The Earliest Letters of Ellen G. White
Number
1
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The Present Truth August 1, 1849 Dear Brethren
and Sisters-- The Lord has shown me that it is my duty
to relate to you, what he has revealed to me relating to the present truth,
our present tried, scattered and tempted state, and our duty in view of the
coming judgments of God. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 1} Sabbath, March 24th, 1849, we had a sweet, and very interesting meeting with the Brethren at
Topsham, Me. The Holy Ghost was poured out upon us, and I was taken off in
the Spirit to the City of the living God. There I was shown that the
commandments of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, relating to the shut
door, could not be separated, and that the time for the commandments of God
to shine out, with all their importance, and for God's people to be tried on
the Sabbath truth, was when the door was opened in the Most Holy Place of the
Heavenly Sanctuary, where the Ark is, containing the ten commandments. This
door was not opened, until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the Holy
Place of the Sanctuary in 1844. Then, Jesus rose up, and shut the door in the
Holy Place, and opened the door in the Most Holy, and passed within the
second vail, where he now stands by the Ark; and
where the faith of Israel now reaches. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 2} I saw that Jesus had shut the door in
the Holy Place, and no man can open it; and that he had opened the door in
the Most Holy, and no man can shut it: (See Rev. iii:7,
8:) and that since Jesus has opened the door in the Most Holy Place, which contains
the Ark, the commandments have been shining out to God's people, and they are
being tested on the Sabbath question. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 3} I saw that the present test on the
Sabbath could not come, until the mediation of Jesus in the Holy Place was
finished; and he had passed within the second vail;
therefore, Christians, who fell asleep before the door was opened in the Most
Holy, when the midnight cry was finished, at the seventh month 1844; and had
not kept the true Sabbath, now rest in hope; for they had not the light, and
the test on the Sabbath, which we now have, since that door was opened. I saw
that Satan was tempting some of God's people on this point. Because so many
good Christians have fallen asleep in the triumphs of faith, and have not
kept the true Sabbath, they were doubting about it
being a test for us now. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 4} I saw that the enemies of the present
truth have been trying to open the door of the Holy Place, that Jesus has
shut; and to close the door of the Most Holy Place, which he opened in 1844,
where the Ark is containing the two tables of stone, on which are written the
ten commandments, by the finger of Jehovah. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 5} Satan is now using every device in this
sealing time, to keep the minds of God's people from the present, sealing
truth; and to cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over
his people, to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was
decided on the truth, and was pure in heart, was to be covered with the
covering of Almighty God. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 6} Satan knew this, and was at work in
mighty power, to keep the minds of as many as he possibly could unsettled, and wavering on the truth. I saw that the mysterious
knocking in N.Y. and other places, was the power of Satan; and that such
things would be more and more common, clothed in a religious garb, to lull
the deceived to more security; and to draw the minds of God's people, if
possible, to those things and cause them to doubt the teachings, and power of
the Holy Ghost. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 7} I saw that Satan was working through
agents, in a number of ways. He was at work through ministers, who have
rejected the truth, and are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie
that they might be damned. While they were preaching, or praying some would
fall prostrate and helpless; not by the power of the Holy Ghost, no, no; but
by the power of Satan breathed upon these agents and through them to the people.
Some professed Adventists who had rejected the present truth, while preaching
praying or in conversation used Mesmerism to gain adherents, and the people
would rejoice in this influence, for they thought it was the Holy Ghost. And
even some that used it, were so far in the darkness
and deception of the Devil, that they thought it was the power of God, given
them to exercise. They had made God altogether such an
one as themselves; and had valued his power as a thing of naught. {RH, August
1, 1849 par. 8} Some of these agents of Satan were
affecting the bodies of some of the saints; those that they could not deceive
and draw away from the truth by a satanic influence. Oh! that all could get a
view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more of the wiles
of Satan, and be on their guard. I saw that Satan was at work in these ways
to distract, deceive, and draw away God's people, just now in this sealing
time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees
were trembling, and their feet were sliding; because they were not firmly
planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn
over them while they were thus trembling. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 9} Satan was trying his every art to hold
them where they were, until the sealing was past, and the covering drawn over
God's people, and they left out, without a shelter from the burning wrath of
God, in the seven last plagues. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 10} God has begun to draw this covering over
his people, and it will very soon be drawn over all who are to have a shelter
in the day of slaughter. God will work in power for his people; and Satan
will be permitted to work also. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 11} I saw that the mysterious signs and
wonders, and false reformations would increase, and spread. The reformations
that were shown me, were not reformations from error
to truth; but from bad to worse; for those who professed a change of heart,
had only wrapt about them a religious garb, which covered up the iniquity of
a wicked heart. Some appeared to have been really converted, so as to deceive
God's people; but if their hearts could be seen, they would appear as black
as ever. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 12} My accompanying angel bade me look for
the travail of soul for sinners as used to be. I looked, but could not see
it; for the time for their salvation is past. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 13} At the commencement of the Holy Sabbath,
(Jan. 5,) we engaged in prayer with Bro. Belden's family at Rocky Hill, Ct.,
and the Holy Ghost fell upon us. I was taken off in vision to the Most Holy
Place, where I saw Jesus still interceding for Israel. On the bottom of his
garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a
pomegranate. Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the Most Holy Place, until
every case was decided either for salvation or destruction: and that the
wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished his work in the Most
Holy Place--laid off his priestly attire and clothed
himself with the garments of vengeance. Then Jesus will step out from between
the Father and man, and God will keep silent no longer; but pour out his
wrath on those who have rejected his truth. I saw that the anger of the
nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead, were separate
events, one following the other. I saw that Michael had not stood up, and that the time of trouble, such as never was, had
not yet commenced. The nations are now getting angry, but when our High
Priest has finished his work in the Sanctuary, he will stand up, put on the
garments of vengeance, and then the seven last plagues will be poured out. I
saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done
in the Sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues
enraged the wicked against the righteous, and they thought that we had
brought them down upon them, and if they could rid the earth of us, then the
plagues would be stayed. A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused
them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob's
trouble. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of spirit, and were
delivered by the Voice of God. Then the 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were
lighted up with the glory of God. Then I was shown a company who were howling
in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, "thou art
weighed in the balance, and found wanting." I asked who this company
were. The angel said, "these are they who have once kept the Sabbath and
have given it up." I heard them cry with a loud voice--"we have
believed in thy coming, and taught it with energy." And while they were
speaking, their eyes would fall upon their garments and see the writing, and
then they would wail aloud. I saw they had drunk of the deep waters, and
fouled the residue with their feet--trodden the Sabbath underfoot, and that
is why they were weighed in the balance and found wanting. Then my attending angel directed me to the City again, where I saw four angels
winging their way to the gate of the City, and were just presenting
the golden card to the angel at the gate. Then I saw another angel swiftly
flying from the direction of the most excellent glory, and crying with a loud
voice to the other angels, and waving something up and down in his hand. I
asked my attending angel for an explanation of what I saw. He told me that I
could see no more then, but he would shortly show me what those things that I
then saw meant. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 14} Sabbath afternoon one of our number was sick, and requested prayers that he might be
healed. We all united in applying to the Physician who never lost a case, and
while healing power came down, and the sick was
healed, the Spirit fell upon me, and I was taken off in vision. I saw four
angels who had a work to do on the earth, and were
on their way to accomplish it. Jesus was clothed with Priestly garments. He
gazed in pity on the remnant, then raised his hands upward, and with a voice
of deep pity cried--"My Blood, Father, My Blood, My Blood, My Blood". Then I saw an exceeding bright light come
from God, who sat upon the great white throne, and was shed all about Jesus.
Then I saw an angel with a commission from Jesus, swiftly flying to the four
angels who had a work to do on the earth, and waving something up and down in
his hand, and crying with a loud voice--"Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the servants of God are sealed in their
foreheads." I asked my accompanying angel the meaning of what I heard,
and what the four angels were about to do. He shewed
me that it was God that restrained the powers, and that he gave his angels
charge over things on the earth, and that the four angels had power from God
to hold the four winds, and that they were about to let the four winds go,
and while they had started on their mission to let them go, the merciful eye
of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not all sealed, then he raised his
hands to the Father and plead with him that he had spilled his blood for
them.--Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels,
and bid them hold until the servants of God were sealed with the seal of the
living God in their foreheads. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 15} I have seen the tender love that God has
for his people, and that it is very great. I saw an angel over every saint,
with their wings spread about them: and if the saints wept through
discouragement, or were in danger, the angel that ever attended them would
fly quickly upward to carry the tidings, and the angels in the City would
cease to sing. Then Jesus would commission another angel to descend to
encourage, watch over and try to keep them from going out of the narrow path:
but, if they did not take heed to the watchful care of these angels, and
would not be comforted by them, and continued to go astray, the angels would
look sad and weep. Then they would bear the tidings upward, and all the
angels in the City would weep, and then with a loud voice say, Amen. But if
the saints fixed their eyes on the prize before them, and glorified God by
praising him, then the angels would bear the glad tidings to the City, and
the angels in the city would touch their golden harps and sing with a loud
voice--Alleluia! and the heavenly arches would ring
with lovely songs. I will here state, that there is perfect order and harmony
in the holy City. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 16} All the angels that are commissioned to
visit the earth, hold a golden card which they
present to the angels at the gates of the City, as they pass in and out.
Heaven is a good place. I long to be there, and behold my lovely Jesus, who
gave his life for me, and be changed into his
glorious image. Oh! for language to express the
glory of the bright world to come. I thirst for the living streams that make
glad the City of our God. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 17} The Lord has given me a view of other
worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the City to a
place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green,
and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were
of all sizes, they were noble, majestic and lovely. They bore the express
image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of
the freedom and happiness of the place. I asked one of them why they were so
much more lovely than those on the earth. The reply was--"we have lived
in strict obedience to the commandments of God and have not fallen by
disobedience, like those on the earth. There I saw two trees,
one looked much like the tree of life in the City. The fruit of both looked
beautiful; but of one they could not eat. They had power to eat of both, but
were forbidden to eat of one. Then my attending angel said to me--"none
in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat they
would fall." Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. Then I
saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. On his right arm he bore a
glorious palm, and on each leaf was written Victory. Around his head was a
dazzling white wreath, and leaves on the wreath, and in the middle of each
leaf was written Purity; and around the leaf were stones of various colors,
that shone brighter than the stars, and cast a reflection upon the letters,
and magnified them. On the back part of his head was a bow that confined the
wreath, and upon the bow was written Holiness. Above the wreath was a lovely
crown that shone brighter than the sun. I asked him if this was the place he
was taken to from the earth. He said "it is not; but the City is my
home, and I have come to visit this place." He moved about the place as
if perfectly at home. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that
place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again.
Then the angel said--"you must go back, and if you are faithful, you,
with the 144,000 shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and
viewing the handy work of God." {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 18} Dec. 16, 1848, the Lord gave me a view
of the shaking of the powers of the heavens. I saw that when the Lord said
"heaven" (in giving the signs recorded by Matt., Mark and Luke,) he
meant heaven, and when he said "earth" he meant earth. The powers
of heaven, are the Sun, Moon and Stars: they rule in
the heavens. The powers of earth are those who bear rule on the earth. The
powers of heaven will be shaken at the voice of God. Then the Sun, Moon, and
Stars will be moved out of their places. They will not pass away, but be
shaken by the voice of God. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 19} Dark, heavy clouds came up, and clashed
against each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back, then
we could look up through the open space in Orion, from whence came the voice
of God. The Holy City will come down through that open space. I saw that the
powers of earth are now being shaken, and that events come in order. War, and rumors of war,--sword, famine
and pestilence, are first to shake the powers of earth, then the voice
of God will shake the Sun, Moon and Stars, and this earth also. I saw that
the shaking of the powers in Europe is not (as some teach) the shaking of the
powers of heaven, but it is the shaking of the angry nations.
E. G. White. {RH, August 1, 1849 par. 20} |