can be remembered after a seizure and often can be described in vivid detail. The amnesia that is characteristic of seizures is for the events occurring outside of the seizure itself. As is also characteristic of partial-complex seizures, Mrs. White's eyes were open, staring, and described by some as rolled up.14

One of the most interesting and constant features of partial-complex seizures is the presence of various automatic purposeful or nonpurposeful movements called automatisms. These automatisms frequently involve the alimentary tract and include chewing movements, lip smacking, tongue movements, or swallowing movements. The other characteristics of automatism involve the motor system and are called "gestural automatisms." The most typical of these are wringing of the hands, fumbling with a button or other object, closing the hands, scratching the head, rubbing the nose, or other purposeless and graceful movements.15

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Patients who have partial complex seizures tend to be religious and their hallucinations frequently have a religious significance to them. ________________________________

Mrs. White is described as wringing her hands, having slow graceful movements of the shoulders, arms and hands, and walking back and forth.

The automatisms with this form of epilepsy may be complex as well as simple, as described above. A host of complex acts have been described. A petroleum geologist could continue drawing at his drawing board or eating his meal, though more slowly, during his seizure. An organist, "during Christmas services, switched from playing a hymn to jazz and went back to the hymn at the end of his seizure. A young woman always recited the 'Ave Maria' during her automatisms. A hospital janitor bobbed light bulbs in a bucket of water and, on another occasion, dumped mop water over the hands of surgeons scrubbing at a sterile sink."16

Another typical automatism involves speech and manifests itself as perseveration of speech - repeating the same words or phrases over and over again. Examples of such perseverations in my practice have included, Mommy, pick me up" and "I want a cookie." These two patients would start saying these phrases and continue saying them over and over again when their request had been granted. This abnormal speech was associated with other more typical seizure activity. The words Mrs. White characteristically repeated were "Glory", "Glory to God", "light" and "dark." Hallucinations are another typical component of partial-complex seizures and may involve all the senses, but are typically either auditory or visual.

An important point in the nature of this altered content of consciousness is that it constitutes an intrusion upon the patient's on-flowing stream of awareness. No matter how vivid, complex or "real" the ictal experience, the patient recognizes that it is an experience imposed upon him. His consciousness is "split", and he can still remain the objective observer, the bystander witnessing these curious events.17
Illusions (distorted perceptions of ongoing stimuli) as well as hallucinations (sensory perceptions in the absence of a stimulus) may be present.
Seizures arising in the primary visual cortex produce crude sensations of light or darkness--for example, small circles or ellipses of white or colored light. In contrast, formed visual hallucinations may range from simple, static, monochromatic but recognizable objects, to intricate, multicolored progressing scenes... Occasionally a seizure may arise in primary visual cortex and subsequently spread into association cortex with a concomitant shift from unformed to formed hallucinations.18
Since it is the patient's own brain that is "short circuiting" and producing the illusion or hallucination, the content is frequently manifestations of previously stored information or is given meaning based on the content of the patient's consciousness. Since the patients who have partial-complex seizures tend to be religious, the hallucinations frequently have a religious significance to them.
A thirteen year old adolescent whom I follow for his partial-complex seizures recently glanced at a book his sister had brought home on Satanism and the occult. Shortly after looking at this book, the hallucination that occurred during his seizure consisted of seeing a ring of fire in vivid color with several human-like figures on the outside of this ring. The human-like figures were devoid of faces. These forms began walking through the ring of fire toward him with their arms gradually being raised as if they were to strike him and kill him when close to him. The patient stated that he could feel the heat from the fire and was described by the mother as screaming in terror with beads of sweat over his entire body as the seizure ended. When describing the hallucination to me in my office, he could vividly recall the entire episode and was himself convinced that the phenomenon was real and that the devil was "out to get him." I had to read him descriptions of other people's hallucinations that occurred with seizures before I could convince him that his phenomenon had not been real but part of his seizure. The other unique characteristic of partial-complex seizures is the various psychic phenomena that can occur with the seizure. Essentially, all forms of bizarre behavior have, at one time or another, been attributed to partial-complex seizures.

Fear was the first ictal emotion recognized and appears to occur most frequently. In some instances, the fear is intense and patients use terms such as "terror", "panic", "a feeling of impending disaster. . .a feeling that I'm going stark, raving mad". - .Some patients express a fear of dying... Other patients experience less intense feelings, which may range from a sense of uneasiness or apprehension to anxiety.19
Pleasure, depression, eroticism, and anger are other psychic phenomena that may occur with the seizures.
In certain instances, hallucinatory experiences acquire an affective coloring. MacLean (1952) has described a man "who senses in his stomach a feeling of fright that carries with it the conviction that someone is standing behind him. If he turns his head to see who it is, the feeling of fear becomes intensified." Williams (1956) described an architect with an even more complex hallucinatory experience: He sees a man and two smaller figures on a frozen pond, around which he is skating. He experiences fear which concerns the figures, and feels he is "in the grip of some power I cannot escape." The figures are speaking quietly together about his fear, and he feels that he should get closer to solve the problem but cannot do so since he is skating in a circle. He then has a major convulsion.
In other instances the ictal emotion may attach itself to an otherwise neutral sensory perception, giving the experience a totally different subjective quality. Two patients said that when their attacks began, any object at which they were looking, for example, a telephone or a chair, suddenly assumed a threatening or malevolent quality which each recognized as totally inappropriate. If they shifted their gaze to any other object in the environment, it did not
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Mrs. White's extensive writing, often regarded as evidence of divine guidance, is a characteristic behavior of partial-complex seizures.
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seem threatening and the sensation of fear would diminish. However, returning the gaze to the original object would result in an intensification of the fear which in each patient culminated in a loss of consciousness automatism.20

From the preceding discussion one cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that Mrs. White's "visions" were at least consistent with what is now known as partial-complex or psychomotor seizures. I believe the quoted examples of the unique features of these seizures emphasize the complexity of the seizure manifestations and the confusion and concern that would result if the patient were unaware that these were seizures. What is of as much significance as the similarity between her "visions" and seizures is the presence of Mrs. White's personality characteristics, typically seen in patients with this form of seizure disorder. Among neurologic diseases with confirmed anatomic localization, temporal lobe epilepsy has been most frequently associated with functional psychiatric disorders. Although psychiatric disorders are more frequently seen in these patients than in the normal population,21 they are still relatively rarely present in these patients. What is of more interest has been the recent documentation of a specific profile of psychosocial aspects of behavior very frequently seen in these patients. In a recent study done at the Clinical Neurosciences Branch of the National Institutes of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke at the National Institute of Health,22 forty-eight patients were studied and demonstrated that not only did patients with temporal lobe seizures have characteristic personality traits, but that it was possible to distinguish certain personality traits characteristic of right temporal lobe dysfunction from left temporal lobe dysfunction. Following is a list of all the traits frequently seen in patients with partial-complex seizures, but certainly not all the patients have all the characteristics:
Emotionality - deepening of all emotions, sustained intense affect
Elation - euphoria, grandiosity, exhilarated mood
Sadness - discouragement, tearfulness, self-depreciation
Anger - increased temper, irritability
Aggression - overt hostility, rage attacks, violent crimes
Altered sexual interest - hyposexualism, loss of libido, etc.
Guilt - tendency to self-scrutiny and self-recrimination
Hypermoralism - attention to rules with inability to distinguish significant from minor infractions
Obsessionalism - ritualism, orderliness, compulsive attention to detail
Circumstantiality - loquacious, pedantic, overly detailed
Viscosity - stickiness, tendency to repetition
Sense of personal - events given highly charged, personalized significance, divine guidance ascribed to many features of patient's life
Hypergraphic - keeping extensive diaries, detailed notes, writing autobiography or novel
Religiosity - holding deep religious beliefs, often idiosyncratic
Philosophical interest - nascent metaphysical or moral speculations, cosmological theories
Dependence, passivity - cosmic helplessness, "at hands of fate"; protestations of helplessness
Humorlessness, sobriety - overgeneralized ponderous concern; humor lacking or idiosyncratic
Paranoia - suspicious, overinterpretative of motives and events
The above traits that most commonly discriminated the control group from the epileptic group were paranoia, anger, dependence, religiosity, sadness, philosophical interest and humorlessness. I emphasize once more that not all these tendencies were seen in all patients.

What is of great interest in this research is the finding that patients with pathology in one temporal lobe differ in their personality traits from those with pathology in the opposite temporal lobe. Patients with pathology in the right temporal lobe were distinguished by items stressing externally demonstrated affects. "This was manifest in unusual sexual attractions, remonstration of helplessness, periods of sadness, emotional arousability or moralistic fervor. Over-concern with details and orderliness also characterized the right temporal epileptic group more than the left."23

"Left temporal patients were identified with a sense of personal destiny and concern for meaning and significance behind events. Related items emphasized powerful forces working with one's life (paranoia) and the need for sober intellectual and moral self-scrutiny (humorlessness, conscientiousness)."24 Strikingly absent are many of the characteristics seen overall in patients with partial-complex seizures and, in particular, those seen in patients with right temporal lobe dysfunction. As equally striking, however, is the similarity between Mrs. White's personality and the description given to patients with left temporal lobe dysfunction.25

Adventists frequently point to the massive amount of writing Mrs. White did as evidence of divine guidance. She lacked the education that seemed necessary to author so many articles and books. As is pointed out in this recent research, even her extensive writing turns out to be a characteristic behavior of patients with partial-complex seizures.

During the last ten years, the puzzle of Ellen White has slowly been pieced together. Ron Numbers discovered, in much the same fashion as I, that Mrs. White's health message appeared to be the health message of others of her day with whom she was probably familiar.26 Jonathan Butler recently discovered that Mrs. White's ideas related to eschatology were heavily flavored by the contemporary emphasis of the Protestant church of her day.27 With the
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Unaware that her "visions" were part of a seizure, Ellen shared them with others who labeled her as a "prophet" and made her the center of the developing Seventh-day Adventist church.
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information contained in this article, the puzzle takes on a more whole and complete appearance. It appears distinctly possible that the brain injury Ellen received as a child resulted in the development of seizure disorder and a personality type characterized by a deep interest in religion. It was less than two months after the "Great Disappointment" that she had her first recorded daytime "vision" and the lights she saw in her "vision" took on significance because of her association with the small group that survived the "Disappointment." Not even the medical authorities of her day were aware of this type of seizure disorder, and knowing these "spells" were inconsistent with self-hypnosis, mesmerism, hysteria, or cataplexy, they were interpreted as supernatural. Mrs. White seemed unaware that the content of the visual hallucinations she thought were "visions" was related to current events and opinions of her day. Unaware that her impulse to write was itself a manifestation of her illness, she did what any honest God-fearing person would have to do in a similar situation - she shared them with others and it was these others who labeled her as a "prophet" and made her the center of the developing Seventh-day Adventist church.

The long-term significance and consequences of this information will be determined, not by medical personnel such as myself, but by the theologians in our church. These issues raise the distinct possibility that the Seventh-day Adventist church may now be facing another "Great Disappointment."

For further study: The Significance of Ellen White's Head Injury

Delbert H. Hodder, M.D.
Dr. Hodder is a board-certified pediatrician with a sub-specialist interest in pediatric neurology. He is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Hodder is a graduate of Loma Linda University.

NOTES
1 Rene Noorbergen, Ellen G. White, Prophet of Destiny, (New Canaan, Conn.: Keats, 1972), p. 31.

2 Ibid.

3 F.D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1951).

4 Noorbergen, ibid., pp. 26-27.

5 C.H. Kempe, H. K. Silver, 0. D. O'Brien (eds), Current Pediatric Diagnosis and Treatment (Los Altos, Cal: Lange Medical, 1972), p. 503.

6 Ibid., p. 504.

7 Noorbergen, pp. 25-27 [Ellen G. White, Life Sketches, pp. 34-36].

8 Ibid., p. 41 [William C. White, Review and Herald, Feb. 10, 1938; also The Spirit of Prophecy Treasure Chest, p. 33]; pp. 75-76 [Martha C. Amadon, "Mrs. E. C. White in Vision," Notebook Leaflets Misc. No. 1]; pp. 76-77 [MG. Kellogg, M.D. in The Spirit of Prophecy Treasure Chest, p. 24]; pp. 82-83 [George I. Buffer, Review and Herald, June 9, 1874].

9 H. Gastaut, "Clinical and Electroencephalographical Classification of Epileptic Seizures", Epilepsia 11:102-103 (1970).

10 W. A. Hauser and L. T. Kurland, "The Epidemiology of Epilepsy in Rochester, Minnesota", Epilepsia 16:1-66 (1975).

11 Escueta et al, "Lapse of Consciousness and Automatisms in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A Videotape Analysis", Neurology 27:144 (1977).

12 J.K. Penry and D. D. Daly (eds), Advances in Neurology, Vol. II (New York: Raven Press, 1975), p. 163.

13 Ibid. p. 77.

14 Noorbergen, ibid., p. 89.

15 Penry and Daly, Advances in Neurology, Vol. II, pp. 71-75.

16 Ibid., p. 75.

17 Ibid., p. 57.

18 Ibid., pp. 59-60.

19 Ibid., p. 65.

20 Ibid., pp. 66, 69.

21 V. R. Adebimpe, "Complex Partial Seizures Simulating Schizophrenia", Journal of the American Medical Association 237: 1339-1341 (1977).

22 D. M. Bear and P. Fedlo, "Quantitative Analysis of Interictal Behavior in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy", Archives of Neurology 34: 454-465 (1977).

23 Ibid., p. 459.

24 Ibid.

25 D. Blumer, "Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Its Psychiatric Significance" in 0. F. Benson and 0. Blumer (eds), Psychiatric Aspects of NeurologicDisease (New York: Grune and Stratton, Inc. 1975); 5. G. Waxman and N. Geschwind, "Hypergraphia in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy", Neurology 21: 629-633 (1974); S. G. Waxman and N. Geschwind, "The Interictal Behavior Syndrome of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy", Archives of General Psychiatry 32: 1580-1586 (1975).

26 R. Numbers, Prophetess of Health: A Study of Ellen G. White, (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

27 Jonathan Butler, unpublished manuscript.

"Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD."
Jer. 23:32
Mrs. White's vision of the formulation of the plan of redemption provides unequivocal evidence that she failed the tests of a prophet.

Mrs. White relates her vision in 1854:

"Sorrow filled heaven, as it was realized that man was lost, and the world that God created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness and death, and there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die. I saw the lovely Jesus, and beheld an expression of sympathy and sorrow upon his countenance. Soon I saw him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my accompanying angel, "He is in close converse with his Father." The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with his Father. Three times he was shut in by the glorious light about the Father, and the third time he came from the Father we could see his person; and his countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and trouble, and shone with loveliness, such as words cannot express. He then made known to the angelic choir that a way of escape had been made for lost man; that he had been pleading with his Father, and had obtained his consent to give his life a ransom, to bear their sins, and take the sentence of death upon himself to open a way that man might find pardon for transgressing God's command..."1
What an amazing vision! After Adam's sin, Jesus approaches the Father with an idea. Three times he "pleads" with the Father to be allowed to become the Redeemer of mankind. Finally the Father gives in and goes along with Christ's plan. Is this how the plan of redemption was formulated? Was the plan made after the fall of man? Did Jesus have to plead with God to get Him to accept the plan?

Mrs. White's vision seems to call into doubt the planning ability and foreknowledge of God. It paints a picture of a god who is caught by surprise by man's sin, and then must suddenly come up with a plan in order to restore the happiness of Heaven. This is in direct opposition to the Word of God. The Bible says the plan of redemption was devised even before the world was created:

"He [Christ] was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." (1 Peter 1:20)
In a sermon given by Mrs. White in Grimsby, England, September 19, 1886, she said:
"After the fall of Adam and Eve, the race was plunged into hopeless misery, and it was then that this great plan of redemption was advanced. It was then [that] the Son of God consented to leave His Father's throne, lay aside His royal crown, clothe Himself with humanity, take upon Himself the nature of man, and become a man among men."2
This quote emphasizes that Jesus did not "consent" to the plan until after the fall. The verb "consented" means "acceptance or approval of what is planned or done by another."3 Mrs. White infers that Jesus did not consent (accept or approve) of the plan until after the fall of man. This contradicts the Bible teaching that Christ was "chosen before the creation of the world".4
Christ's sacrifice was not an afterthought. It was not a remedy devised after the fall. God knew all about it before the world was even created:

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge..." (Acts 2:22-23)
Instead of a god fumbling around for a solution after man fell, the Bible paints a very different picture. In the Bible picture, God is solidly in control of the universe. He has thought of every contingency. Before any emergency happens, He already has plans in place to meet it.
"O Lord, Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee; I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast wrought marvels; plans determined long ago are steadfast and reliable." (Isaiah 25:1)
1890: The "vision" is revised
In 1882, Mrs. White's 1854 statement was reprinted in the book Early Writings. However, eight years later, in 1890, a much-revised version of her statement appears in the book Patriarchs and Prophets. In the revised account, there is no mention of a vision, and the account is reconstructed to make it appear there was already a plan in place:

"The fall of man filled all heaven with sorrow. The world that God had made was blighted with the curse of sin and inhabited by beings doomed to misery and death. There appeared no escape for those who had transgressed the law. Angels ceased their songs of praise. Throughout the heavenly courts there was mourning for the ruin that sin had wrought. The Son of God, heaven's glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. ... Before the Father He pleaded in the sinner's behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result with an intensity of interest that words cannot express. Long continued was that mysterious communing--'the counsel of peace' (Zechariah 6:13) for the fallen sons of men. The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is 'the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world' (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race."5
Now, instead of God devising a plan after the fall, as Ellen White saw in her first vision, we find that God had already "conceived a plan". However, in writing this section, Mrs. White was faced with a dilemma. Her earlier "vision" had a meeting between God and Jesus where Jesus was pleading with God to accept His plan to save the race. How could that meeting be reconciled with her new understanding that the plan of redemption pre-existed the fall? What could be done about that meeting? It no longer made any sense to have a meeting, but she was stuck with it because it was in the earlier vision and something must be done with it. So she came up with an awkward explanation for the meeting. She wrote that the Father and Jesus were "struggling" over whether or not to go forward with the plan that they had already formulated and agreed upon. Think about that. Why would Jesus and the Father have to get together and "struggle" over something they had known for billions of years was going to happen and had already planned and agreed upon a solution to solve? Even Mrs. White admits that Jesus and the Father were in perfect unity on this subject for all eternity:
"The terms of this oneness between God and man in the great covenant of redemption were arranged with Christ from all eternity. ... The plan of redemption was not conceived after the fall of man to cure the dreadful evil"6
If the Father and Son were in "oneness" on this subject "from all eternity", then why did they need to meet and "struggle" with each other over it? Sound confusing? You are right! It is!
More Confusion?
In 1898, 44 years after she related her vision of Jesus pleading with the Father after the fall of man, in Desire of Ages (a book put together by Marian Davis) Mrs. White writes an account that is much more in accordance with Scripture:

"The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of 'the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.' Rom. 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God's throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency."7
In 1911, however, she writes in Great Controversy that the plan was devised after the fall:

"The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race."8
This clearly states the plan was devised after the fall, which is consistent with her first vision, and yet diametrically opposed to her statements in Patriarchs and Prophets and Desire of Ages.
Notice this claim of inspiration made by Mrs. White for the three books just quoted from above:

"How many have read carefully Patriarchs and Prophets, The Great Controversy, and The Desire of Ages? I wish all to understand that my confidence in the light that God has given stands firm, because I know that the Holy Spirit's power magnified the truth, and made it honorable, saying: 'This is the way; walk ye in it.' In my books, the truth is stated, barricaded by a 'Thus saith the Lord.'"9
Are these books really the truth "barricaded by a thus saith the Lord"? Is God the author of confusion?
For God is NOT the author of confusion
1 Corinthians 14:33

NOTES
1. Ellen G. White, Supplement to the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White, p. 47, (1854). See also Early Writings, p. 126, (1882).

2. Ellen White, Sermons and Talks, Vol. 2, p. 31.

3. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

4. 1st Peter 1:20. See also Rev. 13:8: "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

5. Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 64, (1890).

6. Ellen White, Signs of the Times, Aug. 24, 1891. See also, April 25, 1892: "The purpose and plan of grace existed from all eternity. Before the foundation of the world it was according to the determinate counsel of God that man should be created, endowed with power to do the divine will. But the defection of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent, and yet it did not deter him from carrying out his eternal purpose; for the Lord would establish his throne in righteousness. God knows the end from the beginning; 'known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.' Therefore redemption was not an afterthought--a plan formulated after the fall of Adam--but an eternal purpose to be wrought out for the blessing not only of this atom of a world but for the good of all the worlds which God has created."

7. Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 22, (1898).

8. Ellen G. White, Great Controversy, p. 347, (1911). Same quote is also found in the 1888 edition.

9. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages Book 3, page 122.

Holy Confusion
By D. Anderson
For God is not the author of confusion
1 Corinthians 14:33
It is a fundamental teaching of Ellen White and Seventh-day Adventism that Jesus left the Holy Place in 1844 and moved into the Most Holy Place:

This door was not opened until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the holy place of the sanctuary in 1844. Then Jesus rose up and shut the door of the holy place, and opened the door into the most holy, and passed within the second veil, where He now stands by the ark, and where the faith of Israel now reaches. I saw that Jesus had shut the door of the holy place, and no man can open it; and that He had opened the door into the most holy, and no man can shut it (Rev. 3:7,8).Early Writings, p. 42
So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform the closing work of the atonement, He ceased His ministration in the first apartment. Great Controversy, p. 428

Confusion about where Jesus is
Despite saying that Jesus "ceased His ministration" in the Holy Place, Mrs. White seems confused about just exactly where He is. She has Him bouncing back and forth between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place:

He's in the Most Holy Place!No! He's in the Holy Place!
Then Jesus rose up and shut the door of the holy place, and opened the door into the most holy, and passed within the second veil, where He now stands by the ark, and where the faith of Israel now reaches. Early Writings, p. 42 (1882)He is today standing at the altar of incense, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help. Desire of Ages, p. 568 (1898)
I warn you, Do not place your influence against God's commandments. That law is just as Jehovah wrote it in the temple of heaven. Man may trample upon its copy here below, but the original is kept in the ark of God in heaven; and on the cover of this ark, right above that law, is the mercy seat. Jesus stands right there before that ark to mediate for man (MS 6a, 1886). {1BC 1109.1}But Jesus alone is my dependence. In Him I trust. He loveth even me. He is at this moment standing at the altar of incense presenting before the Father my prayers, my heart-longing desires for His grace, His heavenly endowment, that I may through the grace given unto me reveal to others His great love and complete efficiency. 1888 Materials, p. 865 (1888)
According to the Bible, the altar of incense is in the Holy Place:

And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil: And he burnt sweet incense thereon... Ex. 40:26,27
Ellen White is also very specific about where the altar of incense is located. She even claimed to have seen it in the heavenly sanctuary while in vision:
"I passed into the Holy Place. Here I saw the Altar of Incense. Before the altar was the table, on which was the candlestick, with seven lamps, and the showbread, &c.; After viewing the glory of the Holy, Jesus raised the second veil, and I passed into the Holy of Holies." {Broadside3, April 7, 1847 par. 2}
"In the holy place was the candlestick, on the south, with its seven lamps giving light to the sanctuary both by day and by night; on the north stood the table of show-bread; and before the veil separating the holy from the most holy was the golden altar of incense, from which the cloud of fragrance, with the prayers of Israel, was daily ascending before God." {GC88 p. 412; see also GC (1911) p. 412, 4SP p. 260)

"In the first apartment, or holy place, were the table of showbread, the candlestick, or lampstand, and the altar of incense." {PP p. 348}

There can be no doubt at all that Mrs. White understood the altar of incense to be in the Holy Place. She never indicated otherwise in her writings.
Now, in 1886, according to Ellen White's manuscript 6a (see above) Jesus was standing in the Most Holy Place. But two years later, in 1888, we find him back in the Holy Place before the altar of incense. Then a year later, in 1889, Jesus is back "within the veil where he ministers above the ark of God in the Most Holy Place." (Signs of the Times, Apr. 22, 1889). However, nine years later, in 1898 we find Jesus ministering by the altar of incense in the Holy Place! How could Jesus possibly be ministering in the Holy Place? Look what Ellen White wrote from one of her visions in Early Writings:

I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. ... Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. (p. 55)
Here we have the Father and Jesus moving into the Most Holy Place in 1844. Now look what happens to those poor souls who did not realize that Jesus moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in 1844:
I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, "Father, give us Thy Spirit." Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence... (p. 56)
Ellen White sees Satan in the Holy Place that Jesus has just recently vacated in 1844, trying to carry on the work of God! But in 1888, Jesus has apparently returned to the Holy Place. The question is, where is Satan? Is he still there in the Holy Place with Christ? Are they working together? Or did they swap places? Did Satan move into the Most Holy Place when Christ entered the Holy Place? Does it get any more confusing than this?
For further study: The Day of Atonement: 1844 or Ascension?

Ellen White's Confusion about Slavery
D. Anderson
This page will examine several statements Ellen White made regarding slavery. The SDA General Conference tells us that Ellen White's writings contain "divine counsel".1 If they are indeed "divine counsel", then they cannot be confusion "for God is not the author of confusion" (1 Corinthians 14:33) You will be the judge of whether these statements are confusion or whether they are divinely inspired by God.

Some Slaves Will not be Resurrected
Sister White wrote:

"God cannot take the slave to heaven, who has been kept in ignorance and degradation, knowing nothing of God, or the Bible, fearing nothing but his master's lash, and not holding so elevated a position as his master' brute beasts. But He does the best thing for him that a compassionate God can do. He lets him be as though he had not been."2
Mrs. White says certain slaves who were kept "in ignorance" will be allowed to rest in their graves as if they never existed while their masters would "come up in the second resurrection, and suffer the second, most awful death."3 Is it true that some slaves were kept in such ignorance that God cannot even judge them? Paul, in describing the heathens of Rome, declares that even though a person may not have the Word of God preached to them, God Himself will teach them through the great lesson-book of the created world:
"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:19,20)
The Holy Spirit speaks to all humanity through their conscience. Paul talks about those who have never heard of God's law, yet have the law of God written on their hearts:
"Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." (Romans 2:14-15 NIV)
Later in life, Mrs. White seems to have come to the realization that God can indeed reach "heathens" and "savages":
"The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism."
"In the depths of heathenism, men who have had no knowledge of the written law of God, who have never even heard the name of Christ, have been kind to His servants, protecting them at the risk of their own lives. Their acts show the working of a divine power. The Holy Spirit has implanted the grace of Christ in the heart of the savage, quickening his sympathies contrary to his nature, contrary to his education."4

If the light of God is "ever shining" amongst heathenism and God can implant grace in the "heart of the savage", why couldn't His light penetrate the hearts of ignorant slaves? The Bible teaches that every human being is entrusted with a certain measure of "light" placed into their soul by Jesus:
"That [Jesus] was the true Light, which lighteth every man [Greek anthropos: generically, to include all human individuals5] that cometh into the world." (John 1:9)
Now that we have established that God grants light to every human and teaches all through nature, let us go on to examine whether or not every person will be raised for the judgment:
"For we must all [Greek pas: each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything] appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one [Greek hekastos: each, every] may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10)
"And I saw a great white throne...and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God...and the dead were judged...and they were judged every man [Greek hekastos: each, every] according to their works...and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:11-15)

"Who [God] will render to every man [Greek hekastos: each, every] according to his deeds." (Romans 2:6)

These verses make it abundantly clear that there will be no exceptions in the judgment. Every human being must be judged and receive their reward or penalty. Mrs. White has no Biblical basis for stating that some slaves will be allowed to rest as if they had never existed. This is a clear contradiction of the Word of God.
The "Sin" of Slavery6
Mrs. White makes the following claim regarding slavery:

"God is punishing this nation for the high crime of slavery. He has the destiny of the nation in His hands. He will punish the South for the sin of slavery, and the North for so long suffering its overreaching and overbearing influence."7
Here Mrs. White seems to be confused about what is a "sin" and what is not a "sin". In the Bible, the Israelites were permitted to own foreigners as slaves:
"Both thy bondmen [Hebrew: `ebed: slave, servant, man-servant], and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they beget in your land: and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour." (Leviticus 25:44-46)
If it were indeed a "high crime" and a "sin" to own slaves, why did God give Israel directions to go to the heathen and "buy bondmen and bondmaids"? Why would God punish the United States for a "sin" when that "sin" is nowhere described in the Bible as a "sin"? Furthermore, the Israelites were given instructions to take slaves from among the people they conquered:
"But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, [even] all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee." (Deut. 20:14)
Again, why did God direct Israel to take slaves if it was a "high crime" against Him? Even the priests possessed slaves. In Numbers 31:30 God directed that one out of every fifty captured slaves were to be given to the priests to "keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord." Now, if God was dwelling in that tabernacle, and if it was indeed a "sin" to own slaves, don't you think God would be just a little bit angry about that situation and tell Moses about it? If God was angry about this "high crime", we do not have any Biblical evidence of it.
Even the patriarchs, Abraham, Job, David and others possessed servants. When Hagar escaped from Sarah, "the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands."8 The Bible clearly says that Abraham owned male and female servants and yet God did not punish him for this "high crime" but blessed him perhaps more than any other man that has ever lived. One of those blessings included increasing the number of Abraham's "menservants".9

Your Question: "Hold on a second. Maybe Mrs. White was not talking about slavery itself being a sin. Could she have meant the mistreatment of slaves?"

Our Answer: Some may surmise that perhaps the slaves in the United States were treated horribly, and this was the "sin" Ellen White was referring to. However, if you go back and read the quote again, you will see that in this statement Ellen White was saying that slavery itself was a sin, not the treatment of slaves. Even if Ellen White was talking about the treatment of slaves, there is no evidence American slaves, on a whole, were treated any better or worse than Israelite slaves. Sure, there were individual cases of abuse. But many of the slave owners in the South were Christians and even quoted the Bible in defense of their ownership of slaves. Many owners treated their slaves with kindness and respect as fellow human beings.

What is sin? The Bible says:

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
Ellen White wrote:
"What is sin? 'The transgression of the law.'"10
If sin is transgression of the law, then where in the law of God is slavery forbidden? It is not. In fact, the law permitted the Israelites, and even the priests of Israel, to buy and own slaves.

Slavery to Revive in the South
Mrs. White prophesied in 1895 that slavery would be revived in the southern United States:

"Slavery will again be revived in the Southern States; for the spirit of slavery still lives. Therefore it will not do for those who labor among the colored people to preach the truth as boldly and openly as they would be free to do in other places. Even Christ clothed His lessons in figures and parables to avoid the opposition of the Pharisees."11
Here Mrs. White says "slavery" will "again" be revived in the southern United States, and that because of this reason, Adventist preachers should be careful how they preach to negro people. Was the slavery of negro people ever revived in the Southern United States? Of course not! Since the Civil War, it has been a federal crime to engage in slavery. Slavery is a system where one human being owns another human being, and the slave has no personal rights under the law. That system was abolished and it never will be revived again. Any person can choose to live and work any place they want to. Thanks be to God, slavery is dead and gone.
Your Question: "I've seen proof slavery has revived in Florida as a fulfillment of Ellen White's prophecy. I read there are immigrant workers from Central America who work picking oranges in Florida orange groves. What say you?"

Our Answer: Yes, some migrant workers are abused by their employers and those employers are criminals who are arrested and jailed for their activities. It would take a huge stretch of the imagination to believe these criminal activities constitute a "revival" of slavery in the Southern USA. This type of criminal activity has been going on ever since slavery was abolished, so it can hardly be described as a "revival". Whenever it is uncovered, it is stamped out. Furthermore, Mrs. White specifically said that the system of "slavery will again be revived in the Southern states" and for that reason, pastors must be careful how they preach to the negro race. Are exploited migrant workers the reason that SDA pastors are told to be careful how they preach to the negro race? Of course not! The exploitation of migrant workers is a completely different subject. This "explanation" by Adventist "spin-doctors" takes her statement completely out of the context in which she made it and mocks the intelligence of the Adventist people. Mrs. White was clearly confused about the revival of slavery in the USA and her prophecy utterly failed.

Conclusion
Mrs. White says some ignorant slaves will go to neither heaven nor hell while the Bible says that "all" will go to one or the other. She further contradicts the Bible by saying that slavery is a "sin". Finally, she prophesied that the institution of slavery would again be revivied in the Southern USA and it has not and will never again be revived. You be the judge. Was Mrs. White divinely inspired about slavery? Or was she the author of confusion?

For God is not the author of confusion
1 Corinthians 14:33

NOTES
1. Resolution on the Spirit of Prophecy, 58th General Conference Session, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, July 3, 2005. "We call upon our youth to acquaint themselves with the wealth of divine counsel found in these writings..."

2. Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, p. 193.

3. Ibid.

4. Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 59, and Christ's Object Lessons, p. 385.

5. All Greek and Hebrew word definitions in this document come from Strong's.

6. No one connected with this web site supports slavery in any way, shape, or form. While it does not qualify in the Bible as a "sin", it is clearly not God's highest will for people to live in slavery. Those who run this web site strongly believe that God desires all to live a life of freedom, both financial and spiritual.

7. Ellen G. White, Testimonies Vol. 1, p. 264.

8. Abraham: Gen. 24, Job: Job 19:15,16, David: 2 Sam. 12:18, Hagar: Gen. 16:9.

9. Genesis 24:35, Hebrew `ebed: slave, servant, man-servant. Evidence that these servants were not voluntary is found in God's instructions to Abraham that all the servants in his household that were "bought with money" were to be circumcised (Gen. 17:13,27).

10. Ellen G. White, The Kress Collection, p. 147.

11. Ellen G. White, Spalding and Magan Collection, p. 21. Also Manuscript Releases, vol. 2 (MR #153), p. 300.

Word to the Little Flock
Letter, Feb. 15, 1846
Letter, Jan. 11, 1850
Letter, Feb. 10, 1850
Letter, Aug. 24, 1850
Letter, Nov. 12, 1851
Manuscript Release 1
Manuscript Release 2
Present Truth, Aug. 1, 1849
Present Truth, Sep. 1, 1849
Present Truth, Dec. 1, 1849
Present Truth, Mar. 1, 1850
Present Truth, Apr. 1, 1850
Manuscript 11, Dec. 25, 1850
Camden, NY, vision, June 29, 1851
Word to the "Little Flock", 1847
FOREWORD
Topsham, April 21, 1847. To Bro. Eli Curtis, New York City. Dear Bro:--In the Day-Dawn, Vol. 1, Nos. 10 and 11, you kindly invite me to address you a communication.

The only apology I have to offer for not writing before is, I have not had a clear duty to write till now. You will, I doubt not, excuse me for addressing you so publicly, at this time. I have been much interested in your writings in the Dawn, and extra; and fully agree with you on some points, but on others we widely differ.

Your Extra is now on the stand before me; and I beg leave to state to you, and the scattered flock of God, what I have seen in vision relative to these things on which you have written. I fully agree with you, that there will be two literal resurrections, 1000 years apart.

I Also agree with you, that the new heavens, and the new earth, (Rev. 21:1. Isa. 65:17. 2 Pet. 3:13.) will not appear, till after the wicked dead are raised, and destroyed, at the end of the 1000 years. I saw that Satan was "loosed out of his prison," at the end of the 1000 years, just at the time the wicked dead were raised; and that Satan deceived them by making them believe that they could take the holy city from the saints. The wicked all marched up around the "camp of the saints," with Satan at their head; and when they were ready to make an effort to take the city, the Almighty breathed from his high throne, on the city, a breath of devouring fire, which came down on them, and burnt them up, "root and branch."

And I saw, that as Christ is the vine, and his children the branches: so Satan is the "root", and his children are the "branches;" and at the final destruction of "Gog and Magog," the whole wicked host will be burnt up, "root and branch," and cease to exist. Then will appear the new heaven and the new earth. Then will the saints "build houses," and "plant vineyards." I saw, that all the righteous dead were raised by the voice of the Son of God, at the first resurrection; and all that were raised at the second resurrection, were burnt up, and ceased to exist.

You think, that those who worship before the saint's feet, (Rev. 3:9), will at last be saved. Here I must differ with you; for God shew me that this class were professed Adventists, who had fallen away, and "crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." And in the "hour of temptation," which is yet to come, to show out every one's true character, they will know that they are forever lost; and overwhelmed with anguish of spirit, they will bow at the saint's feet.

You also think, that Michael stood up, and the time of trouble commenced, in the spring of 1844.

The Lord has shown me in vision, that Jesus rose up, and shut the door, and entered the Holy of Holies, at the 7th month 1844; but Michael's standing up (Dan. 12:1) to deliver his people, is in the future.

This, will not take place, until Jesus has finished his priestly office in the Heavenly Sanctuary, and lays off his priestly attire, and puts on his most kingly robes, and crown, to ride forth on the cloudy chariot, to "thresh the heathen in anger," and deliver his people.

Then Jesus will have the sharp sickle in his hand, (Rev. 14:14) and then the saints will cry day and night to Jesus on the cloud, to thrust in his sharp sickle and reap.

This, will be the time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer. 30:5-8) out of which, the saints will be delivered by the voice of God.

I believe the Sanctuary, to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days, in the New Jerusalem Temple, of which Christ is a minister. The Lord shew me in vision, more than one year ago, that Brother Crosier had the true light, on the cleansing of the Sanctuary, &c; and that it was his will, that Brother C. should write out the view which he gave us in the Day-Star, Extra, February 7, 1846. I feel fully authorized by the Lord, to recommend that Extra, to every saint.

[Editor's Note: Crosier later repudiated his teaching, admitted it was unscriptural, and left the Advent movement. Click here to read the Crosier Document.]

I pray that these lines may prove a blessing to you, and all the dear children who may read them.
E. G. White.

To the Remnant Scattered Abroad.
As God has shown me in holy vision the travels of the Advent people to the Holy City, and the rich reward to be given those who wait the return of their Lord from the wedding, it may be my duty to give you a short sketch of what God has revealed to me. The dear saints have got many trials to pass through. But our light afflictions, which are but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory--while we look not at the things which are seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. I have tried to bring back a good report, and a few grapes from the heavenly Canaan, for which many would stone me, as the congregation bade stone Caleb and Joshua for their report, (Num. 14:10.) But I declare to you, my brethren and sisters in the Lord, it is a goodly land, and we are well able to go up and possess it.
While praying at the family altar, the Holy Ghost fell on me, and I seemed to be rising higher and higher, far above the dark world. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not find them--when a voice said to me, "Look again, and look a little higher." At this I raised my eyes and saw a straight and narrow path,[ A MAT. 7:14.] cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were travelling to the City, which was at the farther end of the path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the first end of the path, which an angel told me was the Midnight Cry.[ B MAT. 25:6.] This light shone all along the path, and gave light for their feet so they might not stumble. And if they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the City, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and they said the City was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising his glorious right arm, and from his arm came a glorious light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted Hallelujah! Others rashly denied the light behind them, and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and got their eyes off the mark and lost sight of Jesus, and fell off the path down in the dark and wicked world below. It was just as impossible for them to get on the path again and go to the City, as all the wicked world which God had rejected. They fell all the way along the path one after another, until we heard the voice of God like many waters,[ C EZE. 43:2. JOEL, 3:16. REV. 16:17.] which gave us the day and hour of Jesus' coming.[ D EZE. 12:25. MARK, 13:32.] The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake.[ E JOHN, 12:29.] When God spake the time, he poured on us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God as Moses' did when he came down from Mount Sinai.[ F ISA. 10:27.]

By this time the 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious Star containing Jesus' new name.[ G REV. 3:12.] At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us in prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and the wicked would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another's feet, and salute the holy brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshipped at our feet.[ H REV. 3; 9.] Soon our eyes were drawn to the East, for a small black cloud had appeared about half as large as a man's hand, which we all knew was the Sign of the Son of Man.[ I MAT. 24; 30.] We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer, lighter, and brighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud.[ J REV. 14; 14.] The bottom appeared like fire, a rainbow was over it, around the cloud were ten thousand angels singing a most lovely song. And on it sat the Son of Man,[ K LUKE, 21; 27.] on his head were crowns,[ L REV. 19; 12.] his hair was white and curly and lay on his shoulders.[ M REV. 1; 14.] His feet had the appearance of fire,[ N REV. 1; 15.] in his right hand was a sharp sickle,[ O REV. 14; 14.] in his left a silver trumpet.[ P THESS. 4; 16.] His eyes were as a flame of fire,[ Q REV. 1; 14.] which searched his children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless? Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence,[ R REV. 8; 1.] when Jesus spoke. Those who have clean hands and a pure heart shall be able to stand, my grace is sufficient for you. At this, our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sung again while the cloud drew still nearer the earth. Then Jesus' silver trumpet sounded, as he descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire[ S 2 THESS. 1: 7,8] He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised his eyes and hands to heaven and cried out,[ T JOHN, 5; 25.] Awake! Awake! Awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise. Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, Hallelujah! as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.[ U THESS. 4; 17.] We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought along the crowns and with his own right hand placed them on our heads.[ V 2 ESDRAS, 2; 43.] He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory.[ W REV. 15; 2. REV. 7; 9.] Here on the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns. And they were all clothed with a glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet.[ X REV. 7:9.] Angels were all about us as we marched over the sea of glass to the gate of the City. Jesus raised his mighty glorious arm, laid hold of the gate and swung it back on its golden hinges, and said to us, You have washed your robes in my blood, stood stifly for my truth, enter in.[ Y ISA. 26:2.] We all marched in and felt we had a perfect right in the City. Here we saw the tree of life, and the throne of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life.[ Z REV. 22; 1,2.] On one side of the river was a trunk of a tree and a trunk on the other side of the river, both of pure transparent gold. 16

At first I thought I saw two trees. I looked again and saw they were united at the top in one tree. So it was the tree of life, on either side of the river of life; its branches bowed to the place where we stood; and the fruit was glorious, which looked like gold mixed with silver. We all went under the tree, and sat down to look at the glory of the place, when brothers Fitch and Stockman, who had preached the gospel of the kingdom, and whom God had laid in the grave to save them, came up to us and asked us what we had passed through while they were sleeping. We tried to call up our greatest trials, but they looked so small compared with the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory[ AA 2 COR. 4; 17.] that surrounded us, that we could not speak them out,[ BB ISA. 65; 17.] and we all cried out Hallelujah, heaven is cheap enough, and we touched our glorious harps and made heaven's arches ring. And as we were gazing at the glories of the place our eyes were attracted upwards to something that had the appearance of silver. I asked Jesus to let me see what was within there. In a moment we were winging our way upward, and entering in; here we saw good old father Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Daniel, and many like them. And I saw a vail with a heavy fringe of silver and gold, as a border on the bottom; it was very beautiful. I asked Jesus what was within the vail. He raised it with his own right arm, and bade me take heed. I saw there a glorious ark, overlaid with pure gold, and it had a glorious border, resembling Jesus' crowns; and on it were two bright angels--their wings were spread over the ark as they sat on each end, with their faces turned towards each other and looking downward.[ CC EX. 25; 18, 20. HEB. 9; 3-5.] In the ark, beneath where the angels' wings were spread, was a golden pot of Manna, of a yellowish cast; and I saw a rod, which Jesus said was Aaron's; I saw it bud, blossom and bear fruit.[ DD NUM. 17; 8.] And I saw two long golden rods, on which hung silver wires, and on the wires most glorious grapes; one cluster was more than a man here could carry. And I saw Jesus step up and take of the manna, almonds, grapes and pomegranates, and bear them down to the city, and place them on the supper table. I stepped up to see how much was taken away, and there was just as much left; and we shouted Hallelujah--Amen. We all descended from this place down into the city, and with Jesus at our head we all descended from the city down to this earth, on a great and mighty mountain, which could not bear Jesus up, and it parted asunder, and there was a mighty plain.[ EE ZECH. 14; 4.] Then we looked up and saw the great city, with twelve foundations, twelve gates, three on each side, and an angel at each gate, and all cried out, "the city, the great city, it's coming, it's coming down from God, out of heaven;"[ FF REV. 21, 10-13.] and it came and settled on the place where we stood. Then we began to look at the glorious things outside of the city. There I saw most glorious houses, that had the appearance of silver, supported by four pillars, set with pearls, most glorious to behold, which were to be inhabited by the saints;[ GG ISA. 65, 21.] in them was a golden shelf; I saw many of the saints go into the houses, take off their glittering crowns and lay them on the shelf, then go out into the field by the houses to do something with the earth;[ HH ISA. 65: 21.] not as we have to do with the earth here; no, no. A glorious light shone all about their heads, and they were continually shouting and offering praises to God.

And I saw another field full of all kinds of flowers, and as I plucked them, I cried out, well they will never fade. Next I saw a field of tall grass, most glorious to behold; it was living green, and had a reflection of silver and gold, as it waved proudly to the glory of King Jesus. Then we entered a field full of all kinds of beasts--the lion, the lamb, the leopard and the wolf, altogether in perfect union;[ II ISA. 11: 6-9.] we passed through the midst of them, and they followed on peaceably after. Then we entered a wood, not like the dark woods we have here, no, no; but light, and all over glorious; the branches of the trees waved to and fro, and we all cried out, "we will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in this woods."[ JJ EZE. 34: 25.] We passed through the woods, for we were on our way to Mount Zion. As we were travelling along, we met a company who were also gazing at the glories of the place. I noticed red as a border on their garments; their crowns were brilliant; their robes were pure white. As we greeted them, I asked Jesus who they were? He said they were martyrs that had been slain for him. With them was an innumerable company of little ones; they had a hem of red on their garments also.[ KK JER. 31: 15-17. MAT. 2:18.] Mount Zion was just before us, and on the Mount sat a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies,[ LL 2 ESDRAS, 2:19.] and I saw the little ones climb, or if they chose, use their little wings and fly to the top of the mountains, and pluck the never fading flowers. There were all kinds of trees around the temple to beautify the place; the box, the pine, the fir. the oil, the myrtle, the pomegranate, and the fig tree bowed down with the weight of its timely figs, that made the place look all over glorious.[ MM ISA. 60: 13. ISA. 41: 19.] And as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus raised his lovely voice and said, only the 144,000 enter this place, and we shouted Hallelujah.

Well, bless the Lord, dear brethren and sisters, it is an extra meeting for those who have the seal of the living God[ NN REV. 14:3.] This temple was supported by seven pillars, all of transparent gold, set with pearls most glorious. The glorious things I saw there, I cannot describe to you. O, that I could talk in the language of Canaan, then could I tell a little of the glory of the upper world; but, if faithful, you soon will know all about it. I saw there the tables of stone in which the names of the 144,000 were engraved in letters of gold; after we had beheld the glory of the temple, we went out. Then Jesus left us, and went to the city; soon, we heard his lovely voice again, saying-- "Come my people, you have come out of great tribulation, and done my will; suffered for me; come in to supper, for I will gird myself, and serve you."[ OO LUKE, 12: 37.] We shouted Hallelujah, glory, and entered into the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And I saw a table of pure silver, it was many miles in length, yet our eyes could extend over it. And I saw the fruit of the tree of life, the manna, almonds, figs, pomegranates, grapes, and many other kinds of fruit. We all reclined at the table. I asked Jesus to let me eat of the fruit. He said, not now. Those who eat of the fruit of this land, go back to earth no more. But in a little while, if faithful, you shall both eat of the fruit of the tree of life, and drink of the water of the fountain; and he said, you must go back to the earth again, and relate to others, what I have revealed to you. Then an angel bore me gently down to this dark world. Sometimes I think I cannot stay here any longer, all things of earth look so dreary--I feel very lonely here, for I have seen a better land. O, that I had wings like a dove, then would I fly away, and be at rest. -

Letter from Sister Harmon - Falmouth, MA, Feb. 15, 1846
Bro. Jacobs:-- My vision which you published in the Day-Star was written under a deep sense of duty, to you, not expecting you would publish it. Had I for once thought it was to be spread before the many readers of your paper, I should have been more particular and stated some things which I left out. As the readers of the Day-Star have seen a part of what God has revealed to me, and as the part which I have not written is of vast importance to the Saints; I humbly request you to publish this also in your paper. God showed me the following, one year ago this month:--I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. I gazed on Jesus' countenance and admired his lovely person. The Fathers person I could not behold for a cloud of glorious light covered him. I asked Jesus if his Father had a form like himself; He said he had, but I could not behold it; for, said he, if you should for once see the glory of his person, you would cease to exist. Before the throne was the Advent people, the Church, and the world. I saw a company bowed down before the throne, deeply interested while most of them stood up disinterested and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus, then he would look to his Father and appeared to be pleading with him. Then a light came from the Father to his Son and from him to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately resisted it. Others were careless and did not cherish the light and it moved off from them. Some cherished it and went and bowed down before the throne with the little praying company. This company all received the light, and rejoiced in it as their countenances shone with its glory. Then I saw the Father rise from the throne and in a flaming chariot go into the Holy of Holies within the vail, and did sit. There I saw thrones which I had not seen before. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and most of those who were bowed down rose up with him. And I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after he rose up, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who rose up when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on him as he left the throne, and led them out a little way, then he raised his right arm and we heard his lovely voice saying, wait ye, I am going to my Father to receive the Kingdom. Keep your garments spotless and in a little while I will return from the wedding, and receive you to myself. And I saw a cloudy chariot with wheels like flaming fire. Angels were all about the chariot as it came where Jesus was; he stepped into it and was borne to the Holiest where the Father sat. Then I beheld Jesus as he was before the Father a great High Priest. On the hem of his garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Then Jesus shewed me the difference between faith and feeling. And I saw those who rose up with Jesus send up their faith to Jesus in the Holiest, and praying, Father give us thy spirit. Then Jesus would breathe on them the Holy Ghost. In the breath was light, power and much love, joy and peace. Then I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne. They did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne and pray, My Father give us thy spirit. Then Satan would breathe on them an unholy influence. In it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy and peace. Satan's object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God's children. I saw one after another leave the company who were praying to Jesus in the Holiest, go and join those before the throne and they at once received the unholy influence of Satan.
About four months since, I had a vision of events, all in the future. And I saw the time of trouble, such as never was,--Jesus told me it was the time of Jacob's trouble, and that we should be delivered out of it by the voice of God. Just before we entered it, we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four Angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion. Then we cried to God for deliverance day and night till be began to hear the bells on Jesus' garment. And I saw Jesus rise up in the Holiest, and as he came out we heard the tinkling of bells, and knew our High Priest was coming out. Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of Jesus' coming. Then the saints were free, united and full of the glory of God, for he had turned their captivity. And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood and he laid off his priestly garment and put on his kingly robe, took his place on the cloud which carried him to the east where it first appeared to the saints on earth, a small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man. While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the east which took a number of days, the Synagogue of Satan worshiped at the saints feet.
Ellen G. Harmon

Letter to Brother and Sister Hastings, Jan. 11, 1850
Oh, my brother and sister, I wish all of God's people could get a sight of it as God has shown it me. The work of the Lord is going on. Souls are coming in to the truth, and soon the work will be all done. Keep up good courage, hope in God, let nothing weigh thee down. We have the truth. We know it. Praise the Lord. I saw yesterday our work was not to the shepherds who have rejected the former messages, but to the honest deceived who are led astray. I saw the false shepherds would soon be fed with judgment. Let the truth come out everywhere we go, the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God. Cheer up. There are better days coming.--Letter 18, 1850, p. 1. (MR 5, 91)
Editor-- This letter is very significant in that it indicates the "shut door" was beginning to open. In this letter we find that Christians who had not heard the Advent message were allowed to enter. The Adventists who believed in Joseph Bate's theory that Christ would return in 1851 were forced into opening the door because they needed 144,000 people by fall of 1851. With only a few hundred believers in the beginning of 1850, and with most of the believers of the Millerite movement rejecting them, they were forced to do something to get their numbers up! Later in the same year, the first unconverted person was admitted to the Adventist church (Click here to read James White's letter).
Letter to Brother and Sister Collins, Feb. 10, 1850
Let us not rest unless we have the abiding witness that our ways please God. Souls are coming out upon the truth all around here. They are those who have not heard the Advent doctrine and some of them are those who went forth to meet the Bridegroom in 1844, but since that time have been deceived by false shepherds until they did not know where they were or what they believed.--Letter 4, 1850, pp. 1, 2.

Editor-- There are some noteworthy items in this letter.
The Present Truth magazine--with its declarations that the door of mercy is shut to all except those who were part of the 1844 movement--was "written in the spirit of God".
She encouraged the reprinting of the "shut door" doctrines that the Millerites printed immediately after 1844. James White never did this. Could it be because they had their first real convert (a man who was unconverted in the 1844 movement) later in the same month? (Click here to read James White's letter).
Note that she calls the unconverted the "lawful prey of the enemy." Consider carefully what that means.
Notice the "..." that occurs several places in this letter. I did not put those dots there. The White Estate cut material out when they released this letter.
"A Vision the Lord Gave Me at Bro. Harris', August 24, 1850
I saw the cruel power of Satan that has afflicted us of late and bound us to keep the truth from coming out in the paper. . . . I saw these efforts of Satan were to hinder the paper coming out, for the lines that were being published were written in the Spirit of God, and would rejoice the hearts of the trusting ones, and Satan knew it would hurt his cause because it would be seen by these testimonies that most of the Advent people once believed as we do that there was a shut door in '44. And to have the plain, clean truth come out in the paper . . . would cause many to decide for the truth and to take a firm and unyielding stand for God and His truth. I saw that the paper would strengthen the things that remain and would help build up God's people in the most holy faith. . . . I saw that God wanted His people to be separated from the world, for wicked persons were the lawful prey of the enemy and he would work through them in every way to perplex and destroy the saints, and if we were obliged to be in company with the wicked persons we must pray and watch every moment lest we should partake of their spirit, for they corrupted the atmosphere where they were and their very breath was darkness, and that the wicked would wax worse and worse, and we must cut loose from them and be free and free indeed, and God does not want His people to mingle with the wicked more than they are obliged to. ... --Ms 7, 1850, pp. 1- 5. (MR #6, pp. 250-251)

Brother and Sister Howland, Nov. 12, 1851
Monday morn we had another meeting; the power of God rested upon us. I was taken off in vision and saw many things. I saw that Brother Baker must not sink down, that God had a work for him to do, not to feed the dogs, but the starving sheep. Feed the sheep, feed the sheep, said my accompanying angel. It was a melting, weeping time when I related the vision. Bro. Baker was comforted and made strong.--Letter 8, 1851, p. 5. (MR #6 p. 253)
Manuscript Releases Volume Five, page 97, paragraph 3
While in Exeter, Maine, in meeting with Israel Dammon, James, and many others, many of them did not believe in a shut door. I suffered much at the commencement of the meeting. Unbelief seemed to be on every hand. There was one sister there that was called very spiritual. She had traveled and been a powerful preacher the most of the time for twenty years. She had been truly a mother in Israel. But a division had risen in the band on the shut door. She had great sympathy, and could not believe the door was shut. (I had known nothing of their differences.) Sister Durben got up to talk. I felt very, very sad. At length my soul seemed to be in an agony, and while she was talking I fell from my chair to the floor. It was then I had a view of Jesus rising from His mediatorial throne and going to the Holiest as Bridegroom to receive His kingdom. They were all deeply interested in the view. They all said it was entirely new to them. The Lord worked in mighty power setting the truth home to their hearts. Sister Durben knew what the power of the Lord was, for she had felt it many times; and a short time after I fell she was struck down, and fell to the floor, crying to God to have mercy on her. When I came out of vision, my ears were saluted with Sister Durben's singing and shouting with a loud voice. Most of them received the vision, and were settled upon the shut door. Previous to this I had no light on the coming of the Bridegroom, but had expected Him to [come to] this earth to deliver His people on the tenth day of the seventh month. I did not hear a lecture or a word in any way relating to the Bridegroom's going to the Holiest.
[Editor's Note: Notice the fanatical nature of this event. There is shouting and people are falling to the floor. Mrs. White's vision succeeded in convincing the people that the door of mercy had been shut. Obviously the "shut door" must have been a very important doctrine in the late 1840's. If it was so important, why do we never hear another word about it after 1851?]

Manuscript Releases Volume Five, page 93, paragraph 3
The first Sabbath we spent in Topsham [March 24] was a sweet, interesting time. It seemed that Jesus Himself passed through our midst and shed His light and glory upon us. We all had a rich draught from the well of Bethlehem. The Spirit came upon me and I was taken off in vision. I saw many important things, some of which I will write you before I close this letter. I saw Brother Stowell, of Paris, was wavering upon the shut door. I felt that I must visit them. Although it was fifty miles off and very bad going, I believed God would strengthen me to perform the journey. We went and found they needed strengthening. There had not been a meeting in the place for above two years. We spent one week with them. Our meetings were very interesting. They were hungry for present truth. We had free, powerful meetings with them. God gave me two visions while there, much to the comfort and strength of the brethren and sisters. Brother Stowell was established in the shut door and all the present truth he had doubted. Strength was given me from on high so that my journey wearied me not at all, and my health has been better ever since. Thank God, He gives us strength as we need. . . .
Editor-- Notice a couple of items in the following article:
In the 2nd paragraph notice the critical importance of the Shut Door teaching.
Throughout the article notice that Jesus is now ministering only for Israel only, and not for the world. Notice how it is God's people who are being tested. There is no mention of the unsaved.
Present Truth, Aug. 1, 1849
Dear Brethren and Sisters
The Lord has shown me that it is my duty to relate to you, what he has revealed to me relating to the present truth, our present tried, scattered and tempted state, and our duty in view of the coming judgments of God.

Sabbath, March 24th, 1849, we had a sweet, and very interesting meeting with the Brethren at Topsham, Me. The Holy Ghost was poured out upon us, and I was taken off in the Spirit to the City of the living God. There I was shown that the commandments of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, relating to the shut door, could not be separated, and that the time for the commandments of God to shine out, with all their importance, and for God's people to be tried on the Sabbath truth, was when the door was opened in the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary, where the Ark is, containing the ten commandments. This door was not opened, until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the Holy Place of the Sanctuary in 1844. Then, Jesus rose up, and shut the door in the Holy Place, and opened the door in the Most Holy, and passed within the second vail, where he now stands by the Ark; and where the faith of Israel now reaches.

I saw that Jesus had shut the door in the Holy Place, and no man can open it; and that he had opened the door in the Most Holy, and no man can shut it: (See Rev. iii:7, 8:) and that since Jesus has opened the door in the Most Holy Place, which contains the Ark, the commandments have been shining out to God's people, and they are being tested on the Sabbath question.

I saw that the present test on the Sabbath could not come, until the mediation of Jesus in the Holy Place was finished; and he had passed within the second vail; therefore, Christians, who fell asleep before the door was opened in the Most Holy, when the midnight cry was finished, at the seventh month 1844; and had not kept the true Sabbath, now rest in hope; for they had not the light, and the test on the Sabbath, which we now have, since that door was opened. I saw that Satan was tempting some of God's people on this point. Because so many good Christians have fallen asleep in the triumphs of faith, and have not kept the true Sabbath, they were doubting about it being a test for us now.

I saw that the enemies of the present truth have been trying to open the door of the Holy Place, that Jesus has shut; and to close the door of the Most Holy Place, which he opened in 1844, where the Ark is containing the two tables of stone, on which are written the ten commandments, by the finger of Jehovah.

Satan is now using every device in this sealing time, to keep the minds of God's people from the present, sealing truth; and to cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over his people, to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was decided on the truth, and was pure in heart, was to be covered with the covering of Almighty God.

Satan knew this, and was at work in mighty power, to keep the minds of as many as he possibly could unsettled, and wavering on the truth. I saw that the mysterious knocking in N.Y. and other places, was the power of Satan; and that such things would be more and more common, clothed in a religious garb, to lull the deceived to more security; and to draw the minds of God's people, if possible, to those things and cause them to doubt the teachings, and power of the Holy Ghost.

I saw that Satan was working through agents, in a number of ways. He was at work through ministers, who have rejected the truth, and are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie that they might be damned. While they were preaching, or praying some would fall prostrate and helpless; not by the power of the Holy Ghost, no, no; but by the power of Satan breathed upon these agents and through them to the people. Some professed Adventists who had rejected the present truth, while preaching praying or in conversation used Mesmerism to gain adherents, and the people would rejoice in this influence, for they thought it was the Holy Ghost. And even some that used it, were so far in the darkness and deception of the Devil, that they thought it was the power of God, given them to exercise. They had made God altogether such an one as themselves; and had valued his power as a thing of naught.

Some of these agents of Satan were affecting the bodies of some of the saints; those that they could not deceive and draw away from the truth by a satanic influence. Oh! that all could get a view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more of the wiles of Satan, and be on their guard. I saw that Satan was at work in these ways to distract, deceive, and draw away God's people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet were sliding; because they were not firmly planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over them while they were thus trembling.

Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, and the covering drawn over God's people, and they left out, without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues.

God has begun to draw this covering over his people, and it will very soon be drawn over all who are to have a shelter in the day of slaughter. God will work in power for his people; and Satan will be permitted to work also.

I saw that the mysterious signs and wonders, and false reformations would increase, and spread. The reformations that were shown me, were not reformations from error to truth; but from bad to worse; for those who professed a change of heart, had only wrapt about them a religious garb, which covered up the iniquity of a wicked heart. Some appeared to have been really converted, so as to deceive God's people; but if their hearts could be seen, they would appear as black as ever.

My accompanying angel bade me look for the travail of soul for sinners as used to be. I looked, but could not see it; for the time for their salvation is past.

At the commencement of the Holy Sabbath, (Jan. 5,) we engaged in prayer with Bro. Belden's family at Rocky Hill, Ct., and the Holy Ghost fell upon us. I was taken off in Vision to the Most Holy Place, where I saw Jesus still interceding for Israel. On the bottom of his garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the Most Holy Place, until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction: and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished his work in the Most Holy Place--laid off his priestly attire and clothed himself with the garments of vengeance. Then Jesus will step out from between the Father and man, and God will keep silent no longer; but pour out his wrath on those who have rejected his truth. I saw that the anger of the nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead, were separate events, one following the other. I saw that Michael had not stood up, and that the time of trouble, such as never was, had not yet commenced. The nations are now getting angry, but when our High Priest has finished his work in the Sanctuary, he will stand up, put on the garments of vengeance, and then the seven last plagues will be poured out. I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the Sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous, and they thought that we had brought them down upon them, and if they could rid the earth of us, then the plagues would be stayed. A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob's trouble. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of spirit, and were delivered by the Voice of God. Then the 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God. Then I was shown a company who were howling in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, "thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting." I asked who this company were. The angel said, "these are they who have once kept the Sabbath and have given it up." I heard them cry with a loud voice--"we have believed in thy coming, and taught it with energy." And while they were speaking, their eyes would fall upon their garments and see the writing, and then they would wail aloud. I saw they had drunk of the deep waters, and fouled the residue with their feet--trodden the Sabbath underfoot, and that is why they were weighed in the balance and found wanting. Then my attending angel directed me to the City again, where I saw four angels winging their way to the gate of the City, and were just presenting the golden card to the angel at the gate. Then I saw another angel swiftly flying from the direction of the most excellent glory, and crying with a loud voice to the other angels, and waving something up and down in his hand. I asked my attending angel for an explanation of what I saw. He told me that I could see no more then, but he would shortly show me what those things that I then saw meant.

Sabbath afternoon one of our number was sick, and requested prayers that he might be healed. We all united in applying to the Physician who never lost a case, and while healing power came down, and the sick was healed, the Spirit fell upon me, and I was taken off in vision. I saw four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and were on their way to accomplish it. Jesus was clothed with Priestly garments. He gazed in pity on the remnant, then raised his hands upward, and with a voice of deep pity cried-- "My Blood, Father, My Blood, My Blood, My Blood". Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from God, who sat upon the great white throne, and was shed all about Jesus. Then I saw an angel with a commission from Jesus, swiftly flying to the four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and waving something up and down in his hand, and crying with a loud voice-- "Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads." I asked my accompanying angel the meaning of what I heard, and what the four angels were about to do. He shewed me that it was God that restrained the powers, and that he gave his angels charge over things on the earth, and that the four angels had power from God to hold the four winds, and that they were about to let the four winds go, and while they had started on their mission to let them go, the merciful eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not all sealed, then he raised his hands to the Father and plead with him that he had spilled his blood for them.--Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels, and bid them hold until the servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.

I have seen the tender love that God has for his people, and that it is very great. I saw an angel over every saint, with their wings spread about them: and if the saints wept through discouragement, or were in danger, the angel that ever attended them would fly quickly upward to carry the tidings, and the angels in the City would cease to sing. Then Jesus would commission another angel to descend to encourage, watch over and try to keep them from going out of the narrow path: but, if they did not take heed to the watchful care of these angels, and would not be comforted by them, and continued to go astray, the angels would look sad and weep. Then they would bear the tidings upward, and all the angels in the City would weep, and then with a loud voice say, Amen. But if the saints fixed their eyes on the prize before them, and glorified God by praising him, then the angels would bear the glad tidings to the City, and the angels in the city would touch their golden harps and sing with a loud voice--Alleluia! and the heavenly arches would ring with lovely songs. I will here state, that there is perfect order and harmony in the holy City.

All the angels that are commissioned to visit the earth, hold a golden card which they present to the angels at the gates of the City, as they pass in and out. [Editor's Note: Apparently Heaven is not very technologically advanced.] Heaven is a good place. I long to be there, and behold my lovely Jesus, who gave his life for me, and be changed into his glorious image. Oh! for language to express the glory of the bright world to come. I thirst for the living streams that make glad the City of our God.

The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the City to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes, they were noble, majestic and lovely. They bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place. I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on the earth. The reply was--"we have lived in strict obedience to the commandments of God and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth. There I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the City. The fruit of both looked beautiful; but of one they could not eat. They had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one. Then my attending angel said to me--"none in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat they would fall." Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. Then I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. On his right arm he bore a glorious palm, and on each leaf was written Victory. Around his head was a dazzling white wreath, and leaves on the wreath, and in the middle of each leaf was written Purity; and around the leaf were stones of various colors, that shone brighter than the stars, and cast a reflection upon the letters, and magnified them. On the back part of his head was a bow that confined the wreath, and upon the bow was written Holiness. Above the wreath was a lovely crown that shone brighter than the sun. I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said "it is not; but the City is my home, and I have come to visit this place." He moved about the place as if perfectly at home. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said--"you must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000 shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handy work of God."

Dec. 16, 1848, the Lord gave me a view of the shaking of the powers of the heavens. I saw that when the Lord said "heaven" (in giving the signs recorded by Matt., Mark and Luke,) he meant heaven, and when he said "earth" he meant earth. The powers of heaven, are the Sun, Moon and Stars: they rule in the heavens. The powers of earth are those who bear rule on the earth. The powers of heaven will be shaken at the voice of God. Then the Sun, Moon, and Stars will be moved out of their places. They will not pass away, but be shaken by the voice of God.

Dark, heavy clouds came up, and clashed against each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back, then we could look up through the open space in Orion, from whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come down through that open space. I saw that the powers of earth are now being shaken, and that events come in order. War, and rumors of war,--sword, famine and pestilence, are first to shake the powers of earth, then the voice of God will shake the Sun, Moon and Stars, and this earth also. I saw that the shaking of the powers in Europe is not (as some teach) the shaking of the powers of heaven, but it is the shaking of the angry nations.
E. G. White.

Editor-- Notice a couple of items in the following article:
In the 4th paragraph God is responsible for the bitter disappointment following the Millerites time-setting of 1844 (which was in direct opposition to Christ's command in Matt. 25:13).
Notice again that Jesus is ministering only for Israel only, and not for the world.
Present Truth, Sept. 1, 1849
In this time of trial, we need to be encouraged, and comforted by each other. The temptations of Satan are greater now, than ever before; for he knows that his time is short, and that very soon, every case will be decided, either for Life, or for Death. It is no time to sink down beneath discouragement, and trial now; but we must bear up under all our afflictions, and trust wholly in the mighty God of Jacob.
The Lord has shown me that his grace is sufficient for all our trials; and although they are greater than ever before, yet if we trust wholly in God, we can overcome every temptation, and through his grace come off victorious.

If we overcome our trials, and get victory over the temptations of Satan, then we endure the time of our faith, which is much more precious than gold, and are stronger, and better prepared to meet the next. But if we sink down, and give way to the temptations of Satan, we shall grow weaker, and get no reward for the trial, and shall not be so well prepared to meet the next. In this way we shall grow weaker, and weaker, until we are led captive by Satan at his will. We must have on the whole armour of God, and be ready at any moment, for a conflict with the powers of darkness. When temptations and trials rush in upon us, let us go to God, and agonize with him in prayer. He will not turn us away empty; but will give us grace and strength to overcome, and to break the power of the enemy. O, that all could see these things in their true light, and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus. Then would Israel move forward, strong in God, and in the power of his might.

God has shown me that he gave his people a bitter cup to drink, to purify and cleanse them. It is a bitter draught, and they can make it still more bitter by murmuring, complaining, and repining. Those who receive it thus, must have another draught; for the first does not have its designed effect upon the heart. And if the second does not effect the work, then they must have another, and another, until it does have its designed effect, or they will be left filthy and impure in heart. I saw that this bitter cup can be sweetened by patience, endurance and prayer, and that it will have its designed effect upon the hearts of those who thus received it, and God will be honored and glorified. It is no small thing to be a Christian, and be owned and approved of God. The Lord has shown me some who profess the present truth, whose lives do not correspond with their profession. They have got the standard of piety altogether too low, and come far short of Bible holiness. Some engage in vain, and unbecoming conversation; and others give way to the risings of self. We must not expect to please ourselves, live and act like the world, have its pleasures, and enjoy the company of those who are of the world, and reign with Christ in glory.

We must be partakers of Christ's sufferings here, if we would share in his glory hereafter. If we seek our own interest, how we can best please ourselves, instead of seeking to please God, and advance his precious, suffering cause, we shall dishonor God, and the holy cause we profess.

We have but a little space of time left to work for God. Nothing should be too dear to sacrifice, for the salvation of the scattered and torn flock of Jesus. Those who make a covenant with God by sacrifice now, will soon be gathered home to share a rich reward, and possess the new kingdom forever and ever.

O, let us live wholly for the Lord, and show by a well ordered life, and godly conversation that we have been with Jesus, and are his meek and lowly followers. We must work while the day lasts, for when the dark night of trouble and anguish comes, it will be too late to work for God. Jesus is still in his Holy Temple, and will now accept our sacrifices, our prayers, and our confessions of faults and sins, and will now pardon all the transgressions of Israel, that they may be blotted out before he leaves the Sanctuary. When Jesus leaves the Sanctuary, then he that is holy and righteous, will be holy and righteous still; for all their sins will then be blotted out, and they will be sealed with the seal of the living God. But those that are unjust and filthy, will be unjust and filthy still; for then there will be no Priest in the Sanctuary to offer their sacrifices, their confessions, and their prayers before the Father's throne. Therefore, what is done to rescue souls from the coming storm of wrath, must be done before Jesus leaves the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary.

[Editor's Note: In the next paragraph notice how Mrs. White talks about starving souls. Are these the unsaved? No, they are members of the "flock"!]

The Lord has shown me that precious souls are starving, and dying for want of the present, sealing truth, the meat in due season; and that the swift messengers should speed on their way, and feed the flock with the present truth. I heard an Angel say, "speed the swift messengers, speed the swift messengers; for the case of every soul will soon be decided, either for Life, or for Death."

I saw that those who had the means, were required to help speed those messengers, that God had called to labor in his cause, and as they went from place to place, they would be safe from the prevailing pestilence. But if any went that were not sent of God, they would be in danger of being cut down by the pestilence; therefore all should earnestly seek for duty, and be sure and move by the direction of the Holy Spirit.

[Editor's Note: The "pestilence" in 1849 was local and ended shortly. The following prophecy about the "dead and dying" being "all around us" never came true and was later suppressed.]

What we have seen and heard of the pestilence, is but the beginning of what we shall see and hear. Soon the dead and dying will be all around us. I saw that some will be so hardened, as to even make sport of the judgements of God. Then the slain of the Lord will be from one end of the earth, to the other; they will not be lamented, gathered, nor buried; but their ill savor will come up from the face of the whole earth. Those only who have the seal of the living God, will be sheltered from the storm of wrath, that will soon fall on the heads of those who have rejected the truth.

In Hope,
E. G. White.

Editor-- The Whites had been working on Bro. Rhodes to convince him to accept "present truth". Mrs. White remarks that the "shut door" was part of that "present truth":
Present Truth, Dec. 1, 1849

I saw that Jesus was pleading His blood for Bro. Rhodes, and that the Angel was ready to enroll his name, as soon as he would come of of that dark place, and stand on all the present truth. The Angel pointed me to the snare of Satan that bound him; and I saw that he thought that there was no hope, no mercy for him; and it would be of no use for him to try. I saw that Brn. Edson and Ralph should make him believe there was hope, and mercy for him, and tear him away, when he would come among the flock; and that Angels would attend them on their journey. I heard an Angel say--"Can ye not see the worth of the soul? Pull him out of the fire." I saw that in Bro. Rhodes mouth there had been no guile in speaking against the present truth, relating to the Sabbath, and Shut Door. I also saw that the Lord has laid Bro. Rhodes' case heavily on Bro. Edson.
E.G. WHITE

Present Truth, Mar. 1, 1850

My Dear Brethren and Sisters --This is very important hour with us. Satan has come down with great power, and we must strive hard, and press our way to the kingdom. We have a mighty foe to contend with; but an Almighty Friend to protect and strengthen us in the conflict. If we are firmly fixed upon the present truth, and have our hope, like an anchor of the soul, cast within the second vail, the various winds of false doctrine and error cannot move us. The excitements and false reformations of this day do not move us, for we know that the Master of the house rose up in 1844, and shut the door of the first apartment of the heavenly tabernacle; and now we certainly expect that they will "go with their flocks," "to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself (within the second vail) from them." The Lord has shown me that the power which is with them is a mere human influence, and not the power of God.
Those who have published the "Watchman" have removed the land-marks. I saw, two months ago, that their time would pass by; and then some honest souls, who have been deceived by this time, will have a chance to receive the truth. I saw that most of those who preach this new time do not believe it themselves. I saw that our message was not to the shepherds who have led the flock astray, but to the poor hungry, scattered sheep. [Editor--What about the unsaved?]

In hope,
E. G. White.

Editor-- This article is striking for its strong, forcible demand for money. Notice that the shaking had begun in 1850.
Present Truth, Apr. 1, 1850
Dear Brethren. --The Lord gave me a view, January 26, which I will relate. I saw that some of the people of God were stupid and dormant; and were but half awake, and did not realize the time we were now living in; and that the "man" with the "dirt-brush" had entered, and that some were in danger of being swept away. I begged of Jesus to save them, to spare them a little longer, and let them see their awful danger, that they might get ready before it should be for ever too late. The angel said, "Destruction is coming like a mighty whirlwind." I begged of the angel to pity and to save those who loved this world, and were attached to their possessions, and were not willing to cut loose from them, and sacrifice them to speed the messengers on their way to feed the hungry sheep, who were perishing for want of spiritual food.

As I viewed poor souls dying for want of the present truth, and some who professed to believe the truth were letting them die, by withholding the necessary means to carry forward the work of God, the sight was too painful, and I begged of the angel to remove it from me. I saw that when the cause of God called for some of their property, like the young man who came to Jesus, [Matt. xix, 16-22,] they went away sorrowful; and that soon the overflowing scourge would pass over and sweep their possessions all away, and then it would be too late to sacrifice earthly goods, and lay up a treasure in heaven.

I then saw the glorious Redeemer, beautiful and lovely, that he left the realms of glory, and came to this dark and lonely world, to give his precious life and die, the just for the unjust. He bore the cruel mocking and scourging, and wore the platted crown of thorns, and sweat great drops of blood in the garden; while the burden of the sins of the whole world were upon him. The angel asked, "What for?" O, I saw and knew that it was for us; for our sins he suffered all this, that by his precious blood he might redeem us unto God.

Then again was held up before me those who were not willing to dispose of this world's goods to save perishing souls, by sending them the truth, while Jesus stands before the Father, pleading his blood, his sufferings and his death for them; and while God's messengers were waiting, ready to carry them the saving truth that they might be sealed with the seal of the living God. It was hard for some who professed to believe the present truth, to even do so little as to hand the messengers God's own money, that he had lent them to be stewards over.

Then the suffering Jesus, his sacrifice and love so deep, as to give his life for them, was again held up before me; and then the lives of those who professed to be his followers, who had this world's goods, and considered it so great a thing to help the cause of salvation. The angel said, "Can such enter heaven?" Another angel answered, "No, never, never, never. Those who are not interested in the cause of God on earth, can never sing the song of redeeming love above."

I saw that the quick work that God was doing on earth would soon be cut short in righteousness, and that the swift messengers must speed on their way to search out the scattered flock. An angel said, "Are all messengers? No, no, God's messengers have a message."

I saw that the cause of God had been hindered, and dishonored by some travelling who had no message from God. Such will have to give an account to God for every dollar they have used in travelling where it was not their duty to go; for that money might have helped on the cause of God, and for the lack of it, souls have starved and died for the want of spiritual food, that might have been given them by God's called and chosen messengers if they had had the means.

The mighty shaking has commenced, and will go on, and all will be shaken out who are not willing to take a hold and unyielding stand for the truth, and sacrifice for God and his cause. The angel said, "Think ye that any will be compelled to sacrifice. No. no. It must be a free-will offering. It will take all to buy the field."--I cried to God to spare his people, some of whom were fainting and dying.

I saw that those who have strength to labor with their hands, and help sustain the cause, were as accountable for that strength, as others were for their property.

The I saw that the judgements of Almighty God were speedily coming. I begged of the angel to speak in his language to the people. Said he, "All the thunders and lightnings of Mount Sinai would not move those who will not be moved by the plain truths of the word of God; neither would an angel's message awake them."

I then beheld the beauty and loveliness of Jesus. His robe was whiter than the whitest white. No language can describe his glory and exalted loveliness. All, all who keep the commandments of God, will enter in through the gates into the City, and have right to the tree of life, and ever be in the presence of the lovely Jesus, whose countenance shines brighter than the sun at noonday.

Then I was pointed to Adam and Eve in Eden. They partook of the forbidden tree, and then the flaming sword was placed around the tree of life, and they were driven from the Garden, lest they should partake of the tree of life, and be immortal sinners. The tree of life was to perpetuate immortality. I heard an angel ask, "Who of the family of Adam have passed that flaming sword, and have partaken of the tree of life?" I heard another angel answer, "Not one of the family of Adam have passed that flaming sword, and partaken of that tree; therefore there is not an immortal sinner. The soul that sinneth it shall die an everlasting death; a death that will last for ever, where there will be no hope of a resurrection; and then the wrath of God will be appeased."

I saw that the saints will rest in the Holy City, and reign as kings and priests one thousand years; then Jesus will descend with the saints upon the mount of Olives, and the mount will part asunder, and become a mighty plain for the Paradise of God to rest upon. The rest of the earth will not be cleansed until the wicked dead are raised (at the end of the one thousand years) and gather up around the city; for the feet of the wicked will never desecrate the earth made new. Then fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them; burn them up root and branch. Satan is the root, and his children are the branches. The same fire that will devour the wicked, will purify the earth.

In hope of immortality at the appearing of Jesus,

E. G. White.

Manuscript 11, Dec. 25, 1850
Editor-- As late as December of 1850 Ellen White is condemning those who called the shut door of salvation a doctrine of the devil as being eternally lost.
Vision at Paris, Maine -- Then I saw Laodiceans.* They will make a mighty effort. Will they get the victory? One who has the truth will chase a thousand, and two will put ten thousand to flight. They are coming to conclusions that bring them into close quarters and they cannot tell where they be themselves, for they are lost in the foggy, terrible fear that takes hold of them. Anguish of spirit will seize them. Dare they admit that the door is shut? The sin against the Holy Ghost was to ascribe to Satan what belongs to God, or what the Holy Ghost has done. They said the shut door was of the devil, and now admit it is against their own lives. They shall die the death. Look ye at the Pattern. Follow Him, for He is meek and lowly in heart. Shut your eyes to everything but the present, saving truth.

* According the White Estate, Manuscript Releases Vol. 13, p. 301, the Laodiceans are "THE NOMINAL, OR FIRST-DAY, ADVENTISTS".

Editor-- The above is what was written out by Ellen White on Dec. 25, 1850. The following is a transcript written during the vision itself by an unspecified individual on Dec. 24, 1850. Transcript courtesy of Adventist Currents, June 1985.
The Laodiceans will make a struggle. Will they [sic] the victory? One will chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight. Coming to conclusions. They know not where they are. Lost in the fog. Terrible fear shall take hold of them. Anguish of spirit will seize them. Dare they admit that the door is shut? They said it was of the devil, a sin against the Holy Ghost. To admit it is against their own life. They shall die the death. Look ye at the pattern. Follow Him, meek and lowly. Shut your eyes to everything but the truth.

Editor-- Those currently in charge of the White Estate say they doubt the authenticity of this vision for the following reasons:
The vision was copied by R. R. Chapin, a man who later apostatized
Ellen White was not in Camden on the date of the document.
In 1885, J. N. Loughborough mentions a document "purporting" to be the Camden Vision, which word implies he may not have considered it to be authentic.
However, we believe it may be authentic for the following reasons:
J.N. Loughborough defends the vision in the March 24, 1885, issue of the Review.
Uriah Smith defended the vision in his 1868 book The Visions of Mrs. E.G. White.
Mrs. White makes reference to a vision received in Camden, NY, on June 21, 1851, in Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 22, 1892.
For a further discussion on the authenticity of the document, CLICK HERE
Part of the Vision at Camden, NY, June 21, 1851
The Lord shewed that He had, in answer to prayer, removed his frown from this band, and that they could have the smiles of Jesus, if they would live very humble, and walk carefully before the Lord, and know that in every step that they took that God was guiding them, and the band would be strong and would be a terror to their enemies; and the band must press together. Then I saw Bro. Wing and Bro. Hyatt--that the enemy had been trying to destroy them--that they were praying for light upon a few texts of Scripture, and the more they prayed the darker they grew, and the enemy was shutting down a network of darkness over them; and just about as they were getting entirely shut in, they were delivered--the net was broken, and they escaped. I saw the true light on these texts. I saw that this rebuke was given by Jesus to the Pharisees and Jews, who were filled with self-righteousness, and would only speak to or greet those who were just as full of self-righteousness and hypocrisy as themselves were; and they entirely neglect and pass by those who did not make quite as much, and who did not receive greeting in the market as they did. I saw that it did not in any way apply to this time--that we are now living in. Then I saw that Jesus prayed for his enemies; but that should not cause us to pray for the wicked world, whom God has rejected. When he prayed for his enemies, there was hope for them, and they could be benefited and saved by his prayers, and also after he was a mediator in the outer apartment for the whole world; but now his spirit and sympathy were withdrawn from the world; and our sympathy must be with Jesus, and must be withdrawn from the ungodly. I saw that God loved His people--and, in answer to prayers, would send rain on the just and the unjust--I saw that now, in this time, that he watered the earth and caused the sun to shine for the saints and the wicked by our prayers, by our Father sending rain upon the unjust while he sent it upon the just. I saw that the wicked could not be benefited by our prayers now--and although he sent it upon the unjust, yet their day is coming. Then I saw concerning loving our neighbors. I saw that the scripture did not mean the wicked whom God had rejected that we must love, but he meant our neighbors in the household, and did not extend beyond the household; yet I saw that we should not do the wicked around us any injustice--but, our neighbors whom we were to love, were those tho loved God and were serving Him.

malgamation
A Denominational Embarrassment
By D. Anderson

The Plan of Redemption Confusion
D. Anderson

Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD."
Jer. 23:32
Mrs. White's vision of the formulation of the plan of redemption provides unequivocal evidence that she failed the tests of a prophet.

Suppressed Writings of Ellen White
Ever wonder why you could never buy a copy of A Word to the Little Flock in an Adventist book store for 150 years? You would think that the early writings of a prophet would be a priceless treasure that the whole church would want to read. Read these documents and find out why they were suppressed. For those of you in a hurry, the most critical parts have been highlighted in blue. --Editor

In 1846 Mrs. White had a "vision" of the solar system. Mrs. Truesdail, a dedicated and sincere Adventist, was present during the vision. She describes how Mrs. White saw a "tall, majestic people" living on either Jupiter or Saturn:
"Sister White was in very feeble health, and while prayers were offered in her behalf, the Spirit of God rested upon us. We soon noticed that she was insensible to earthly things. This was her first view of the planetary world. After counting aloud the moons of Jupiter, and soon after those of Saturn, she gave a beautiful description of the rings of the latter. She then said, 'The inhabitants are a tall, majestic people, so unlike the inhabitants of earth. Sin has never entered here.'"1
Is this true? Are there tall, majestic people living on Jupiter and/or Saturn? This may have seemed plausible in 1846, but with all we know about these planets today, it hardly seems likely. Conditions on both planets are extremely inhospitable to life as we know it:

These planets have no solid surface like the earth. The surfaces consist entirely of a sea of liquid hydrogen, hundreds of miles deep.
The atmospheric pressure is millions of times greater than the earth's. The pressure is enough to crush the strongest metals.
Numerous space probes have examined these planets using advanced technology and have not detected any sign of life whatsoever. No plants. No animals. No tall people. Nothing but hydrogen, helium and other gases.
Jupiter Has FOUR Moons
In 1847, James and Ellen White published a tract in which it is announced that she had seen a vision of the planets in our solar system:

"At our conference in Topsham, Maine, last Nov., Ellen had a vision of the handy works of God. She was guided to the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and I think one more. After she came out of vision, she could give a clear description of their Moons, etc. It is well known, that she knew nothing of astronomy, and could not answer one question in relation to the planets, before she had this vision."2
Notice in the above quote that James says Mrs. White gave a "clear description" of their moons. The description was so clear that it included the exact number of Jupiter's moons. Here is how pioneer J.N. Loughborough describes the vision:
"One evening, at the conference above mentioned, at the house of Mr. Curtiss and in the presence of Elder Bates, who was yet undecided in regard to these manifestations, Mrs. White, while in vision, began to talk about the stars, giving a glowing description of rosy-tinted belts which she saw across the surface of some planet, and added, 'I see four moons.' 'Oh,' said Elder Bates, 'she is viewing Jupiter!' Then having made motions as though traveling through space, she began giving a description of belts and rings in their ever-varying beauty, and said, 'I see seven moons.'7 Elder Bates exclaimed, 'She is describing Saturn.' Next she said, 'I see six moons,' and at once began a description of the 'opening heavens,' with its glory, calling it an opening into a region more enlightened."3
Notice footnote #7 in the above quote. Here is what the footnote says:

"7 In Rise and Progress, it says she saw eight moons to Saturn. This change was made after the proofs went out of my hands. More moons to both Jupiter and Saturn have since been discovered."4
This footnote shows how Mrs. White's visions were later altered by others. Eyewitnesses reported that Mrs. White had seen "seven" moons around Saturn. However, an eighth moon had been discovered by the time Loughborough's book Rise and Progress was ready for publication. The Adventist editors of the book altered the vision to say "eight" moons in order to make it correspond to scientific fact. However, in this later book, to his credit, Loughborough honestly admits that the actual number Mrs. White saw was "seven".
The Scientific Facts
(Wikipedia)

1) Jupiter has 63 known natural satellites....the first certain observations of Jupiter's satellites are those of Galileo Galilei in 1610, who sighted the four large Galilean moons.... No additional satellites were discovered until E.E. Barnard observed Amalthea in 1892. ... Jupiter has a faint planetary ring system..."
2) "Saturn is currently known to have 56 moons. ... [Saturn's 8th moon,] Hyperion, [was] discovered [in] 1848"

3) "Uranus has 27 known moons. ... Voyager 2 photographed the Uranian ring system during its flyby in 1986. Two additional rings were discovered in 2005."

A "Clear Description" of the Moons?
Mrs. White once wrote:

"Science is ever discovering new wonders; but she brings from her research nothing that, rightly understood, conflicts with divine revelation."5
If it is true that science never conflicts with divine revelation, then the only conclusion one can make regarding Ellen White's solar system vision is that it was not a divine revelation! Mrs. White got close enough to Jupiter and/or Saturn to see the "tall, majestic people" living there, but what did she fail to see?
She failed to see at least 59 of Jupiter's moons
She failed to see at least 49 of Saturn's moons
She failed to see at least 21 of Uranus' moons
She failed to see the rings around Jupiter
She failed to see the rings around Uranus
Why did she see only what astronomers had already seen?
When Mrs. White had her "vision" in 1846 it was common knowledge that Jupiter had four moons. The fifth was not discovered until 1892. In 1846, it was thought that Saturn had seven moons. The 8th moon was discovered shortly thereafter, in 1848. After the discovery, an account of the "vision" was modified to say "eight" instead of "seven". Mrs. White's vision did not reveal anything that could not have been obtained from an Astronomy book or even from a newspaper article! The only difference between what Mrs. White saw and what the astronomers saw through their telescopes was those "tall, majestic people"!

Incredible Missed Opportunities
Imagine if Mrs. White had told Bates that Jupiter had four large moons and 59 smaller moons! Her prophetic gift would have been proven beyond doubt to all future generations. Unfortunately, she missed this great opportunity. Imagine if Mrs. White had announced that Jupiter had rings! This amazing fact was not discovered until the Voyager space probes visited Jupiter in 1979 (as shown by the photo to the right). Such an announcement would certainly have validated her claims. Unfortunately, although she got close enough to see those tall people on the planet, she failed to see the rings.

After considering what she did see and what she failed to see, we ask you this question: Was this a vision from God or a hallucination?

What was the REAL purpose of the vision?
In early 1846 the Whites were in trouble. They were poor and destitute. Many viewed Ellen White's visions with skepticism. What they needed more than anything was a wealthy, influential friend who believed as they did. Fortunately for the Whites, they were able to locate just such a man--Joseph Bates. In the spring of 1846 the Whites met this retired sea captain. There was one major problem, however. Although Bates was advanced in age, his mind was still sharp enough to doubt Mrs. White's visions. The Whites tried to win him over, but had little success. But in November, all of that changed. At a small meeting with Bates and a few other diehard believers, Mrs. White had a special vision on astronomy, which just so happened to be Joseph Bates' favorite subject. What a fortunate coincidence!

As Ellen went into vision, the elderly Bates was no doubt enthralled watching the 19-year-old woman make motions as if she was flying through space. As Bates listened, Ellen described various details of the Solar System and the so-called gap in Orion. Bates had observed the gap many years earlier while on board a ship in the southern hemisphere. Orion was then a topic of great interest because of the recent telescopic observations of William Parsons, the third earl of Rosse. Just months earlier Bates had published a tract, "The Opening Heavens," relating Rosse's discoveries, but Ellen assured Bates she had no prior knowledge of astronomy.6

Mrs. Truesdail, also present at the "vision", reports it had the desired effect on Bates:

"It was evident from Brother Bates's smiling face that his past doubts in regard to the source of her visions were fast leaving him. We all knew that Captain Bates was a great lover of astronomy, as he would often locate many of the heavenly bodies for our instruction. When Sister White replied to his questions, after the vision, saying that she had never studied or otherwise received knowledge in this direction, he was filled with joy and happiness. He praised God, and expressed his belief that this vision concerning the planets was given that he might never again doubt."7
Yes, everyone, including the Whites, knew Bates was fond of Astronomy. What a fortunate coincidence that Mrs. White's only recorded vision of the solar system took place while the skeptical Bates was in attendance. From that time forward, Bates was a believer. He no doubt looked forward to that day in glory, when he would be able to travel to Jupiter to meet those "tall, majestic people."

Your Questions Answered: Could it have been somewhere else in the Universe?
With recent scientific discoveries showing the vast number of moons circling Jupiter and Saturn, it is painfully obvious that Mrs. White did not have a vision of these planets. Furthermore, the fact that these planets are completely inhospitable to any type of known life casts further doubt on the "vision". So, in order to justify their belief in the visions, some Adventists have spun the tale that Mrs. White was actually viewing planets elsewhere in the universe. They claim that since she did not actually name the planets herself in the vision, then the planets could literally be anywhere. Does this stand to reason? Was she actually viewing planets somewhere else in the cosmos?

Let's examine the evidence closely. As noted earlier in this article, James said Ellen had seen a vision of "Jupiter, Saturn, and I think one more." J.N. Loughborough and Mrs. Truesdail both applied the vision to our solar system. In fact, all the eyewitnesses to the vision applied it to our solar system, and none of them ever changed their stance on that subject during their lifetimes.

What was the purpose of the vision? According to Adventists, it was given to convince Bates that Mrs. White was a true prophet. The vision had no other discernable purpose. Bates compared his knowledge of our solar system to what was revealed in Ellen White's "vision" and he came to the conclusion she was a true prophet because he thought she had no prior knowledge of astronomy. Now ask yourself this question: Why would God give Sister White a vision of some other planetary system which, by odd coincidence, just so happened to have an identical arrangement of planets, rings, and moons that our own solar system was thought to have in 1846, in order to convince Bates that Mrs. White was viewing our own solar system? Are we to believe that God engages in trickery? Furthermore, neither God nor the angels ever bothered to correct the misconception during the lifetimes of those involved. In other words, God tricked Bates into believing the vision was of our solar system in order to convince him to believe Ellen White, and then He kept quiet about it and did not tell anyone about the little charade! This is preposterous!

The truth, however painful it may be, is that James and Ellen White, Joseph Bates, Mrs. Truesdail, J.N. Loughborough, and many other early Adventists all recognized this "vision" to be of our own solar system, and none of them ever recanted that position.

NOTES
1. Taken from Mrs. Truesdail's letter, Jan 27, 1891. The letter was published in J.N. Loughborough's "The Great Second Advent Movement, pp. 260-261.

2. James White, A Word to the Little Flock, p. 22.

3. J.N. Loughborough, Great Second Advent Movement, p. 258.

4. Ibid.

5. Ellen G. White, Education, p. 128.

6. Ronald L. Numbers, Ph.D., Prophetess of Health, p. 15.

7. Truesdail letter, 1891.

Those "Tall People" of Jupiter!
D. Anderson

The Holy Spirit is received at Baptism