Seventh-Day Adventists

Transcription

1 Seventh-Day Adventists THE SDA PROPHET MRS ELLEN G. WHITE Introduction: What you are about to read has become one the most controversial information pages listed on our Website. This ministry has come into criticism from all fronts, since it began in 1978, over its labelling of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA or SDA s) as being a dangerous religious group! Over the years the SDA Church leaders, and its members, have frequently spat the dummy during personal discussions, by telephone, mail and , regarding the origins, sources, teachings, beliefs and practices of the Church and its past and current interpretations of Scripture. Some of the recent messages received only show how deceived and vitriolic the SDA s can be. For example, in our

2 public meetings and in messages we receive from Adventists they loudly shout: ERROR!!! ; WRONG! ; OUT OF CONTEXT! ; WE RE NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT ELLEN G. WHITE SAID OVER 100 YEARS AGO! ; Get your facts straight! ; Why don t you go to the leaders of the (SDA) Church and ask them if they are a dangerous religious group! ; Why don t you visit the SDA Homepage and see for yourself that we are not a cult! ; My friend, you should brush up on your history of the Seventh-Day Adventists!.and so it goes on, and on! You may be wondering, How do we respond? Well, we try to be as loving as we can be, because love is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit! We ask the reader to understand that we really have done our homework and researched both the roots of the SDA Church and the roots of their teachings (would that our SDA critics take the time to do their own research by reading the SDA s older publications!). Where most people have difficulty is in our quoting from the the writings of Ellen G. White and others who were once in leadership. Remember, if the leaders at any time claimed to speak for God, or to just be God s Messenger (as Ellen G. White claimed) then they are acting in, or assuming the role of a prophet and must therefore be subject to the Biblical tests relating to what a person s claims to have said in that role (please go to the Help Topics on the Home Page of our Website for more detailed and in-depth information). To put it simply, where those who are critical of what we quote or say, we find that they have not even bothered to check the SDA sources that we have quoted from (in particular, the book and editions we have quoted as later and more recent editions have been changed and sanitised to hide the errors and the embarrassments that we have raised). Nor have our critics read fully from our Site Help Topics to understand where we are coming from in our ability to boldly label their group, and others, as being dangerous! True Christians don t suffer from knee-jerk reactions! True

3 Christians are people who act and not react! Most of those who react to us do not follow the example (principle) found in Acts 17:10-12! Why all the fuss, you may ask? Because we simply believe that anyone who claims to be Christian should readily be open to scrutiny and questioned about the things they say, or teach, particularly if they claim to have, Heard from God! True Christians should never, ever be insecure in their beliefs they should be always ready to give an answer to anyone who challenges their faith in accord with 1st Peter 3:15, which says, Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence One could hardly say that we have been on the receiving end of gentleness and reverence from the SDA s that we have met! Naivety of the SDA s: Many SDA s are quite naively unaware that their own publications actually contain the quotes we have used in this work. (Please remember that many of the editions of the publications quoted from have been changed and no longer show the errors quoted!). The SDA missionary who comes to you, or the ones with whom you come into contact with through their Archaeology/Health/Stress/Quit Smoking and Prophecy Programs, are not very well informed about their own Church s origins (of course they will strongly dispute this statement, but one must remember that they have been spoon fed with what they now believe is their church s beliefs and history!). However, one has to say that they are a loyal and zealous people, make admirable citizens and have a practical welfare movement throughout the world. SDA Statistics: One E.B. Price, an SDA convert from Jehovah s Witness, a leader of the Greater Sydney Conference of the SDA s, in the early 1980 s wrote: The story of Seventh-Day Adventist growth and organisation is a thrilling one in a world where the Christian faith is

4 declining. Using every possible means available to reach mankind, they are found preaching in the largest public halls, or in the remotest jungle villages. Each week their voice is heard on over thousands of radio and television stations, which belt the globe. From 348* branch offices, millions of pieces of literature in 947 languages are distributed from their 63 publishing houses, as they are posted or taken personally from door-to-door. In 38,000 (current figure n/a) Sabbath Schools and thousands more Branch and Vacation Bible Schools, Bible truth is taught, and a further outreach to young people is made through their 7,579 day schools, colleges and universities. They also follow the example of Christ, who went about doing good, with a very practical ministry of helping to alleviate suffering through their 1,186 clinics and hospitals, where healing is brought to millions. Millions more in distress are helped each year in their welfare work outlined in the Bible for Christians (*Note: the foregoing statistics were quoted on the SDA Main Website which shows 2014 figures. Where available Price s figures have been updated, but his message is still the same!). However, the fruit that the Lord Jesus tells us to judge in Matthew 7:16 is NOT the fruit of some charitable organisation, or in this case, the SDA social welfare program, nor the large number of churches and subsidiary organisations, nor is He referring to the fruit of the Holy Spirit. What the Lord Jesus said was to judge PROPHETS on the fruit of their prophecies! That is, did their prophecies come to pass? If they did not, then they are false prophets! Price goes on to say: A last warning message is to be given to the world. This witness outlined in Rev 14:6-12 is a worldwide preaching of the gospel, which among its other distinctive features, calls out people to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. A small group of people believing God had called them to do this work, organised themselves into the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in

5 1863, and since that time have spread throughout the world to become one of the most vigorous and fastest growing churches. By 1960, they had over a million members, and within the next 13 years they doubled this membership. In 2014, the SDA s claimed they numbers to be well over 18,479,257 worldwide and they baptised 1,057,645 people, who speak a total of 947 languages spread throughout practically every country of the world. Hundreds of thousands continue to swell their ranks each year. So, what the SDA believes and is taught by his church is that he is part of the Remnant Church and is specifically tasked with fulfilling God s will for the world at this time. Note also that in Price s reasoning, which is typical of all SDA s, is that he tries to influence his reader to believe that the diversity and size of the works of the SDA Church MUST be proof of God s backing! In fact the Jehovah s Witnesses (JW s)and even many in the Christian Church wrongly take this same point of view but the truth is that as far as God is concerned, numbers mean nothing! Roots Of The SDA Movement: Let us examine the roots of this group of people, who really believe that they are the remnant church for the times we live in! Did God really call them? If it was not God, then who was it that did call them? At this point, I d like to point out that some publications from both the SDA s and the Jehovah s Witness organisations would appear to trace their origins from the same source! However, neither organisation will admit to this fact. No doctrinal issues are considered in the effort to trace the SDA source, but in our Facts About the Jehovah s Witnesses (also on this site) you will find the relevant data on some of their related prophetic material, and especially their doctrinal similarities in major areas of doctrine. When confronted by the SDA people, we should show love towards them and have a desire to see them attain to Eternal Life. If you cannot witness to them in love, then do not embarrass the

6 Gospel. Keep in mind that the real fault for the deception in their lives is with those who control the organisation and not with the individual. The leaders are those who deceive the individual. With this in view, it is necessary to discover clearly and quickly where the beliefs of the organisation originated. It is wisdom not to debate biblical doctrine on these issues, for these people are as entitled to their biblical interpretation as you are to yours. But, the real issue we need to clarify here is, are they following a prophet of the true God? Were their prophecies fulfilled and were they scripturally based? Are they really God s spokesman as they claim? What is a Prophet? A prophet is one who claims to speak on behalf of another, or in our particular case one who speaks as the mouthpiece of God. So we must conclude that a prophet is one who claims that God, or an angel from God spoke to them, or showed them something in a vision. As an aside, in the Bible prophets were originally called seers. A seer, from a Biblical standpoint, is one who predicts future events not usually written in the Holy Scriptures; read Deut. 18: [Please note: Not all of the books from which I will be quoting are available from SDA bookshops. If the original printings are not available, you may be able to contact the White Estate in the USA although they may, as they frequently do, refuse to release the material you want if it may be embarrassing for them!] Questions And Answers From SDA Quotes Do the followers of Ellen G. White, now known as Seventh-Day Adventists, believe and claim prophet? Here is an extract from The Advent Review and Herald, 4th October, 1928: (note that this is the view that was held by SDA s as late as 1928). Quote No 1: Seventh-Day Adventists hold that Ellen G. White (nee Harmon), performed the work of a true prophet during the

7 seventy years of her public ministry. As Samuel was a prophet, as Jeremiah was a prophet, as John the Baptist so we believe that Mrs. White was a prophet to the Church of Christ (SDA) today. (Boldness and parenthesis added) Did Ellen G. White herself claim to be a prophet? Quote No 2: God was speaking through clay. In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me. I do not write one article expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision the precious rays of light shining from the throne. This extract is from the book, Visions of Mrs. E.G. White Testimony 31, p63: Quote No 3: When I send you a testimony of warning and reproof, many of you declare it to be merely the opinion of Sister White. You have thereby insulted the spirit of God. (E.G. White Testimonies, Vol. 5, p661). Quote No. 4: Those who are reproved by the spirit of God should not rise up against the humble instrument. It is God, and not an erring mortal, who has spoken to save them from ruin. ( Testimony for the Church, Vol. 3, p257). Did Ellen G. White claim she was not a prophetess? From Selected Messages, Book 1, p34, we read: Quote No 5: To claim to be a prophetess is something I have never done. If others call me by that name, I have no controversy with them. However, on page 36 of the same book, under the sub-heading, The Work of a Prophet and More, she continues: Quote No 6: My work includes much more than this name signifies. I REGARD MYSELF as a messenger for His (God s) people (boldness and parenthesis added). The SDA organisation endeavours to play down the early dates

8 set by Ellen G. White, as she herself also did in later times. But her earlier writings clearly give the later conveniently forgotten, or ignored, prophetical dates! The SDA organisation, no matter how you look at it, evolved out of and deeply imbedded in a group called the Millerites - founded by one William Miller. However, today they do not like being associated with this group, because of Miller s failed predictions for the coming of Jesus for which he named specific dates, and which failure consequently brought discredit to himself and his followers. In her book Early Writings, Letter No. 38, 1889, Ellen G. White says about knowing the time of the end says: Quote No. 7: I have not the slightest knowledge as to the time spoken by the voice of God. I heard the hour proclaimed, but had no remembrance of that hour after I came out of vision. From Selected Messages, Book 1, p60, she states: Quote No 8: In our frequent change of location in the earlier history of the publishing work, I have crossed the plains no less than 17 times. I lost all trace of the first published works And here I pause to state that any of our people having in their possession a copy of any, or all of my first views, as published prior to 1851, will do me a great favour if they will send them to me without delay. (underlining added) Until recently, there were no early copies available for reference. The writer has a photocopy of an original book, which is titled A Word to the Little Flock, by James White, Ellen s husband. [Today SDA s will deny that Ellen G. White ever claimed an exact date for Christ s return]. So, let us turn to the original printings not the revised editions of A Word to the Little Flock, p22, by James White published in Later editions have been edited and some of the valuable

9 original quotes were obviously and deliberately deleted! Let her [Ellen G. White] speak for herself: Quote No 9: It was just as impossible for them (i.e., those that gave up their so-called faith in the movement after the failed dates occurred in 1843, 1844, 1845) to get on the path again and go to the city, as all the wicked world which God had rejected. They fall all the way along the path one after the other. Please note that the following words are omitted from later editions: until we heard the voice of God like many waters which gave us the day and the hour of Jesus coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spake the time, he poured on us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God as Moses did when he came down from Mt. Sinai. What was the date Ellen G. White claimed and was waiting for? From the same book, A Word to the Little Flock, p22, 1847 edition, by her husband, James White, she says: Quote No10: It is well known that many were expecting the Lord to come at the 7th Month That Christ would then come we firmly believed. A few days before the time passed, I was at Fairhaven, and Dartmouth, Mass., with a message on this point of time. At this time, Ellen was with the band at Carver, Mass., where she saw in vision, that we should be disappointed. (The seventh month reckoned here is according to the Jewish Calendar. Therefore, the equivalent date in reckoning in our present calendar is October. The fact is that Ellen G. White herself made two wrong statements: 1. She did hold a date of Christ s return (which was proven false);

10 2. That no-one could be saved after 1844, and evidence of this is found in Selected Messages, Book 1, p63. Quote No 11: For a time after the disappointment in 1844, I did hold, in common with the advent body, that the door of mercy was then forever closed to the world I was shown in vision, and I still believe that there was a shut door in 1844?. Remember, today the majority of Seventh-Day Adventists believe Ellen G. White to be a true prophet of God (indeed, if they do not believe this, many SDA s themselves would say that they are then not true Seventh-Day Adventists!). On what evidence can this statement be based? Origins of Saturday Sabbath-Keeping Quote No12: Taken from Origin and Progress The Sanctuary and the Sabbath, pp186, 187: Paragraph 1: The Sabbath of Jehovah stood for loyalty to God; the other Sabbath represented a rival power. Paragraph 3: This message began to be given to the world, as we have seen, in the Advent preaching of ?. Paragraph 4: The second message, Babylon is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, was first sounded in the Summer and early Autumn of 1844, when it finally became clear to the Adventists that they must separate from the popular Churches. Paragraph 7: Further light was shed upon the matter by a view given Miss Ellen G. Harmon She saw a vision, the heavenly Sanctuary, with the ark of God and the mercy seat, over which two angels bent with covering wings. This, she was told by her accompanying angel, represented the heavenly host looking with reverential awe upon the law written with the finger of God. The cover of the ark was then raised and she saw the tablets

11 of stone, the fourth commandment in the centre encircled by a soft halo of light. Said the angel: IT IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE TEN WHICH DEFINES THE LIVING GOD WHO CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND ALL THINGS THAT ARE THEREIN. Who are the keepers of the other Sabbath and who does Ellen G. White consider as the rival power of page 186, paragraph 1? She answers these questions in Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, p189, where she refers back to paragraph 4. Quote No13: I saw the state of the different churches since the second angel proclaimed their fall (in 1844). They have been growing more and more corrupt SATAN HAS TAKEN FULL POSSESSION of the churches as a body Their PROFESSION, their PRAYERS and their exhortations are an ABOMINATION in the sight of God. (parentheses and capitals added) Not all SDA believers realise that these visions are claimed by Mrs. White herself to be from God. The SDA s claim that she got the SDA teaching from one Joseph Bates. In Origin and Progress The Sanctuary and the Sabbath, p187, we read:- Quote No14: Joseph Bates, who was the first to lead out in giving the Sabbath reform message, travelled all over New England and New York. Concerning the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday), if Joseph Bates, a Seventh-Day Baptist who joined with Miller in 1840, is correct, and Ellen G. White s vision of Quote 12, paragraph 4, was of God and confirms his teaching, then E.G. White s vision of Quote 13 is either true or Ellen G. White was just plain deceived! If it was a true vision, and seeing that the present SDA organisation claims that Ellen G. White is a true prophet, then all other churches are seen as being corrupt possessed by satan their professions, prayers and exhortations are an abomination in the sight of God. So, if this is a false vision, then can her other visions be relied

12 upon? The Bible says that one single false prophecy makes one false prophet Deuteronomy 18:20-21 which says, And it shall happen, whatever man will not listen to My Words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who shall presume to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah, if the thing does not follow nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. (bolding & underlining added) In other words, should he try to amend his failed date, or attempt to bring forth another in its place, the Biblical counsel is very clear, we are to take no notice of him! God s rule is one strike and you re out! As a result of the foregoing, can the SDA s today, without any doubt, still lay claim to her as being a true prophet? What then is it to be? A false prophet and the SDA s are wrong? or, a true prophet thus making all other churches as being corrupt and satanic in origin and backing? It cannot be both! So, can we prove Ellen G. White made many false prophecies or had many false visions? It is not the intention here to go into minute detail, as space does not permit, but they can be very simply followed up by the serious student if need be. Quoted in The Great Controversy, under the heading An American Reformer, pp332, 333, is the following:- Quote No15: In 1833, Miller received from the Baptist church, of which he was a member, a licence to preach. In 1835, two years after Miller began to present in public his evidence of Christ s soon coming, the last of the signs appeared which were promised by Christ.

13 Ellen G. White herself states in Early Writings, pp232, 233:- Quote No 16: I saw God was in the proclamation of the time in It was his design to arouse people and bring them to a testing point where they should decide for or against the truth: thousands were led to embrace the truth preached by William Miller The preaching of definite time called forth great opposition for all classes. What was E.G. White s view of Miller s teaching? The following is taken from Life Sketches: Parentage and Early Life, pp136, 137:- Quote No17: In March, 1840, William Miller visited Portland, Mass., and gave his first course of lectures on the second coming of Christ. These lectures produced a great sensation, and the Christian Church on Casco Street that Mr. Miller occupied, was crowded day and night. Mr. Miller dwelt upon the prophecies, comparing them with the Bible history, that the end of the world was near But now I was listening to the most solemn and powerful sermons to the effect that Christ was coming in 1843, only a few short years in the future. From the same publication, pp148, 149, we read Mrs. White s own words: Quote No 18: In June 1842, Mr. Miller gave his second course of lectures in the Casco Street Church in Portland. The different denominations, with a very few exceptions, closed the doors of their churches against Mr. Miller. I believed the solemn words spoken by the servant of God and my heart was aggrieved when they were opposed or made the subject of jest. I attended the meetings at Casco Street quite frequently, and believed that Jesus was soon to come in the clouds of heaven. The coming of Christ did not take place in 1843; therefore, was Ellen G. White (at the time Harmon ) a victim of a deceiving spirit, or was it just an error on the part of a

14 impressionable young girl as some SDA s would have us believe? I quote once again from Life Sketches pp186, 187:- Quote No 19: God tested and proved his people by the passing of the time in We fully believe that God, in His Wisdom, designed that His people should meet with a disappointment, which was well calculated to reveal hearts and develop the true characters of those who had proposed to look for and rejoice in the coming of the Lord. Our hopes now centred on the coming of the Lord in This was the happiest year of my life. So, we can clearly see that the Ellen G. White has blamed God for their failed date of 1843! Confirmation of the above is also stated from Origin and Progress: Spiritual Gifts, p173: Quote No 20: As the time first set for the advent drew near, the meetings of the believers in Portland were marked by an ever-deepening interest and the crows increasing. But the expected time passed: the Adventists were sorely disappointed, and the scoffers triumphed. So, did God really change His mind? Or was Ellen G. White s confirming vision of Miller s date false? Continuing on, we read: Quote No 21: Many, as we have seen in the preceding chapter, gave up their faith, but the large majority held fast their confidence in God and in the movement, and these were soon able to discover the mistake in the reckoning, and look for the fulfilment of their hopes in Again the set time passed, and the Saviour did not appear. The grief and disappointment of Ellen G. Harmon were indeed great. Today, some SDA s will claim Ellen G. Harmon was only a young girl at the time and was not responsible for the aforementioned dates. Many wrongly claim the dates were of William Miller s doing. Ellen G. White has admitted that she

15 believed Miller. She has previously admitted to prophecies concerning the seventh-day, so does she claim a vision to confirm Miller s dates? And where did Miller get his dates from? Was Ellen Harmon at the time a church member? The answers to these questions are found in Origin and Progress: Spiritual Gifts, pp171, edition: Quote No 22: In one of her bright intervals, Miss Harmon was baptised and became a member of the Methodist Church. In the summer of 1842 she attended a second course of lectures given by William Miller. On page 172 of the same book it is recorded that, because of her zeal in witnessing about the soon coming Christ in 1843, not long after this, Miss Harmon, with her parents, brother and sisters, was expelled from the local Methodist church. In the same publication, Origin and Progress p173, it is also quoted:- and these were soon able to discover the mistake in the reckoning, and look to the fulfilment of their hopes in the Autumn of 1844?. What mistake? Again God is here clearly given the blame for the 1843 failure in the book Early Writings The Gathering Time, p74:- Quote No 23: September 23, the Lord showed me that He had stretched out His hand the second time to recover his people, and that the efforts must be redoubled in His gathering time. I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord, and it should not be altered; and that the figures were as He wanted them; that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some figures so that no-one could see it, until His hand was removed. Then I saw in relation to the daily sacrifice (Dan. 8:12) that the word sacrificial was supplied by man s wisdom and does not belong to the text, and that the Lord gave the correct view of it to those who gave the judgment hour cry. To what chart did Ellen G. White refer that was mentioned in Quote 23? The chart that was compiled by William Miller.

16 Miller never claimed he had a vision, or that God or an angel sent by God, told him his dates. He was a man merely in error. On his chart his starting point was a Bible reference to Daniel s 70 weeks and the 2,300 days (Dan. 9:25, Ezra 7:7). It is quite clear that Ellen G. White was not a young girl in error, for she verified by PROPHECY that the chart was from God (Quote 23), and that the Lord s coming in 1843 and 1844 were direct prophecies from God! The date on the chart and then the corrected date never ever came to pass. This proves beyond all reasonable doubt that Ellen G. White is nothing more than a self-convicted FALSE PROPHET! It must be stated here again that if Ellen G. White is NOT a false prophet, then her visions and prophecies from God (see Quote 11) are true. That is to say, that every other church which is not keeping Saturday as the Sabbath* is CORRUPT and IN THE POSSESSION OF SATAN. Their professions, their prayers and their exhortations are an ABOMINATION in the sight of God (see Quote 13). * For further insights, go to our page The Sabbath and The Lord s Day It is claimed that Ellen G. Harmon/White has had hundreds of visions. Admittedly, many things she said did come true why? Because one is on reasonably safe-ground to predict that there will be earthquakes, famines, pestilence, etc., according to Matthew 24! However, do not forget that if one is to be a true prophet, that all prophecies given as from God, must be fulfilled. Remember, God s way, one strike and you re out! The SDA organisation has claimed at times that they did not originally stem from the Millerites, or William Miller s followers. They also play down the early life and prophecies of Ellen G. White. Do they do this so that her early prophecies, which were absolute failures, will not be prominent and cause them embarrassment? The writer thinks in the affirmative! Subsequently, the SDA publication Midnight

17 Cry, p485, says: Quote No 24: SDA s were at first largely confined to the New England States. In 1855, the headquarters were moved to Battle Creek, Michigan. In 1860, the name Seventh-Day Adventist was officially adopted. In May 1863, a formal denominational organisation was created. In 1903, the headquarters were moved to Washington. However, there is another statement showing the Millerite link with the SDA s made by Francis D. Nichol, published by the Review and Herald, p10: Quote No 25: We have spiritual kinship with the Millerites, we belong to a religious body (SDA s) whose roots go down into the soil of Millerism. Long established judicial rules require a judge to disqualify himself from sitting on a case on which he has any personal interest. He may honourably act as an advocate for one side, but not as a judge between disputants. We believe the same principles hold for an author. The Midnight Cry is described as a Defence of the Character and Conduct of William Miller and the Millerites who mistakenly believed that the second coming of Christ would take place in the year 1844?. (Remember, they first believed it would occur in 1843!). QUESTIONS THAT DEMAND ANSWERS! There are many more questions which are left unanswered. Here are just a few. (a) Was Ellen G. White a Millerite? (b) Did she, and not Miller himself, confirm by prophecy, or a vision from God, that Miller s chart and dates were correct and from God? (c) Did Ellen G. White confirm by prophecy or a vision from God that the teaching of Joseph Bates (a Seventh-Day Baptist) was correct and from God? (d) Did Ellen G. White state that by a vision from God, that all other churches are corrupt, satanic and an abomination in God s sight? (e) Was the door of grace and salvation closed by God in 1844 and now

18 only those who keep Saturday as the Sabbath can now be saved? The truthful answer to all these questions is a resounding YES she did! Relating to a Seventh-Day Adventist Do you know that the average SDA who speaks to you today does not know these facts from their own literature? Rather than reject them, we should receive them lovingly and gently. Remember, TRUTH can be injurious if it is not ministered like a sledge-hammer and not in love! Remember, the SDA will try to do to you what has been done to him: he will continually try bring in SDA doctrine, or teaching which he has usually been told or read from one of their books, to prove his beliefs. In speaking with an SDA, initially it s best to adhere to the prophetic material, and not discuss doctrine no one wins by chasing theological rabbits! Remember, as the SDA s are unable, or don t want to see Ellen G. White as a false prophet (we now know she is) and they see her as a true prophet, and knowing that they see your church as being corrupt, satanically backed and an abomination to God, they may be very unwilling to discuss these things with you, so don t take it personally. (see Quote 13). The Millerites: Remember the SDA organisation will themselves admit Miller s dates were incorrect, and endeavour to disassociate themselves (and Ellen G. White) from any involvement with the Millerites. Hence, their claim that Ellen G. White was just an impressionable young girl during Miller s time. Because the SDA will not deny his belief in Ellen G. White, therefore, one must conclude that they are spiritually deceived. Has Jesus s warning in Matthew 7:15 been fulfilled, which states, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves! As said before, a prophet is one who claims to speak for another. If these people speak for Ellen G. White, then they

19 are simply prophets of Ellen G. White! If they claim to be Christians and hold to Ellen G. White as a prophet, then they are also claiming that you, as a Christian are deceived; for God showed their prophet, Ellen G. White, in a vision that you are corrupt, satanic and your prayers, and etc., are an abomination in the sight of God! We must be seen by the reader as labouring the point, but every true Christian really needs to understand what the SDA thinks about you and where he believes you are coming from spiritually! Scriptural Proof From another angle, how can it be proven beyond all shadow of doubt, that Ellen G. White is a genuine false prophet? Jesus tells us how by using what I call a gardening principle from Matthew 7:16, You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes off thorns, or figs off thistles? This verse shows the well-known rule that, like produces like. For example, you shall know an orange tree by its oranges (fruit); therefore, a prophet will be known by their prophecies (fruit)! Obviously, a false prophet bears false prophecies (rotten fruit!). Do you get figs (true prophecies) from thistles (false prophet plants)? No! We must always examine a prophet s prophecies! If proven to be false prophets, then their doctrines or teachings would be therefore suspect also. The False Teacher should be examined, in the light of the Word of God as to his doctrine and teaching. If the SDA s claim they are true Christians, and you are a genuinely Born-Again Christian then why are they trying so hard to convert YOU? Simply, because of their belief that Ellen G. White s vision in Quote 13? Jesus has already said that false prophets will come to you in sheep s (or Christians) clothing. From experience, the writer would say that the sheep skin on this Ellen G. White wolf is very thick indeed! If Jesus Himself said that false prophets would look like a

20 sheep, it is therefore logical that they would have to act like a sheep and Baa like a sheep, smell like a sheep, even say they follow the right shepherd, Jesus. But this jesus of the SDA s is not the Jesus of the Evangelical Church! SDA s believed for over 100 years that Jesus, the Son of God, is none other than MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL! This statement is taken from: Questions on Doctrine, p71, Question 8; Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 4a, p58; Prophets and Kings, p572; Desire of Ages, p99; and Story of Redemption, p173. Scriptures tell us that satan can and does appear as an ANGEL of Light. Could this be the ANGEL Ellen G. White saw and was guided by? Do we know Jesus Christ as a Person, or as an Angel? Do you believe in a place called Hell, as Jesus taught? The SDA s don t! To avoid deception one needs to know one s Bible! It is a failsafe lamp to guide one through life; one read and study it often. Why? Because the Bible is God speaking to you. Remember, God and His Word are one. The Bible, is meant to be our contact with God, through the Holy Spirit it is His contact with us (John 16:7-10). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach us and lead us into all truth! (John 16:13). Therefore, knowing the Word of God is to know the absolute Truth. Here is where the SDA s are presented with a very great and difficult problem? Having a different jesus Michael the Archangel and a genuine false prophet (in their Mrs Ellen G. White), it has to raise the very significant and important question: What spirit is it that leads them into their socalled truth and practices? Is it the Holy Spirit of the Bible? 1 Tim. 4:1 says, The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. 2 Tim. 4:3-4 also says, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in

21 accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. You are encouraged to read the following guidelines from the Bible: Matt. 7:15-23; Luke 21:8; 2 Peter 2:1-3. These verses are from God s own measuring rod the Bible. In the light of the foregoing verses, the reader has to ask the question, How do the SDA s measure up with God s standard, the Bible? A Few Facts About the Doctrines/Teachings of Seventh-Day Adventists Therefore, if the SDA believes, as we have shown, that Jesus is Michael the Archangel the only logical conclusion is that the SDA Jesus has to be simply another jesus and not the Jesus of the Bible! However, in recent years, officially, the SDA s have changed this very embarrassing belief and are now saying that they believe in the Trinity! However, the Jesus is Michael belief is still in their roots and their explanation for the change and how they view the Trinity is not plausible to the author. Note what it says in 2nd Corinthians 11:4, If indeed any could show you another Saviour, a more powerful Spirit, a better gospel. Ye might well bear with him. The following is how the SDA s taught the error for many decades, Michael, or Christ, with the angels that buried Moses, came down from heaven, after he (Moses) had remained in the grave a short time, and resurrected him, and took him to heaven. SPIRITUAL GIFTS, Vol. 4a, p58. and before the contest closed, Christ Himself came to Gabriel s aid. The Prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days, Gabriel declares; but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. (Dan. 10:13) PROPHETS AND KINGS, p572. The words of the angel, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, show that he holds a position of high honour

22 in the heavenly courts. When he came with a message to Daniel, he said, There is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael (Christ) your prince. (Dan. 10:21) THE DESIRE OF AGES, p99. Michael, or Christ, with the angels that buried Moses, came down from heaven, after he had remained in the grave a short time, and resurrected him and took him to heaven Satan claimed the body of Moses, because of his one transgression; but Christ meekly referred him to His Father, saying, The Lord rebuke thee. THE STORY OF REDEMPTION, p173. (See Jude 9 for the truth) Soul Sleep: In the year 1844 I accepted the doctrine we now hold, concerning the non-immortality of the soul, as may be seen by reference to LIFE SKETCHES, pp170, 171 (1880 edition). Hypnosis: You may wonder why we now touch on hypnosis? It is important to understand the possible link self-hypnosis may have with Ellen G. Whites well documented trance-like states. Early in her experience Ellen G. White, according to record, was cautioned regarding the perils of hypnosis, but in later years, on a number of occasions, the record also shows that she received instruction regarding it. EARLY WRITINGS, p298. One who knows about the deeper things of hypnosis, is very aware that one can pre-program oneself to go into a trance-like state by using word triggers by saying something as simple as, Glory, Glory, Glory which is on record as being exactly what Ellen G. White did immediately before having one of her many public trances or so-called visions! Why Her Prophecy Failed: This is the SDA explanation of E.G. White s failed prophecies: Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist body united the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history. SELECTED

23 MESSAGES 1, p299. Slavery: Ellen G. White said that slavery will not be destroyed by the American Civil War, The system of slavery, which has ruined our nation, is left to live and stir up another rebellion. TESTIMONY FOR THE CHURCH, p255. Remember, the Word of God says, BUT THE PROPHET WHO PROPHESIES PEACE CAN ONLY BE RECOGNISED AS ONE TRULY SENT BY YAHWEH (God s written Name) WHEN HIS WORD COMES TRUE. Jeremiah 28:9 Jerusalem Bible. In Conclusion: The letter mentioned earlier, from the wife of an SDA, at the beginning of this writing, said that after she accepted the real Lord Jesus into her life, and I quote, I have the power and authority of Jesus on my side now. His Spirit has united with my spirit and it will lead me straight through to the kingdom where I ll see Jesus. My Christian growth and life has progressed more in the last six months than it has in thirty years. Even my husband is pleased with the change in me at home! But he still gets hostile and forbids me even to say, Praise the Lord. Keep praying for me, please, and especially for my husband. Truly here is a testimony, as Paul s said in 2nd Timothy 1:12, Therefore, I suffer as I do, but I am not ashamed, FOR I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to Him. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the key when asked by His disciples as to when He was to return and what would be the sign of His coming: He replied, Take heed that no-one leads you astray for false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect (Matthew 24:3-5 and 24). Copyright F.R. Grigg 1981 Revised and Updated 2016