Ellen G. White in Europe 1885-1887

Evidences of the Flood

“Men may trace, in the broken surface of the earth, the evidences of the flood. Men think themselves wiser than God, and altogether too wise to obey His law and keep His commandments and obey the statutes and precepts of Jehovah. The rich things of earth which God had given them did not lead them to obedience, but away from obedience because they misused their choice favors of heaven, and made the blessings given them of God objects to separate from God. And because they became satanic in their nature, rather than divine, the Lord sent the flood of waters upon the old world and the foundations of the great deep were broken up. EGWE 184.2

“Clay, lime, and shells that God had strewn in the bottoms of the seas, were uplifted, thrown hither and thither, and convulsions of fire and flood, earthquakes and volcanoes buried the rich treasures of gold, silver, and precious stone beyond the sight and reach of man. Vast treasures are contained in the mountains. There are lessons to be learned in God's book of nature.... EGWE 184.3

“We see in the broken face of nature, in the cleft rocks, in the mountains and precipices, that which tells us a great wrong has been done, that men have abused God's gifts, forgotten the Creator, and that the Lord was grieved and punished the wicked transgressors of His law, and as the result we have its effects in creation. Storms rage with destructive violence. Harm comes to man and beast and property. Because men continue to transgress God's law, He removes their defense. Famine, calamity by sea, and the pestilence that walketh at noonday, follow because men have forgotten their Creator. Sin, the blight of sin, defaces and mars our world, and agonized creation groans under the iniquity of the inhabitants thereof. God has given us faculties to be cultivated, to be improved to His glory and for eternity.”—Manuscript 62, 1886. EGWE 184.4

She thought also of the saints who would arise on the resurrection morning, from the rocks and the caves of those majestic mountains. EGWE 185.1

“Martyrs have perished here, and these places will never reveal their sacred trust until the Lifegiver shall call them.... They died in exile, some by starvation, others by the cruel hand of man. They walked with God, and will walk with Him in white because they are found worthy.”—Manuscript 62, 1886. EGWE 185.2

The journey was one of unforgettable interest to the Lord's messenger. And because of her diary notes, the experience has been repeated here for thousands of others to enjoy. EGWE 185.3