In
Defense of Ellen G White
by
Devon Grey
Since the Internet has
arrived on the scene, some individuals have taken it upon themselves to
discredit and smear the name and works of the prophetess Ellen G. White.
Their goal seems to be to convince people that she was a false prophet.
Little do they know that they are supporting the cause of darkness.
Neither do they know the truth about her. They get their information
from files readily available from the White Estate and from people who
have written about her with malevolent intentions and an unholy agenda.
They spend much time and effort in researching her writings with only
one goal in mind—to try and disprove her as a fraud and phony. As the
saying goes, "you will find what you are looking for." How sad
it is that some with a vendetta against her writings totally ignore the
wealth of beautiful and inspirational material, itself inspired from
above.
The most damaging book
ever written about Ellen White, "The White Lie," by Walter
Rea, is now on the Internet for all to see. Maybe this is a good thing,
for now we know how and where the enemy is attacking, which puts us in a
position to counterattack. This article is the first of two or three
that is sounding a warning in defense of the Spirit of Prophecy as
revealed primarily through Ellen White. But there are other individuals
called by the Lord who are also being maligned. It is to be expected
that the Lord’s true chosen messengers in this time of earth’s
history would be viciously attacked as they proclaim the truth.
Was Ellen White a true
or false prophet? This is the question we hope to answer. This is the
bottom line. If she is a true prophet, it is to the reader’s eternal
benefit to explore the wealth of heavenly light given to her. If the
Lord in love and mercy did not deem this light important, it certainly
would not have been given. On the other hand if she is not the Lord’s
messenger, then we should not waste our time reading her lies. She was
either from the Lord or she wasn’t. The purpose of this article and
the ensuing ones, is to present information about Ellen White, her life,
and experience, which will make it possible for the reader, to come to
an honest conclusion.
To date, most of what is
available is only against her. We will present the other side,—tell
"the rest of the story"— as Paul Harvey, radio commentator
says. By the way, he is a believer in Ellen White and her gift, and has
several times openly and warmly spoken about her on the radio.
The Problem:
A big problem of Ellen’s
detractors and accusers is that they have failed to recognize the
difference between Ellen White THE PROPHET and Ellen White THE AUTHOR.
Neither have they recognized the difference between Ellen White THE
PROPHET and Ellen White the woman, wife, mother, and friend. In short
her human side. They have tried to dehumanize her, painting her as
something she is not. Making her out to be an ugly woman with malevolent
intentions. This is character assassination, not unlike what was done
with the Jews during World War 2 in Germany.
There are important
differences between these three roles. To try to judge a prophet by
either of the last two roles means you will find discrepancies, flaws
and errors. After all, being part of the human race does have its
limitations, even for Prophets. They are subject to the same emotions,
frailties and thought processes as anyone else.
The late author and
writer René Noorbergen wrote a book in 1973 about Ellen White (as well
as several others, including one about Jean Dixon, Clairvoyant) called
"Ellen G. White, Prophet of Destiny." In his years of
researching for this book, he learned as much and probably far more
about Ellen White than her detractors and accusers. Noorbergen was an
experienced research writer with years of experience. He always tried to
be objective in his writing. He was not looking to find fault with
Ellen, but rather to look for evidence that either proved or disproved
her special gift.
Eight years later, on
November 29 of 1981, he wrote a letter to a lady, Ms. Herbey, in
response to her question about whether he was going to write another
book about Ellen White. The reason she asked was because, since he had
published his original book "Prophet of Destiny," in 1973,
Walter Rea, ex-Adventist minister had seven years later published a book
"The White Lie." Charges of plagiarism were leveled at Ellen’s
writings, which was ridiculous, for in her day, there were no laws
regarding using other peoples material. If somebody’s work added to
what was being written, it was used. Yes, they often did give credit to
the person, but that was not a requirement. Another consideration is
that many of Ellen’s books were highly worked over by a staff of
helpers, as she only had a 3rd grade education. It is
possible that she may not have even been totally aware of what was going
on.
When Rea’s book came
out, Noorbergen, being the researcher that he was, went to visit Rea.
What he had to say delineates clearly the points of confusion about not
only Ellen White, but also every prophet that has ever lived from Old
Testament times on.
This is a quote from his
November letter: ".... I do wish the White Estate had been more
open with me and given me access to the original sources instead of
giving me only what they wanted me to use for ‘Prophet of Destiny,’
for I do feel that I have not been given the correct information in many
instances, and I do deplore this sort of information manipulation.
"As to the Walter
Rea’s research material—that is a different story. I have seen most
of it at his home at my own request, and am astounded at the tremendous
collection of material he has gathered. It has strengthened my
developing conviction that we should ‘divide’ EGW into EGW the
Prophet, and EGW the Author. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT GOD USED
HER AS A PROPHET TO GUIDE AND DIRECT THE CHURCH IN ITS FORMATION AND
DEVELOPMENT, (emphasis added) and that her inspired counsel was
extremely valuable for the early SDA Church. On the other hand, she was
also a woman with a third grade education - no more. Yet, because of her
connection with God she became deeply concerned about people and wanted
to share her convictions in books—something she was unable to do with
her limited education. As a result, she gathered around her a number of
people who, as editors and secretaries, helped her in the construction
of these books. But—she made mistakes. We should never forget that
much of what was written by her was the result of thought inspiration,
NOT THOUGHT INSPIRATION ITSELF. Other areas were plainly borrowed,
rewritten, rephrased, etc. Yet in the end it turned out to be good
Christian literature with a good solid message, but, in my opinion, not
necessarily written by Ellen G. White the Prophet, but by Ellen G. White
the Author. Do I make myself clear?
"Walter Rea’s
research points out some of the tremendous mistakes that have been made
in the compilation of some of the manuscripts, but THIS DOES IN NO WAY
DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE OF EGW AS A PROPHET. (Emphasis added) David was
a man ‘after God’s own heart,’ yet look what he did! We have to
make allowances for the fact that she was a normal human being, making
the same mistakes all of us make. The big problem lies with the White
Estate. They have known all this for years but never admitted any of it.
Now it is left to the highly critical book by Walter Rea to tell the
world about it. If our church had not "sainted" Ellen G. White
all these years but had treated her as a prophet, and an author,
and had made a sharp distinction between the two, and allowed her to
make the normal mistakes any author can make, there would never have
been a book by Walter Rea. I hope you can see my point. I STILL BELIEVE
IN EGW AS A PROPHET OF GOD (emphasis added) for the SDA Church, but I do
not believe in the right of the SDA Church to concoct such a tremendous
cover-up. SHE WOULD NEVER HAVE APPROVED OF IT EITHER—OF THAT I AM
SURE. (emphasis added) "... In writing this, I have said more than
I intended to, for I seldom express my opinions about this subject. I do
hope that you can understand my position. As to the future—I am sure
Walter’s book will send shock-waves throughout the Church, but the
positive effects of it will be that it will turn the members back to
studying the Bible instead of hiding behind Ellen G. White quotations.
We have to be able to live as Christians, basing our entire faith on the
Bible alone, and use EGW as an additional guideline— no more and no
less. The Bible still has to remain the guiding rule of our faith."
Sincerely yours, René
Noorbergen.
Having said this, I
would like to share with you a few quotes from Noorbergen’s book— a
little of what he found that convinced him Ellen White was a true
prophet of God. The flyleaf of the book puts it succinctly: "Around
the turn of the century, and in some cases more than one hundred years
ago, Ellen G. White warned:
- San Francisco will face destruction
- Tobacco is a malignant poison
- Cancer is a germ (virus)
- Ex-rays can be dangerous
- Cities will become polluted
- Unrest and drug addiction among youth
will become world problems.
Today, these and so many
other Ellen G. White prophecies have either been proved true or are on
their way toward becoming accepted facts of life....
The extent of her
prophecies-coming true is awesome. She warned of the dangers of tobacco
in 1864, at a time when some doctors were actually prescribing smoking
as an aid for lung disease! She spoke out against a diet overly heavy in
fats and sugar long before medical authorities became aware of their
detrimental effects on the human body. In the 1860’s she wrote about
cancer in ways which foreshadowed today’s research discoveries. In
1906 she recognized the dangers of excessive use of X-rays. These and
other concepts were made known to her through more than 2,000 visions,
which she received for over 60 years throughout her lifetime.
Some of her forecasts in
the 1850’s and 1880’s, of developments to take place in the
religious world (like the coming Sunday law) are just now being
fulfilled with astounding accuracy.
Mrs. White’s
achievements are all the more amazing when one reads of the overwhelming
obstacles, which confronted her throughout her life. Born in 1827, she
suffered an accident when she was nine years old, which forced her to
discontinue formal schooling. Perhaps it was this, which subsequently
led her to depend upon spiritual values so heavily, and ultimately to
become so great a force for humanity.
Ellen G. White
experienced her first vision at age seventeen and continued her
spiritual counseling and writings for seven decades, until her death in
1915.
With James White, whom
she married in 1846, Mrs. White had four sons, two of whom died before
reaching adulthood. It was her experience as wife and mother, which
enriched and gave special meaning to her writings on home life,
parenthood and the unique importance of prenatal influence and care,
concepts, which are recognized today as having substantial validity.
With her husband, she
helped to establish the Seventh-day Adventist Church which (as of
1973 when Noorbergen’s book was published) spread-eagles throughout
the world, encompassing 48 publishing houses, 4,000 elementary schools,
460 high schools and colleges, two universities, 300 hospitals, clinics
and a medical school. Her work was mainly in the United States crossing
and criss-crossing the land by carriage, sleigh and ultimately steam
trains, though she spent two years in Europe and almost a decade in
Australia and New Zealand, lecturing, writing, building and counseling.
Her body of writing, of
books in print, makes her perhaps one of the biggest, best selling
authors in the world literature; and perhaps one of the least known by
popular standards. (Paul Harvey
commented on the radio that Ellen White was the most prolific woman
writer of all time. Her book and written material, all written in long
hand, stacked up on the floor reach up 8 feet to the ceiling.)
Ellen G. White died in
1915, in her eighty-eighth year. Her legacy to the world speaks for
itself.
With this introduction
to Ellen White, let us now consider a few specifics.
From the Beginning:
From the very beginning
Ellen White had her detractors, those who called her a fraud, charlatan,
a spiritualist, medium, psychic, hypnotist, etc. These attacks went on
throughout most of her life.
The reasons for this are
obvious when one reads what she wrote. The Bible says that we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against the forces of darkness. What
was shown to Ellen White was information that Satan did not want the
world to know, for it uncovered, not only his past and present
activities, but also his future plan for world conquest and his final
encounter and defeat at the hand of Jesus his arch rival.
The one most important
book she ever wrote was called "The Great Controversy." This
book, for the first time, showed the behind the scenes of a battle being
waged between Christ and Satan. The Lord revealed these things to her
for many years, and then in 1858 she was told to write this book, and
that it would be circulated around the world. To date, millions of
copies of this book, under different titles, have been sent out to the
whole world. Copies have been sent to every municipal, county, city,
state, and government official, in the United States. It has been sent
to every minister and lawyer also, as well as many leaders in other
countries. Millions have been dispersed in every major city in the USA
as well as in many rural areas around the world. Thus the Lord’s
message to Ellen almost 150 years ago has been and is being fulfilled to
the letter.
This is a remarkable
achievement in itself, and may be the primary reason that Ellen White is
presently being so vehemently attacked. When she was told to write this
book, the enemy became very alarmed and tried his best to keep this from
happening. This one book, more than any other, aside from the Bible,
blew his cover, unmasking him for who he was and is, and the methods he
has and was using to deceive and draw the world into his net.
The circumstances
surrounding the major vision of Ellen’s life, and especially what
happened to her during the writing of this book (The Great Controversy),
clearly shows that Satan was very anxious to keep this information from
getting out. It is without question the reason why she was in life
attacked and berated, and now in death maligned and discredited. But let
us back up a bit and go to page 128 of Noorbergen’s book "Prophet
of Destiny." He states his case well.
"To be a prophet—dealing
with unerring guidelines projected by the Author of Prophecy (God)--must
be awe-inspiring, for it enables a mere mortal to peek across the
threshold of the future and observe God arranging history in advance...
The record of Ellen
White as a prophet is not one based purely on the fulfillment of
prediction, yet even though she never laid boastful claim to being a
prophet, she most definitely did the work of one, and more. Her medical
insight was faultless in every way; her spiritual foresight was just as
broad and grand in scope, for her prophetic warnings were strong and
far-reaching. From the moment of her first vision, Ellen White openly
claimed that it was the power of God, which spoke through her as He had
done through other prophets in ages past.
Whether God required her
to have reached a certain mental maturity before giving her the most
important vision of her entire life, is something we do not know. But it
was not until 1858, the year, which ushered in her thirty-first
birthday, that the wondrous event occurred.
It was the weekend of
March 13 and 14 that Ellen and her husband attended a series of
religious meetings in Lovett’s Grove near Bowling Green, Ohio. The
regular meetings were interrupted during the day of the fourteenth when
it was decided to conduct a funeral service in the little schoolhouse,
which also served as a meeting hall. Delighted to have the Whites with
them, those present asked James to address the small congregation. No
sooner had he concluded his remarks than Ellen stood up, desiring to add
a few words of comfort. After her first few words, she faltered...and
stopped in the middle of a sentence. Then it happened. A moment of
pregnant silence followed, when suddenly she shouted triumphantly, as if
forcing her way through a dark cloud.
"Glory to
God...Glory to God...GLORY TO GOD!" this time not fading out as was
the usual case when she was taken into vision, but shouted with
increasing emphasis.
Startled, the audience
tensed and looked questioningly at both Ellen and her husband. Slowly,
James White got up from his chair and ever so quietly walked over to his
wife, and while her face took on an expression of intense concentration,
with eyes gazing unblinkingly into the distance, he faced the
congregation.
"She is in
vision...my wife is in vision..." he whispered softly to the hushed
audience. Cognizant of the fact that he was addressing a number of
people to whom Ellen’s Gift of Prophecy was not known, he reverently
explained how, since her seventeenth year, his wife was often called
into vision, and that each time this happened, she was completely
detached from her surroundings. His claim that her breathing ceased
while in this condition caused many of them to press forward and crowd
around her.
"Bring a
mirror," James asked in a low tone, and while holding it close to
her mouth, he carefully pointed out that the total absence of
condensation on the glass proved that her breathing had stopped. A
second test, this time with a burning candle held only inches from her
nose and mouth, was made, but not a flicker of moving air disturbed the
tranquillity of the flame. Stunned, aghast by this unusual phenomenon,
the onlookers watched as Ellen slowly made her way through them,
gracefully moving her arms, occasionally smiling, and more often giving
the impression of staring at scenes transpiring beyond mortal vision,
watching secrets that were solely intended for her.
For two long hours she
remained in vision, sometimes moving, other times just standing,
staring, listening, observing with her spiritual eyes what was being
revealed to her. Then came her first deep breath which always signified
the beginning of her return to consciousness. Another followed...and
then another...slightly bewildered, she glanced at the anxious faces
about her and as the memory of her vision became clear, she realized
once again that she had been taken into Supreme confidence.
Writing of this vision
two years later, she said:
In the vision at Lovett’s
Grove, most of the matter which I had seen ten years before concerning
the great controversy between Christ and Satan, was repeated, and I was
instructed to write it out. I was shown that while I should have to
contend with the powers of darkness, for Satan would make strong effort
to hinder me, yet I must put my trust in God, and angels would not leave
me in the conflict." Scores of visions had passed before her;
however, this time Ellen was transported into the undeniable dimension
of time before and beyond that of recorded history and was made witness
to the War in Heaven, the rebellion and fall of Lucifer. Watching the
tragedy unfold, she stood appalled and shocked at the infidelity of one
who was once an exalted angel.
The files of the Ellen
G. White Estate contain all of her recollections of that famous vision,
with many passages expressing her emotions of sadness and astonishment
as her mind’s consciousness locked in on the prophetic impulses of
God."
Note: Noorbergen then
goes on for several pages quoting Ellen White and what she saw, starting
with scenes in heaven before Lucifer fell and became Satan. Finishing
her quotes he then continues with the narrative.
"In rapid sequence,
the crowning events of Biblical history passed before Ellen’s mind. In
quiet amazement she observed the ancient patriarchs and consecrated
prophets lead the people of Israel; she saw Moses receive the Ten
Commandments on the Mount of Sinai and recoiled in horror as she heard
the singing of the apostate Israelites and watched them dedicate the
golden calf. On and on her perception went, and her mental anguish
became more consuming as she personally witnessed the birth of Christ,
only to see it end on a cross, seemingly ignored by heaven. Via the
apostolic times, she gazed with abhorrence at the massacres of the early
Christians, then proudly viewed the work of the reformers. She was
slowly brought back to her own times, watching current history evolve;
then transported again—this time into the future—to the events
leading up to the Second Coming of Christ, and was grieved by the
heart-tearing scenes of the final judgment of man.
It was indeed a
prophetic vision unequaled in both scope and magnitude. She had been
taken into full confidence...now it was up to her to act.
The following day,
homeward bound on the train, Ellen discussed with James her vision at
length and formulated her plans for the writing of the book covering the
great conflict as it was shown to her. Her health was reasonably good at
the time, and there seemed to be nothing that would prevent her from
carrying out this new challenge. It was Ellen who suggested, while
passing through Jackson, Michigan, en route to their home in Battle
Creek, to make a stop at the home of Daniel Palmer, an old friend.
Scarcely had they arrived at the Palmers’, when Ellen underwent a
frightening sensation.
"...My tongue
refused to utter what I wished to say, and seemed large and numb,"
she recalled. "A strange cold sensation struck my heart, passed
over my head and down my right side. For a time I was insensible, but
was aroused by the voice of earnest prayer. I tried to use my left
limbs, but they were perfectly useless."
Suffering from a severe
stroke, she lost all hope of recovery. However, with her slowly
returning strength and renewed faith in her mission, she began to rally
and immediately started writing the manuscript, relaying her experiences
while in vision at Lovett’s Grove. In June, as she was in the
completion stage of her book, she received light concerning what she had
undergone at the Palmers’ home.
‘I was shown in vision
that in the sudden attack at Jackson, Satan intended to take my life, in
order to hinder the work I was about to write.’ she pointed out,
"but the angels of God were sent to my rescue.’ It was not until
September of that same year that her work was finished and the 219-page
Spiritual Gifts—The Great Controversy—was ready for distribution.
Since she witnessed the
origin of the struggle for eternal survival, it is no wonder that most
of the writings of Ellen White dealt with fundamentally the same
subject: that of guiding people out of this degrading dilemma that
originated in heaven....
...Whereas her vision of
1863 can be regarded as the most important health-reform vision she had
ever received, the 1858 revelation has often been called the most
comprehensive vision, covering both the fall of man and the great plan
of escape. Of all her two thousand revelations, none are comparable in
overall significance to this one."
We will say much more
about the life, times, and visions of Ellen White in future articles,
but the point is already very clear for anyone who wants to know and
accept the truth. Just as Satan attacked Ellen White when she started to
write The Great Controversy, so today he is continuing his attack to
discredit her and this book, which is being so widely distributed. This
book outlines how the enemy worked to develop his religious counterfeit
kingdom as represented by the papal system of Rome (not individuals).
Indeed, some of those presently attacking Ellen White and her testimony
on the Internet are known Catholics. But know this, the Lord has very
many of His own still in the Catholic Church. They love the Lord with
all their hearts.
The Lord in tender love
and mercy is warning the world through this book that cataclysmic events
will soon, much sooner than any expect, burst upon this Old World. He
has identified all the leading players involved in this last great
drama. As Jesus said "a time of trouble such as has never been
since there was a nation." We are the NOW generation that will see
this happen. The ONLY generation in the history of the world who will
witness the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. We are the LAST generation,
which will experience the very last death throes of planet earth and its
inhabitants.
According to what the
Lord showed Ellen, the next big spiritual event to come will be the
Sunday law and receiving the mark of the beast or 666. Time will soon
tell who is on what side. When Ellen’s detractors find out that they
were fighting God, how will it be with them? What will they have to say
then?
Consider This:
If Ellen’s messages
were not from the Lord, they would not agree with the Word of
God. But they do agree 100%. Then too if her messages were not from God,
why was it that Satan tried so hard to keep her from writing, and now
trying to discredit her and get people to disbelieve her writings?
In Conclusion:
It is obvious to anyone
who wants to know the truth that Ellen was given a heavenly gift of
dreams and visions for over 60 years. It should also be recognize that
there are not only true prophets but also false ones who today comprise
the vast majority.
The reader should be
able to recognize by now that the basic problem is understanding. When
accusers try to validate a prophet in terms of the prophet’s human
traits of character, they cannot be objective. Being a prophet
does not make them superhuman. Adding to Noorbergen’s differentiation
between EGW the Prophet, and EGW the author, we can add yet a third
distinction to this—EGW as part of the human race. Just because a
prophet (often called "messenger") is communicated with from
heavenly sources, this does not make them any less human or immune to
all the frailties and emotions of humanity.
There is not a single
Bible prophet who did not at some time in their life display their human
side. In fact some (like Isaiah and Jeremiah) gave their lives for
bringing messages that were unpopular with the people. Prophets bore a
terrible responsibility, placed upon them by God. When God told them to
do something they had to obey.
Often a messenger’s
human side is overlooked. They are either set up on a pedestal by people
who almost worship them, or they are hated and abused, called phonies
and frauds, etc. They are either looked upon as some sort of guru whose
every word is inspired, or accused of being a false prophet. The lot of
a prophet is a hard one. Then there are those who cling to every word
that proceeds out of their mouth as if it came from God. No room here
for human thoughts and ideas. This sad state of mind is grossly unfair
to the messenger. For the messenger is encouraged by these actions to
say things that are their own thoughts, but which they begin to believe
is of heavenly origin. Thus enters the element of pride, which sometimes
causes the prophet to fall.
The detractors, in an
effort to discredit the messenger, focuses on the human side of the
person, finding faults to tear the person apart, thus hoping to prove
that the person is a false prophet. This is exactly what some are trying
to do with Ellen White and her testimony. Thus they hope to convince
others that the prophet could not be a true prophet, for they would not
have said or acted as they have.
In the beginning of this
article, I made the statement that this is a spiritual battle, which
will soon reach a fearsome climax. The battle between Christ and Satan
is now approaching the point where it will become very visible. The
impugning of both the messenger and his or her message is just the
beginning. The enemy has many willing workers in the form of men doing
his dirty work. The enemy has pulled out all the stops in one last
desperate effort to drag down as many with him as he can, to cause them
to lose eternal life. We are living in the end of time, and are
approaching the last great Battle of Armageddon, which will be
worldwide, and both a spiritual and physical battle.
The forces of darkness
are aligning against the forces of light. Soon it will be very visible.
We are as it were in the calm before the storm. Soon Jesus will step out
of the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary just as Ellen White was
shown. When that happens he will put on his garments of vengeance and
the seven last plagues will begin to fall. Soon we will see the sign of
the Son of God in the heavens. The stars will fall, the sun will be
darkened and the moon will be as blood. This is the sign that will
indicate that the judgment of the living has ceased, and that the seven
last plagues are about to fall. Where will you be dear reader? Will you
be ready to meet the Lord? Or will you be with those who are against
God. There is only one thing that should concern you—your relationship
with Jesus. He wants all of your heart now. His Holy Spirit is trying to
prepare you by fitting you with a wedding garment (the robe of Christ’s
righteousness). Only the relationship you establish now with God
will count in the days ahead. An intimate, personal, love relationship
with the Lord Jesus will insure our survival in the days ahead. We at
the Bible Revelations web site hope you will seek the Lord with all your
heart, soul and mind. Seek the truth as it is in Jesus.
There are ravening
wolves out there that will seek to seduce and deceive you. But if you
are anointed with the Holy Spirit, he will teach you all things, which
is the truth and does not lie (1 John 2:26-27).
Note: The next article
will address more about Ellen White and discuss some of the other
charges leveled against her. We will explore in greater depth.
