The Gift of Prophecy (The Role of Ellen White in God’s Remnant Church)

Foreword

Rarely does one encounter a book that is so outstanding that on the last page the reader thinks, I want to read this again—now! Yet that is exactly what happened to me when I finished reading Dr. Pfandl’s manuscript for this book. Every chapter gripped my heart and mind and increased my appreciation for our wonderful God who communicates His love and counsel through His chosen prophets. GP 6.1

Thus far in my tenure at the Ellen G. White Estate, I have had opportunities to preach in forty-seven countries and five continents concerning Ellen White’s prophetic ministry and her relationship to the Scriptures. At virtually every venue, I host a question-and-answer dialogue with the audience, and I’ve found that many of the questions surface repeatedly regardless of the culture. I am gratified that in The Gift of Prophecy, Dr. Pfandl gives succinct, unambiguous, compelling answers to the very questions I have heard from God’s remnant people around the world. GP 6.2

Just to whet your appetite about the good things to come, I’ll note that teacher, scholar, and pastor Pfandl deals with such questions as How necessary is the human herald in the process of salvation? Is speaking in tongues a genuine gift of the Spirit? In what way does God communicate His messages to prophets? And what is the relationship between the gift of prophecy and God’s remnant church? GP 6.3

Dr. Pfandl also treats questions relating specifically to Ellen G. White’s ministry, such as Did she believe no person could come to Christ after 1844 (the “shut door” theory)? What is the nature of her authority? Does the Bible corroborate her statement that our sins are forgiven only if we remain faithful? Did every prediction Ellen White made come to pass? Was she a theologian? Was she plagiarizing when she used other authors? On what biblical basis can we have confidence in her writings? Is it possible to misinterpret her writings? GP 6.4

I found Dr. Pfandl’s explanations about inspiration as clear and understandable as anything I have encountered in my quite extensive reading about the prophetic gift and particularly about Ellen White’s ministry. Though his answers are necessarily condensed for the purposes of this book and thus in some cases may best serve as springboards for the reader’s further investigation, I found every page highly beneficial. GP 7.1

Dr. Pfandl is truly a gifted “teacher in Israel.” May every reader of The Gift of Prophecy be personally strengthened in his or her understanding of God’s chain of communication to humanity and become an agent to pass on that understanding to others. GP 7.2

Cindy Tutsch, DMin
Associate Director, Ellen G. White Estate

Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.