Ellen White Says SDA Church Militant Would Commit
Unpardonable Sin
Dear
Reader,
It has
been maintained by some that Ellen White never said that the SDA Church
militant would commit unpardonable sin. The following statement indeed says
just that, and it is written in the past-perfect tense, which goes into the
future and speaks of the future as though it were already fulfilled. The
statement appears in the 1884 Great Controversy, and Vance Ferrell, an SDA
minister who did much research into that book, before deciding to re-publish
it, says that the 1844 edition was written specifically for Seventh-day
Adventist, with the 1884 and 1911 editions being written for the world. Here
is Ellen White statement that clearly implies that the corporate church would
commit unpardonable sin. This does not mean that a remnant would escape out
of it:
"Jesus
sends HIS PEOPLE a message of warning to prepare them for his coming. To the
prophet John was made known the closing work in the great plan of man's
redemption. He beheld an angel flying 'in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear
God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come; and worship
him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters
[Rev. 14:6, 7].
The angel represented in prophecy as delivering this message, symbolizes a
class of faithful men, who, obedient to the promptings of God's Spirit and
the teachings of his word, proclaim this warning to the inhabitants of earth.
This message was not to be committed to the religious leaders of the people.
They had failed to preserve their connection with God, and had REFUSED THE
LIGHT FROM HEAVEN; therefore they WERE NOT of the number described by the
apostle Paul: 'But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should
overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children
of the day; we are not of the night nor of darkness [1 Thess. 5:4, 5].
The watchmen upon the walls of Zion should be the first to catch the tidings
of the Saviour's advent, the first to lift their voices to proclaim him near,
the first to warn the people to prepare for his coming. But they were at
ease, dreaming of peace and safety, while the people were asleep in their
sins. Jesus saw HIS CHURCH, like the barren fig-tree, covered with
pretentious leaves, yet destitute of precious fruit. There was a boastful
observance of the forms of religion, while the spirit of true humility,
penitence and faith--which alone could render the service acceptable to
God--was lacking. Instead of the graces of the Spirit, there were manifested
pride, formalism, vainglory, selfishness, oppression. A BACKSLIDING CHURCH
closed their eyes to the signs of the times. God did nor forsake them, or
suffer his faithfulness to fail; but they departed from him, and SEPARATED
THEMSELVES from his love. As they REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS, his
promises were NOT FULFILLED to them." E.G. White, The Spirit of
Prophecy, vol. 4, pp. 199-200 [The 1884 edition of The Great Controversy, NOT
TO BE CONFUSED WITH TESTIMONIES, VOL 4].
Some
try to maintain that the above statement refers only to the fallen churches
since 1844. That is not correct, and we will prove such. First of all, the
statement begins in the present tense with the words: "Jesus sends
HIS PEOPLE a message of warning to prepare them for his coming. The
statement was written in 1884, so it must apply to God's people since that
time also.
The words "...a backsliding church..." must refer to a church that
was once not backslidden, and that can refer only to the SDA church militant.
Ellen White said in 1893, that the church was keeping the commandments of
God, and heeding the Laodicean Message. Since that time, the professing SDA
Church has grossly backslidden from that stance, to the point that on April
21, 1903, Ellen White called the church a harlot, Testimonies, vol. 8, 250.
However,
a more important "greater light" proof that the above statement is
inclusive of the current day professing Seventh-day Adventist Church is found
in Ezekiel 5 and 9. Ellen White said that Ezekiel 9 would have another
literal fulfillment involving the entire world, but that it would "begin
at His sanctuary," Testimonies, vol. 5, 211. Ezekiel chapter 5 is
another description of Ezekiel 9, and in verses 1-5 of Ezekiel 5, we find
that only a small remnant is "taken in thy skirts," and the
remaining three-thirds of the church, symbolized by Ezekiel shaving his head
and forming the hairs into three separate parts, is destroyed.
How do
we know from the "greater light" of Scripture that Ezekiel 9 will
be literally repeated? We can reasonably conclude such from Ezekiel 5:9,
where God mentions that in connection with the scenario of Ezekiel 5, He will
do the worst thing He has ever done or will ever again do, and of course that
refers to the great time of Jacob's trouble at the end-time, depicted in
Matt. 24:21. If the AD 70 fulfillment of Ezekiel 5 and 9, was the worst thing
God has ever done or will ever do again, then such would not occur at the
end-time. So Ezekiel 5 and 9, prove that Ellen White's 1884 Great Controversy
statement is most apropos to the current day professing Seventh-day Adventist
church, and aptly, prophetically, if you will, describes its ultimate
outcome.
"Study
the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally fulfilled; yet the
time is passing, and the people are asleep. They refuse to humble their souls
and to be converted. Not a great while longer will the Lord bear with the
people who have such great and important truths revealed to them, but who
refuse to bring these truths into their individual experience. The time is
short. God is calling; will YOU hear? Will YOU receive His message? Will YOU
be converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon, every case will be
decided for eternity. Letter 106, 1909, pp. 2, 3, 5, 7. (To "The
churches in Oakland and Berkeley, September 26, 1909.)" E. G. White Manuscript
Releases Volume One, p. 260.
And
then there is the alarming statement by Ellen White that the corporate SDA
church would be brought down to hell:
"And
thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art
exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell:
for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in
Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it
shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, than
for thee." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, vol. 3, p. 69, col.
3.
One
SDA Pastor, posting on an internet chat group, said that the above statement
was written by Ellen White on a day when she was just discouraged with the
church! Mighty powerful statement for a prophetess to make about the SDA
Church, just because she might have been "discouraged with the
church." And what right would anyone have to interpolate Ellen White's
words? Does the Pastor in mention, propose to read Ellen White's mind?
These
statements along with Ellen White's many statements that the SDA church was
and obviously still is following in the tracts of ancient Israel, demonstrate
that her 1884 Great Controversy, pp. 199-200 statement is applicable to the
professing SDA Church today.
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