The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts: Volume 1

Ms 15, 1850

[October 23, 1850, Dorchester, Massachusetts]¹ 1EGWLM 242.1

“A Vision Given on October 23, 1850.” 1EGWLM 242.2

Portions of this manuscript are published in Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, p. 249. See also The Present Truth, November 1850, pp. 86, 87.

Importance of publishing a periodical; need for prophetic chart; end-time prophecies; errors of Clorinda Minor. 1EGWLM 242.3

A vision the Lord gave me October 23, 1850, at the house of Bro. Nichols [Otis Nichols]² in Dorchester, Mass. I saw that we must redouble our efforts now in this gathering time.³ I saw it was a shame for us to refer to the scattering time for examples to govern us now in the gathering time, for if God does no more for us now than He did then, we never shall be gathered. In the scattering Israel were torn and smitten, but now God will heal and bind them up. 1EGWLM 242.4

I saw that God had stretched out His hand the second time to recover the remnant of His people.⁴ They are those who have been covered up beneath the rubbish since 1844.⁵ I saw that efforts to spread the truth should now be made, such as were put forth in 1843 and ’44. In the scattering, efforts made to spread the truth had but little effect—accomplished little or nothing—but now in the gathering time when God has set His hand to gather His people, efforts to spread the truth will have their designed effect, and all should be zealous and united in the work. 1EGWLM 242.5

I saw that a paper was needed and that all should be interested in it. I saw that the burden of the paper was laid on James, and that it is as important to publish the truth as to preach it. I saw that James should not be discouraged if all did not feel the interest in the paper that he did. I saw that Bro. Bates had not the interest in the paper that he should have, and that his lack of interest had discouraged James.⁶ I saw that James should set his face as a flint, and go forward. I saw the flock looking for the paper, and were ready like hungry children to eat the truth published in it. 1EGWLM 243.1

I saw that the truth should be made plain on tables,⁷ that the earth and the fullness thereof is the Lord's, and that necessary means should not be spared to make it plain. I saw that the angels’ messages, made plain, would have effect. I saw that the old chart was directed by the Lord, and that not a peg of it should be altered without inspiration. I saw that the figures on the chart were as God wanted them, and that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures so that none could see it until His hand was removed.⁸ 1EGWLM 243.2

I saw that the two-horned beast⁹ had a dragon mouth, and that his power was in his head, and that the decree would go out of his mouth. Then I saw the mother of harlots, that the mother was not the daughters, but separate and distinct from them.¹⁰ She has had her day, and it is past, and her daughters, Protestant sects, were next to come on the stage and act out the same mind that the mother had when she persecuted the saints. I saw that as the mother has been declining in power the daughters have been growing, and soon they will exercise the power once manifested by the mother. 1EGWLM 244.1

I saw that the nominal churches and nominal Adventists,¹¹ like Judas, would betray us to the Catholics, to obtain their influence to come against the saints. The saints will be an obscure people, but little known to the Catholics, but the church and nominal Adventists will know of our faith and customs, and will betray the saints and report them to the Catholics as those who disregard the institution of the pope—that is, they keep the Sabbath and disregard Sunday. 1EGWLM 245.1

Then the Catholics bid the Protestants to go forward and issue a decree that all who will not observe the first day of the week instead of the seventh shall be slain,¹² and the Catholics, whose numbers are large, will stand by the Protestants. The Catholics will give their power to the image of the beast, and then Protestants will work as their mother worked before them to destroy the saints. But before their decrees bring forth or bear fruit, the saints will be delivered by the voice of God. 1EGWLM 245.2

Then I saw that Jesus’ work in the sanctuary¹³ was almost finished, almost finished, and after His work there is finished He will come to the door of the tabernacle, or door of the first apartment, and confess the sins of Israel upon the head of the scapegoat.¹⁴ Then He will put on the garments of vengeance. Then the plagues¹⁵ come upon the wicked, and they do not come until Jesus puts on the garments of vengeance and takes His seat upon the great white cloud. Then, while the plagues are falling, the scapegoat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to escape, but he is held fast by the hand that bears him away. If he should effect his escape, Israel would be destroyed (or slain). I saw that it would take time to bear him away into the land of forgetfulness after the sins were put upon his head. 1EGWLM 245.3

Jesus clothes Himself with the garments of vengeance and takes His place upon the great white cloud¹⁶ before the plagues are poured out. The great white cloud, I saw, was not in the holy place but entirely separate from the holy and most holy, entirely separate from the sanctuary. 1EGWLM 246.1

As Jesus passed through the holy place, or first apartment, to the door to confess the sins of Israel on the scapegoat, an angel said, This apartment is called the sanctuary. Then the angel repeated these words and said this is the time spoken of, and he saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor; we had no mediator between God and man and the plagues could be withheld no longer, for Jesus had ceased to plead for Israel, and they were covered with the covering of Almighty God and lived in His sight, and those who were not covered felt the plagues, for they had nothing to shelter them. 1EGWLM 246.2

I saw that there was a cherub sitting on either end of the mercy seat with their wings spread over the ark. There also stood two angels, one by either end of the ark, with their wings spread out on high and touching each other, while their other wings reached to each side of the apartment. I saw that the wings of the angels did not reach above the Father, for that would bring Him too low. I saw that the Father was in the midst above the cherubims, and His glory is shed down upon the ark, and the train of His glory fills the temple. 1EGWLM 246.3

Then I saw the “daily,” that the Lord gave the correct view of it to those who gave the first angel's message. When union existed before 1844, nearly all were united on the correct view of the “daily,” but since, in the confusion, other views have been embraced and darkness has followed.¹⁷ I saw that God had not made a test of time since 1844, and that time never again will be a test.¹⁸ 1EGWLM 246.4

Then I had a view of Sister Minor [Clorinda S. Minor]¹⁹ and others with her, that their visions were not true, that God had not spoken by them. I saw that if we are to go to Jerusalem, then the truth should not be made plain upon tables, for our minds should be turned towards Jerusalem and our means should be reserved to get the saints to Jerusalem. I saw that the faults and errors of Sister Minor and those with her in past time had not been confessed.²⁰ This is the reason why they have been left to run into great errors. I saw that Bro. Bates must be careful and be willing to receive light that comes in other ways besides through visions. I saw that he was too slow to receive light from his brethren. 1EGWLM 247.1