The Bible and the Prophetic Gift in the Seventh-day Adventist Church

By Kevin L. Morgan

In this three-part series, we investigate Ellen White's view of Scripture and the Scriptural view of the last-
day gift of prophecy; we survey the role Ellen White played in doctrinal development in the Seventh-day
Adventist Church; and we develop practical guidelines for using her writings in Biblical interpretation.

"You Adventists pay more attention to Ellen White than you do the Bible!"
"You've taken all your doctrines from Ellen White!"

Such have been the charges against Seventh-day Adventists that have called into question the
Church's adherence to the Protestant principle of sola scriptura. From the very beginning, Seventh-
day Adventists have countered these charges by saying that it was precisely because of their belief
in "the great Protestant principle—the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty"1 that
they were logically drawn to accept the prophetic ministry of Mrs. Ellen G. White as genuine and
Biblical. James White and Uriah Smith explained:

The Bible is a perfect and complete revelation. It is our only rule of faith and practice. But this is no
reason why God may not show the past, present, and future fulfillment of His word, in these last
days, by dreams and visions, according to Peter's testimony [Acts 2:17]. True visions are given to
lead us to God, and to His written word; but those that are given for a new rule of faith and practice,
separate from the Bible, cannot be from God, and should be rejected.2

When we claim to stand on the Bible and Bible alone, we bind ourselves to receive,
unequivocally and fully, all that the Bible teaches.… We do not, then, discard, but obey, the
Bible by endorsing the visions …3

How Seventh-day Adventists have viewed Ellen White's writings has "The Bible is
changed dramatically over the years. Some can remember when her
writings were revered as nearly a second Bible (a role not supported by
a perfect and
Ellen White or the early pioneers4). Since the upheaval of the 1980s, the complete
writings of Ellen White have, for the most part, been relegated to a few revelation. It
good devotional thoughts while generally being considered irrelevant for a
complex post-modern world. Not all believe they are irrelevant, of course.
is our only
Many have appreciated the insights of her writings too much to abandon rule of faith
their blessing over the flap caused by her borrowing of expressions from and practice."
other writers. However one views her writings, one must be honest and
admit that Adventists have often been content to let pronouncements from —James White
Mrs. White's pen substitute for deep and thoughtful study of the Word.

My Personal Discoveries
Having accepted the validity of Mrs. White's prophetic calling earlier in my teen years after reading
her conversion experience and call to ministry in Early Writings and having heard that her writings
were a "kind of inspired commentary on the Scriptures,"5 I was very excited in the mid-1970s to gain
access to the newly developed comprehensive index to the writings of Ellen G. White on Laserdisc.
(Previously I had found, in reading Early Writings, many useful insights into Lucifer's fall from
perfection, described in Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, and Revelation 12. These insights were often prefaced
with the expression "I saw." I expected to find some of the same revelatory depictions when I later
read The Great Controversy. I was pleasantly surprised to find instead a Bible study on Christian
history!) It was my hope that, with the exhaustive concordance of her
writings, I would be able to settle unanswered questions about controversial
I began to passages of Scripture.
suspect that I
I soon discovered in my study that Ellen White often had little or nothing
had assumed a to say about many of the passages of Scripture I wanted to understand and
role for Ellen that many of the literary allusions to Scripture in her writings were not
White's expositions of Scripture, but were merely apt uses of Biblical phraseology
in the context of different counsels to individuals and directors of
writings … institutions of the Church. I began to suspect that I had assumed a role for
that exceeded Ellen White's writings, in expounding the meaning of Scripture, that
what God exceeded what God intended. The attention she called to Scriptural themes
and additional details in retelling Bible stories were never intended to
intended. substitute for deep and thoughtful Bible study. That is why she was always
pointing believers to the Scriptures as authority.

Ellen White's View of Scripture

Ellen White held to the Protestant principle of the Bible and the Bible only as the rule of faith and
practice. Throughout her life, she exalted the Word of God.

None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the
last great conflict.6
God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible She doesn't set
only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms.7
The Spirit was not given—nor can It ever be bestowed—to supersede the
herself up as
Bible; for the Scriptures explicitly state that the word of God is the the great
standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.8 oracle of
We are to receive God's Word as supreme authority.9 Biblical
In 1909, with a Bible in her outstretched hands, Ellen White uttered the understanding.
last words she would speak to a General Conference in session. She said:
"I commend unto you this Book."10
She refers to
the writings
Notwithstanding her high view of Scripture, Ellen White recognized that God has given
the concept of sola scriptura does not deny its own provisions for the gift
of prophecy. What the New Testament teaches about the prophetic gift
through her as
(see 1 Cor. 14:3) is precisely what Ellen White saw as her role within the "a lesser
Church. In her earliest book, Christian Experience and Views, she wrote: light," not "the
lesser light."

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 I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. By that
word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the last days; not
for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from
Bible truth.11

Later she would write:

… It is because you have neglected to acquaint yourselves with God's inspired Book that He has
sought to reach you by simple, direct testimonies, calling your attention to the words of
inspiration which you had neglected to obey, and urging you to fashion your lives in accordance
with its pure and elevated teachings.12

Yet, Ellen White never set herself up as the great oracle of Biblical understanding. In 1903 she wrote:

Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to
the greater light.13

She referred to the writings God gave through her as "a lesser light" and not "the lesser light." Like John
the Baptist, she was to direct others to Jesus, the Light of life revealed in Scripture. Even when her life
would end, her writings would point to Scripture:

The books that she has written will not die. They are a living witness to what saith the
Scriptures . . . 14

The Restoration of the Prophetic Gift

God has always sent His prophets to prepare people for the times of His visitation. Before the coming
of the flood, God sent Noah. Before the people of Israel were taken into Babylonian captivity as a
judgment for their waywardness, God sent the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was sent to prepare the people
for what was coming at that time, but also to leave a prophetic legacy that would prepare a future
generation for the coming of the Messiah and for the establishment of the New Covenant. Before the
Messiah came, it was widely understood that the prophetic gift had ceased upon the earth with
Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets. The apocryphal book of first Maccabees states:

Thus there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased
to appear among them.15

How fitting it is then that Malachi, the last spokesman for God before the cessation of the prophetic gift,
should be the one who would prophesy of John, the restorer of the prophetic office. Malachi declared:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
LORD:16

John came right on time as the bearer of the Elijah message.17 He did not come to replace the
former prophets or to call attention to himself, but to prepare the way for the Messiah and to
announce the arrival of "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world."18 He was a
lesser light to lead to the greater Light of Jesus.

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The prophet Joel also prophesied regarding the restoration of the prophetic gift. He said that it would
come "afterward" (Joel 2:28, 29), that is, after God had judged His wayward people by captivity and
after He had restored them to their land. "Afterward" God would reinstate the prophetic gift once
again, pouring out His Spirit on young and old. At the appointed time, God's Spirit was poured out on
the prepared and waiting disciples. These spoke with prophetic voice for God in the language and
presence of the Jews of the Diaspora who were assembled in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.
Peter was correct in declaring this prophecy fulfilled and in converting the future-oriented phrase
"afterward" into the present-focused phrase, "in the latter days,"19 (meaning from Peter's time
forward). The time of the fruition of the gospel had begun. The gift of prophecy was restored as the
Old Testament had prophesied.

Of all the gifts that the Apostle Paul lists as essential to the growth of the church, only one is in all
three lists of spiritual gifts. It is the gift of prophecy.20 What was the purpose of this gift? Paul
answers:

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that
speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth
him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to
edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth
himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but
rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues,
except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. … prophesying serveth not for them
that believe not, but for them which believe.21

Some expositors have stated forthrightly that they believe that the gift of prophecy ceased with the
last of the apostles, but the Apostle Paul testifies that spiritual gifts were given to the Church to
enhance and protect it …

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:22

How long will this continue? Paraphrasing Uriah Smith's answer in an editorial in the Review, we
note that "the last days" covers the beginning of "the last days" (from Peter's day) until the end of
"the last days" (just before Jesus comes). As long as the need for which it was given exists, so long
will God, in His divine wisdom, extend the gift. Thus Paul is "declaring explicitly that these things
shall continue till the perfect state is come."23

John, the last surviving Apostle, also emphasized the importance of the prophetic gift in the church
subsequent to the New Testament. In two verses of Revelation, he links the gift of prophecy with
the final, faithful "remnant" of God's people:

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 (Rev. 12:17).
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Rev. 19:10)24

4
John identified this gift as being that which inspired him to write the Revelation. He describes the
Spirit, the communicator of prophecy, coming upon him (Rev. 1:10) and giving him a prophetic
vision which enabled him to bare record of the word of God and of the "testimony of Jesus Christ"
(Rev. 1:2).

Thus we see that both the Old and New Testaments attest that the prophetic gift was to be exercised
in the Church in the New Testament age. Seventh-day Adventists believe that, because of the fruits of
her life, the quality and spirit of her writings, and the testimony those writings bear in lifting up Jesus,
Ellen White possessed "the spirit of prophecy," "the testimony of Jesus."

In the following articles in this series, we will examine the role Ellen White played in the formation
of doctrines and prophetic interpretation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and we will develop
from this role practical guidelines for using her writings in Biblical interpretation.

1
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan, 204, 205.
2
James White, Review and Herald, October 16, 1855. It may surprise some to learn that there were other self-
proclaimed prophets besides Joseph Smith in the early 19th century. "Richard Lyman Bushman, a devout Mormon and
leading scholar in Mormon studies at Columbia University," points out that there were a "dozen or so New England
visionaries … who published accounts of their experiences in the first half of the 19th century."
http://www.atoday.com/magazine/archive/1996/mayjun1996/news/Parallels.html. Joseph Smith claimed to be "God's
Oracle" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, preface), while Ellen White called the Bible "the oracle of God" (1SM 74).
James White likely had Smith and other self-promoting prophets in mind.
3
Uriah Smith, Review and Herald, January 13, 1863.
4
Uriah Smith wrote: "Some one may say, Then you make the visions a second New Testament, a Mormon Bible in
your system. We do not …" The Visions of Mrs. E. G. White (1868), 127.
5
D. E. Rebok, Our Firm Foundation (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1953), vol. 1, 250.
6
E. G. White, Great Controversy, 593-594.
7
Great Controversy, 595.
8
Great Controversy, vii.
9
E. G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, 402.
10
William A. Spicer, The Spirit of Prophecy in the Advent Movement, 90.
11
E. G. White, Christian Experience and Views (1851), 64.
12
E. G. White, Testimonies, vol. 5, 664–665.
13
E. G. White, Review and Herald, Jan. 20, 1903, 15.
14
Ellen White, Letter 55, 1905, pp. 1–5 (To Elder O. A. Olsen, Jan. 30, 1905) in 1MR 141.
15
1 Maccabees 9:27, Revised Standard Version. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures cited in this paper are
taken from the King James Version.
16
Malachi 4:5.
17
Matthew 11:14. Jesus said that John was Elijah.
18
John 1:6, 8.
19
Acts 2:17, 18.
20
Compare Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4.
21
1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 22, underlining supplied.
22
Ephesians 4:13.
23
Uriah Smith, "Do We Discard the Bible by Endorsing the Visions?" Review and Herald, January 13, 1863.
24
Rev. 22:9 parallels "thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus" with "thy brethren the prophets."

5
 Ellen G. White and the Formation of Bible Doctrines
In a printed statement, "The Inspiration and Authority of the Ellen G. White Writings," in the
Adventist Review, December 23, 1982, the General Conference committee declared in point 6 under
Denials:

We do not believe that Scripture can be understood only through the writings of Ellen White.

This was the same position as that of Arthur Daniells and the Bible teachers at the 1919 Bible
conference.

The whole plan of redemption, everything that is necessary to salvation, is in this Book, and we
do not have to go to anything outside of the Book to be saved. That has been the attitude of the
spirit of prophecy1 toward this book from the beginning, hasn't it? [Voices: Yes.] And I suppose
we can give credit to that gift for our attitude toward the Book as much as to any influence that
anybody has exercised. … [W]hat would all the people have done from John's day down to the
present if there were no way to understand the Bible except through the writings of the spirit of
prophecy? … What do those people do over in Roumania? We have hundreds of Sabbath-
keepers there who have not seen a book on the spirit of prophecy.2

If this is true, what role did she play in the formation of the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church? Let's see.

The Sanctuary
The Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary came as the result of a developing
understanding of Bible truth. William Miller had preached that the earth was the sanctuary that was
to be cleansed by fire at Christ's second advent in fulfillment of Daniel 8:14. The day after the
expected advent, Hiram Edson saw the connection of Scriptural passages which indicated that
Christ had begun a new phase of His ministry in heaven's sanctuary on October 22, 1844. With two
friends he went back to the Bible for study. One of those friends, O. R. L. Crosier, published two
articles to explain their conclusions—one in the Day-Dawn in 1845 and the other in the Day-Star in
February 1846. This truth was further developed by Uriah Smith, J. N. Andrews, and James White.

The expositions of the pioneers were all based on Scripture, not on Ellen White's writings. Her role
in the doctrine was a supportive one. Her vision of the heavenly sanctuary reinforced the Bible
foundation for this teaching, but was given before she read Crosier’s articles.3

The Sabbath
It may seem strange, but, when first faced with the issue of the Sabbath, Ellen White was not really
impressed with Elder Joseph Bates' enthusiasm for it. She wrote:

I did not feel its importance, and thought that he erred in dwelling upon the fourth
commandment more than upon the other nine.4
However, around the time of her marriage to James White in August 1846, she and James read
Bates' tract, "The Seventh-day Sabbath a Perpetual Sign," and, on the basis of Bates' sound Biblical
reasoning, decided that they should keep the seventh day as the Sabbath.

In the autumn of 1846 we began to observe the Bible Sabbath, and to teach and defend it.5

Her first vision about the Sabbath came on the first Sabbath of April, 1847.

I believed the truth upon the Sabbath question before I had seen anything in vision in reference
to the Sabbath. It was months after I had commenced keeping the Sabbath before I was shown
its importance and its place in the third angel's message.6

In the vision …

She seemed to be transferred from earth to heaven and, in vision, was taken through the
heavenly sanctuary where she saw the most holy place and the ark containing the law. She was
amazed to see the fourth commandment shining above all the others in glory with a sort of halo
of light all around it. She was told of the change of the Sabbath, of the significance of its
acceptance and observance, especially in the troublous times ahead when it will become a sign
or a mark for the people who have chosen to obey God rather than man.7

The Sabbath Conferences

In 1848 and 1849, an earnest group of Sabbath-observing Adventists convened for a series of
conferences to study out Bible truth. These were held at Volney, New York, beginning August 18,
1848; in "Brother Arnold's barn"; Port Gibson, New York, August 27 and 28; in "Hiram Edson's barn";
Rocky Hill, Connecticut, September 8 and 9; and in Topsham, Maine, October 20-22, in "Brother
Rowland's house."8 Describing the biblical nature of these conferences, Ellen White wrote:

"At times the power
of God came upon
us in a marked
Many of our people do not realize how firmly the foundation of our
faith has been laid. My husband, Elder Joseph Bates, Father
Pierce,9 Elder [Hiram] Edson,10 and others who were keen, noble,
and true, were among those who, after the passing of the time in
1844, searched for the truth as for hidden treasure.11

manner, and when
clear light revealed
the points of truth,
we would weep and
rejoice together.
We loved Jesus; we
loved one another."
—Ellen White
We would come together burdened in soul, praying that we might
be one in faith and doctrine; for we knew that Christ is not divided.
One point at a time was made the subject of investigation. The
Scriptures were opened with a sense of awe. Often we fasted, that
we might be better fitted to understand the truth. After earnest
prayer, if any point was not understood it was discussed, and each
one expressed his opinion freely; then we would again bow in
prayer, and earnest supplications went up to heaven that God would
help us to see eye to eye, that we might be one as Christ and the
Father are one. Many tears were shed.
We sought most earnestly that the Scriptures should not be wrested
to suit any man's opinions. We tried to make our differences as
slight as possible by not dwelling on points that were of minor
importance, upon which there were varying opinions.

2
 Sometimes one or two of the brethren would stubbornly set themselves against the view
presented, and would act out the natural feelings of the heart; but when this disposition
appeared, we suspended our investigations and adjourned our meeting, that each one might have
an opportunity to go to God in prayer, and, without conversation with others, study the point of
difference, seeking light from heaven. With expressions of friendliness we parted, to meet again
as soon as possible for further investigation. At times the power of God came upon us in a
marked manner, and when clear light revealed the points of truth, we would weep and rejoice
together. We loved Jesus; we loved one another.12
We spent many hours in this way. We did not generally study together more than four hours at a
time, yet sometimes the entire night was spent in solemn investigation of the Scriptures, that we
might understand the truth for our time.13
Again and again these brethren came together to study the Bible, in order that they might know
its meaning, and be prepared to teach it with power. When they came to the point in their study
where they said, "We can do nothing more," the Spirit of the Lord would come upon me, I
would be taken off in vision, and a clear explanation of the passages we had been studying
would be given me, with instruction as to how we were to labor and teach effectively. Thus light
was given that helped us to understand the scriptures in regard to Christ, His mission, and His
priesthood. A line of truth extending from that time to the time when we shall enter the city of
God was made plain to me, and I gave to others the instruction that the Lord had given me.14
During this whole time I could not understand the reasoning of the brethren. My mind was
locked, as it were, and I could not comprehend the meaning of the scriptures we were studying.
This was one of the greatest sorrows of my life. I was in this condition of mind until all the
principal points of our faith were made clear to our minds, in harmony with the Word of God.
The brethren knew that when not in vision, I could not understand these matters, and they
accepted as light direct from heaven the revelations given.15

"For two or three years my mind continued to be locked to the Scriptures," she wrote. Then she
related that soon after James White had started to publish the Review and Herald in Paris, Maine, in
December 1850, the father of J. N. Andrews was very sick with inflammatory rheumatism. The
brethren prayed for his healing. Ellen White laid her hands on his head and declared: "Father
Andrews, the Lord Jesus maketh thee whole." He was instantly healed. It was at that time, as Ellen
White stated, that "light seemed to shine all through the house, and an angel's hand was laid upon my
head. From that time to this, I have been enabled to understand the Word of God."16 Thus we see that
Ellen White did not conveniently manipulate her visions to control the agenda for these meetings.

Dealing With Error

Though the visions were not given to take the place of Bible study, they were often an aid in
pointing to the Biblical basis for truth and in correcting erroneous interpretations.

Describing the Volney conference that began August 18, 1848, James White reported to friends:

Friday p.m. the brethren came in to our meeting in Volney. There were thirty or forty who met
with us. Brother Bates preached the Sabbath to them with strong argument, much boldness and
power. My principal message was on Matthew 25:1-11 [the parable of the ten virgins]. The
brethren are strong on the Sabbath and the shut door.17 Almost all confessed that they had
gained much strength from the meeting. Ellen had two visions at that meeting. She spoke to
them with power to their comfort.18

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Ellen White reported the state of disagreement at this important conference, noting that Brother
Arnold himself was in disagreement over the millenium and over celebrating communion more
than once a year:

Our first conference was at Volney in Bro. Arnold's barn. There were about 35 present, all that
could be collected in that part of the State. There were hardly two agreed. Each was strenuous
for his views, declaring that they were according to the Bible. All were anxious for an
opportunity to advance their sentiments.…
These strange differences of opinion rolled a heavy weight upon me, especially as Brother A.
spoke of the thousand years being in the past. I knew that he was in error, and great grief
pressed my spirits, for it seemed to me that God was dishonored. I fainted under the burden.
Brethren Bates, Chamberlain, Gurney, Edson, and my husband prayed for me.…
The light of heaven rested upon me. I was soon lost to earthly things. My accompanying angel
presented before me some of the errors of those present, and also the truth in contrast with their
errors. That these discordant views, which they claimed to be according to the Bible, were only
according to their opinion of the Bible, and that their errors must be yielded, and they unite
upon the third angel's message. Our meeting ended victoriously. Truth gained the victory.19

But there's more to the story that shows that it wasn't the miraculous nature of what was shown
Ellen White that made the difference. A few years afterward, visiting with David Arnold and some
others who had been present at the conference, J. N. Loughborough described a significant
occurrence that took place that same day. He wrote:

The tendency of the visions is to accomplish just what Paul said would be the effect of true
manifestations of the Spirit of God; viz., to bring the church "in the unity of the faith." Eph.
4:12-15. … As the circumstance was related to me, Sister White, while in vision, arose to her
feet and took the family Bible upon her left arm, the book being an ordinary sized one. While
holding it thus, her eyes looking upward and in an opposite direction from the Bible, with her
right hand she would turn from text to text, placing her finger on the text, and would repeat the
same. Bro. Ross looked at many of the texts to see if she was repeating the one to which she
pointed. He or some of the company looked at them all. In every case she not only repeated the
texts to which she pointed, but she did so while her eyes were fastened upward and in an
opposite direction from the Bible. It was these scriptures quoted in this wonderful manner which
overthrew the false theories of the Sabbathkeepers assembled at Volney, in August, 1848, and
caused them to unite upon the truth.20

Far from being a church based on the pronouncements of a single, self-proclaimed authority figure,
the early Sabbath-keeping believers were a group of motivated students of the Word, whose many
hours of prayerful Bible study resulted in the foundation of the doctrines the Church holds today.
1
He obviously uses the short-hand designation for the gift of prophecy from Revelation as applied to the writings of
Ellen G. White.
2
Source: http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/...730-1919bc.htm.
3
Paul A. Gordon, Doctrinal Development, Authority, and Ellen White at www.whiteestate.org/issues/Docdev.html.
Timing found in Arthur L. White, 1BIO 108.1.
4
E. G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943), 95.
5
E. G. White, Testimonies, vol. 1, 75.
6
E. G. White letter 2, 1874.

4
 7
D. E. Rebok, Our Firm Foundation, vol. 1, 216, taken from Testimonies, vol. 1, pages 75 ff., and her letter to
Joseph Bates, April 7, 1847 in Early Writings, 32-35.
8
Rebok, vol. 1, 246. Arthur White suggests that there were other conferences than these (1BIO 139.1).
9
"Father" was used respectfully and reminiscently of several older brethren among the pioneers, such as "Father Pierce"
(Stephen Pierce), who served in ministerial and administrative work in the early days and "Father Andrews" (Edward
Andrews), the father of J. N. Andrews. Most of the leaders in the movement were much younger than these men.
10
The basic team of workers from conference to conference was much the same: James and Ellen White, Joseph Bates,
H. S. Gurney. At times, Hiram Edson, E. L. H. Chamberlain, and Otis Nichols joined forces with the basic group.
11
E. G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, 206.
12
E. G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1962), 24-26.
13
E. G. White, Review and Herald, July 26, 1892.
14
E. G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, 206-207.
15
White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, 207.
16
E. G. White, MS 135, 1903.
17
See www.whiteestate.org/issues/shutsdae.html.
18
James White to Leonard and Elvira Hastings, Aug. 26, 1848.
19
E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 97-99.
20
J. N. Loughborough, Review and Herald, March 3, 1885. See three other instances of Ellen White use of a Bible in
vision at http://whiteestate.com/vault/otis_text.asp and http://www.ellengwhite.info/heavy_bible.htm.

5
 Using Ellen White's Writings in Biblical Interpretation
As we noted in the previous article in this series, Ellen White played a significant role in the
development of doctrine in the Adventist Church—she focused attention on important Biblical
teachings and safeguarded the Church from unbiblical extremes. Metaphorically speaking, she
functioned as both a lens1 and as a guardrail. This dual role in the formation of doctrine has
implications for her continuing role in Biblical interpretation. Following are five suggestions on
how her writings should be used in Biblical study.

Recognize her emphasis on key Biblical themes and practical godliness.

Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest of the prophets, yet his contribution was limited to
introducing Jesus as "the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" and calling for
repentance and a change of life (John 1:29; Mat. 3:1–3). His message does give insight into the Old
Testament passages about the sacrificial lamb and about preparation for the coming of the Messiah,
yet we don't need John as an interpretive key to understand every passage of Scripture. The New
Testament describes Agabus as a prophet, yet his role was limited to predicting a famine in the
world and to revealing what lay ahead for the Apostle Paul if he returned to Jerusalem (Acts 11:28;
21:10). His messages were helpful, yet no one would consider his prophecies to be the key to
understanding all Scripture.

The role of Ellen White was not to add to Scripture or to re-interpret it in some novel way, but to
call attention to its life-changing themes2 as she let Scripture interpret Scripture.3 (I have often
thought of this fact when I have read her statements that we will have an entirely different religious
experience when we understand the books of Daniel and Revelation.4) Her interest was the heart,
and when she traveled with her husband in their earlier ministry, she gave evidence of her desire to
make truth become practical.

"Our meetings were usually conducted in such a manner that both of us took part. My husband
would give a doctrinal discourse, then I would follow with an exhortation of considerable
length, melting my way into the feelings of the congregation. Thus my husband sowed and I
watered the seed of truth, and God did give the increase."5

While it is true that Ellen White does bring many insights to our study of the Scriptures, she does
not claim to be the final arbiter of Biblical interpretation. Some were disappointed that she left the
Church to study out for itself the meaning of the law in Galatians three6 and the "daily"7 in Daniel.

Let her writings be a starting point for deeper study.

During the course of her long ministry, there were times Ellen White did not understand insights in
her own writings (as was often the case with the writers of the Bible8), and she could not always
explain the Biblical basis for God's leading in the development of the Adventist message. This was
certainly the case when Albion F. Ballenger asked her to spell out for him in Biblical terms why Jesus
didn't perform the Day of Atonement functions of the sanctuary service immediately upon ascending
into heaven. She was unable to give him a specific Bible answer. But that didn't mean that one did not
exist. God simply did not intend for her to do all the study for God's Church!9
Not being a scholar of Biblical languages, Ellen White answered Ballenger in the only way she
could. She said that his application of the mass of Scriptural passages that he had gathered was
misleading. She defended Adventist teaching on the basis of "the remarkable beginnings and the
long history of the doctrine, and the confirmation of the doctrine given to her in her own visions."
She told him that the positions Adventists held were "sought out by prayerful study, and testified to
by the miracle working power from the Lord."10 Ballenger's problem exegetically was his
overstatement that "within the veil" always refers to the Most Holy Place and his failure to consider
the plural nature of ta hagia in Hebrews 9:8 and 10:19 and the significance of the fall festivals
coming at the close of the Gospel era.

Some people refer to Ellen White's writings as the end-all of discussion. But why would God give
His Church a gift that would substitute for deep, careful study of what He had already revealed in
His Word? The role of a prophet is not to supplant the Scriptures (contra Joseph Smith), but to
supplement it by helping the Church appreciate what the Scriptures reveal. More often than not, she
says in effect, "Here's where you'll find a vein of truth. Get digging!"

Recognize that not every allusion is intended to be expository.

In the Spring 1991 Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, Mervyn Maxwell summarized two
key points about using the writings of Ellen G. White in Biblical interpretation from Jon Paulien's
paper, "Ellen White and the Exegesis of Revelation: The Seals and the Trumpets":

First, when Ellen White uses phrases and sentences from the Bible, we should determine
carefully whether her intention is to do exegesis and discuss the actual meaning of the passage
that the words come from, or whether she is merely using phrases that are suitable for
expressing her own inspired thought. …
Second, we should allow Ellen White's later writings to clarify her earlier ones. … When an
occasional early statement became the subject of controversy, she would offer a clarification. A
well known example of this is found in Early Writings, pp. 85–86, where she explains her
earlier statement that believers would proclaim the Sabbath more fully "at the commencement
of the time of trouble."11
Another example is her description in Early Writings, pp. 279, 280 of an angel that had a writer's
inkhorn by his side just before a scene in which Jesus declares "It is done" and "He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still …" The language is similar to that of Ezekiel 9 and Revelation 16:17 and
has led some Adventists to see the passage as interpreting the seven trumpets of Revelation 8 as
occurring after the close of probation. Upon closer examination, we see that the one who throws
down the censor and the location of the scene are different from that of Revelation 8:1–6. There
is too much dissimilarity for Early Writings to be a commentary on Revelation 8. Ellen White
was just borrowing familiar phrases for an unrelated scene. When we look at her later exposition
on the same subject, The Great Controversy, p. 613, we find that both Early Writings and The
Great Controversy make the same point, "that when the sealing work is finished an angel will
report the fact and Jesus will cease His intercession," but the later one removes the potentially
misleading imagery. This shows us that she wasn't attempting to provide a commentary on the
meaning of the seven trumpets, which Adventist have interpreted as representing history from the
time of John to the end of time.

2
Do not use her writings to settle matters of dates and historical detail.
W. C. White writes:

Regarding Mother's writings and their use as authority on points of history and chronology,
Mother has never wished our brethren to treat them as authority regarding the details of history
or historical dates.12
In some of the historical matters such as are brought out in Patriarchs and Prophets and in Acts
of the Apostles, and in Great Controversy, the main outlines were made very clear and plain to
her, and when she began to develop these topics, she was left to study the Bible and history to
get dates and geographical relations and to perfect her description of details.13

This is not to say that God did not reveal many details to her about history and the stories of the
Bible,14 but her work was not to correct such particulars.

Though Ellen White labored hard and long to insure that what she wrote was correct, it is obvious
that she chose to make minor corrections in wording and details in revisions of her works. Because
of the imprecision of language and the difference of opinion between historical authorities she
accepted a little over half of Prescott's 105 suggestions for changes in wording in the 1911 edition
of The Great Controversy. She never wanted controversy to scuttle the impact of The Great
Controversy.15 This is why she changed the statement, "The Waldenses were the first of all the
peoples of Europe to obtain a translation of the Holy Scriptures," to "The Waldenses were among
the first of the peoples of Europe to obtain a translation of the Holy Scriptures," and why she left
out which bell it was that was the sign for slaughter in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

The fact that she altered wordings in the book should not be used as an excuse to call into question
the fundamental facts of history and prophecy that it presents. Just because two historians disagree
on details or because a Catholic historian questions the Protestant view of history doesn't mean that
she was wrong. Regarding the alleged mistakes of history incorporated in The Great Controversy,
Jean Zurcher writes in "A Vindication of Ellen White as Historian," Spectrum, Vol. 16, No. 3:

[R]ecent scholarship supports Ellen White, not her critics. There were Waldenses who kept the
Sabbath and the Albigenses were indeed Christians.16

Be mindful of the landmarks which God has clearly revealed.

As a guardrail protects from the danger of the precipice, so do the "landmarks" of established
Biblical truth keep us from the perils of disregarding truth. Though not nailing down every
particular, God has revealed, through Ellen White, key issues that we ignore at our own spiritual
risk.

The truths that have been substantiated by the manifest working of God are to stand fast. Let no
one presume to move a pin or a foundation stone from the structure. Those who attempt to
undermine the pillars of our faith are among those of whom the Bible says that "in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."17
The passing of the time in 1844 was a period of great events, opening to our astonished eyes the
cleansing of the sanctuary transpiring in heaven, and having decided relation to God's people
upon the earth, [also] the first and second angels' messages and the third, unfurling the banner

3
 on which was inscribed, "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." One of the
landmarks under this message was the temple of God, seen by His truth-loving people in
heaven, and the ark containing the law of God. The light of the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment flashed its strong rays in the pathway of the transgressors of God's law. The
nonimmortality of the wicked is an old landmark. I can call to mind nothing more that can come
under the head of the old landmarks.18

Many have lost their way by following novel tracks of thought with disregard for what God
has established through deep study of His Word and the guidance of His messenger, Ellen
White. Recalling the words of James White, F. M. Wilcox remonstrated with the teachers at
the 1919 Bible Conference:

"… if a portion of the church err from the truths of the Bible, and become weak and sickly, and
the flock become scattered, so that it seems necessary for God to employ the gifts of the Spirit
to correct, revive, and heal the erring, we should let him work…."19

As believers in the Scriptures which tell us that it is the Spirit who gives spiritual gifts as He wills
(1 Cor. 12:11), we should remember that it was not the Church who chose Ellen White to be its
messenger. Neither was it Ellen White's own choice. It was the Holy Spirit who made the choice—
according to the benevolent purposes of God.

In the physical world, through disease or accident, a person may be forced to live without the
function of one or both of his eyes. He may survive and do fairly well, but would certainly admit
that doing without was not his first choice! I believe that we should treasure the spiritual insight of
God's chosen messenger the same as we do our physical vision.
The Lord never denies His word. Men may get up scheme after scheme and the enemy will seek to
seduce souls from truth, but all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and
has given her a message will be safe from the many delusions that will come in these last days.20
… The instruction that was given in the early days of the message is to be held as safe
instruction to follow in these its closing days. Those who are indifferent to this light and
instruction must not expect to escape the snares which we have been plainly told will cause the
rejecters of light to stumble, and fall, and be snared, and be taken.21

1
Letter by Mrs. S. M. I Henry found at http://www.whiteestate.org/issues/rev-insp.html.
2
Some of these are the sacrifice of Christ for the redemption of sinners, the concept of the great controversy, the
relationship of the law and the gospel, God's concern for our health, and the principles and aims of true education.
3
As a lesser light, she guides to helpful passages in the greater light. See the "Scriptural Index" of the three-volume
EGW Comprehensive Index for suggestions.
4
E. G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, 119.
5
White, Testimonies, vol. 1, 75.
6
For more on the law in Galatians, see Selected Messages, bk. 3, 174, 175.
7
For more on the issue of the "daily," see Selected Messages, bk. 1, 164-168.
8
See Appendix G in Herbert Douglass, Messenger of the Lord. For the growth in understanding of Bible writers, see
Dan. 8:27; 1 Peter 1:11, 12.
9
As Bert Haloviak, archivist for the General Conference, has pointed out: "Ballenger needed a unified church to assist
him." (www.sdanet.org/atissue/white/haloviak/hal-egw1.htm).
10
Graeme Bradford, More Than a Prophet, 24, at http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/bradford/prophet-15.htm.

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 11
Mervyn Maxwell, "In Confirmation of Prophetic Interpretation," Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, 2:1
(Spring 1991), 143-146.
12
W. C. White, Selected Messages, bk. 3, 446.
13
W. C. White in Selected Messages, bk. 3, 462.
14
In Spiritual Gifts, (Battle Creek, MI: Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, 1945 facsimile), vol. 3, she
presented many details of the story of creation and the early history of the world not in the Bible record.
15
See Arthur L. White, "W. W. Prescott and the 1911 Edition of The Great Controversy" at
http://www.whiteestate.org/issues/GC-Prescott.html.
16
Source: http://www.spectrummagazine.org/spectrum/archive16-20/16-3zurcher.pdf.
17
Letter 87, 1905, pp. 2, 3 (To Elder and Mrs. S. N. Haskell, February 25, 1905).
18
3BIO 404.1.
19
Review and Herald, April 21, 1851.
20
E. G. White letter 50, 1906.
21
E. G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, 41.