Understanding Ellen White

The Old Testament evidence

In the Old Testament there are three Hebrew word roots for the concept of “prophet-prophesy-prophecy.” The most prominent of these (nabi’) is normally translated prophet or (naba) prophesy in English and is always translated with prophet words in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament). ² During the period of the judges in earlier Old Testament history, prophetic figures were also referred to as “seers” (1 Sam. 9:9). ³ The two Hebrew words for seer (rō’eh and ḥōzeh) can be used interchangeably (Isa. 30:9, 10). UEGW 12.2

There is a difference in the Old Testament between the noun and the verb form of “prophet-prophesy” The root meaning of the noun prophet (nabi’) is “speaker” or “proclaimer.” But it can also mean “the called one.” In its verbal form it is normally used for “prophetic speech” and sometimes for frenzied and unusual behavior (Num. 11:25-27; 1 Sam. 10:5, 6, 10ff.; 18:10, 11; 19:18ff.; 1 Kings 18:29). ⁴ UEGW 12.3

In general, prophets in the Old Testament represented God to people on earth (Amos 3:7). The prophet would receive instruction from God and would then pass that instruction on to the people (Exod. 4:15, cf. Exod. 7:1), who were expected to follow it (2 Chron. 20:20). This role was in contrast to that of the priests, who in worship represented the people before God. While the role of the priest was hereditary, one could become a prophet only through a direct calling by God (Isa. 6:1-9; Jer. 1:1-10; Ezek. 2:1-7; Amos 7:14-17). ⁵ Whereas most prophets in the Old Testament were men, four women are designated as “prophetesses”: Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and the wife of Isaiah (Exod. 15:20; Judg. 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chron. 34:22-28; Isa. 8:3). UEGW 13.1

Prophets in the Old Testament received information from God in two primary ways (Num. 12:6-8). One of these was more auditory. The prophet heard words directly from God and was expected to pass on the message as it was given by God. This kind of revelation lay behind the repeated use of such phrases as “thus says the Lord” (1 Sam. 10:18; 2 Sam. 12:11; 1 Kings 20:28; 2 Kings 1:4; 2 Chron. 34:23; Isa. 7:7; Jer. 8:4; Ezek. 3:27). The second way that prophets received information from God was through dreams and visions (Num. 12:6; 1 Sam. 3:1; Isa. 1:1; Jer. 24:1; Ezek. 8:4; Dan. 7:2; Hab. 2:2, 3). Generally, the earlier prophets of the Old Testament received direct speech from God, while in the later period dreams and visions became a more common mode of special revelation. Some prophets predicted future events (Isa. 40-66; Jer. 33; Ezek. 36-48; Dan. 2; 7; Joel 3:9-21), but many prophets did not predict the future. Their primary message was to give God’s perspective and provide warning and encouragement for their time and place (2 Chron. 20:20). UEGW 13.2

In the Old Testament, much of the prophetic writings are in Hebrew poetry (Isaiah and Micah, for example). The literary style and quality of the prophetic writings reflect the personality, education, and emotional state of the prophet. The prophetic writings also include long historical narratives (books such as 1 Samuel and 2 Kings), exploring how the history of Israel was affected by obedience or disobedience to the covenant. Later prophets such as Zechariah and Daniel had apocalyptic visions, viewing the future through symbolism. UEGW 13.3

Prophets and prophecy occurred in Old Testament times from the very beginning. Enoch and Noah are antediluvian examples (Gen. 5:24; Jude 14; Gen. 6:13-21). Abraham was called a prophet (Gen. 20:7), and this was also the case with Miriam (Exod. 15:20), Moses (Deut. 18:15, 18; 34:10-12), and the seventy upon whom the “spirit of Moses” had fallen (Num. 11:16-30). Although we can infer something about the nature of prophecy from these individuals’ statements and behaviors, there is little direct information as to exactly how this office or gift operated in their lives. The most interesting text is Numbers 12:6-8, where it is said that “prophets” received dreams and visions, but Moses communicated with God face to face. In this case, Moses was more than a prophet. His leadership authority in the situation exceeded that of his sister and brother, both of whom are referred to as prophets (Exod. 7:1; 15:10—in Aaron’s case the term is used in a limited sense). UEGW 13.4

In the period of the judges, Deborah is the only person titled as a prophet until one gets to the time of Samuel, who is the first prophet from whom we can glean considerable information about the nature of the gift. The gift seems to have flourished in the time of the monarchy, with Nathan and Gad at the time of David, and Ahijah in the time of Solomon. Later, in addition to Elijah and Elisha, the monarchy was served by canonical prophets, who wrote books of the Bible, such as Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Nahum, and Zephaniah. During the period of the exile, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel served the people of God as prophets. And finally, after the return from Exile, Judah was served by the canonical prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. UEGW 14.1

Another major distinction in the Old Testament is between true and false prophets. The writing prophets, in particular, were often confronted by other prophets whose messages contradicted theirs (Isa. 9:13-16; 28:7; Mic. 3:5-7; Jer. 14:13-16; 27:9, 10; 29:8, 9; Ezek. 13:2-17). At times like these, the false prophets tended to uphold tradition and thus proclaimed messages that were comfortable to the people. The true prophets in the Old Testament, on the other hand, brought a word from God that contradicted tradition and brought them into conflict with popular views. ⁶ UEGW 14.2

How were people to know that someone consistently spoke or wrote from a genuine prophetic relationship with the true God? The authority of the true prophet in the Old Testament was confirmed by the quality and usefulness of what the prophet said (1 Sam. 3:19-21), by miracles (2 Kings 2:13-15), by the fulfillment of predictions (Jer. 28:9), and by the consistency between their teachings and previous genuine revelations (Deut. 13:1-5). False prophets, on the other hand, could be detected by their desire for money (Mic. 3:11), a willingness to say what people wanted to hear (Isa. 30:10; Mic. 2:11), a failure of their predictions to occur (Deut. 18:22), and by the inconsistency between their teachings and the testimony of earlier revelation (Deut. 13:1-5; Jer. 27:12-16). ⁷ UEGW 14.3

There are numerous parallels between the Old Testament prophets and the ministry of Ellen G. White. God communicated to her both in visions and dreams and, at times, in direct speech. While at times she spoke and wrote about future events, the primary emphasis of her testimonies was to give God’s viewpoint in specific situations and to provide warning and encouragement for those she addressed. Like the writing prophets of the Old Testament, her messages often went against the grain and challenged the church and its leadership to get out of its traditional comfort zones and get in line with God’s advancing purpose for His people. Some people have been troubled by her application of specific texts, but there is a broad consistency in her writings with previous revelation (Scripture). And like the Old Testament prophets, her life and ministry have been spiritually useful to many. UEGW 14.4