SDA Open Letter - Is Ellen G White a True Prophet of God - I?

This is the next question in a series that I posed in an open letter to SDA Leaders in Vanautu.   All previous posts have looked at questions relating to SDA Sabbath doctrine.  During those I referred to Ellen G White.  It is obvious that much of what they claim is a direct result of the writings of one woman - their founder - Ellen G White.  It is one thing to ask questions about SDA doctrines and their various statements and interpretations, but if you dare to speak about their founder, then they will not tolerate it.  This is why I leave thorny topic this to the end.
 
It is too easy for people to counter the arguments of a certain postion by attacking the integrity of the author of that position.  This is a common media tactic aimed at breaking down institutions.  Others have explained enough about her private and controversial public life and go into her various neurological problems so I won't do that here.  

That being said, the question needs to be asked since any religion needs to be investigated as to what foundation it is built on.  The same applies to a denomination.  Now if you investgate the lives of the founders of most denominations (or cults, or other religions) you will see that with but one exeption (Christ), the founder had flaws.  The Prophets and Apostles had them, the Early Church fathers had them, Martyn Luther (founding father of Protestantism) had them.  But one flaw that they never had was falsely speaking prophesy (for example, "Thus saith the Lord...") or anything else that was divinely inspired (ie, writing scripture).   This is another reason why I will not be drawn on the character of Ellen White but concentrate on what she believed was divinely inspired. 

So I will instead focus on what Ellen G White says in the context of a so called Prophet and where her inspiration came from.  As it were, I am, 'testing the spirits,' (1Jn 4:1) The rest I let you can decide for yourself. 

because this is a long topic, I had trouble uploading the content, so I have split the discussion into two parts
1. The letter that I sent to SDA leaders (this post)
2. The discussion and background to the comments that I have put in. (Part II)

So without further ado, here is the question I posed to SDA leaders...

IS ELLEN G WHITE A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD?

Ellen G White

I want to now ask you some questions about the woman that started the SDA church and who was an active writer of many books and publications – Ellen G White.  I have read some of her material and from what I hear in enquiring with SDA leaders and followers and in reading the SDA websites that the teachings of Ellen White are very important for SDAs.  I also understand that as an SDA leader you vow to uphold her teachings as the inspired word of God. Recently you baptised about 1088 people in one day at Freswota park. [Edit: reports vary from 1,000 to 3,000 - a majority of rebaptisms and people who got baptised as something to do for the day.] At that baptism the people affirmed that they would obey and follow the writings of the prophets.  You and I both know that that refers to Sister White, but those people being baptised may be unaware of that to the best of my knowledge.
I am surprised that in recent times, I have noticed that SDA members are becoming increasingly uninterested in Ellen G White or her writings.  Often they tell me that they don’t read anything she writes and don’t care about what she has to say, and yet they avidly practice many things that are unique to her teachings, perhaps without realising it.  This is an observation and not an accusation.

The bible is very clear with warnings about false prophets and how you can identify false prophets from true ones.  So it seems fair that every time I hear of someone proclaiming to be a prophet, I measure them against the bible to determine if they are true or false.  Here is what the bible says.  Firstly this is what was written in the Law:

Deut 18:20-22 (NET)
(20)  “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.  (21)  Now if you say to yourselves, ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the LORD?’ –  (22)  whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.” 

That’s clear enough, any prophet that speaks in the name of God and the prophesy does not come true (not fulfilled) then that is a false prophet.  In the New Testament we read this

1Tim 6:3-5 (NET)
(3)  If someone spreads false teachings and does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and with the teaching that accords with godliness, (4) he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, (5)  and constant bickering by people corrupted in their minds and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit. 

So a second point here is that false teachers are ones that do not agree with what was spoken by Jesus.  Furthermore they have an unhealthy interest in controversy and verbal disputes.
Apostle Peter too warned believers to be on the lookout

 But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2Peter 2:1.

 So here we see another characteristic of a false prophet and teacher.  They bring in destructive heresies even to the point of denying the Master who bought them (Christ).

Finally John warns the believers to test every spirit...  

...Because many false prophets have gone into the world.  (1Jn 4:1b)

All believers, no matter what denomination should check out their leaders, teachers and prophets.  I am not pointing at any one denomination here but ALL denominations and ALL religions.  Because like it or not, false teachers and prophets are everywhere.  In that regard I spend a lot of time researching people who claim to be prophets and teachers.    I am near the end of my letter and I pray that every reader that reads this also check out what I say.  See if what I say is in line with history but most importantly does it align with scripture. 

So what I want to have answers to are some of Ellen G White’s prophesies and claims.
The first one We have looked at already

Adam kept the Sabbath in his innocence in Eden, he still kept it when, fallen yet repentant, he was driven from the Garden.  All the patriarchs from Adam to Noah to Abraham, to Jacob kept the Sabbath.” Ellen G White, The Great Hope pg 51-52

Again, why does she state something that is against what is stated clearly in Deuteronony 5:3.  Can a prophet from God speak something that is against the Word of God?

I also an interested as to whether you can confirm that Ellen White also claimed once that Jesus was actually the Archangel Michael.  That he was not the Son of God but was begotten by God before creation.  

EGW: "But although Christ's glory was for a time veiled and eclipsed by His assuming humanity, yet He did not cease to be God when He became man...The man Christ Jesus was not the Lord God Almighty, yet Christ and the Father are one." SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p.1129.

[EDIT: Compare that to  Isa 9:6 and Rev 1:7-8]

EGW: "Satan the tempter had claimed the body of Moses because of his sin; but Christ the Saviour brought him forth from the grave." Desire of Ages, p.421. [Referring to Jude 1:9]

EGW: Moses passed through death, but Michael came down and gave him life before his body had seen corruption. Satan tried to hold the body, claiming it as his; but Michael resurrected Moses and took him to heaven. Satan railed bitterly against God, denouncing Him as unjust in permitting his prey to be taken from him; but Christ did not rebuke His adversary, though it was through his temptation that the servant of God had fallen. He meekly referred him to His Father, saying, "The Lord rebuke thee." Early Writings, p. 164. [Referring to Jude 1:9]

 [EDIT: Compare that with what is said in 2Peter 2:11.  For a good apology on this topic visit http://www.truthorfables.com/Is_Michael_Christ.htm ]

That is the same doctrine as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and is a doctrine that denies that Christ is God.  That claim demonstrates that Sister White did not recognise Jesus as God and therefore is in danger therefore of denying the master that bought her. This came as no surprise by me as I find it interesting that Charles Taze Russell, the JW founder and Ellen White were associated (I believe indirectly through relatives) [EDIT: clarified below] and were living in the same part of America which was famous for this sort of unusual biblical interpretation.  It was the same location where Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Corporation was from.

It also comes as no surprise that Ellen G White and Charles Taze Russell both had prophesies relating to the Seventy Weeks of Daniel but were out by about 50-100 years.  And on both occasions Christ did not come.  So both have come up with “new revelations” (but quite different ones) to deal with the problem.

[I provide evidence in the next post]

Can you also explain to me why Ellen White prophesied that Christ would return in 1844, but He didn’t?  [Edit: And 1843, and 1845, and 1850, and before all of the 1856 generation had died] Was that a false prophesy?  She claimed it as a Word from the Lord but yet the actual prophesy was borrowed from William Miller, Ellen G White’s mentor.  Mr Miller confessed and repented after 1844 while Ellen White still beleived it.   I believe that is when she created the Heavenly Sanctuary Doctrine.

Now this is where it gets extremely interesting.  As a leader you know that the General Conference is the governing body of the SDA church.  Every year they meet to discuss church matters and doctrines.  Have you read the minutes of the 1919 General Conference?  This conference was different from other General Conferences.  This was the only time that the meeting was closed to the public and was by invitation only.  It happened 4 years after Ellen White’s death and about 20 years after she was exiled to Australia. (Why did the SDA church banish their founder to Australia in the first place and yet still claim she is a true prophet?)  These minutes are publically available now at the SDA archives website http://documents.adventistarchives.org

Anyway, one of the points of this conference was a discussion chiefly involving Leading Elder A.C Daniells entitled ‘The Spirit of Prophesy’  During that discussion, Elder C. L Taylor said this:

But I do see a great deal in the question Professor Benson raised, and that is if we must lay aside what Sister White has said interpreting history, or what we might call the philosophy of history, as unreliable, and also lay aside as unreliable expositions of scripture, the only natural conclusion for me, and probably for a great many others, would be that the same authorship is unreliable regarding organization, regarding pantheism and every other subject that she ever treated on; that she may have told the truth, but we had better get all the historical data we can to see whether she told the truth or not. (Eld C.L Taylor)

What I find interesting is that at this 1919 General Conference and during this secret session where the  SDA leadership boldly declared that Ellen G White was a fraud whose works and visions could not be trusted.  There were several conclusions they draw.  You may also like to know, that if you look at the index for this conference, the presiding chairman ordered the recorders to not write down what was said at certain points. 

Bible Conference 1919 minutes - index pg 12

Bible Conference 1919 minutes - index pg22

The most important items of discussion involves the seventy weeks of Daniel.  Ellen White claims that God showed her that this was the Roman Empire and in particular the Catholic Church, however, even well before 1919, the top SDA leaders knew that the 1260 days matched exactly – to the day – to Antiochus Epiphanes IV and this has nothing to do with the Roman Empire or the Roman Catholic Church.  That is not my words, but those of the SDA top leadership. 

 The SDA leading elders at the time essentially declared Ellen G White to be a false prophet! 

For those of you who want to read what was discussed at that conference, you can read it straight from the SDA Archives (documents.adventistarchives.org/Resources/1919BC/RBC19190801.pdf.)  To their credit, they still have this available on-line.  Should it disappear, I have a copy.  Warning - the discussion by these top SDA leaders is quite damning on Ellen G White and SDA doctrinal beliefs.
 

[EDIT: Primarily they deterimined that EGWs writings, and especially the SDA cornerstone book - The Great Controversy. from which things like the Sabbath doctrine emerge, and also her "Testimonies." was proven to be a plagiarized fraud.]

 Alarmingly it was also decided to cover this up and keep it from those SDA members attending bible colleges.  It is highly likely that even though you are an SDA leader here in Vanuatu, you may be completely unaware that your leaders have for nearly 100 years understood Ellen G White to be a false prophet so I do not point accusations at you for preaching what you seriously believe – the intent is to hide this from you.  Unfortunately, you well know that if you realise that fact and speak against it, then you will be sacked from the Church. Many god fearing men have been sacked for realising that the founder of the SDA church was a fraud.  I am sure though that if you were sacked, then there are plenty of God Fearing Churches that will accept you with open arms.
 
With this fact in mind, let us now consider the over 2000 [EDIT: 3000+ depending on who you ask] people baptised the other day.  At that baptism they would have made the following declaration.  This comes from your Church manual regarding how to baptise people.

Baptismal vow—Candidates for baptism or those being received into fellowship by profession of faith shall affirm their acceptance of the doctrinal beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the presence of the church or other properly appointed body.  The minister or elder should address the following questions to the candidate(s)…
…Do you accept and believe that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the remnant church of Bible prophecy? …” (SOURCE: SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH MANUAL, pgs. 30,31; ISBN 0-8280-1076-5; Revised 1995, 15th Edition; Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740)

This is the 13th question that is asked.  However, this last question as you and I know is making those people baptised declare that the SDA church is the only true church and that all other churches are churches of Satan.  I would appreciate it if you would categorically confirm this or deny this point.

Furthermore, if it is true that the SDA Church thinks that all other Churches are false (which they do think) and have all received the Mark of the Beast, then how do you justify maintaining a seat at the table of the Vanuatu Council of Churches. [EDIT: They are there as observers only: But why does one allow an organisation who is against you into the council's deliberations in the first place.  It is like inviting Samsung into the Apple Inc boardroom when they are discussing the next iPhone!  Both sell good smartphones, both are electronic companies, both make huge profits, but as recent court cases show, one copies the designs of the other.]

But my question is this: SINCE THE TOP LEADERS OF THE SDA KNOW THAT ELLEN G WHITE IS A FRAUD, WHY DO YOU STILL CONTINUE TO BAPTISE PEOPLE BY MAKING THEM DECLARE THAT THE SDA CHURCH IS THE REMNANT CHURCH OF BIBLE PROPHECY?

Can you please explain to me why Ellen G White prophesied about having been taken on a tour of the Solar System by God where she describes the planets and their moons.  This was in 1846 and 1847. Perhaps you can explain to me why she says that Jupiter had 4 moons when it actually has 63.  She also was shown by “God” that Saturn had 7 moons.  Interestingly in 1848 the 8th moon was discovered.  This fact proves that Ellen G White did not tour heaven by God, and if she did then her god does not know how many moons there are.

Can you also explain to me how God showed her people living on Jupiter. 

Can you explain to me whether Ellen White was correct when she says that angels need gold cards to enter heaven?  I cannot find a scripture anywhere that mentions gold cards. [SEE PART II]

Can you explain to me whether Ellen G White’s prophesy about God shutting the door of heaven in 1844 actually happened or not?  I can answer that one for you, the SDA leaders thankfully also declared that prophesy to be false and denied it outright, yet this was for a large part of her ministry preached as a vision from God. [SEE PART II]

Can you explain why Ellen G White claimed that Jesus began a secondary atonement when he moved from sitting at the right hand of God into the Heavenly Sanctuary or heavenly Holy of Holies in 1844?  And if he did, then why is God’s throne not in the heavenly sanctuary but outside.  Even White claims that the earthly temple was a replica of heaven, and on Earth, God dwelt in the Holy of Holies.  Furthermore, the bible says that the Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, so his death on the cross surely atoned once and for all.  The bible never says there is a secondary atonement.  You cannot imagine the relief that comes on SDA member’s faces when I tell them that – when I tell them that the Blood of Jesus, once and for all cleansed them from ALL SIN (1Jn 1:7), that God does give Eternal Life as a free gift (Rom 6:23) and that John 3:16 says:

For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16, NET)

When they see that whoever believes in him (Jesus) that they WILL NOT perish and that THEY WILL HAVE eternal life.  It is like a heavy weight dropping off their shoulders.  There are no recording angels noting down every sin you make and counted against you on Judgement Day as Ellen G White says.  The only one that does this is known as the accuser which translates to us as one word –Satan, who Jesus defeated at the cross.

These are just a small selection of the many prophesies that I have researched concerning Ellen White.  Regrettably, she has proven to be false most of the time.  Again, this is not my thinking alone, but also quite a number of SDA scholars and leaders.  This is one reason why there was recently over 200 SDA leaders who resigned from the church (have you seen the DVD they made?  There are copies around Port Vila) and why about 300,000 adherents leave the SDA church every year.

So in summary I ask this last question:  ACCORDING TO THE CRITERIA IDENTIFYING TRUE AND FALSE PROPHETS USING SCRIPTURE, CAN YOU PLEASE CONFIRM WHETHER ELLEN G WHITE IS A TRUE OR A FALSE PROPHET? 

....Continued in Part II where we look closely at Ellen G White's prophesy and prove whether she is a true or a false prophet.