The Visions of E.G. White Not of God

Chapter 1

By Snook and Brinkerhoff, 1866


Early Visions Suppressed

In 1849 She Taught In Vision That Time For Our Saviour To Be In The Most Holy Place Was More Than Half Gone. She said
"I saw that the time for Jesus to be in the most Holy place was nearly finished, and that time cannot last but a very little longer. ... The sealing time is very short and soon will be over."—Exp. & Views p. 46-47.
Again she says
"Said my accompanying angel Time is almost finished. ...But now what we have been years learning, they will have to learn in a few months."—Id. p. 52-55.
S.D. Adventists teach that Christ entered into the most Holy place in 1844. Only five years after that, she taught as above stated, and her believers were then looking for the Lord to come immediately, and expected time to last but a few months. This was a vain expectation, and the seventeen years that have elapsed since that time, demonstrate the falsity of the vision, unless we say that (nearly finished) means (not one- forth done, but just begun). The Lord therefore did not give her this vision, hence we need not be afraid of her.

She Taught From 1844 To 1851 That The Probation Of The Sinner Ended In 1844. I am well persuaded that vigourous efforts have been, and will be made, to dodge this point, and evade it by denying that when she had her visions on this subject, that she, or her husband believed the shut door doctrine. But there is nothing more sure and positive than that, not only she, but those generally, united in the faith with her, believed at that time in the above doctrine. To prove this, we will cite a few quotations from their writings during the aforesaid time. (Eld. Joseph Bates, one of the pioneers in this work, in 1847, said,

"I believe the work is of God, and is given to comfort and strengthen his scattered, torn, and peeled people, since the closing up of our work for the WORLD in October, 1844."—Word to the Little Flock, p. 21.

In 1850 he again said,

"How many scores of writers could be called up here to prove how clearly this cry has been fulfilled, and that our work ended here (in 1844) for the world.—Review Vol. 1, No. 5. (2.)
James White evidently believed the same, as his writings most clearly show, notwithstanding he and his brethren may deny it.

He, in 1847, wrote as follows:

"Jesus is clearly represented in the Bible in his different characters, offices and works. At the crucifixion, he was the meek slain lamb. From the ascension to the shutting of the door, Oct. 1844, Jesus stood with wide-spread arms of love and mercy, ready to receive and plead the cause of every sinner who would come to God by him. On the 10th day of the 7th month, 1844, he passed into the Holy of Holies, where he has since been a merciful High Priest over the house of God." Word to the Little Flock, p. 2.
Again he said,
"he is still merciful to his saints and ever will be, and Jesus is still their advocating Priest. But the sinner, to whom Jesus had stretched out his arms all the day long, was left without an advocate, when Jesus passed from the Holy Place, and shut the door in 1844. The professed churches who rejected the truth, were also rejected and smitten with blindness. At that time the midnight cry was given, the work for the world was closed up and Jesus passed into the most Holy Place."—Present Truth, Vol. 1, No. 10, May 1850.
Again,
"At the end of the 2300 days, our high priest bore into the Most Holy on the breast-plate of Judgment, all who were within the reach of Salvation. All who were borne in on the breastplate of Judgment, and have not sinned willfully may repent and find forgiveness,"—Advent Review Extra, Nov. 1850, Vol. 1. No. 5.
We will now hear Mrs. White speak for herself.

In a vision published in 1847, she teaches that God had rejected all the wicked, and that it is now impossible for them to be saved. "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." A Word to the Little Flock, P.14.

Eld. White's Admission.

This is to certify that Eld. James White made the following statement, at my house, in July last, 1865. "Brother Carver, I will make an admission to you, I would not make to a sharp opponent. Considering her youthfulness at the time, and her faith in the shut door doctrine and her association with those of the same faith, it should not be considered singular if these things should give a coloring to the vision not warranted by what she really saw." I do not say these are the exact words, but the substance of what he said.

H. E. CARVER

Note: 1. That Eld. White here confesses that when she had this vision she was a believer in the doctrines of the shut door, and that her brethren with whom she associated believed the same. (2. Can that be colored and made to mean something contrary to God's intention which he has inspired?) I think not. 3. When Eld. White republished, in 1851, the vision in which the above clause occurs, why did he suppress and leave it out, as the reader can see, that he has done in Experience & Views P. 10. If it is of God, has he not diminished from his word?

2. She Teaches That In 1844 The World And Professed Church Were Left In The Dark, rejected of God, and that the devil is in heaven, trying to carry on the work of God.

"Before the throne I saw the Advent people, the church and the world. I saw a company bowed down before the throne, deeply interested, while most of them stood disinterested and careless. ... Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and most of them who were bowed down arose with him. ... And I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude, after he arose : and they were left in perfect darkness. ... Then I turned to look at the company who were still bowed down before the throne, and 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 pray. Father give us thy spirit; then Satan would breathe upon them an unholy influence." Exp. V. P.48.

Query, Why is this all suppressed, and why does it not appear in any work now for sale at their office?— Is not Satan in the wrong place for him?

3. The Whole World Is The Devils Car, And Given Over To Strong Delusions That They May Believe A Lie And Be Damned.

"A train of cars was shown me going with the speed of lightning ... It appeared to me that the whole world was on board. ... That there could not be one left. ... Said the Angel. They are binding in bundles ready to burn. ... He (Satan) is the conductor in the form of an angel of light. He has taken the world captive. They are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie, that they may be damned. ... They are all going with lightning speed to perdition. I asked the Angel if there were none left? He bade me look in an opposite direction, and I saw a little company, traveling a narrow pathway—I saw that the Lord had given the world opportunity to discover the snare. ... Thus the world is taken in the snare—not to find out their awful deception until the seven last plagues are poured out. Satan laughs as he sees his plans succeed so well, and the whole world in the snare." Sup. to Ex. & V. P. 6—10. (Experience & Views)

4. The Time For The Salvation Of Sinners Past In 1844.

In a vision published March 24th 1849, she says,

"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." Ex. & V. P. 27.
Eld. White once said to the writer, "I acknowledge that the language teaches just what you say it does, but it is defective and teaches a wrong idea." Query, if so how can it be inspired of God. Question 2, Why is this declaration now suppressed and its obvious import denied?

5. In 1851 She Taught That God Had Rejected The Wicked And Would Not Hear His People Pray For Them.

"Then I saw Jesus prayed for his enemies, but that should not cause us or lead us to pray for the wicked world whom God had rejected. When he prayed for his enemies, there was hope for them, and they could be benefited and saved by his prayers." And also after he was a Mediator in the outer apartment for the whole world, but now his Spirit and sympathy were withdrawn from the world, and our sympathy must be with Jesus and withdrawn from the ungodly—I saw that the wicked could not be benefited by our prayers now—Then I saw concerning loving our neighbor. I saw that Scripture did not mean the wicked whom God had rejected that we must love, but he meant our neighbors in the household, and did not extend beyond the household; But our neighbors whom we were to love, were those who love God and were serving him.—Camden Vision.

We are aware that doubts have recently been suggested as to the genuineness of this Vision. But of this there can be no question as Mrs.. White attempted to explain it to the writer, and did not attempt to deny its validity. If it is a forgery why does it teach the same document that her other visions of the same time teach, and why did she not then condemn it as such.

6. She Also Teaches That The Conversions Made Since 1844, Are All Spurious.

"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 wrapped 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."—Present Truth, Aug. 1849.

Note Reader, 1. Why did the above converts appear to be converted, so as to deceive God's people? Was it not because those who professed to believe in the shut door, could not admit the genuineness of any conversions since 1844, unless they gave up the shut door doctrine?

2. Why did Eld. White when republishing the vision of which the above is a part, suppress EIGHT LINES: why not publish the whole of it? Does not this very work of suppressing, show that there is a great wrong somewhere?

7.The Above Doctrine Is Now Discarded And Seventh Day Adventists Pray For And Preach To Sinners. As If They Had Never Believed That Their Probation Ended In 1844.

Hear the following explanation on the meaning of all the foregoing.

"If we go back to a period of from six to nine years, we find the believers in the third angels message few in number. Our views of the work before us were then mostly vague, and indefinite: some still retaining the idea adopted by the body of Advent believers in 1844, with Wm. Miller at their head, that our work for the world was finished, and that the message was confined to those of the original Advent faith. So firmly was this believed, that one of our number was nearly refused the message, the individual presenting it having doubts of the possibility of his salvation, because he was not in the '44 move. Individuals would go scores and even hundreds of miles to present the truth to one or two who had been believers in the first message.—Review No. 3, June 11, 1861. J. H. Waggoner, James White, J. N. Loughboro, John Byington, Joseph Bates, J. B. Frisbie, M. E. Cornell.
Now as this no salvation shut door is no longer indorsed nor practiced by this people, what becomes of the visions that taught it? Are they believed by them? No, they do not believe them and hence they have suppressed them, and deny that they ever taught such a doctrine. How much better it would be to confess these visions to be false and publicly renounce them! May God help; them yet to do it.

She Taught In 1849, That The Time Of The World’s Greatest Tribulation Had Then Commenced And That There Would Be No More Peace On Earth Till God Shall Rid It Of The Wicked

"The time of trouble has commenced, it is begun. The reason why the four winds have not let go is because the saints are not all sealed. ... It is on the increase, and will increase more and more. The trouble will never end till the earth is rid of the wicked. ... When Michael stands up this trouble will be all over the earth."
Remarks of Eld. Bates on the above:
"The above was copied word for word, as she spoke in vision, therefore, it is unadulterated. Here we were first taught to publish the sealing message. 2d, That the time of trouble had commenced." Seal of God, & c., 144,000, p. 34.
The doctrine of this vision is long since discarded, and the very ones who believed that the time of trouble had then commenced, now believe it is future, and all such visions as the above are put where it is not an easy matter to get hold of them. Had it been possible they would long ago have destroyed them. But some of them happened to fall into the hands of unbelievers, where they are carefully preserved. These visions seem to follow after the doctrines of leaders rather than to lead out. As the faith of this people changes, the visions must change to suit it, and all such as cannot be changed are suppressed.

Editor's Note: The following quotation by W.H. Brinkerhoff appeared in the July 10, 1866, issue of the Hope of Israel:
This point [shut door] is clearly susceptible of demonstration, not only upon the testimony of "some men," but upon the testimonies of authentic publications, as well as upon that of Sister White herself, for it was admitted to me in the presence of Elders White and Loughborough, Sister White and my wife, that at the time of her first vision, and for several months afterwards, she was a believer in the shut door doctrine. And having been a believer in the same doctrine at the same time, I can testify that the main idea embraced in the shut door doctrine was that probation for the world, or sinners, was ended.

She was confessedly a believer in the shut door view at the time of her first vision. Did that vision correct her erroneous views? It did not, for she entertained that view at least for "several months afterwards," according to Bro. White’s statement to me, and it was the faith of the body for a much longer period, according to their practitioners.
Here is W.H. Brinkerhoff in the July 24, 1866, issue of the Hope of Israel:
For a number of years after 1844, S.D. Adventists, acting consistently with their theory, would not labor for the salvation of sinners, notwithstanding they had, as they claim, the gift of prophecy in the church for the correction of error, and it was only when circumstances compelled them to admit the possibility of others besides ’44 Adventists being saved, that they yielded the point of the "tight" shut door…and even now insist on holding possession of the only key that will open the "shut door"…


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