Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Further Interpretation of Marriage Parable

In June, 1851, the Review carries a long contribution from the editor on the marriage parable of Matthew 25. He recounts the experience of the Adventists in “warning the world with tears to be ready for the Lord’s coming,” but adds that the burden “for unbelievers rolled off from us,” when Christ “ceased to plead for the world, and moved within the second vail,” on October 22, 1844. Then he remarks: EGWC 607.1

“We might here remark also that on the day of atonement for cleansing the earthly Sanctuary, the high priest bore into the Holiest, upon the breast-plate of judgment, the names of all Israel that could be benefited by the tenth day atonement. Thus our High Priest bore in, on the tenth day of the seventh month, 1844, all that had not rejected light and truth sufficient to be cut off from Israel.”—June 9, p. 102. EGWC 607.2

A few paragraphs farther on the editor declares emphatically: EGWC 607.3

“The idea that the door of God’s mercy is closed, or ever was to be closed to those who do not reject the offers of mercy, is not found in the Bible. No such door is mentioned in Scripture. But that there ever has been a point, beyond which men may go, where, according to the plan of salvation, the intercession of Christ could not benefit them, is evident. The Jewish church, having rejected and condemned Christ, could not be benefited by his mediation in the Holy. The nominal Gentile church, as a body, having rejected the Second Advent, cannot be benefited by his intercessions in the Most Holy.” EGWC 607.4

But from the “rejected” Jewish church came multitudes of individual converts to Christ. With this fact James White was well acquainted. We may therefore understand him to mean that there are multitudes of men and women in “the nominal Gentile church” who may avail themselves of salvation. Still further on in his editorial he offers this comment on the foolish virgins who knocked for admission after the door was shut: EGWC 607.5

“The word knock, in this text represents earnest and urgent cries and entreaties for the presence and favor of God, such as ever have been necessary in the conversion of men from sin to holiness. It is evident that the knocking, after Jesus has risen up from his mediation in the Holy, is of the same nature. But those who thus ‘knock’ and say ‘Lord, Lord,’ and seek the favor of God, are evidently under a similar deception to that of the five foolish, who expected admission after the door was shut not to be opened. If this position is correct, then the knocking will appear very much like the work of God in past time; therefore, we may expect to see what the churches and Adventists who have gone back with them, call reformations. This is strikingly taught in the following testimony from the Prophet: EGWC 607.6

“They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; [a mediator for all the world, in the Holy;] but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself [to the Most Holy] from them.—They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten STRANGE CHILDREN; [apparent converts,] now shall a month devour them with their portions.—Hosea 5, 6, 7. EGWC 608.1

“Those who refuse to follow down the track of Prophecy, so as to learn the present position and work of our Great High Priest, will ‘knock,’ or seek the Lord as a Minister in the Holy, where he is not. T[h]erefore they will not find him, and his present intercessions in the Most Holy Place will not benefit them, any more than the blood of beasts, and the services of the priests in the worldly Sanctuary benefited the Jewish nation, after Christ ascended on high, a Minister of the ‘True Tabernacle’ in heaven. Had the Jews believed John and Christ, and then followed down the track of Prophecy to the day of Pentecost, they would have received the Holy Ghost, that was then poured out, which signified that the way of the heavenly Sanctuary was then opened.” EGWC 608.2