The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

II. The Four Determining Factors Enumerated

When the Seventh-day Adventist Church in embryo-the emerging group that was gradually uniting on the special interrelated teachings of the second advent, the Sabbath, and the sanctuary—was confronted with what appeared to be a last—day restoration of the prophetic gift, they had to determine, on the basis of Biblical specifications, whether the manifestation was genuine. Some decided only after considerable deliberation and scrutiny. While they recognized that they were to “despise not prophesyings,” they knew that they must also “prove all things” and “hold fast to that which is good.” They must accept only what gave clear evidence of being from God. PFF4 992.3

Miller and his associates had become somewhat conditioned against any such concept because of unfortunate experiences with a few who had gone into fanaticism. ⁶ This would naturally give occasion to fear that the acceptance of Ellen G. White’s messages as genuine might likewise lead to credulity, and susceptibility to the vagaries of anyone who should claim to have “new light.” But the very gift that seemed to many of the older Millerite leaders as possibly only another manifestation of fanaticism, helped to guide the emerging Sabbatarian group safely through the rapids of post-Disappointment confusion that threatened to intrude and to engulf them. These ineluded false messiahs, sanctificationists, the no-work doctrine, repeated time settings, as well as mesmerism, Spiritualism, and the like, besetting on every hand. PFF4 992.4

And what caused them to accept that guidance was the rigid application of the Scripture tests that have been mentioned in the preceding chapter in connection with genuine prophetism. Here are the guiding principles that the Sabbatarian Adventists followed in considering the work and teachings of Ellen G. White. ⁷ PFF4 993.1

1. “To THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY.”

The first of these tests was unqualified faithfulness to the Scriptures-to God’s commands and to the testimony of the inspired messengers of God in olden times. (Isaiah 8:20.) Although the Spirit of God speaks to all His children, and within certain limitations through many of them, still the distinctive prophetic gift is a special bestowal of the Holy Spirit. It was of course obvious chat the Spirit will not speak through one messenger in contradiction to what He has given through earlier prophets or to anything in the inspired Word of God. PFF4 993.2

The Sabbatarian Adventists always insisted that any modern prophetic counsels are to be tested by the Scriptures, and accepted or rejected by this criterion. And they pointed out that the writings of Ellen G. White consistently exalt the Bible, teach obedience to the law of God (including the neglected fourth commandment of the Decalogue), and ever harmonize with what the prophets of old have taught. PFF4 993.3

2. FIDELITY TO THE VERITIES OF THE FAITH

Those who believed that they were fulfilling the prophetic picture of the “remnant” people and were heralds of the threefold message of the latter days-combining the “commandments of God” and the “faith of Jesus”—could consider no prophetic gift genuine that did not ring true to the fundamental verities of the Christian faith. (1 John 4:2.) And these messages, they held, have through the years iterated and reiterated the basic themes of the full inspiration of the Scriptures, the incarnation of the Son of God, the fallen state of man, salvation only through Christ’s vicarious atoning death, justification and sanctification by faith, the fruits of the Spirit in the individual life, immortality only through Christ, the resurrection of the body, Christ’s premillennial coming again to judge the quick and the dead, the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, and the ultimate eradication of all evil. This was the basic platform upon which all other counsels were built. PFF4 993.4

These writings stressed righteousness by faith—not faith as a mere assent to doctrine, but as a personal, living, saving transaction, a personal relationship to Jesus Christ, and not a dead faith without works. In the very nature of the case, Sabbatarians would not be susceptible to antinomianism, but legalism would be a danger. And against this peril Ellen G: White warned faithfully, stressing daily dependence upon Christ as the only source of obedience, as well as salvation. From this platform she never varied. PFF4 994.1

3. “Bv THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM.”

The third test was the one laid down by Jesus Himself—judging “by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16, 20.) Those who first had to decide on the basis of the Biblical tests, the character and origin of Ellen G. White’s messages, could in the beginning apply this test only at short range. That was why, they believed, the initial manifestation was through the “open vision” with its accompanying phenomena. But the gift could only be progressively judged by its results—by the effect on the Christian experience of individuals as well as on the group, and as reflected in her own life. And this, they saw, must continue constantly as long as the gift operated. PFF4 994.2

The influence of these messages was evident in the inculcation of the highest ideals and in the building of individual Christian character. It was also seen in the unifying and encouraging counsel given to the group. It confirmed the faith of the Sabbatarian Adventists in their Bible—founded message and mission, steered them away from the numerous time settings that caused repeated setbacks to other groups, and warned against one sort of fanaticism or another. Thus the counsel given—though sometimes tardily understood and followed—pointed out to the infant church a clear Scriptural course through an initial period of disappointment, threatened discord, and extremism, and guided them into paths of sane, balanced growth. PFF4 994.3

These messages did not lay out a complete plan of static perfection. Instead, they progressively corrected early errors and restricted views. They led the church into an ever-larger concept of the task before it, and urged it on into a world-wide work. Again and again through the years the messages came—sometimes from halfway around the world—in a time of discouragement, of perplexity, or of crisis, and proved to be the counsel that pointed in the direction of loyalty to God, and of progress and strength to the advent cause. And through it all they held unswervingly to the Bible as the supreme guide, devotion to Christ as the supreme ideal, and the spread of the everlasting gospel to every creature as the supreme task of the church and its individual members. PFF4 995.1

4. PREDICTIONS MUST COME TO PASS

It has been noted that the fourth Biblical test mentioned—fulfilled predictions (Jeremiah 28:9; Deuteronomy 18:22)—is subordinate to the question of harmony with God’s revealed Word, for an occasional shrewd human prognostication that chanced to prove correct might serve to lead people away from truth. But a genuine gift of the Spirit cannot be the source of false predictions. Hence this fourth test is valid and necessary, though not primary evidence. The foregoing three sections have no direct bearing on the exposition of Bible prophecy. They have therefore been treated rather briefly. But this fourth test will be given proportionately more space in order to present various examples of Ellen G. White’s predictions that were related to the fulfillment of certain Bible prophecies, and therefore come within the scope of prophetic application here under survey. PFF4 995.2