The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts: Volume 1
Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts (1845-1859)
1845
Lt 1, 1845
December 20, 1845, Portland, Maine 1EGWLM 85.1
Letter to
Enoch Jacobs.1
1EGWLM 85.2
Transcribed from the Day-Star, vol. 9, nos. 7, 8, January 24, 1846, pp. 31, 32. See Ellen G. White, Early Writings, pp. 13-20.
First known published account by 18-year-old Ellen Harmon of her first vision2 and subsequent “new earth” vision. Written about one year after her first vision,3 it blends information from these two visions, which have related content. What follows is an unmodified transcription of the printed text. 1EGWLM 85.3
Letter from Sister Harmon.
Portland, Me., Dec. 20, 1845.
Bro. Jacobs:—
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,4 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.5 I have tried to bring back a good report, & 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 brother in the Lord, it is a goodly land, and we are well able to go up and possess it. While praying at the famly [sic] 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 see [sic] a strait and narrow path, cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were traveling 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.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 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 which left 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 & go to the City, as all the wicked world which God had rejected.7 They fell all the way along the path one after another, until we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ coming.8 The living saints, 144,000,9 in number, know and understand the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder & an earthquake. 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, (Ex. 34:30-34.) By this time the 144,000 were all sealed10 and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious Star containing Jesus’ new name.11 At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us in prison,12 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 Satan13 knew that God had loved us who could wash one another's feet, and salute the holy brethren with a holy kiss,14 and they worshipped at our feet. 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. 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. 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, on his head were crowns, his hair was white and curly and lay on his shoulders. His feet had the appearance of fire, in his right hand was a sharp sickle, in his left a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, 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, 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. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints then raised his eyes and hands to heaven & cried out, 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. We all entered the cloud together, and were 7 days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought along the crowns and with his own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory. 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 hung15 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. 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 stiffly for my truth, enter in. We all marched in and felt we had a perfect right in the City. Here we see [sic] the tree of life, & 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.16 The description given in this section leaves no doubt that after the resurrection the saints ascend to heaven, where are “the City,” the tree of life, and the river of life. On this point, in interesting ways the account diverges from mainstream Millerism of the time. William Miller's conclusion, accepted almost universally in his movement, was that at Christ's coming both the “living and raised saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then the saints will be judged and presented to the Father without spot or wrinkle. … And while this is being done in the air, the earth will be cleansed by fire. … Then Christ and his people will come down from the heavens, or middle air, and live with his saints on the new earth in a new heaven, or dispensation, forever.” The idea that the saints ascend to heaven after the resurrection is not found in Millerite accounts. The saints are “in the air” or “middle air” awaiting the purification of the earth. The focus is on the earth to which the saints descend with the Holy City once the earth has been cleansed, to spend the millennium and beyond. The Millerite concept of an earthly millennium was retained in the writings of Joseph Bates as late as 1847. Prior to Christ's “second appearing,” he wrote in 1847, He receives “the Holy City, which is the capital of his kingdom, that he will bring with him and establish here, and it will ever be the capital of all his dominions under the whole heaven” (Second Advent Waymarks, p. 57). James White likewise maintained in 1846 that “Christ is coming to raise the dead saints and change those who are alive. Christ is coming to restore this earth to its primitive purity. He is coming to set up His everlasting kingdom and reign. Christ is to be king. The Land promised to Abraham and enlarged in Dan. 7: and Isaiah 65: is to be the territory, the spiritual seed of Abram, the subjects, etc.” (In a memory statement made 10 years later, in 1855, James White claimed that the Millerite preacher E. R. Pinney had taught “that the Kingdom of God would not be established on the earth till the close of the seventh millennium,” and that he, White, had “taught the same since 1845.” However, the above extract suggests that it was somewhat later that he took this view.) It would seem, then, that the vision of December 1844 contained hints of a heavenly millennium well before this theme was developed by Sabbatarian Adventists. See: “Synopsis of Mr. Miller's Views,” Midnight Cry, Nov. 22, 1842, p. [2]; Joseph Bates, Second Advent Waymarks and High Heaps, p. 57; James White to “Brother Collins,” Aug. 26, 1846; J. W. [James White], “A Test,” Review, Oct. 16, 1855, p. 61. For a comparison of Millerite with Seventh-day Adventist views on the millennium, see SDAE, s.v. “Millennium”; Alberto R. Timm, The Sanctuary and the Three Angels’ Messages, pp. 152, 153.
Ellen G. Harmon.
N.B. This was not written for publication; but for the encouragement of all who may see it, and be encouraged by it. 1EGWLM 93.1
E. G. H.
Picture: Ellen (Harmon) White's earliest known letter, published in the Day-Star, January 24, 1846. Courtesy of the Center for Adventist Research.