Transcript Concepts of Revelation and Inspiration Denis Fortin Writings of Ellen G. White The Issues   Most difficulties with the writings of Ellen White stem often from.

Concepts of Revelation
and Inspiration
Denis Fortin
Writings of Ellen G. White
The Issues


Most difficulties with the writings of Ellen
White stem often from a faulty
understanding of how God gave her
messages and how her writings are
inspired.
Thus, people not well informed regarding
the processes of revelation and inspiration
are more vulnerable to a loss of confidence
in her ministry when they discover
information contrary to their views.
Ellen White’s view of her
ministry
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Introduction to the Great Controversy:
"In harmony with the word of God, His
Spirit was to continue its work throughout
the period of the gospel dispensation.
During the ages while the Scriptures of both
the Old and the New Testament were being
given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to
communicate light to individual minds, apart
from the revelations to be embodied in the
Sacred Canon.
Ellen White’s view of her
ministry

"The Bible itself relates how, through the
Holy Spirit, men received warning, reproof,
counsel, and instruction, in matters in no
way relating to the giving of the Scriptures.
And mention is made of prophets in
different ages, of whose utterances nothing
is recorded. In like manner, after the close
of the canon of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit
was still to continue its work, to enlighten,
warn, and comfort the children of God." (GC
viii)
Ellen White’s view of her
ministry

"The Spirit [i.e. the gift of prophecy]
was not given--nor can it ever be
bestowed-- to supersede the Bible; for
the Scriptures explicitly state that the
word of God is the standard by which
all teaching and experience must be
tested." (GC vii)
Modes of Revelation
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1. Visions
In her early years of ministry, Ellen
White received visions often attended
by striking physical phenomena.
– Unconscious of earthly surroundings
– Temporary cessation of breathing
– Unblinking eyelids
– Supernatural strength
Ellen White's first vision

"While I was praying at the family altar, the
Holy Ghost fell upon 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."
(EW 14)
Modes of Revelation
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2. Prophetic Dreams
These were visions received during her
sleep.
San Francisco Earthquake

"While at Loma Linda, California, April 16, 1906, there
passed before me a most wonderful representation.
During a vision of the night, I stood on an eminence,
from which I could see houses shaken like a reed in
the wind. Buildings, great and small, were falling to the
ground. Pleasure resorts, theaters, hotels, and the
homes of the wealthy were shaken and shattered.
Many lives were blotted out of existence, and the air
was filled with the shrieks of the injured and the
terrified. . . . The awfulness of the scenes that passed
before me I cannot find words to describe. It seemed
that the forbearance of God was exhausted, and that
the judgment day had come. Terrible as was the
representation that passed before me, that which
impressed itself most vividly upon my mind was the
instruction given in connection with it." (3SM 40-41)
Natural Dreams

Prophetic dreams must be
distinguished from natural dreams
– by the information and content
– by the presence of the same angel as in
prophetic daytime visions
Genuine visions and
dreams

"I would call especial attention to the remarkable
dreams given in this little work, all with harmony and
distinctness illustrating the same things. The multitude
of dreams arise from the common things of life, with
which the Spirit of God has nothing to do. There are
also false dreams, as well as false visions, which are
inspired by the spirit of Satan. But dreams from the
Lord are classed in the word of God with visions and
are as truly the fruits of the spirit of prophecy as
visions. Such dreams, taking into the account the
persons who have them and the circumstances under
which they are given, contain their own proofs of their
genuineness." (1T 569-570 [1867])
Modes of Revelation
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3. Short visions during periods of prayer or
writing
“Well, while I was praying and was sending
up my petition, there was, as has been a
hundred times or more, a soft light circling
around in the room, and a fragrance like the
fragrance of flowers, of a beautiful scent of
flowers.” (Ms 43a, 1901)
Modes of Revelation
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4. Precognitions
Literal eyewitness-style revelations of
persons she did not know or events that
had not yet happened.
"Sometimes the things which I have seen
are hid from me after I come out of vision,
and I cannot call them to mind until I am
brought before a company where that vision
applies, then the things which I have seen
come to my mind with force." (2SG 292-293)
Modes of Revelation

5. Impressions
“When I am speaking to the people I say
much that I have not premeditated. The
Spirit of the Lord frequently comes upon
me. I seem to be carried out of, and away
from, myself; the life and character of
different persons are clearly presented
before my mind. I see their errors and
dangers, and feel compelled to speak of
what is thus brought before me. I dare not
resist the Spirit of God.” (5T 20)
Function of Inspiration
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In contrast to revelation, which is a
process of wholly divine initiative and
control, the process of inspiration
involves a union of divine and human
elements.
Inspiration is the work of the Holy
Spirit upon the prophet.
Union of Divine and
Human Elements

"The Ten Commandments were spoken by God
Himself, and were written by His own hand. They
are of divine, and not of human composition. But
the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the
language of men, presents a union of the divine
and the human. Such a union existed in the nature
of Christ, who was the Son of God and the Son of
man. Thus it is true of the Bible, as it was of Christ,
that 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us.' John 1:14." (GC v-vi)
Role of the Holy Spirit

"Each [Bible writer], under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, presents
what is most forcibly impressed upon
his own mind--a different aspect of the
truth in each, but a perfect harmony
through all." (GC vi)
Role of the Holy Spirit

"God has been pleased to
communicate His truth to the world by
human agencies, and He Himself, by
His Holy Spirit, qualified men and
enabled them to do this work. He
guided the mind in the selection of
what to speak and what to write." (GC
vi)
Role of the Holy Spirit

"I am trying to catch the very words
and expressions that were made in
reference to this matter, and as my
pen hesitates a moment, the
appropriate words come to my mind."
(Letter 123, 1904; 8MR 35)
Role of the Holy Spirit
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"I have all faith in God .... He works at my
right hand and at my left. While I am
writing out important matter, He is beside
me, helping me. He lays out my work before
me, and when I am puzzled for a fit word
with which to express my thought, He
brings it clearly and distinctly to my mind. I
feel that every time I ask, even while I am
still speaking, He responds, "Here am I."
(Letter 127, 1902; 2MR 156-157)
Role of the Holy Spirit
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"Through the inspiration of His Spirit
the Lord gave His apostles truth, to be
expressed according to the
development of their minds by the
Holy Spirit. But the mind is not
cramped, as if forced into a certain
mold." (Letter 53, 1900 in 1SM 22)
Where does this divinehuman union occur?
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The dictation theory of inspiration
virtually asserts that the earliest point
at which a human element becomes
part of the writing is at the pen.
In other words, every word and detail
is pre-selected and dictated by God
and the only part of the prophet really
involved is the prophet's hand.
Where does this divinehuman union occur?
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The term "verbal inspiration" has today such
a wide range of interpretations that it has
lost much of its precision.
As understood by early Adventists, however,
it denoted the idea that every word of the
prophet's utterance was pre-selected by
God without any human participation, hence
could not subsequently be altered, even by
the prophet.
Where does this divinehuman union occur?
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
The verbal/dictation view was specifically
rejected by the 1883 General Conference, in
a resolution offered by W.C. White, and
clearly representing Ellen White's
understanding of inspiration.
The context for this resolution was the need
of reprinting Ellen White's Testimonies for
the Church which had gone out of print.
Where does this divinehuman union occur?

Whereas, We believe the light given by God to His
servants is by the enlightenment of the mind, thus
imparting the thoughts, and not (except in rare
cases) the very words in which the ideas should be
expressed; therefore Resolved, That in the re-publication of these
volumes such verbal changes be made as to
remove the above-named imperfection, as far as
possible, without in any measure changing the
thought; and, further Resolved, That this body appoint a committee of
five to take charge of the republication of these
volumes. (Review and Herald, November 27, 1883,
p. 741; see also 3Bio 217-219)
Conceptual or Thought
Inspiration
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Ellen White taught that the union of
the divine and human in the process
of inspiration took place at the level of
the "mind and will."
Conceptual or Thought
Inspiration

The Bible is written by inspired men, but it
is not God's mode of thought and
expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a
writer, is not represented. Men will often say
such an expression is not like God. But God
has not put Himself in words, in logic, in
rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of
the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen.
Look at the different writers.
Conceptual or Thought
Inspiration

It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired,
but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not
on the man's words or his expressions but on the
man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy
Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words
receive the impress of the individual mind. The
divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is
combined with the human mind and will; thus the
utterances of the man are the word of God
(Manuscript 24, 1886 in 1SM 21).
Implications of
Conceptual Inspiration

If the union of the divine and the
human in inspiration takes place at the
level of "thoughts," and involves a
"combining" of "mind and will," it
follows that the faculties of both
understanding and choice were fully
operant as the prophet wrote.
Implications of
Conceptual Inspiration

How “the divine mind and will is combined
with the human mind and will” remains a
mystery, but it suggests that in formulating
or choosing "words and expressions" to
represent the "thoughts" received from God,
the prophet exercised both human intellect
and choice, in cooperation with the "divine
mind and will."
Implications of
Conceptual Inspiration

Ellen White clearly understood this
process to be a live, dynamic one that
continued as long as the prophet
remained under the influence of the
Holy Spirit.
– She claimed full dependence of the Holy
Spirit in writing and that
– she had full responsibility and freedom to
choose her words.
Implications of
Conceptual Inspiration
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"Although I am as dependent upon the
Spirit of God in writing my views as I
am in receiving them, yet the words I
employ in describing what I have seen
are my own, unless they be those
spoken to me by an angel, which I
always enclose in marks of quotation."
(RH, 8 Oct 1867, also in 1SM 37 and 3SM 278)
Implications of
Conceptual Inspiration
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In summary, Ellen White understood the
combination of the divine and human mind
and will to be an ongoing process in the
prophet's experience.
Inspiration guided the prophet as
communicator, not only in the initial
formulation of thoughts into words, but also
in the subsequent improvement of those
expressions by herself or with the help of
others.
Characteristics of divinehuman writings
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Individual styles of writings and
diversity (GC vi; 1SM 21-22)
Variety of viewpoints, yet “perfect
harmony”
– "The Creator of all ideas may impress
different minds with the same thought,
but each may express it in a different
way, yet without contradiction" (1SM 22).
Characteristics of divinehuman writings
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Imperfect language, yet trustworthy
message
"The treasure was entrusted to earthen
vessels, yet it is, nonetheless, from Heaven.
The testimony is conveyed through the
imperfect expression of human language,
yet it is the testimony of God; and the
obedient, believing child of God beholds in it
the glory of a divine power, full of grace and
truth" (GC vi-vii).
Characteristics of divinehuman writings
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"The Bible is not given to us in grand,
superhuman language. Jesus, in order
to reach man where he is, took
humanity. The Bible must be given in
the language of men. Everything that
is human is imperfect" (1SM 20).
Characteristics of divinehuman writings

While Ellen White insists that God alone is
infallible yet she believed in the trustworthy
reliability of Scripture as a whole (1SM 17).
"In His word, God has committed to men
the knowledge necessary for salvation. The
Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an
authoritative, infallible revelation of His will.
They are the standard of character, the
revealer of doctrines, and the test of
experience" (GC vii).
Characteristics of divinehuman writings
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While the human vessel of inspiration
is fallible and imperfect, the product of
inspiration is infallible albeit imperfect.
Divine inspired writings are not
exempt from insignificant mistakes
due to limitations of languages or of
comprehension. But the message is
trustworthy and infallible.
Characteristics of divinehuman writings
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Erroneous concepts of inspiration lead
inevitably to misinterpretation and misuse of
inspired writings.
Overemphasis on the human elements in
inspired writings leads to diminished
appreciation for their true value and
authority.
De-emphasis of the human elements leads
to rigid, inflexible, and authoritarian
applications; confusion of rules and
principles.