Sister White

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Chapter Three—God Spoke to Her

Children are very precious to the Lord Jesus. He was once a boy Himself; and when He was only twelve years old, He went into the Temple, and by asking questions of the teachers of Israel there, He taught them things they did not know. He has often used children to speak for Him. There was Samuel, who when a boy in the temple in Shiloh, heard God’s voice, and gave His message. There was the girl whose name we do not know, but who, though a captive maid in Syria, so loved her enemies that she brought her master Naaman to be cured of the leprosy and to worship the true God. There was the great prophet Jeremiah, who was only a child when the Lord called him to speak His words. There have been many others through the ages, and there will be more. If children will love the Lord with all their hearts, and seek to do His will, God will make them His workers and helpers. SWhite 24.1

When Ellen Harmon, a strong and happy little girl of nine years, was by an accident turned into a weak and sickly child, she thought at first she could never be of any use in the world. For several years she struggled with the temptations made by her illness and her troubled thoughts. But God was watching over her, and He led her to know and to trust her Saviour. SWhite 24.2

When she was thirteen years old she began to have dreams, dreams that seemed to mean far more than most dreams. One dream filled her with dread, for it made her think she was lost. But then she dreamed another dream which changed all that. She dreamed she was sitting in despair, with her face in her hands, and thinking, “If Jesus were on earth, I would go to Him. Surely He would have pity on me.” Then she dreamed that a bright angel came to her and said, “Do you want to see Jesus?” SWhite 25.1

“Yes, oh, yes,” she said eagerly. SWhite 25.2

“Then come with me,” said the angel. “Gather up all the things you have that a little girl or a big girl loves. Gather them up, and come with me.” SWhite 25.3

So she heaped them on her bed. Then she took a big cloth and wrapped them up. SWhite 25.4

“Are you ready?” asked the angel. SWhite 25.5

“Yes, I’m ready,” said Ellen, and she picked up her things. SWhite 25.6

So they went out and walked until they came to where there was an outside stairway by a tall building, and up this the angel led the way. It was very steep, and Ellen’s arms were full, and she panted as she climbed up the stairs behind the angel. By the time they reached the top she was ready to put her treasures down. SWhite 25.7

“Do you want to see Jesus?” asked the angel again. SWhite 26.1

“Yes, oh, yes,” panted Ellen, “yes, I want to see Jesus.” SWhite 26.2

“Then leave all your precious things here,” said the angel as he put his hand on the doorknob. “Leave them here, for you will not want them when you see Jesus.” SWhite 26.3

Quickly Ellen laid all her things on the floor. And she stood waiting. SWhite 26.4

Then the angel opened the door, and they went into a room. There stood Jesus. Ellen knew it was Jesus, for no one else could look so beautiful and so kind. But He was dazzling bright, and the light that came from Him filled all the room, and shone like the sun in her eyes. She tried to shield her eyes from the brightness, and she began to be afraid. SWhite 26.5

Then Jesus smiled at her. He came forward, and laid His hand on her head, and said, “Fear not. I am Jesus, your friend.” SWhite 26.6

The sound of His sweet voice filled her heart with a happiness she had never known before. So thrilled was she that all her strength ebbed away, and she sank to the floor at Jesus’ feet. SWhite 26.7

While she lay there helpless the beauties of heaven seemed to pass before her, and she thought that she was at last in glory. Slowly her strength returned, and she rose. With the smile of Jesus still upon her she followed her angel guide out of the door and down to her home. This dream filled her heart with peace. SWhite 26.8

For all these months Ellen had kept her troubles to herself. She thought no one could understand how she felt. But now that Jesus had encouraged her, she went to her mother and told her all. Her mother sent her to Elder Stockman, a good Methodist minister who believed in the coming of Jesus. And to him she told her story, of her doubts and fears, her hopes and prayers, and of the dream she had had. He listened to her story, and then, laying his hand upon her head, he said, “Ellen, you are only a child. Your experience is very unusual for one of your age. Jesus must be preparing you for some special work.” SWhite 27.1

What was that work? Ellen could not guess; but she thought, “There can be no more special work than helping my friends to know Jesus.” And so she started with those nearest her—her sisters, her brother, her friends. She told them how she loved Jesus and why she loved Jesus. And she told them Jesus was coming very soon, and asked whether they were glad it was so. SWhite 27.2

Some of them were not very glad, for they were afraid that when Jesus came, they would not be ready to meet Him, and they would be lost. But Ellen told them of her dream, and she said to them, “Jesus loves you just as He showed He loves me. Let’s pray to Jesus, and He will love you, and you will love Him too.” SWhite 27.3

So they formed little prayer bands, and her friends all came to be joyous in the Lord. And then they prayed together for others around them. They made special prayer lists of those who were not free or happy; and Ellen and some of her friends went to them and talked with them of the love of Jesus. And so at last all of them but one were brought to Jesus. I do not know who that one was; but I remember that even Jesus lost one for whom He labored. You know whom I mean, Judas, who betrayed Him. There are some who will not be saved. SWhite 27.4

For three years Ellen labored in prayer and in personal work to save sinners. And when she was asked to speak in the meetings, she told her story of salvation through her faith in her soon-coming Lord. Hundreds were brought to their Saviour. SWhite 28.1

But the great day came and passed, and they who looked for Jesus were disappointed. Yet Ellen’s faith held firm. She believed that God would teach them the reason for their disappointment. And though she did not know it, she was the one through whom He would teach them. About a month after the disappointment came her birthday, when she was seventeen years old. It was but a few days after this that she was given her first vision. SWhite 28.2

She had had heavenly dreams before, dreams with meaning in them; but a vision is more than a dream. Dreams come in our sleep, and God sometimes speaks to men in dreams. But visions are given to the prophets of God, often in the midst of their waking hours. The Holy Spirit wraps them in its power and glory, they lose sight of all earthly things, and Jesus Himself, or an angel, tells them the message of God. Sometimes they see what is coming in the future, and sometimes the message is to help people in the present. After the message has been given to the prophet, the glory fades, and he comes back to a knowledge of earth, and he tells his message from God. SWhite 28.3

One day Ellen Harmon was visiting a dear friend in South Portland, Mrs. Elizabeth Haines. There were three other young women there too, all of whom were believers in Jesus. As they talked together of the great disappointment they had just passed through, and questioned why it should have come, Ellen said, “God will yet show us. Let us pray about it.” SWhite 29.1

So they had a prayer meeting in that home circle. And as Ellen prayed, the power of God came upon her as never before. She seemed to herself to be in the midst of a bright light, and to be rising higher and higher from the earth. She turned to look for the Adventist people, and she saw them on a high and narrow path, traveling to the New Jerusalem. Jesus was leading them; and when some grew weary He would raise His right arm and throw beams of light to them. And that light strengthened them. Ellen watched these people, and soon she found herself right among them. SWhite 29.2

There was a bright light at the beginning of their path. Angels were walking along by their side, and Ellen asked one of them, “What is that bright light behind us?” The angel said, “Ellen, that is the midnight cry.” SWhite 29.3

Now, you might not know what he meant, if an angel should tell you that a bright light was the midnight cry; but Ellen knew. The midnight cry was what they called the message of Jesus’ coming that was given in the summer of 1844. You know, in the parable of the ten virgins, which Jesus told, there was raised a cry at midnight: “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him!” The bridegroom represented Jesus, and the ten virgins were the people waiting for Him to come. So they called that last message of Jesus’ coming, the midnight cry. SWhite 30.1

But after their disappointment some of the Adventists said that the time had been figured wrong, and they started to set some other dates for the Lord to come. But the angel said to Ellen, “The bright light behind you is the midnight cry. Walk in its light. The time is right. Now look ahead to Jesus, and He will show you the way from here to the Holy City.” SWhite 30.2

Soon in her vision, as Ellen went along with the pilgrims, she and they heard the voice of God, like the thunders of a mighty waterfall, telling the day and hour of Jesus’ coming. They were glad, for the road was very hard, and the wicked people about them were trying to kill them. But when the wicked rushed upon them, God put His shielding arm before them, and they were safe. SWhite 30.3

Soon in the east they saw a small black cloud, which they knew was the sign of the coming Son of man. They all shouted for joy. “See! It is coming nearer and nearer,” they cried; “it is growing brighter and brighter.” SWhite 30.4

Yes, it grew brighter and brighter, and larger and larger, until it was a great white cloud, filling all the sky. And now it was so near they could see what made it. It was not a cloud of mist and rain; it was a great company of angels, thousands and ten thousands of them. SWhite 31.1

“Oh,” cried the waiting people, “look! There is Jesus!” And indeed it was Jesus. He sat high on the cloud, on a living throne. For the throne of God is made of cherubim, who are like the angels. SWhite 31.2

Then the great white cloud halted, and the angels sang wonderful songs of praise. When they stopped, there was silence. Then Jesus spoke. He called to His people who were living, “My grace is sufficient for you,” and their faces lighted up with joy. Then He called to His people who were sleeping in death, all the righteous dead of all the ages: “Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!” And from the graves they came, clad in immortal life. SWhite 31.3

The wicked were smitten by the glory, and fell among the dead, to wait until a thousand years should be past, when Jesus would come back for the final judgment. SWhite 32.1

All God’s people now rose in the air to meet their Lord, and with Him they ascended for seven days through the starry heavens, to the heaven of God’s abode. There is the Garden of Eden and the New Jerusalem, with the river of life flowing from the throne of God, and the tree of life on either side. This was to be their home forever and ever. SWhite 32.2

That was the vision Ellen Harmon had on that December day in 1844, in the home of Elizabeth Haines in Portland. It was the first of many she was to receive in after years, to guide and help and encourage the people of God. SWhite 32.3

When she came out of the vision, and found herself not in heaven but on the cold, dark earth, she was at first very sad. But God told her to be glad; because He had given her the vision to tell to others, that they might be encouraged. It was a very simple message. It just said to God’s people: “Hold fast what you have. Do not be discouraged, and do not go astray. Stay with the truth, and follow Jesus.” Other messages would come later, to teach them the way more perfectly. SWhite 32.4

The Lord told Ellen that she was to be His messenger, to carry His word to the few and the many. She would have trials and dangers to face, and many would oppose her. Satan would seek to bring evils upon her; but God promised that He would help and keep her; and if she was faithful, she should by-and-by enter that Holy City she had seen in vision, and be with her beloved Jesus evermore. SWhite 33.1

Dear Ellen Harmon! Frail, feeble girl of seventeen, timid and shy! How could she take up the burden, and go out to face the sneers and frowns and taunts of an evil world? How could she stand up under the heavy load, and find the health and strength to do God’s bidding? It seemed to her more than she could bear. SWhite 33.2

But God gave her strength, and in time He gave her health, and He gave her courage and cheer and hope. She did not know it then; but seventy years of blessed service lay before her. Through labors hard and trials sore, and many a hope and many a fear and many a great deliverance, she was to be a spokesman for God, as God spoke to her. SWhite 33.3