The Voice of The Spirit

Supernatural Phenomena That Accompany A Vision

Sometimes the Lord sees fit to manifest His presence through events of a supernatural order that accompany the prophet when in vision. Probably, the most spectacular of these phenomena is the absence of breathing in the prophet’s physical activity. We all know that a human body cannot survive without oxygen for more than a few minutes. The organs of the body, especially the brain, require the presence of this vital element. Without it, the brain will suffer irreversible damage within a short time. Nevertheless, in the prophetic experience of Ellen White, believers as well as nonbelievers had more than one opportunity to observe that in some of her public visions, she did not breathe. There was no indication of breath, no inhalation or exhalation, no movement of her chest. No vapor clouded a mirror held in front of her mouth, and a burning candle placed next to her lips did not flicker. VOTS 47.2

J. N. Loughborough, a pioneer of the Adventist movement, gathered a significant number of testimonies, among them confirmation by several doctors, that attest to this phenomenon. ¹² Another pioneer, D. T. Bordeau, who originally doubted the origin of the visions, declared that when he witnessed this phenomenon personally and noted the total absence of breathing, it was enough proof to confirm the divine origin of the messages. Here is his personal testimony: VOTS 47.3

June 28, 1857, I saw Sister Ellen G. White in vision for the first time. I was an unbeliever in the visions; but one circumstance among others that I might mention convinced me that her visions were of God. To satisfy my mind as to whether she breathed or not, I first put my hand on her chest sufficiently long to know that there was no more heaving of the lungs than there would have been had she been a corpse. I then took my hand and placed it over her mouth, pinching her nostrils between by thumb and forefinger, so that it was impossible for her to exhale or inhale air, even if she had desired to do so. I held her thus with my hand about ten minutes, long enough for her to suffocate under ordinary circumstances; she was not in the least affected by this ordeal. Since witnessing this wonderful phenomenon, I have not once been inclined to doubt the divine origin of her visions.” ¹³ VOTS 48.1

Supernatural phenomena such as those just mentioned and others, such as total loss of physical strength, or the momentary acquisition of exceptional strength, do not represent the most important elements of the prophetic experience, but they are additional evidences that a superior Being or superhuman element is behind the event. The prophet herself offers in her personal testimony the reasons for this type of manifestation of the divine presence: VOTS 48.2

Some of the instruction found in these pages was given under circumstances so remarkable as to evidence the wonderworking power of God in behalf of His truth. Sometimes while I was in vision, my friends would approach me, and exclaim, “Why, she does not breathe!” Placing a mirror before my lips, they found that no moisture gathered on the glass. It was while there was no sign of any breathing that I kept talking of the things that were being presented before me. These messages were thus given to substantiate the faith of all, that in these last days we might have confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy. ¹⁴ VOTS 49.1

Some believers do not need to depend on events like this to accept a message coming from God. Others, however, may need much more than a supernatural phenomenon to believe. In this case, peculiar to the Adventist movement, God considered it opportune to surround the prophetic experience with events of special characteristics that confirmed the faith of the believers of the time. Those of us who live several decades after the time of these events can depend on the personal testimonies of these believers. They were surely as sincere and honest as we ourselves when they built and confirmed their faith in the prophetic gift step by step, and accepted these signs as evidence of the divine Presence with His people. VOTS 49.2