The Bible, Science, and Age of the Earth
The Age of the Earth
We next turn our attention to Ellen White’s statements on the age of the earth. We note that throughout her many years of writing she never wavered from the concept of a short chronology for the earth of around 6000 years. At least twenty-five such statements can be found. Another sixteen times she refers to the time lapse between creation and Christ as about 4000 years. BSAE 10.5
Her first such statement was made in Spiritual Gifts, Volume 3, in 1864. When she expanded and revised it for Patriarchs and Prophets, in 1890, she did not at that point speak so exactly about 6000 years. But elsewhere in the book she spoke twice of the age of the earth as around 6000 years. (See pages 51 and 342.) Her last comment on the 6000 years is found in The The Desire of Ages, 413, published in 1898. Actually the number is mentioned twice on the page. BSAE 10.6
But there is still a later exhibit of Ellen White’s continued reference to 6000 years. When she gave careful review to The Great Controversy in 1910, preparatory to some revision, she did not change seven 6000 year statements or three 4000 year statements. Other points were carefully studied and adjusted so that, as she noted, the ‘truths it contained were stated in the very best manner, to convince those not of our faith that the Lord had guided and sustained me in the writing of its pages’ (Letter 56, 1911). What an opportune time to eliminate or modify the ten statements so out of line with the thinking of many of ‘those not of our faith.’ But there was no change! BSAE 10.7
Did Ellen White ever change or expand her teaching on other subjects? All through her ministry her understanding was expanded. And also in a few instances her message was changed at the direction of the Lord. Let us illustrate: BSAE 10.8
I. The temptation of Eve. BSAE 10.9
In her earliest account of the temptation (1864), Ellen White stated: BSAE 10.10
In the midst of the garden, near the tree of life, stood the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of this tree the Lord commanded our first parents not to eat, neither to touch it, lest they die (Spiritual Gifts 3:35).
This wording was repeated in 1870 in The Spirit of Prophecy 1:27. But ten years after she had first penned the words and four years after the reprint, Ellen White elaborates on the words spoken by Eve. In so doing she reveals that further light must have been given to her sometime between 1870 and 1874. She says: BSAE 10.11
Eve had overstated the words of God’s command. He had said to Adam and Eve, ‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ In Eve’s controversy with the serpent she added the clause, ‘Neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’ Here the subtlety of the serpent was seen. This statement of Eve gave him the advantage, and he plucked the fruit, and placed it in her hand, and used her own words (The Review and Herald, February 24, 1874). (Emphasis Ellen White)
She follows this same thought later: BSAE 11.1
The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree, and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve. Then he reminded her of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die. She would receive no more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from touching it (Patriarchs and Prophets, 55, 56).
Note how her emphasis and use of this experience changed. BSAE 11.2
2. The use of swine’s flesh. BSAE 11.3
In 1858 Ellen White wrote to ‘Brother and Sister A’: BSAE 11.4
I saw that your views concerning swine’s flesh would prove no injury if you have them to yourselves; but in your judgment and opinion you have made this question a test, and your actions have plainly shown your faith in this matter. If God requires His people to abstain from swine’s flesh, He will convict them on the matter... If it is the duty of the church to abstain from swine’s flesh, God will discover it to more than two or three. He will teach His church their duty (Testimonies for the Church 1:206, 207). (Emphasis Ellen White)
James White, in a footnote introduced into the 1871 printing, states that this testimony of his wife was written October 21, 1858, nearly five years before the health vision of 1863. When the light came on the use of swine’s flesh, Ellen White spoke out clearly against its use. This growing revelation of health principles could be illustrated in several other areas. BSAE 11.5
3. Counsel to close the Southern Publishing Association. BSAE 11.6
In 1902 the publishing house in Nashville, Tennessee, was in deep financial trouble. The president of the General Conference, A. G. Daniells, in an interview with Ellen White asked her assent to plans to discontinue the publishing work there because of these losses. Note his account in The Abiding Gift of Prophecy, page 136: BSAE 11.7
She agreed that it must be put upon a basis where there would be no such losses, and said, ‘if it cannot be, it had better be closed.’ ... This seeming agreement with our plans brought great relief and satisfaction to many who had been struggling with the baffling problem.
Elder Daniells hurried to Battle Creek to share the news with other committee members and they prepared to close down the Nashville printing plant. But let Daniells continue: BSAE 11.8
A few days later, a letter was received from Mrs White, stating that she had spoken according to her own judgment in agreement with the presentation we had made to her. But she was now instructed by the Lord to tell us that she had been wrong in giving this counsel, and that the printing house in the South should not be closed (Ibid).
Here is Ellen White’s own account of the same experience: BSAE 12.1
During the night following our interview in my house and out on the lawn under the trees, October 19, 1902, in regard to the work in the Southern field, the Lord instructed me that I had taken a wrong position (Letter 208, 1902).
This experience reminds us of the prophet Nathan who told David to proceed with his plans to build a temple. That same night, the Lord appeared to Nathan in a dream, correcting him. The next day he had to return to the king with different counsel. (See 2 Samuel 7.) BSAE 12.2
Our observation is that her mention so many times of the age of the earth as about 6000 years is more than a casual one. Throughout her life Ellen White wrote about this time period consistently. The same is true for her 4000 year statements regarding the time from creation to Christ. If it was grossly in error, why did not the Lord correct her position? We believe it was because it was a right one. The age of the earth from creation week to the present is only understood correctly in light of the Bible record. BSAE 12.3
Was not the world created in a supernatural way with an appearance of age? Was it not supernaturally destroyed by a flood and supernaturally relaid during and after the year of the flood? In each of these instances, the Creator stepped in and made use of His power to create and control in nature. The Creator is always greater than that which He creates. 2 BSAE 12.4