Ellen G. White and Her Critics

A Harmonization of Scripture

Thus we can harmonize the scriptures that speak of Christ’s confining the saving new covenant to “the house of Israel,” with the scriptures that speak of His yearning desire to save all men from the just wrath that should come upon them. In the plan of God, men become heirs to the promises of God through Abraham, and all of us may become Abraham’s children through faith in Christ. Thus, though John describes the 144,000 gathered to God at the last day as being from the twelve tribes of Israel, and as passing into the New Jerusalem through gates bearing the names of those tribes, we all believe that men of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people will belong to that company. EGWC 243.2

We repeat, in the light of all these scriptures, Mrs. White is simply using standard Scriptural language when she speaks of Jesus “interceding for Israel.” There is nothing in such a statement to warrant the conclusion that His mercy is not available to anyone else. On the contrary, as we have just seen, her vision clearly implies that His mercy is available to sinners, that indeed He is standing between God and man, warding off, as it were, “the wrath of God,” that otherwise would fall upon “the children of disobedience.” EGWC 243.3

We need not attempt to prove that, at the time this vision was given, Mrs. White, in her capacity as a finite individual, clearly understood that Christ was offering His mercy to all mankind. We need only to show that Mrs. White, in her capacity as a prophet for God, was presenting views consistent with all the Scriptures. Prophets themselves sometimes had to search the revelations that God had given to them and to other prophets, in order to understand His plan. (See 1 Peter 1:10, 11.) EGWC 243.4