Ellen G. White’s failed prophecies

  1. “I have seen that the 1843 chart (Wm. Miller’s) was directed by the hand of the Lord and that it should not be altered that the figures were as he wanted them.” EARLY WRITINGS p. 64 edition 1882
  2. (First Vision 12/1844) “It was just as impossible for them (those that gave up their faith in the 1844 movement) 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,” (Foregoing now deleted) “until we heard the voice of God like many waters, WHICH GAVE US THE DAY AND HOUR OF JESUS’ COMING. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spake the time, he poured on us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God as Moses’ did when he came down from Mount Sinai.” A WORD TO THE LITTLE FLOCK (1847 edition) p. 14
  3. ELLEN FORGETS HOUR PROCLAIMED “I have not the slightest knowledge as to the time spoken by the voice of God. I heard the hour proclaimed, but had no remembrance of that hour after I came out of vision.” SELECTED MESSAGES 1 p. 298 (1889)
  4. ELLEN LOST HER VISIONS “In our frequent change of location in the earlier history of the publishing work, and I have crossed the plains no less than 17 times I lost all trace of the first published works.” . . . “And here I pause to state that any of our people having in their possession a copy of any or all of my first views, as published prior to 1851, will do me a great favor if they will send them to me without delay.” SELECTED MESSAGES 1 p. 60
  5. “It is well known that many were expecting the Lord to come at the 7th month, 1845. That Christ would then come we firmly believed. A few days before the time passed, I was at Fairhaven, and Dartsmouth, Mass, with a message on this point of time. At this time, Ellen was with the band at Carver, Mass, where she saw in vision, that we should be disappointed,” A WORD TO THE LITTLE FLOCK p. 22 by James White 1847
  6. G. White prophesied the world would end in 1843, 1844, 1845 & 1851: “Now time is almost finished, (1851) and what we have been 6 years in learning they will have to learn in months.” EARLY WRITINGS p. 57
  7. “For a time after the disappointment in 1844, I did hold, in common with the advent body, that the door of mercy was then forever closed to the world . . . I was shown in vision, and I still believe, that there was a shut door in 1844.” SELECTED MESSAGES 1 p. 63
  8. “I saw the state of the different churches since the second angel proclaimed their fall. (In 1844) They have been growing more and more corrupt . . . Satan has taken full possession of the churches as a body . . . Their professions, their prayers and their exhortations are an abomination in the sight of GOD.” Spiritual Gifts Vol 1­p. 189.
  9. White blames her failed prophecy on the members of the Seventh-day Adventist church! “Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist body united upon the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history.” SELECTED MESSAGES, Book 1, p. 299
  10. Concerning some of her “revelations,” Biederwolf, Seventh-Day Adventism, p. 8f “In one of her visions her accompanying angels told her that the time of salvation for all sinners ended in 1844. She now claims the door of mercy is still open…In another vision she discovered that women should wear short dresses with pants and she and her sister followers dressed this way for eight years. But the ridiculous custom has now been abandoned….”
  11. The following is a glimpse at some other peculiar teachings of Mrs. White which shows what she believed God to be instructing in matters of diet:
  12. “You have used the fat of animals, which God in his word expressly forbids” page 61).
  13. “Cheese should never be introduced into the stomach” (Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 2, page 68).
  14. “It is just as much sin to violate the laws of our being as to break one of the Ten Commandments” ([eating a slice of bacon is as sinful as committing adultery] Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 2, page 70).
  15. “The use of swine’s flesh is contrary to his express commandments” (Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 2, page 96).
  16. She also affirms that her “visits” to heaven were easily made because after having left there during one of her visits an angel “handed me a green cord coiled up closely. This he directed me to place next to my heart, and when I wished to see Jesus, take from my bosom and stretch it to the utmost. He cautioned me not to let it remain coiled for any length of time lest it should become knotted and difficult to straighten.”
  17. Quoting further from ‘Early Writings’ (pp. 258-261) we find Mrs. White claimed that the teaching that Christ moved into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 was the “third angel’s message”, and then she declares, Woe to him who shall move a block or stir a pin of these messages.” She said further that those who reject her interpretation of the “third angel’s message” were “fighting against God” and “they offered up their useless prayer to the apartment which Jesus (Yeshua) has left, and Satan, pleased with the deception, assumes a religious character, and leads the minds of these professed Christians to himself working with his power, his signs and lying wonders to fasten them in his snare.” From the foregoing statements of Mrs. White we find that all one needs to do is to disbelieve her interpretations of the 1844 move in the Heavenly Sanctuary and Satan immediately “fastens them in his snare” and they are hopelessly deceived. This statement is so radical and obviously untrue that even the S.D.A.’s do not believe it any more. Yet look at what White said again!
  18. “I was shown the company present at the Conference. Said the angel: Some food for worms, some subject to the last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus'” (Vol. 1, p. 131). NOTE: This statement was made in 1856 and every one present in that meeting is now dead. Obviously, this was a false prophecy. Some S.D.A.’s, in trying to extricate themselves from the dilemma of this false statement, have argued that had God’s people been faithful the Lord would have come long ago. But this excuse will not hold water, because God knew ahead of time what would happen. And Mrs. White made no conditions for the fulfillment of her prophecy. Her statement is plain and to the point.
  19. “Thousands have been induced to enlist with the understanding that this war to exterminate slavery, but now that they are fixed, they find that they have been deceived, that the object of this war is not to abolish slavery, but to preserve it” Vol. 1, pp. 254, 258). We know now that the Civil War in the USA did indeed abolish slavery. Mrs. White was wrong.
  20. “This nation will yet be humbled into the dust. England is studying whether it is best to take advantage of the present weak condition of our nation and venture to make war on her…When England does declare war, all nations will have one interest of their own to serve, and there will be general war, general confusion”(Vol.1 p.259). NOTE: This was a FALSE prophecy. England did not declare war on the U.S.A.
  21. “Eggs should not be placed upon your table. They are an injury to your children” (Vol. 2, p. 400). “We bare positive testimony against tobacco, rich cakes, spirituous liquors, snuff, tea, coffee, flesh meats, butter, spice, mince pies…” (Vol. 3, p. 21).”Children are allowed to eat flesh meats, spices, butter, cheese, pork, rich pastry…These things do their work of deranging the stomach” (Vol. 3, p. 136). Mrs. White places “meat, butter and cheese” in the same category as tobacco, liquor, etc. This, is contrary to the Bible for Jesus Himself ate fish (Luke 24:41-43). In John 21:9-12 we find that Jesus Himself prepared flesh meat and said to His disciples, “Come and eat.” The Bible tells us that Jesus ate butter (Isaiah 7:15) Mrs. White said, “Do not eat” but Jesus said, “Come and dine”. Paul said, “In the latter times some shall depart from the faith…commanding to abstain from meats which God had created to be received” (1 Timothy 4:3).The Bible declares that to teach to abstain from meats is a “departing from the faith”.
  22. “Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters which gave us the day and hour of Jesus coming…When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Spirit” (Vol. 1 p. 59). In this reference Mrs. White claims that the Lord gave her the day and hour of His coming. In Matthew’s 24:36 Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels in heaven, but my Father only.” And, of course, we know today she was wrong because Jesus did not come when she expected Him.
  23. Next we find that Mrs. White claimed that she was one of the 144,000 who would be living when Jesus comes. Here is the question: “Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, ‘Awake! Awake! Awake! ye that sleep in the dust and arise!’ Then there was almighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted Alleluia! as they recognized their friends whom had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed” (Vol. 1, p.60). Mrs. White was mistaken again for she died in 1915 and therefore the vision was false. She was also wrong in stating that there would be only 144,000 “living saints” at the hour of Jesus’ coming (p. 59). The Bible says they would be without number Revelation 7:9.
  24. Now wish to refer the reader to quotations from Mrs. White’s book entitled “Early Writings” and show some of the errors and contradictions found therein. On page 11 she says, “In 1842 I constantly attended the second advent meetings in Portland, Maine, and fully believed that the Lord was coming.” Then she describes, “What a fullness I enjoyed through believing that the Lord was coming. Inexpressible love for Jesus filled my soul. Wave after wave of glory rolled over me, until my body grew stiff…I remained in this state of body and mind a long time” (p.12). NOTE: Her joy was based upon the belief that Jesus was coming back to earth in 1844. This proved to be a false belief.
  25. When Jesus did not come in 1844 as Mrs. White believed, she than said that “the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord and that it should not be altered, that the figures were as He wanted them, that his hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures so that none could see it, until His hand was removed” (Early Writings, p.74).
  26. On pages 42-45 (Early Writings) Mrs. White describes a closing of a door in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, and an opening in the most holy place (in 1844), that the “midnight cry” was finished at the seventh month 1844, (see p. 43), that then was the “sealing time”, and that the time for salvation for sinners had passed (p.45). All the above statements have been proven false by the fact that Christ did NOT return to earth in 1844. The “midnight cry” WAS NOT FINISHED IN 1844, FOR THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT HE DID THIS AT HIS ASCENSION (SEE HEBREWS 6:19; 9:24). The time for the salvation of sinners did NOT pass in 1844. If it did WE ARE TOAST TODAY!
  27. When the Advent people and Mrs. White were disappointed in 1844 because Jesus did not come they revised their interpretation of certain prophecies and concluded that they were wrong in their figures that Jesus would come in the spring of 1844, but that the correct time would be on the seventh month of 1850. Here is what Mrs. White said, “Time is almost finished”, (E.W.,p. 64). “Said the angel ‘Deny self, ye must step fast.’ Some of us have had the time to get the truth and to advance step by step…But now TIME IS ALMOST FINISHED, and what we have been years learning they will have to lean IN A FEW MONTHS” (E.W.,p.67). “Some are looking too far off for the coming of the Lord. Time has continued a few years longer than they expected therefore they think it may continue a few years more. And in this way their minds have been led from present truth…I saw the time for Jesus to be in the most holy place WAS NEARLY FINISHED and that time can last but very little longer. The sealing time is very short and will soon be over” (E.W.,p.58).
  28. In the year 1850 Bible scholars were teaching of the return of the Jews to Palestine and the restoration of Jerusalem. Here is what Mrs. White said about this: “I also saw that old Jerusalem would never be built up, and that Satan was doing the utmost to lead the minds of the children of the Lord into these things now in the gathering time, to keep them from throwing their interests into the work of the Lord and to cause them to neglect the necessary preparation”(E.W.,p.75).
  29. White taught that Jesus moved from the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary into the most holy place in 1844, and that those who did not believe this doctrine, Satan answered their prayers when they prayed for the Holy Spirit. Here is her statement: “I saw the Father rise from the throne and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the vale, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne and the most of those who bowed down arose with Him. Then a cloudy chariot…came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne and say, ‘Father give us the Spirit.’ Satan would than breathe upon them an unholy influence…”(E.W.,p.55,56). In the first place, the Bible teaches that when Jesus ascended to heaven He went directly into the most holy place or “within the vale”(Hebrews 6:19;9:24), not in 1844. Further, when Jesus died on the cross/tree the vale between the holy and the most holy place was rent in two (Matthew 27:51) which indicated that Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for believers’ prayers to reach the very dwelling place of GOD, which was in the most holy place, and more particularly, between the cherubim’s above the mercy seat of the ark (Exodus 25:22; Leviticus 16:2). This happened immediately after Christ’s ascension, not in 1844. It is therefore grossly erroneous to teach that Satan answers the prayers of those who do not believe that Jesus moved from one apartment to another in 1844!
  30. White taught that in the communion service the sisters should wash the feet of the brethren (E.W.,p.117). Now this is considered so out of order that even S.D.A’s do not follow this instruction.
  31. Next, we wish to take another book written by Mrs. White. The following quotations will be taken from her book ‘THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.’ On page 546, she says, “In 1844, attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest entered the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man-to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to MAKE ATONEMENT for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.” (Quotes from ‘Great Controversy’, 1927 Ed.) Yet in Hebrews 9:26-28 it says that Christ “put away sin, once, by the sacrifice of Himself” and “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many”, and again in Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL”, and in verse 14, “For by ONE offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”
  32. White teaches that no sins were blotted out until 1844-“at the close of the 2300 days, in 1844, BEGAN the work of investigation AND THE BLOTTING OUT OF SINS” (G.C.,p.552).
  33. White teaches that an “Investigative Judgment” began in 1844, that only the cases of the righteous come up for investigation in this judgment and the purpose is “to determine” who are saved. Here is her statement: “In 1844…our High Priest entered the holy of holies… to perform the work of investigative judgment. The only cases considered are those of the professed people of God” (p.546). “All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny”(p.552). “This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that of the Investigative Judgment”(p.489). “There must be an examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ are entitled to the benefits of His atonement”(p.480).
  34. White stated further, “The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon-none know how soon-it will pass to the cases of the living” (p. 556). At this point I wish to quote from another notable S.D.A. writer, L.H. Christian, in his book, ‘Facing the Crisis’, published in 1937 by the ‘Review and Herald’, that elaborated upon Mrs. White’s statement. “In this work of judgment which began in heaven in 1844, when the 2300 years ended, the eternal faith of every soul will be decided. Beginning, no doubt with Abel, the first to die, one by one the names of all are called and the destiny of each decided…From that decision there will be no appeal. We know not what hour the Lord will come to our name and decide our case forever. It may be today, it may be tomorrow” (p. 283).
  35. On page 481 of ‘Great Controversy’ (1927 ed.) Mrs. White says, “When Christ by virtue of His own blood removes the sins of His people from the heavenly sanctuary at the close of His ministration, He will place them upon Satan, who in execution of the judgment, must bear the final penalty.”
  36. White states that the prophecy of Daniel 8:14-“Unto 2300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” was fulfilled in 1844 (G.C.,pp.484, 475, 486), that it was the heavenly sanctuary that was cleansed (p. 475), and that it was the confessed sins of God’s people that defiled the heavenly sanctuary (p. 480).
  37. On page 487 (G.C.) Mrs. White says, “The proclamation, ‘Behold the Bridegroom cometh’ in the summer of 1844, led thousands to expect the immediate advent of Christ. At the appointed time the Bridegroom came, not to the earth, as the people expected, but to those Ancient of Days in heaven to the marriage, the reception of His kingdom. They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage, and the door was shut.” Also, “In the summer and autumn of 1844 the proclamation ‘Behold the Bridegroom cometh’ was given. The two classes represented by the wise and foolish virgins were then developed.”
  38. On page 492 (G.C.) Mrs. White says that if anyone rejects her interpretation of the sanctuary service, etc. there is no atonement for that person. Here is her statement: “It is those who by faith follow Jesus in the great work of atonement, who receive the benefits of His mediation in their behalf, while those who REJECT THE LIGHT which brings to view this work of ministration, are not benefited thereby.”
  39. In TESTIMONIES, (Volume 8, p. 117), Mrs White says, “The seal of God is revealed in the observance of the Seventh Day Sabbath.”
  40. In TESTIMONIES, Volume 1, pp. 206, 207, Mrs. White says PORK is “nourishing and strengthening food” and rebukes a brother for teaching that it was forbidden food. “They who labor with their hands must nourish their strength to perform this labor, and those also who labor in the Word and doctrine must nourish their strength. They should eat of nourishing and strengthening food to build up their strength…I saw that your views concerning swine’s flesh would prove no injury to you if you have them to yourself; but in your judgment and opinion you have made this question a test. IF GOD REQUIRES HIS PEOPLE TO ABSTAIN FROM SWINE’S FLESH, He will convict them on the matter. If it is the duty of the church to abstain from swine’s flesh God will discover it to more than two or three.”