Interpreting Ellen G. White’s Earth History Comments

Chapter 1—The Biblical View Of A Prophet’s Role

The Seventh-day Adventist church authenticates its claim that Ellen White has received the prophetic office on the basis of several biblical “tests,” from which we will draw three. 1. Isaiah 8:20 Ellen White does not contradict the testimony of the prophets who went before her, that is, the biblical prophets. She speaks “according to the law and to the testimony”. Through speech, writings, and example she held up Scripture, never swerving in her submission to the Word of God. 2. 1 John 4:1-3. Ellen White bears unequivocal witness to the Divine-human nature of Jesus Christ. 3. Matthew 7:15-20. Ellen White devoted her life to pointing persons to Jesus, simultaneously engaging in efforts to combat systemic injustice and continually ministering to the poor and marginalized. IEGWEHC 1.2

Ellen White was instrumental in the establishment of many educational and publishing enterprises. She oversaw the expansion of the church’s healing ministry through the development of Western sanitariums, known today as primary acute-care hospitals. Ellen White also initiated the establishment of the Loma Linda Sanitarium, now Loma Linda University. Her prolific pen (over 100,000 manuscript pages) included counsel, admonition and wisdom on topics as wide ranging as salvation, health, leadership, careers, relationships, parenting, social justice, and education. Though she described historical events, particularly those events impacting the great controversy, she is not considered to be either a historian or a scientist. IEGWEHC 1.3

Paul’s doctrine of “spiritual gifts” provides compelling evidence in favor of prophetic activity after New Testament times. Prophecy, including the divine gift of supernatural revelations and visions ¹ is included in all of Paul’s lists of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12). There is no inference that one gift would cease, while all the rest would continue. IEGWEHC 2.1

From its inception, the Seventh-day Adventist church has always maintained that Ellen White was inspired in the same manner and to the same degree as Biblical prophets. Though her writings are not “another Bible,” the difference is in function and scope, not in authority. ² Although Ellen White herself considered the Bible to be the test of faith and practice, ³ she believed her messages were from God “for the comfort of His people and to correct those who err from Bible truth.” ⁴ She rejected the “smorgasbord” approach to her writings, stating “There is no half-way work in the matter. The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God or of the Devil.” ⁵ Nor did she make a distinction between the inspired and the less inspired testimonies, the authoritative commentary and the non-authoritative. ⁶ IEGWEHC 2.2

Prophets are an agency through which God chooses to reveal Himself to humanity. His communications to prophetic messengers often occur through visions. ⁷ Like biblical prophets, Ellen White experienced physical phenomena while in vision. Eyewitnesses, including several physicians, reported that she did not breathe while in vision, even while speaking. ⁸ Though this phenomena is not as crucial as other tests of her authenticity, it does preclude restricting her ministry to that of mere pastoral or devotional benefit. A “good person” would not receive manifestations from evil spirits. Therefore, either the resurrected Lord Jesus did actually give messages to His people through Ellen White, as she claimed, ⁹ or she is a false prophet, a liar, and not worthy of even devotional credibility. IEGWEHC 2.3

“The Biblical writers were absolutely certain that the infinite God can and does communicate with finite human beings. They never argued that human language was any kind of barrier to direct communication from or with God. In fact, with great frequency God is referred to as the actual Person speaking through the prophet. IEGWEHC 2.4

“For example, Elijah’s words in 1 Kings 21:19 are referred to in 2 Kings 9:25-26 as the oracle that ‘the Lord uttered... against him’ (RSV). Elijah is not even mentioned in the 2 Kings passage. The message of a prophet was always considered equivalent to direct speech from God. In fact, this identification of a prophet’s words with God’s words is so strong in the Old Testament that often we read of God’s speaking “through” a prophet, and disobeying a prophet’s word was tantamount to disobeying God.” ¹⁰ IEGWEHC 2.5

Virtually every book of the New Testament (with the exception of Philemon) mentions doctrinal error while advocating for purity of the faith, unity of the church, and the exclusion of false doctrine. ¹¹ It appears, then, that an important function of a messenger of the Lord is to assist the church, engaged in Bible study and debate, in identifying and expunging error from its corporate teachings. ¹² IEGWEHC 2.6

In 1855, a study committee at Battle Creek reported “To say that [the testimonies of Ellen White] are of God, and yet we will not be tested by them, is to say that God’s will is not a test or rule for Christians.” ¹³ IEGWEHC 2.7

Though Ellen White’s voice was a unifying factor through Adventism’s gigantic crises of pantheism, righteousness by faith, and church organization, perhaps there has never been a time in the history of our church when the need for a message from the Creator has been more urgent than today. Amid syncretists and multi-faceted pressures to pledge allegiance to theological/scientific pluralism, Ellen White’s voice can still be heard, calling this movement to a unity based on the enduring principles of the Word of God. ¹⁴ IEGWEHC 2.8