This is an E-mail from an “all or nothing” believer in the Writings of Sister Ellen G. White. I sent it to brother Geoff, a brother who holds to a similar principle in her writings, and I will post his reaction below:
Here is my introduction to the below-forwarded e-mail:
Brother Geoff:
Christian greetings to you.
In the spirit of our last conversation about the near-infallibility of Ellen White, in that, she has not reversed herself on any teaching, I was greatly humored by the below e-mail I’ve just opened from a died-in-the-wool Ellen White devotee. This is a 93 year-old white Adventist in the Loma Linda region, and here is his recent e-mail on the “color of Christ.” I want you to take special note that, on the evidence of the Spirit of Prophecy, Jesus Christ is White! All edits belong to the e-mail, I have simply forwarded it.
I find it impressive, to say the least, that Christ is a “white” man, after reading passages such as Rev. 1: 15, “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.”
As for me and my house, we will not despise the Spirit of Prophecy, but shall, like the Bereans, prove all things and hold fast and good to only that which is proven. See 1 Thess. 5: 19-21.
So, just as I reject the notion that Jesus Christ is a “white” man, I equally reject the notion that a tree should be cut from the forest, and decorated with gifts to Jesus, in honor of His condescending birth. This is heathen worship, and as Christians, we are admonished by the Holy Spirit to stay away from it. But as in all things, let everyone be persuaded in his or her own mind, but as for me and my house, our minds are made up, we will not knowingly pay allegiance to paganism, even when it appears to receive prophetic endorsement.
Shalom in Messiah,
Garrick
*******
NO COLOR LINE IN HEAVEN
Paragraph taken from a talk given by Mrs. E. G. White to the church for the colored in Vicksburg, Sabbath, March 16, 1901 [Gospel Herald]
“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance.” You are the children of God. He has adopted you, and He desires you to form characters here that will give you entrance into the heavenly family. Remembering this, you will be able to bear the trials which you meet here. IN HEAVEN THERE WILL BE NO COLOR LINE: FOR ALL WILL BE AS WHITE AS CHRIST HIMSELF. Let us thank God that we can be members of the royal family. {GH, March 1, 1901 par. 20}
HIS WELL-BELOVED BROTHERS.—The black man’s name is written in the book of life beside the white man’s. ALL ARE ONE IN CHRIST. Birth, station, nationality, or color cannot elevate or degrade men. The character makes the man. If a red man, a Chinaman, or an African gives his heart to God in obedience and faith, Jesus loves him none the less for his color. He calls him His well-beloved brother.—The Southern Work, p. 8 quoted in ChS 218. {Hvn 92.3}
Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, FOR YE ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.”
B. P.
************
Here’s Geoff’s Reply:
I’m saddened by the lack of confidence in God. They are not the testimonies of Ellen White but the Testimonies of God to His people through His humble servant. If you reject them, you are not rejecting her, you are rejecting Him! Just ask Samuel.
If you have no, or limited, confidence in what God has said through His maid servant then fend for yourself. I only expect the light you are getting to line up with scripture too 100%, the same standard for SOP. But I tell you, many today are drifting as lost at sea and stumbling like a man trying to find his way in darkness without light. Where there is no vision the people perish. There’s a reason prophets are called seers.
In fact, the shaking is caused by rejecting or disregarding some or all of the Testimonies. It’s all or nothing, buddy. She’s either a true prophet of the Lord and God’s messages through her are reliable or else she’s a false prophet. No one is claiming her infallibility. I’m claiming God’s faithfulness. He was faithful in protecting the Bible for us and that is proof His Testimonies are sure, whether in the Bible or SOP!
Let’s be honest. Why would you even want to listen to a racist prophet if that’s what she was? Just doesn’t make any sense to stand by anything else she says if what you insinuate is true. This causes me to question the integrity and motives. Many who do not obey the Bible still quote it to gain credibility. Is this the motive behind not fully discarding the SOP?
Please excuse the tenure and tone of this message. I’ve not discarded courtesy or become impatient. I’m just in a hurry and away from more suitable communication tools.
Sincerely,
*** Geoff ***
Garrick’s Response:
Brother Geoff:
The Apostle Peter, famed for having received revelations not from “flesh and blood,” was used by Satan shortly thereafter. The “all or nothing” position is very dangerous!
A few years later, after Peter was “converted,” we find Paul chastising him, for his “racism,” yet Peter is a true Apostle and Prophet.
I shared this with you because of your all or nothing stance on Sister White’s writings. This same brother is a very strong advocate of female pastors, on the strength of Ellen White’s writings!
Since Paul was not above being investigated, I don’t think it as an affront to God for us to “prove all things,” spoken by His delegates servants.
Speaking of Samuel, he made a very poor example of a father, his divine inspiration notwithstanding.
It all boils down to this, in my mind:
“(19) Quench not the Spirit [of Prophecy]. (20) Despise not prophesyings. (21) [BUT] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thess. 5: 19-21
The “all or nothing” approach, would have me, like brother Parks teaching a “white” Jesus doctrine! This is not an attractive message, but rather disparaging.
As with her defense of the Christmas tree, Sister White has defended the placement of a Masonic Obelisk overshadowing her husband’s grave! These are not the promptings of the Spirit of God. It simply shows that prophets are humans too, and have their limitations. We cannot be safe to take an all or nothing approach.
The Shaking is caused by rejecting the straight testimony of the Spirit of God, calling a people back to primitive godliness, and not by “proving all things,” respecting that which is good. It comes from discrediting the great work the Holy Spirit has done through a feeble mortal, such as Ellen White. But the Spirit of Prophecy did not go to sleep when Ellen White closed her eyes, and that’s all I’m saying here.
I know of many Adventists who have given up on the Church because they found out that Sister White was a prolific meat eater, nearly 40 years after receiving the “right arm of the third angel’s message”–the vision of the Health Message. Long after she has written that not one morsel of meat (flesh) has been placed on her table, Sister White was eating Duck, Deer, Oysters, etc, and it took a Roman Catholic woman, in 1898, to bring guilt on our dear prophetess, for her to finally leave the flesh pots of Egypt! Even at general conferences Sister White would send Willie to literally run after the chicken sales man to recover a piece of Chicken breast for her! This was over 30 years beyond the revelations of 1865!
I do not share these to belittle our prophetess, but to examine the “all or nothing” approach, and see how dangerous it can be! People will look upon us as hypocrites, or at least our prophetess, if we take so stringent a position.
Can you imagine teaching that “virgins” should not marry, when we should all have been virgins before marriage? I’m speaking here of Paul. While he boasts that he has the Spirit of God, he also informed us that those utterances were not directed by the Spirit, and it does not detract from the great work of the Holy Spirit in his life if we acknowledge that Paul was not under inspiration to give such counsel.
The greatest prophet the earth has seen, John the Baptist, erred in his theology and judgement of Christ, yet, of Him Christ would say, “of those born of women, none is greater than the prophet John.” Elijah, the tishbite, was a run-away prophet, with a false idea of God’s salvation! He was even trying to convince the great YHWH that he was left “alone,” as a true worshipper in Israel, while there were still 7,000 of whom he was completely ignorant, yet he had the “double portion” of the Spirit.
There are many other examples which can be cited, but let me stop with this one, the liberating Queen! Esther, committed fornication with the king of Persia, and Vahshti was a stately woman, in not degrading herself to suit the king’s lustful ambitions. Yet, God used this opportunity to promote Esther to the throne, and in the end saved the whole nation of the Jews. God’s ways are beyond our understandings, and we can only bow in reverence when we see them on display, but the path of obedience is all we are given. He compensates for our weaknesses, and “winks” when necessary, because he takes no delight in the death of sinners.
here was a time when Sister White, who was not a stranger to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, taught for years, that the door of mercy (salvation) was shut, and that people could not be saved after 1844! I’m sure you would wish those words were not written, but that’s the beauty of it all, prophets are humans, and YHWH does extraordinary things through very ordinary people.
I do not throw Ellen White under the bus, so to speak, but follow the biblical counsel of 1 Thess. 5: 19-21 as the path of safety. And this I do not just with her, but with all claimants of inspiration. My 30+ years of ministry has NEVER led to one soul rejecting her writings, and as the testimony from some of my readers demonstrate, after having read my article on Christmas, they were able to humanize her, and thus not reject the gift of inspiration which certainly flowed through her.
The conversation we are having, could easily have been had in Ezekiel’s or Isaiah’s days. The only difference, we did not live in their era, to learn how they had weakness, not dissimilar to Sister White’s.
My brother, I am not chafed in any way at your position in the response you made. They are statements on paper without the authority of Inspiration. The positions I take are according to the principles of the Bible–I have not seen the all or nothing approach there. While “all Scripture” are inspired, not all passages of the Bible are to be received as a message God wants us to follow: (don’t stop here, read on). The Bible teaches the truth about all things, even the truth about evil, such as witchcraft. He does not want us to follow witchcraft, but tells us the truth that king Saul went to the witch of Endor, and she (an agent of Satan’s) “correctly” prophesied of his death. God would not have us to go to witches and fortune tellers, in spite of the correctness of this “prophecy” by the Endor peeper. At best we can learn that Satan can at times make accurate predictions, and will use these seemingly accurate predictions, which he orchestrates, to deceive and lead people to follow him. This is what I meant when I said, “not all passages of the Bible are to be received as a message God wants us to follow.”
I really want us to move from this point as quickly and get back to the discussion on God’s Festivals, I believe that in charting that course, we will discover some deeper dimensions of truth in the Bible, even deeper than Sister White had seen in her days. But unless we are bent on holding to the principles of 1 Thess. 5: 19-21, we will not be able to see beyond the darkness of Sister White’s tomb.
Note: I will be posting these on the Internet in my Blog. Please let me know your take on the layout.
Shalom in Messiah,
Garrick
Here is a Partial Reply from Geoff, a fuller one will come later:
Brother Garrick,
Unfortunately, the postings are somewhat misleading. Don’t know if I should tackle this now because of limited time, but rather than keep you hanging I’ll attempt some kurt responses:
1. I believe the Bible is God’s inspired word, it’s teachings are infallible and completely reliable. Although our understanding of it may hopefully evolve and improve, it does not need it be corrected or improved. God said what he meant when He said it and He never needs to correct Himself because He never changes. Holy men of God spoke under inspiration which does not need to be modified by modern minds. God does not need to adjust for modern minds because He knew the end from the beginning. True prophets included in the cannon and those faithful prophets not included for God’s reasons all agree in perfect harmony because they were inspired by the same Holy Ghost who is fully God and the Third Person of the Godhead.
The Bible is the greater light and standard to which the Spirit of Prophecy, the lesser light, must measure up and point to, and it certainly does so consistently. Since both have the same source, the Holy Spirit, we expect both to be reliable and not the faulty opinions man. We are not at liberty to pick and choose what was given by inspiration and what was not. 2 Timothy 3:16. While the men and women God used were not perfect, God revealed His perfect will through them. And so accepting God’s revelation through imperfect beings does not automatically mean or make His penmen perfect or without fault. Still God was able to preserve and disseminate His perfect will through imperfect vessels.
And so Ellen White did not have to reverse herself on Christmas, slavery, interracial marriage, racism, Jerusalem or evangelism because it was God who communicated these things and He did not change His mind. Inserting [words] to manipulate what is already clear will not alter the original and consistent intent or override the faithful supporting Testimonies in the SOP. In fact placing private interpretation ahead of the Counsels and then disqualifying the Counsels because they don’t line up with our own interpretation that Jeremiah 10:1-6 must be talking about a Christmas palm is like the tail wagging the dog.
Saying Ellen White messed up on Christmas and Communion and then without actual evidence saying she changed her mind or God gave evidence that contradicted earlier inspiration that He gave is just not meeting the mark of a true prophet (Deuteronomy 18:22). Please note she condemned the worldly observances being practiced, not the legitimate acknowledgment of the season. Similarly, we use the pagan names for the days of the week and months of the year even though we know their real names.
So it’s not the infallibility of Mrs. White (which no one here is claiming, so this unfortunate statement is without evidence and therefore distracts from the real issue), it’s really the faithfulness of our perfect God.
2. In keeping with Biblical counsel to avoid striving about the law in Titus 3:9, I’m cautious about long debate on the ceremonial laws. You are at liberty to observe as you are convicted. I’m at times concerned about your bordering very close to disqualifying those who are not convinced to keep the feast days. Is this salvific? Passover was associated with the midnight deliverance from Egypt, the wilderness tabernacle, and it pointed to the promised Deliverer; but Communion was instituted in the New Testament church to point to the heavenly sanctuary and its Priest and to prepare us for the welcome table. Please read Jeremiah 23:7, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:25; Matthew 26:28, 29; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 2 Corinthians 3:6; and Hebrews 9:15. Again, you have rejected or ignored the SOP counsel on this (Ministry of Healing p. 333). It is pretty bold to place personal interpretation above revelation, disqualifying it as a mistake.
It is also misleading to suggest that I hold the feast days as unimportant. There’s a big difference between non-obligatory and unimportant.
3. Let me say something about honesty. It is not honest to confuse human shortcomings and ignorance with prophetic inaccuracy. Peter’s mistake or Ellen White eating pork or not keeping the Sabbath initially are not prophetic statements that were later retracted or reversed, but serve as examples of progressive revelation. And Ellen did not say that Jesus is a white man. Please re-read what she did say.
I’m out of time and it seems I’ve not done the response service and it feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface. I prefer to provide full quotes instead of mere references because that lends to emphasizing proofs.
Goodnight for now. Early start tomorrow.
Sincerely,
*** Geoff ***
Garrick’s Reply to Geoff’s Comment from 1 Selected Messages p. 43
Hi Bro Geoff:
I have placed your response to the blog as a comment in the interest of others.
Upon reading it, I am confident that the course of the conversation has shifted to one of attacking the office of the SOP.
On the point of “drop a word of doubt,” I simply shared that which is published by Sister White, in context and spirit of her approval. if it did not shake confidence in her for the past 100+ years, neither will it today, nor should we be ashamed that she clearly upbraided the colored (black) people to look for a “white” composition “like Jesus.” when they get to heaven. Realize that this was something I transmitted to you from one who was in no way dropping a word of doubt against her ministry. That brother is an ardent defender of EGW’s writings with “all or nothing approach.”
The statement, “all who have stood in the way of the Testimonies,” could hardly be applicable to my ministry, as more people have developed a love for Sister White’s writings through my own work, and I have yet, in over 30 years, to hear from one person who has abandoned faith in those writings, on account of the purported “seeds of doubt” I have injected in their minds. And not to toot my own horn here, but simply to make the facts straight, you have read comments from my readers on the Christmas issue, who were on the verge of abandoning Ellen White’s writings, and the balancing approach developed through my ministry has restored confidence. So, I don’t believe this applies to me or the work I do, even if you hold differently. I have yet to see even in one instance wherein my work has stood in the way of the Testimonies, or where it has engendered “doubt.” What I say of EGW I hold true of the Bible writers and all claimants of inspiration. This view the Bible encourages in 1 Thess. 5: 19-21, to prove all things and hold good and fast to that which is proven.
The statement, “You will have to answer to Him for your blindness, for being a stumbling block in the way of sinners,” could hardly have any applicability to me and the ministry I conduct, for reasons already stated above, but my “blindness” on something like Christmas and Communion? This is laughable. It would be the equivalent of God bringing me in close quarters to answer for my “blindness” on Sunday-sacredness and Halloween. When we are honest with the Bible we will recognize that God did not invent Christmas or Communion, and it is not blindness to teach what the Bible fundamentally upholds, to the contrary it is the giving of “meat in due season,” (Matt. 24: 45), to proclaim these veiled truths of the Bible.
Please give your reaction in the Blog, I believe it will establish a mature approach to our handling of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy to a wider audience. Also, in that audience, filled with those who know of, and those ignorant of Ellen White’s Writings, it should present a powerful case that Seventh-day Adventists do not use Ellen White’s writings to the exclusion of the Bible, but only as a magnifying glass-like supplement.
The work we should engage in is not to “defend” the writings of Ellen White, as that’s the Holy Spirit’s duty; our work is to simply teach the simple truths of the Bible as they are in Christ Jesus (Y’shuah), being careful not to “add” to, or subtract from, any of the divine precepts. This is the approach we ought to use in demystifying any doctrinal complexity.
There are many important topics we can venture into, when you are ready.
Shalom in Messiah,
Garrick
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The Adventist's Understanding of Prophecy 
Here’s Geoff’s additional reply:
***********
Hi Garrick,
We can have confidence in what God says in the Bible and SOP, no apologies.
“It does not become anyone to drop a word of doubt here and there that shall work like poison in other minds, shaking their confidence in the messages which God has given, which have aided in laying the foundation of this work, and have attended it to the present day, in reproofs, warnings, corrections, and encouragements. To all who have stood in the way of the Testimonies, I would say, God has given a message to His people, and His voice will be heard, whether you hear or forbear. Your opposition has not injured me; but you must give an account to the God of heaven, who has sent these warnings and instructions to keep His people in the right way. You will have to answer to Him for your blindness, for being a stumbling block in the way of sinners.” Selected Messages Book 1, Page 43.
Sincerely,
*** Geoff ***
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My belief is that people see Christ as they can imagine. Recently, I had a dream of Christ and I saw a “white man”. John, when explaining what He saw in Heaven would say things to promote a description according to what He knows or perceives. Example 1: Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet” Was the voice really of a trumpet or what he can nearly describe as?
This is the same as the given example where John saw Christ with hair like wool…to describe the whiteness of it, not the texture. Eyes like blazing fire…his feet like bronze GLOWING in a furnace to explain how shiny it was.
Christ is not about color…although I do believe that people from Christ’s region were not white, we cannot say that EGW is wrong for what she saw. It is her perception. This is what she is used to identify as Christ, therefore God used that perception to speak to her. John had never seen those beasts in his life, he explained to the best of his abilities with God’s help of course. The main thing is the message, do not get caught up in these discussions. Time is at hand, study! Christ is coming soon…to save us all!
Coming from a black woman.
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I agree that we all see things from our natural perspectives. That said, we must also be honest when we see racism in say the Apostle Peter, or in High Priest Aaron. These are men who were used in a powerful way by the Creator, yet they were trapped in the limitations of racism, nationalism and culture. The everlasting gospel is for “every nation, kindred, tongue and people,” and transcends racial boundaries and mores.
I’m confident that Sister White, if living today, would not condemn blacks and whites from marrying across racial lines. It was only for “the time then present.” I bring this to bear, because many individuals are fixated on statements devoid of “time and place,” and as a result stifle themselves from advancing beyond the grave of their beloved and respected theologian. From following this course, and entire nation rejected the Messiah, because His theology “appeared” strained to Moses’.
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One of the best explanations I’ve read!
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Well, that’s something. Since it seems you all aren’t as familiar with Ellen G. White or the Bible as you could be, I politely challenge you sirs, because Jesus was of darker shade with woolly beautiful white hair.
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