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Angela DeRose
Cosmin Ritivoiu
English Composition
4 February 2014
Misconceptions About the Spirit of Prophecy in Adventism
Many people are confused when it comes to the gift of
prophecy and this is understandable since this subject is not
dwelt on much or at all in many churches today. Some of these
individuals think that Seventh-day Adventists are a cult because
Adventists believe Ellen White is a prophet. However, the
presence of prophets after Bible times is Biblical and therefore
Adventists should not be considered a cult.
The gift of prophecy was among the gifts that Christ gave
to the church after His ascension. Ephesians 4:11-12 says And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;(Kings James
Version). These gifts were given
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we
all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ:
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The church has, definitely, not yet reached unity of the
faithunto a perfect man so therefore, the gift of prophecy is
still to be present in the church.
In addition, Acts 2:17 says And it shall come to pass in
the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all
flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your
young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams: There will be men and women prophets in the last days.
The Adventist church believes that the last days began in 1798.
Furthermore, evidence is seen for the validity of Gods
church having prophets in the last days by Christs words in
Matthew 24. Jesus said And many false prophets shall rise, and
shall deceive many (Mat. 24.11). If Christ said that there
would be false prophets, then there must be true prophets also.
Otherwise, Jesus would have just warned His people to beware of
anyone who claimed to be a prophet.
The apostle Paul also gives key insights into this issue of
there being true and false prophets in end times. He says
Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that
which is good. (1 Thess. 5.20-21). Just because Christ said
there would be false prophets, doesnt give anyone license to
ignore those who claim to have the gift of prophecy. Paul,
clearly, told the church to despise not prophesyings. Yet, he
did not tell them to accept anyone who claimed to have been
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given visions by God. He told them to prove all things; They
were instructed to prove or search out whether the prophet was
of God and then if they found out that the prophet was of God,
they were to hold fast to its teachings.
Not only does the Bible teach that Gods church will have
prophets, it goes as far as to make the gift of prophecy one of
the specific identifying marks of the end time church. Rev.12:17
says And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make
war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The woman, a
metaphor that often represents the Gods church (Ez.16, Jer.6.2,
Eph.5), will keep the commandments of God and have the testimony
of Jesus. Revelation 19:10 reveals that the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy. Thus, the Seventh-day Adventist
church sees the gift of prophecy as revealed in the life of Mrs.
White to be one of the identifying marks of its being the
remnant church.
However, someone may ask the question of why the church
believes Ellen White to be a true prophet from God. The Bible
gives specific tests to know whether a prophet is from the Lord
or not and this is to what the Adventist church turns.
The first test is the most important because even if a
prophet meets the other three tests, unfaithfulness to the Word
of God would indicate a counterfeit. Is.8:20 says To the law
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and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them. In Biblical times
prophets had to be tested by whatever had been established as
prophetic before that time, whether written or oral. Today, the
same thing applies; the prophet must be tested by the Bible.
The second test is also important because people can say one
think and do another. Thus, the life of the true prophet must be
consistent with the teachings of the Bible. Matthew 7:15-16 says
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know
them by their fruits. Christ said that prophets will be known
by their fruits. Verse 21 makes it clear that those who bear
good fruit are doing the will of the Father. Therefore, the life
of true prophets will either testify for or against the truths
they proclaim.
This third test is vital because even false prophets could
live a good life. Thus, a prophet must have faith in Jesus
Christ. 2 John 1:7 says For many deceivers are entered into the
world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
This is a deceiver and an antichrist. If the prophet doesnt
confess faith in Jesus Christ, then that prophet is a
deceiver.
Finally the last test is important because it gives physical
prove as to the accuracy of the prophets claim. The prophets
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predictions must come true. And if thou say in thine heart, How
shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a
prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow
not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not
spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou
shalt not be afraid of him. (Deut. 18:21-22). What a true
prophet says will come to pass.
The Adventist church believes that Ellen White met these
four tests. Ellen White lived a very godly life and her writings
are all in harmony with the Bible. She herself said Little heed
is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to
lead men and women to the greater light (White Evangelism 257).
She referred to her own writings as the lesser light that was to
point her readers back to the Word of God. Ellen White also
confessed faith in Jesus Christ our Savior in her writings. She
said So Christians strike roots deep into Christ. They have
faith in their Redeemer. They know in whom they believe. They
are fully persuaded that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior
of sinners (White Spalding 228-29). Furthermore, her
predictions came to pass. For instance, in 1905 Ellen White
wrote The diet reform should be progressive. As disease in
animals increases, the use of milk and eggs will become more and
more unsafe. An effort should be made to supply their place with
other things that are healthful and inexpensive. The people
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everywhere should be taught how to cook without milk and eggs,
so far as possible, and yet have their food wholesome and
palatable(Ministry of Healing 320). Although many people still
are unaware of the dangers, what she said about eggs over 100
years ago has been proven true. Eggs can be infected with
salmonella and campylobacter. Surely, her prediction regarding
the dangers of eggs has been validated today.
Certainly, it is false to call Adventists a cult because they
believe in the prophetic ministry of Ellen White. The Bible is
full of evidence for the existence of prophets in the end times.
Furthermore, anyone who carefully studies the life of Ellen
White will find that her life met all the Biblical tests of a
prophet.











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Works Cited
The Holy Bible. The Ellen G. White Estate Inc., 2008. CD-Rom.
King James Vers.
White, Ellen G. Evangelism (1946): 257.CD-Rom.
---. Spalding and Megan Collection (1985):228-29.CD-Rom.
---. Ministry of Healing (1905):320.CD-Rom.