A Prophet Among You

Conflict of the Ages Series

The last of the five volumes of the Conflict of the Ages Series to be published, entitled Prophets and Kings, came from the press in 1916; but the roots of the series go back beyond the middle of the nineteenth century. APAY 298.1

In the spring of 1858 there were at Lovett’s Grove, Ohio, about forty Sabbathkeepers who had recently accepted the advent message as a result of the work of George W. Holt. It was planned that as a part of a visit to several places in Ohio, Elder and Mrs. White should hold meetings with the new believers on Sabbath, March 13, and Sunday morning, March 14. Services were conducted in the schoolhouse as scheduled, but on Sunday afternoon another was held which had not been included in the original planning. A young man of the community had died, and Elder White was asked to preach the funeral sermon. He preached freely and powerfully. APAY 298.2

After he had finished speaking and sat down, Mrs. White felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to speak about the coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection. She spoke of the Christian hope and the joys of heaven. While she was speaking, the Spirit of God came upon her and she was taken in vision. For two hours, while she was totally unconscious of her earthly surroundings, the vision continued. There flashed before her numerous scenes from the great controversy between Christ and Satan, begun before the creation of this world, and to be finished when Christ returns to earth the third time to destroy sin and sinners. A later general statement including the Lovett’s Grove vision and others gives an insight into what was revealed in rounding out the whole of the story. APAY 298.3

“Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the scenes of the long-continued conflict between good and evil have been opened to the writer of these pages. From time to time I have been permitted to behold the working, in different ages, of the great controversy between Christ, the Prince of life, the Author of our salvation, and Satan, the prince of evil, the author of sin, the first transgressor of God’s holy law. Satan’s enmity against Christ has been manifested against His followers. The same hatred of the principles of God’s law, the same policy of deception, by which error is made to appear as truth, by which human laws are substituted for the law of God, and men are led to worship the creature rather than the Creator, may be traced in all the history of the past. Satan’s efforts to misrepresent the character of God, to cause men to cherish a false conception of the Creator, and thus to regard Him with fear and hate rather than with love; his endeavors to set aside the divine law, leading the people to think themselves free from its requirements; and his persecution of those who dare to resist his deceptions, have been steadfastly pursued in all ages. They may be traced in the history of patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, of martyrs and reformers.” The Great Controversy, Introduction, x. APAY 299.1

As was suggested earlier, this 1858 vision was not the first revelation of the great controversy given to Mrs. White. In 1860, when telling the story of the vision, she commented: APAY 299.2

“In the vision at Lovett’s Grove, most of the matter which I had seen ten years before concerning the great controversy of the ages between Christ and Satan, was repeated, and I was instructed to write it out.”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 162. APAY 299.3

At the conclusion of the vision, the funeral service was completed, and the people, who had more than filled the little schoolhouse, returned to their homes deeply impressed with what they had seen. APAY 299.4

The next day the Whites began their journey home to Battle Creek. At Fremont, Ohio, they boarded the train for Jackson. Michigan. Much of the time on the trip was spent discussing their recent experiences and laying plans for writing and publishing the things that had been revealed regarding the great controversy. They felt that this should be Mrs. White’s first task after reaching home. However, they had hardly sensed the significance of the warning given during the vision. APAY 299.5

“I was shown that while I should have to contend with the powers of darkness, for Satan would make strong efforts to hinder me, yet I must put my trust in God, and angels would not leave me in the conflict.” Ibid. APAY 300.1

Satan’s first attempt to hinder the publication of the vision was not long restrained. In Jackson they stopped for a visit at the home of old friends, the Daniel R. Palmers. Daniel Palmer at this time was a member of the three-man publishing committee of the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. Mrs. White had been enjoying usual health, and the attack of the enemy took all by surprise except the angels whose companionship had been promised during the conflict. Here is Mrs. White’s description of what happened: APAY 300.2

“We had been in the house but a short time, when, as I was conversing with Sister Palmer, my tongue refused to utter what I wished to say, and seemed large and numb. A strange, cold sensation struck my heart, passed over my head, and down my right side. For a time I was insensible, but was aroused by the voice of earnest prayer. I tried to use my left limbs, but they were perfectly useless. For a short time I did not expect to live. It was my third shock of paralysis; and although within fifty miles of home, I did not expect to see my children again. I called to mind the triumphant season I had enjoyed at Lovett’s Grove, and thought it was my last testimony, and felt reconciled to die.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 162, 163. APAY 300.3

Prayer for her recovery was continued. Before long what she described as a “prickling sensation” came to her limbs, and she regained a measure of control of them. Prayer was continued, “the power of Satan was broken,” and the following day she was strong enough to return home. Recovery was far from completed, but there seems to have been daily progress. While suffering intensely she began the writing of the great controversy account. APAY 300.4

“At first I could write but one page a day, and then rest three days; but as I progressed, my strength increased. The numbness in my head did not seem to becloud my mind, and before I closed that work [Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1], the effect of the shock had entirely left me.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 163. APAY 301.1

The full significance of the attack was made plain a little time later, along with a promise for the future. APAY 301.2

“At the time of the conference at Battle Creek, in June, 1858, I was shown in vision that in the sudden attack at Jackson, Satan intended to take my life, in order to hinder the work I was about to write; but angels of God were sent to my rescue. I also saw, among other things, that I should be blessed with better health than before the attack.” Ibid. APAY 301.3

In the The Review and Herald, June 24, 1858, this notice appeared among the announcements on the last page: APAY 301.4

“The Great Controversy.—This is the title of a work now in the press, written by Mrs. White. It is a sketch of her views of the great controversy between Christ and His angels, and the devil and his angels, from the fall of Satan until the controversy shall close at the end of the one thousand years of Rev. xx, by the destruction of sin and sinners out of the universe of God. It will contain between two and three hundred pages. Price, neatly bound in muslin, 50 cents.” APAY 301.5

The issue of the Review and Herald for September 9 gave notice that “Spiritual Gifts, or The Great Controversy, has now been sent to all who have ordered.” R. F. Cottrell wrote an introductory article for the book in which he outlined reasons for believing in the perpetuity of spiritual gifts. The book’s 219 pages portrayed only the high points of the controversy story. The more complete story was yet to be written. APAY 301.6