Interpreting Ellen White Correctly

 

 

 

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I realize that most folk believe that Ellen White needs no interpreting. However, the following quote sent to me by a person I will refer to as Gar, provides a classic example of the fact that she certainly does require interpretation. I will qualify what I mean below the email to me.

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Private

To: Ron Beaulieu

Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 1:14 PM

Subject: Re: Foolishness of Ron Beaulieu exposed

 

Ellen White would say:

No advice or sanction is given in the Word of God to those who believe the third angel's message to lead them to suppose that they can draw apart. This you may settle with yourselves forever. It is the devising of unsanctified minds that would encourage a state of disunion…. There must be no separating in this great testing time. (Selected Messages, Vol. 3, p. 21.)

 

Please notice how long we are to avoid drawing apart. Forever!! Should this not caution those who are saying that things we should leave the Church during this testing time?

 

Gar

 

 

Ron’s response: Dear Gar, let’s take the Ellen White statement you submitted above and carry it to the logical conclusion as to the way you obviously have interpreted it.

 

The words: “This you may settle with yourselves forever,” certainly are conclusive to you. That is obvious. But let me deal in the not quite so obvious elements that you apparently fail to discern.

 

By your interpretation, no one should EVER leave the professing Seventh-day Adventist new movement church. Correct? That poses as a huge problem for you. Especially since you have admitted to your belief that there will be a separation at the next Matthew 22 call to the church. You thus contradict yourself on the FOREVER element of Ellen White’s statement.

 

But if you are consistent with your obvious interpretation of the statement, you should NEVER leave the apostate SDA church. And what would be the horrendous result of that? You will be right there for the next Ezekiel 9 slaughter of men, maidens and little children. Right? Ellen White clearly also says that Ezekiel 9 will be literally fulfilled again “beginning at His Sanctuary, the House of Jacob, Jerusalem, the professing SDA church, Testimonies, Vol. 5, 211.

 

On that very same page of the Testimonies, Ellen White indicts the church leaders with unbelief. This is a high clue as to the correct interpretation of the “forever” statement you quote.

 

The only proper way to interpret the statement you sent is to carefully note the qualifying words “....those who believe the message.” Why would we ever draw apart from those who believe and obey the three angel’s message? I would never advise doing that.

 

But it is not believing the three angel’s messages for the church leaders to bring the church into liaison with Babylon in violation of the Midnight Cry, which Ellen White says gave power to the second angel’s message. To violate those messages is to disbelieve them.

 

In fact, if you believe Isaiah 8:9-12, it is unpardonable sin to violate those messages. Ellen White comes to the same conclusion in Word to the Little Flock, p. 14, wherein she says that all who stray off the Midnight Cry lighted pathway (Matt. 25), will find it impossible to get back on the path to heaven. I must conclude that implies unpardonable sin.

 

So you can begin to see that when foolish virgins make very foolish interpretations that would lead to their own slaughter, God sends someone to rightly divide the truth of the matter.

 

Here are supporting statements to my interpretation:

 

"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.

 

“The time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter.”— Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 1303.

 

The Signs of the Times, February 12, 1880:  “The desolation of Jerusalem stands as a solemn warning before the eyes of modern Israel.” 

“The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a solemn warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and admonitions given them through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity.”  Prophets and Kings, 416.    

 "While praying at the family altar, the Holy Ghost fell on me, and I seemed to be rising higher and higher, far above the dark world. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not find them--when a voice said to me, 'Look again, and look a little higher.' At this I raised my eyes and saw a straight and narrow path cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were traveling to the City, which was at the farther end of the path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the first end of the path, which an angel told me was the Midnight Cry. This light shone all along the path, and gave light for their feet so they might not stumble. And if they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the City, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and they said the City was a great way of, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising his glorious right arm, and from his arm came a glorious light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted Hallelujah! Others rashly denied the light behind them, and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and got their eyes off the mark and lost sight of Jesus, and fell off the path down in the dark and wicked world below. It was just as impossible for them to get on the path again and go to the City, as all the wicked world which God had rejected. They fell all the way along the path one after another, until we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus' coming....

By this time the 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious Star containing Jesus' new name." E.G. White, Word to the Little Flock, p. 14.

 

The Midnight Cry called us out of Babylon. Forming associations (joining Babylon’s Ministerial Associations) and/or joining its counsels/councils, girdings and confederacies, is the same thing as taking one’s eyes off the Midnight Cry which called us out of such in 1844. There is one option given by God for such an act: “broken in pieces.” That implies unpardonable sin. So Ellen White and God agree.

 

9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

11 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. Isaiah 8:9-13.

 

As I stated at the beginning, most folk don’t believe that Ellen White needs interpreting. But those very folk are interpreting her to their own damnation.

 

rb