Summary
Here in Part 3 we’ll look at how one of Ellen G White’s (EGWs) early visions appears to have come from human origin. In fact, if it had come from God, then the people would not have believed her when she had the vision.
While this event may seem significant on it’s own, there were so many things I’ve found over the past year of research, that this has become one of the most profound. I shows EGW was capable of dishonesty.
Ask an Adventist. How do you tell if a prophet is false? They might tell you that a false prophet will lead you away from the bible, or that they deny some part of the bible.
That’s a pretty good answer, though it leads to being able to say all of the dogmas of one particular church are biblical and the others aren’t, so by extension all others are rejected. We’ll pick this particular subject up in another setting, but it is something that I have been fighting against since I returned to Adventism in 2014.
So I want to ask another question. How do you know when a prophet is trying to pull the proverbial wool over your eyes?
- If enough time passes that their predictions begin to show that they only prophecies what was already documented by mankind at that exact time, then we might assume them to be a cheat. I wouldn’t believe in the bible if it did that.
- If they have new policies that will exclude you if you don’t beieve them and only them.
- I say this because the bible is clear. Jesus Christ is the stumbling block, not dates, not biblical understanding, not dogmas, not anything. It’s three simple things:
- Belief in the Son Jesus Christ who came in the flesh and died for our sins.
- It’s walking just as he walked (and I believe that to be keeping the commandments by the Spirit, and [by extension] with my flesh because it makes sense to do it when led by Him)
- Loving your neighbor as yourself.
- I say this because the bible is clear. Jesus Christ is the stumbling block, not dates, not biblical understanding, not dogmas, not anything. It’s three simple things:
Anybody who says it is more is obligated to live by the very things they say that must be done, and we know all flesh has fallen short of this very point.
My point is, both of these red flags are found in EGWs writings. The latter, the new policies didn’t even come from her, it came from the Millerites who believe all other churches had been rejected by God. We will discuss that in detail within another document, and why it fails on one single point.
For now, let’s look at how Ellen sought to impress a few people with a vision of things she said she didn’t know, but ultimately only quoted directly from the late scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695).
Ellen's Visions Only Capable of Current Published Scientific Discoveries
This particular subject is very interesting to me, because I own a first print of a book by J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH (JNL), titled The Second Great Advent Movement. It’s an amazing book! The things written therein make me burn with desire to know God.
I had read this testimony before, and I never realized that there was something wrong with it until people were saying that Ellen G White (EGW) said things like there were people living on Jupiter. Now, I haven’t found that she said that when I went back and looked, but I did find a huge item, which is one of the first three on my list of reasons that I can not believe that EGW was capable of filling the role that she tried to take on.
JNL was a family friend of the Whites, and strong believer in EGW. He gives many testimonies in accordance with his belief in the authenticity of EGW. One particular story strikes me as very telling as to what we could be dealing with. Dishonesty, and more than that, possibly a willingness to cheat the system by others, so that EGW would remain a prophet in the yes of her community.
Let’s break down this part of a chapter form The Second Great Advent Movement before reading the actual text.
Very early in EGWs days of establishing herself as a prophetess, she met with early Adventists at an event in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1846. There were many who did not believe that her visions were genuine, and even after this vision where he was present, Elder Damman as we discussed in the previous article, decided to not believe she was a prophetess due to too many contradictions in her visions.
Here’s how the scenario goes: EGW was met with doubt from a sea captain (Elder Bates), and in particular he though she maybe a bit naive because she seemed to know nothing about the heavens other than what was in the bible.
Then at a later date during this same event, EGW has a miraculous vision of the heavens in front of Elder Bates, and recants all the marvels that she can see. Where the problem is, is that she recounts everything that modern literature had already said, including moon counts for the planets Jupiter and Saturn.
Within one year after her vision, a new moon was discovered, and many more have since been found. So was EGWs vision genuine, or did she access literature and base her vision on what she had just learned?
p.255 THE GREAT SECOND ADVENT MOVEMENT
Elder Bates Skeptical of the Visions
The following statement, abridged from ” Life Sketches,”
will show how the gift of prophecy and the Sabbath reform
were united : —
While on a visit to New Bedford, Mass., in 1846, Miss
Harmon became acquainted with Elder Joseph Bates. He
had early embraced the advent faith, and was an active laborer
in the cause. He was a true Christian gentleman, courteous
and kind. He treated Miss Harmon as tenderly as
though she were his own child. The first time he heard her
speak, he manifested deep interest, and after she had ceased,
he arose and said, I am a doubting Thomas. I do not
believe in visions. But if I could believe that the testimony
the sister has related to-night was indeed the voice of God to
us, I should be the happiest man alive. My heart is deeply
moved. I believe the speaker to be sincere, but I cannot
explain in regard to her being shown the wonderful things
she has related to us.”
Elder Bates Accepts the Visions as from God
In the month of November, 1846, a conference was held
in Topsham, Maine, at which Elder Bates was present. At
that meeting Mrs. White (Miss Harmon’s marriage to Elder
James White has been previously noticed) had a vision which
was the cause of Elder Bates’s becoming fully satisfied as to
their divine origin. He was a man who had followed the sea
for fifty years, filling all positions from cabin-boy up to master
and owner of vessels. His understanding of astronomy was
such that, as he told me, he could tell very nearly where he
was upon the sea, as to latitude and longitude, by his observation
of the celestial bodies. Such a one would naturally be
interested in talking about astronomy.
In conversation with him, he told me how he became convinced
of the divine origin of the visions. He said he tried
to talk with Mrs. White one day about the stars, but he soon
found she knew nothing about astronomy; in fact, as she
told him, she did not know as she had ever looked into a
book treating on that subject. She had no inclination to
converse upon that topic, and turned the conversation by
talking about the new earth, and what had been shown her
in vision respecting it.
The “Opening Heavens”
In the previous year, April 19, 1845, the Illustrated London
New.; had published something of great interest to astronomers
from Lord Rosse, respecting the wonderful discoveries
he had made through his monster telescope, especially
a view of what astronomers call ” the gap in the sky.” One
evening, at the conference above mentioned, at the house of
Mr. Curtiss and in the presence of -Oder Bates, who was
yet undecided in regard to these manifestations, Mrs. White,
while in vision, began to talk about the stars, giving a glowing
description of rosy-tinted belts which she saw across the
surface of some planet, and added, ” I see four moons.”
” Oh,” said Elder Bates, ” she is viewing Jupiter ! ” Then
having made motions as though traveling through space,
she began giving a description of belts and rings in their ever varying beauty, and said, ” I see seven moons.” 7Elder Bates
exclaimed, ” She is describing Saturn.” Next she said; ” I see
six moons,” and at once began a description of the ” opening
heavens,” with its glory, calling it an opening into a region
more enlightened. Elder Bates said that her description far
surpassed any account of the opening heavens lie had ever
read from any author.
While she was talking and still in vision, he arose to his
feet, and exclaimed, ” 0 how I wish Lord John Rosse was
here to-night! ” Elder White inquired, ” Who is Lord John
Rosse ? ” ” Oh,” said Elder Bates, ” he’ is the great English
astronomer. I wish he was here to hear that woman talk astronomy,
and to hear that description of the opening heavens.’
It is ahead of anything I ever read on the subject.” From that
evening Elder Bates became fully satisfied that the visions of
Mrs. White were outside of her knowledge and control. This
and the character of the reproof and instruction given, satisfied
him that they were from God.
This phenomenon in the heavens thus described by Mrs.
White in that vision, is a matter rarely mentioned by astronomical
writers. Hugins, the first discoverer of it, gives the
following description : —
A Glorious Light in the Sword of Orion
” Astronomers place three stars close together in the
sword of Orion ; when I viewed the middlemost with a telescope,
in the year 1656, there appeared in the place of that one
twelve other stars ; among these, three that almost touch each
other, and four more besides appeared, twinkling as through
a cloud, so that the space about them seemed much brighter
than the rest of the heaven, which, appearing wholly blackish,
by reason of the fair weather, was seen as through a curtain
opening, through which one had a free view into another
region which was more enlightened.”
William Herschel says of this opening in the sky :—
” If its diameter at this distance subtend an angle of 1o°,
which it nearly does, its magnitude must be utterly inconceivable.
It has been calculated that it must be two trillions
of times the dimensions of the sun.”
Lighter than the Sun
Thomas Dick, the philosopher, thus speaks of this luminous
nebula : —
” Were we placed as near it as one half the distance of
the nearest star, great as that distance is, from such a point
it would exhibit an effulgence approximating to that of the
sun ; and to beings at much nearer distance it would fill a
large portion of the sky, and appear with a splendor inexpressible.
But the ultimate design of such an object, in all
its bearings and relations, may perhaps remain to be evolved
during the future ages of an interminable existence; and, like
many other objects in the distant spaces of creation, it excites
in the mind a longing desire to behold the splendid and mysterious
scenes of the universe a little more unfolded.” 8
Elder Bates, in concluding an article upon the subject,
said : —
” Thus we see from all the testimony adduced (and we
could give much more, were it necessary), that here is a
most wonderful and inexplainable phenomenon in the heavens ;
a gap in the sky more than eleven billion and three hundred
and fourteen [11,oc0,000,314] miles in circumference. Says
the celebrated Hugins, ‘ I never saw anything like it among
the rest of the fixed stars — a free view into another region
more enlightened.’
Another Testimony—on -the Planet Vision
Again we quote from Mrs. Truesdail, who was present
on the occasion of the giving of the vision referred to. She
says : —
” Sister White was in very feeble health, and while prayers
were offered in her behalf, the Spirit of God rested upon us.
We soon noticed that she was insensible to earthly things.
This was her first view of the planetary world. After counting
aloud the moons of Jupiter, and soon after those of
Saturn, she gave a beautiful description of the rings of the
latter. She then said, The inhabitants are a tall, majestic
people, so -unlike the inhabitants of earth. Sin has never entered
here.’ It was evident from Brother Bates’s smiling face
that his past doubts .in regard to the source of her visions
were fast leaving him. We all knew that Captain Bates was
a great lover of astronomy, as he would often locate many of
the heavenly bodies for our instruction. When Sister White
replied to his questions, after the vision, saying that she had
never studied or otherwise received knowledge in this direction,
he was filled with joy and happiness. He praised God,
and expressed his belief that this vision concerning the planets
was given that he might never again doubt.” 9
It is here that I want to point out the first peculiarity about this story. There is a footnote on page 258, below the section with the subtitle “The Opening Heavens”, where JNL states that someone at the Review and Herald publishing house changed his testimony about the amount of moons that Ellen said Saturn had. They had changed it to 8 from 7, and he states that it was not what Ellen had said. She said 7. This 7 will be important in a moment.
Quoting from the book as displayed in the photo above:
**In “Rise and Progress” it says she saw eight moons to Saturn. This
change was made after the proofs went out of my hands. More moons to both Jupiter and Saturn have since been discovered.
when Ellen had this vision, it was at a time when only 7 moons had been discovered for Saturn. It would be about another year until they discovered an 8th moon. And after that time, JNL had his book “Rise and Progress” printed and someone at the Review and Harald publishing house changed his text to reflect the newly discovered moon prior to printing his book. In this way, his footnote here was a hedge against it happening again, and I’m glad he took the time.
Whether or not the editors thought it must have been a mistake by JNL that EGW had not prophesied the correct amount of moons, they should have probably asked. And certainly it is a witness to the fact that anyone who believes that EGW is a prophet would assume that God would have shown her since he is the divine creator.
The only other scenario is that they were purposely protecting the reputation of EGW. This as it turns out is not my primary concern here, it’s just worth noticing.
The real problem here is that Elder Bates was a successful retired sea captain who did not believe in Ellen, and she was well aware of it. She needed a way to win him over, and as everyone knew that he was a star gazer, she needed an opportunity to impress him. This is especially apparent on the heels of him spurning her for not knowing much about the visible heavens.
Ellen at some point had to have had an opportunity to read the astronomical accounts of their time, astronomical reports on the planets and Orion. Note that she denies having read such materials, and James her husband also asks who these men are who write the same phrase for phrase description of Orion that Ellen uses. Maybe James didn’t know, but I will tell you this. No vision from God is only as good as the very latest evidence known to man.
Here it is plainly. Ellen recounts amazing descriptions of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, even giving exact moon counts according to the knowledge of her time. Then she goes on to describe Orion, and this is where she certainly gives herself away, as she gives her sources of inspiration away in her description of Orion.
JNL even goes on to excitedly tell the reader that her account is why they believe there is evidence that she has had a vision from God. He really believes that this little woman could not have read the same materials that he has, because she said she didn’t.
Here is where we run into a modern problem that neither of these individuals could see coming. Someday we would have improved telescopes and we would be able to see clearly what was originally only available through an imagination of what they might be looking at.
Let’s pause a moment and take a look at the first photographs of Orion taken some thirty four years after this event.
First photograph of the Nebula in Orion. Taken by Professor Henry Draper in 1880.
Photograph of the Orion Nebula taken by A.A. Common in 1883 with an exposure of one hour.
Ellen Whites description of an opening of space gives me deep memories of my childhood. My mother always used to tell me about the hole in space that Jesus will enter through, the one Ellen White told us about.
As a small boy I really believed her, but then to me that didn’t really make sense as the years went by, God doesn’t need a hole or portal between us and him, and especially one some 1,344 light years away. He can just appear. But maybe that’s besides the point. What is important though is Orion never turned out to be a hole in space, some sort of portal to a “region more enlightened”.
This concept of a hole in space linking to a region more enlightened wasn’t inspiration from God, it was a direct quote from Christiaan Huygens who died more than 150 years before EGW used his description in vision (Huygens was improperly listed as Hugins by JNL I might add).
Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) as it turns out discovered the first of Saturn’s moons, and sketched the Orion nebula using a refracting telescope. He also created diagrams of Saturn, and reasoned that beings must live on the planets Mars and Jupiter. If anything, EGW could have gleaned the whole thing from just Huygens book and an updated count on the moons!
This region, more enlightened, was a nebula, the result of a supernova, and bright because of all of the star generation within its region. That’s the simple truth, yet it was only last year that I overheard a young adult pastor training his youth on this opening in space that EGW had witnessed and that Christ would return through.
I got treated stupid, or at least he was annoyed that I opened my mouth in that moment, stating that it was based on a misunderstanding of early descriptions that the founders had read previously. I get it, to be an Adventist means to you all things Adventist are holy, but it will not profit anyone who has pride.
To be fair it won’t benefit me to think those who believe it are fools as well. It’s just tough to see that since EGW said it, then we don’t need to ask questions.
The official argument from the Ellen White Estate is that since Ellen was never quoted as saying “Jupiter” or “Saturn” that it was merely a case of mistaken identity, and that the entire group just didn’t understand that EGW was seeing some other planets that looked just like Jupiter and Saturn.
Does this not deny logic? Were these people not her friends? Did Mrs. Truesdail or JNL not continue to speak with her with additional dialogue both after the vision and then possibly before writing a book about it? JNLs book was published some 60 years after it first happened. That’s a long time for a family friend to have gotten the story wrong.
I’m certain God isn’t going to force us to believe it the way the EGW Estate sees it. And, if you want to believe it, then we can sort the details out when all is known clearly in Heaven.
Conclusion
Here we are presented with a problem. See, if someone comes to us today speaking many things according to Gods word, and they say they have visions from God, we might believe them; but if they tell us everything known to man, then it changes a year from now, do we count them as a prophet? No, we count them as a Christian who thinks they are a prophet. I will stand back from what I perceive to be an error in the teachings of EGW, and I am certain God will not hold it against me for expecting more from his servant.
What’s sad is that she didn’t say that those planets had more moons, and that they didn’t believe her, and then later they found out and believed because she had received a vision from the Creator of all things. That’s what genuine prophecy.
Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.
Its clear that EGW had some sort of visions, but it is also clear that at least to some degree the visions had the propensity to be of human origin. As we’ll see in other parts, she didn’t just fail on scientific understanding while claiming to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, but also she failed quite often in predicting her near future.
That said, EGW did try hard to do the work of God, and to that matter she may very well have been fooling herself to some degree. It’s a beautiful thing that she could consume written text (IE: the bible) and then see all the things in her minds eye that may or may not have been missing details. I admire her work and effort to keep her mind on a straight and narrow path, and to use that gift for Gods glory. I find most of her views very insightful, and she knew her bible very well.
Where I will not tread with Adventism is the belief that this prophetess is a sign that they are Gods only chosen church when there are others living in accordance with the bible. The Adventists are more faithful than the majority, and in most countries and regions they are the default option for Sabbath keeping Christians. We just can’t let that go to our head. No Christian should.
The signs a clear, there’s problems no matter where you go, and if king Saul could prophecy full of the Holy Spirit, so could EGW. But that doesn’t mean she could on a daily basis for her entire life. That sort of belief in enlightenment was for Buddah, not the followers of Christ. Lest we should forget king David, Solomon, Samuel, or Moses who all made mistakes late in life.
Shall we depend on a prophetess who was as accurate as Nostradamus about her immediate future? Shall we look to her as the sign of Gods blessing when she bases her visions on the work of men of her day?
It was EGW who gave her blessing on the Millerite teaching that the other churches were rejected because of 1844.
“When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them.
Spirit of Prophecy vol. 4 p. 232.1
She has gone and tried to make a new stumbling block, one that will always remain Christ alone. And further, the church has no proof that the 2300 days start with the 70 weeks prophecy (this being the point that brings us to 1844). the 2300 years could have just as well started at the end of the 70 weeks. The bible doesn’t say for sure one way or another.
If that doesn’t open a whole can of worms, I don’t know what does, but it is the truth, and we’ll discuss it in part 4. The church has no proof that 1844 was the absolute day. It is just the widely accepted truth, and as such used as a reason to spurn their brothers and sisters under the banner of Christ, and because EGW said so.
“Many shepherds of the flock, who professed to love Jesus, said that they had no opposition to the preaching of Christ’s coming, but they objected to the definite time. God’s all-seeing eye read their hearts. They did not love Jesus near. They knew that their unchristian lives would not stand the test, for they were not walking in the humble path marked out by Him.
Early Writings 233.2
Jesus is the stumbling stone. Not dates, not a prophet or prophetess, not dogmas. Take pride in him, our super cool God who will forgive us when we repent our sins through talking to him daily.
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.
Walking his way is proof that we know him. I can testify in my own life, that being mindful of sin and admitting it allows us to let it go. It’s a natural process, and proof that we know who created us.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Love one another, and don’t believe you’re worthy of the best seat in Gods house. Let him make that distinction.
Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
EGWs views are quite different than what I have heard directly form the Seventh Day Baptist church for example. They told me that the preaching about 1844 was rejected because as we spoke about in Part 1, no man, no angel, not even Jesus knows the day or the hour of Christs return.
This is in addition to them rejecting those preachers because they found it un-biblical to have people prepare for some future day, when we should be ready every day. So were they rejected based on sinful behavior then? Sounds like someone is splitting hairs.
In Part 4, we’ll get into how Adventism basis their belief in 1844 on an idea pitched by William Miller, and blessed by Ellen G White, but actually can not be proved one way or another.
I actually do agree with 99% of the logic used by the Adventist church in regards to their date setting for the close of the 2300 years, but there will be one key difference. It’s something that they’re taking for granted, and there’s no absolute biblical foothold once it is exposed.
