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

Dreams and visions

In the ancient Near East, dreams and oracles played an important role in the lives of the people. The royal courts of Mesopotamia and Egypt had among their wise men those who interpreted dreams professionally. The ancient Greeks went to the oracle of Delphi to learn the future through the wisdom of Apollo. However, with few exceptions—such as Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (see Daniel 2)—such dreams and oracles were not divine communications. GP 59.2

“The multitude of dreams arise from the common things of life, with which the Spirit of God has nothing to do. There are also false dreams, as well as false visions, which are inspired by the spirit of Satan. But dreams from the Lord are classed in the word of God with visions and are as truly the fruits of the spirit of prophecy as visions. Such dreams, taking into the account the persons who have them and the circumstances under which they are given, contain their own proofs of their genuineness” (1T 569, 570). GP 59.3

In Scripture, genuine prophets received prophetic dreams and visions. In Numbers 12:6, God told Aaron and Miriam, who were questioning Moses’ authority, ” ‘Hear now My words: / If there is a prophet among you, / I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; / I speak to him in a dream.’ ” (See also Genesis 37:5; 1 Kings 3:5; Isaiah 1:1; Daniel 8:1; Acts 9:10; 10:17; etc.). During her seventy-year ministry, Ellen G. White received approximately two thousand visions and prophetic dreams. GP 59.4

About her state while in vision, she wrote, “When the Lord sees fit to give a vision, I am taken into the presence of Jesus and angels, and am entirely lost to earthly things. I can see no farther than the angel directs me. My attention is often directed to scenes transpiring upon earth. . . . GP 59.5

“After I come out of vision I do not at once remember all that I have seen, and the matter is not so clear before me until I write, then the scene rises before me as was presented in vision, and I can write with freedom” (1SM 36). GP 59.6

Certain physical phenomena accompanied Mrs. White’s visions—she didn’t breathe, she had supernatural strength (no one could move or restrain her limbs), and she was unconscious of her surroundings. Dr. Lord, a physician who examined her during a vision she received in February 1857, stated, ” ‘ “Her heart beats, but there is no breath. There is life, but no action of the lungs; I cannot account for this condition.” ‘ “ ³ GP 60.1