Ellen G. White Statements Relating to Geology and Earth Sciences

Chapter 7—God Not Indebted To Pre-Existing Matter

(1)	1884.	The Signs of the Times, March 13, 1884. Limiting the Powers of God—Moses wrote under the guidance of the Spirit of God, and a correct theory of geology will never claim discoveries that cannot be reconciled with his statements. The idea that many stumble over, that God did not create matter when He brought the world into existence, limits the power of the Holy One of Israel.
(2)	1897.	Ms 127, 1897. God Not Beholden to Pre-existent Matter—We need more to be shut in the audience with God. There is need of guarding our own thoughts. We are surely living amid the perils of the last days. We must walk before God meekly, with deep humility; for it is only such that will be exalted.
		Oh how little man can comprehend the perfection of God, His omnipotence united with His almighty power. A human artist receives his intelligence from God. He can only fashion his work in any line to perfection from materials already prepared for his work. In his finite power he could not create and make this material to serve his purpose if the Great Designer had not been before him, giving him the very improvements first in his imagination.
		The Lord God commands things into being. He was the first designer. He is not dependent on man, but graciously invites man’s attention, and cooperates with him in progressive and higher designs. Then man takes all the glory to himself, and is extolled by his

		fellowmen as a very remarkable genius. He looks no higher than man. The one first cause is forgotten.
		I am afraid we have altogether too cheap and common ideas. “Behold the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.” Let not anyone venture to limit the power of the Holy One of Israel. There are conjectures and questions in regard to God’s work. “Take off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” Yes, angels are the ministers of God upon the earth, doing His will.
		In the formation of our world, God was not beholden to pre-existent substance or matter. “For the things that are seen were not made of the things which do appear.” On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice, and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things that are therein, are not only the work of His hand, they came into existence by the breath of His mouth.
		The Lord had given evidence that by His power He could in one short hour dissolve the whole frame of nature. He can turn things upside down, and destroy the things that man has built up in his most firm and substantial manner. “He removeth the mountains; He overturneth them in His anger, He sweepeth the earth out of its place, and the billows thereof tremble and are astonished at His reproof; the mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned in His presence.”
(3)	1904.	Testimonies for the Church 8:258, 259. At Creation All Things Material or Spiritual Stood Up at God’s Command—The theory that God did not create matter when He brought the world into existence is without foundation. In the formation of our world, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. On the contrary, all things material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice, and were created for His own purpose.
(4)	1905.	The Ministry of Healing, 414, 415. God Not Indebted to Pre-existing Matter—In the creation of the earth, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. “He spake, and it was;.... He commanded and it stood fast.” All things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice, and were created for His own purpose. The heaven and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, came into existence by the breath of His mouth.
(5)	1909.	The Signs of the Times, May 12, 1909. Inspiration Takes Precedence Over Science—Apart from Christ we are still incapable of interpreting rightly the language of nature. The most difficult and humiliating lesson that man has to learn is his own inefficiency in depending upon human wisdom, and the sure failure of his efforts to read nature correctly.
		God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in the discoveries of science and art; but when professedly scientific men reason upon these subjects from a merely human point of view, they are sure to err. The greatest minds, if not guided by the Word

		of God, become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation. The Creator and His works are beyond their comprehension; and because these cannot be explained by natural laws, Bible history is pronounced unreliable.
		Those who question the reliability of the Scripture records have let go their anchor, and are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity. When they find themselves incapable of measuring the Creator and His works by their own imperfect knowledge of science, they question the existence of God, and attribute infinite power to nature.
		In true science there can be nothing contrary to the teaching of the Word of God; for both have the same Author. A correct understanding of both will always prove them to be in harmony. Truth, whether in nature or in revelation, is harmonious with itself in all its manifestations. But the mind not enlightened by God’s Spirit will ever be in darkness in regard to His power. This is why human ideas in regard to science too often contradict the teaching of God’s Word.
		The work of creation can never be explained by science. What science can explain the mystery of life?
		The theory that God did not create matter when He brought the world into existence is without foundation. In the formation of our world, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice, and were created for His own purpose. The heaven and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, are not only the work of His hand, they came into existence by the breath of His mouth.