It had been a crushing disappointment. Between 50,000 and 100,000 Advent
believers had been expecting the coming of their Lord in the clouds of heaven.
But to their knowledge nothing unusual had occurred.
Writing years later of the experience, Hiram Edson said this:
"Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such a spirit of weeping
came over us as I never experienced before. It seemed that the loss of all
earthly friends could have been no comparison. We wept and wept, till the day
dawn.
"I mused in my own heart, saying, 'My Advent experience has been the richest and
brightest of all my Christian experience. If this had proved a failure, what was
the rest of my Christian experience worth? Has the Bible proved a failure? Is
there no God, no heaven, no golden home city, no Paradise? Is all this but a
cunningly devised fable? Is there no reality to our fondest hope and expectation
of these things?' And thus we had something to grieve and weep over, if all our
fondest hopes were lost. And as I said, we wept, till the day dawn."—Document
File. 588. Hiram Edson manuscript (see also Review, June 23, 1921).
Another believer, Washington Morse in Vermont, later wrote this:
"That day came and passed, and the darkness of another night closed in
upon the world. But with that darkness came a pang of disappointment to the
Advent believers that can find a parallel only in the sorrow of the disciples
after the crucifixion of their Lord.
"The passing of the time was a bitter disappointment. True believers had
given up all for Christ, and had shared His presence as never before. The love
of Jesus filled every soul; and with inexpressible desire they prayed, 'Come,
Lord Jesus, and come quickly;' but He did not come.
"And now, to turn again to the cares, perplexities, and dangers of life, in full
view of jeering and reviling unbelievers who scoffed as never before, was a
terrible trial of faith and patience. When Elder Himes visited Waterbury,
Vermont, a short time after the passing of the time, and stated that the
brethren should prepare for another cold winter, my feelings were almost
uncontrollable. I left the place of meeting and wept like a child." —Review, May
7, 1901.
The call to prepare for the soon coming of Christ culminated in the summer and
early fall of 1844. This call swelled into a powerful Midnight Cry, and began at
Exeter, New Hampshire, on August 12, 1844 —only 71 days before October 22, the
predicted date of the completion of the 2300-year prophecy. But then came the
Great Disappointment.
As a result, many gave up their hope in the soon coming of Christ, yet there
were some who did not. Among that number was a young girl who, with her family,
lived in Portland, Maine, and clung to the blessed hope. Her name was Ellen
Harmon:
"It was hard to take up the vexing cares of life that we thought had been laid
down forever. It was a bitter disappointment that fell upon the little flock
whose faith had been so strong and whose hope had been so high. But we were
surprised that we felt so free in the Lord, and were so strongly sustained by
His strength and grace.
"We were disappointed but not disheartened. We resolved to refrain from
murmuring at the trying ordeal by which the Lord was purging us from the dross
and refining us like gold in the furnace; to submit patiently to the process of
purifying that God deemed needful for us; and to wait with patient hope for the Saviour to redeem His tried and faithful ones." —Life Sketches, pp. 61—62.
|
"I was moved by the Spirit of the Lord to write that book, and while
working upon it I felt a great burden upon my soul. I knew that time was
short, that the scenes which are soon to crowd upon us would at the last
come very suddenly and swiftly. "—1890. "I was shown that I must write it out; that I should have to contend
with the powers of darkness, for Satan would make strong effort to
hinder me, but angels of God would not leave me in the conflict. "—1860. |
The date was October 22, 1844. By December of that year, young Ellen (only 17)
was clearly nearing the end of her life. Her weakened condition was rapidly
worsening; she had a serious lung disease. It was only with great effort that
she could speak in a broken voice, generally in a whisper. Frequently at night,
she would awaken from sleep coughing blood from her lungs. Her family
understood why she hardly spoke, slept a lot, and remained in bed most of the
rest of the time. They prayed with and for her, and awaited the day when she
would die.
Then one day, several godly women who knew the family well decided to gather for
special prayer for the soon return of Jesus—and for little Ellen.
They knelt in prayer at the Portland home of Mrs. Elizabeth Haines, a young
married woman. Three other women were present.
And then God gave a great blessing to the people living in these last days: He
gave us the Spirit of Prophecy. "While I was praying, the power of God came upon
me as I had never felt it before. I was wrapped in a vision of God's glory, and
seemed to be rising higher and higher from the earth, and was shown something of
the travels of the Advent people to the Holy City."—Early Writings, p. 13 (see
also Experience and Views, p. 5).
Here is that first vision, as published in the Day-Star of January 24, 1846.
"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. 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
said the City was a great way off, 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, which left 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 into 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. 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.
"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. "At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would
rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us in prison, when we would
stretch forth the hand in the name of the lord, and the wicked would fall
helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God
had loved us who could wash one another's feet and salute the brethren with a
holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet.
"Soon our eyes were drawn to the east. for a small black cloud had appeared,
about half as large as a man's hand. which we all knew was the sign of the Son
of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer, [and
became] lighter, and brighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a
great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire, a rainbow was over it, around
the cloud were ten thousand angels singing a most lovely song.
"And on it sat the Son of man, on His head were crowns. His hair was white and
curly and lay on His shoulders. His feet had the appearance of fire, in His
right hand was a sharp sickle, in His left a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a
flame of fire, which searched His children through and through.
"Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered
blackness. Then we all cried out, 'Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe
spotless?' Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful
silence, when Jesus spoke, 'Those who have clean hands and a pure heart shall be
able to stand; my grace is sufficient for you.' At this, our faces lighted up,
and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sung again
while the cloud drew still nearer the earth.
"Then Jesus' silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in
flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping 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 a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the
dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, 'Hallelujah!' as
they recognized their friends who had been tom from them by death, and in the
same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in
the air.
"We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of
glass. "—The Day-Star, January 24, 1846 (see also Early Writings, pp. 14-16).
"I have spread before them the light given me of heaven in that book.
"—1889.
"The keeping of Great Controversy from the field has done a work that men
will have to answer for in the judgment. "—1894.
Where did Great Controversy start? It began with that first vision, given in
December 1844. This vision contained basic facts later amplified several times
in larger and still larger studies of the great controversy warfare and last day
events, until the final revision of Great Controversy came from the press.
As you read this first vision, you will note that it does not deal with the
subject matter of Christ's Object Lessons, Steps to Christ, or the Testimonies.
We do not find here material for Education, Ministry of Healing, Desire of Ages,
or Patriarchs and Prophets. The single topic is final events in the great
controversy.
The book, Great Controversy, is both the touchstone and capstone to her
ministry. It both began it and climaxed it. Today, as we open the pages of that
hallowed volume, we find the broad panorama of events from Christ's day to our
own and beyond. That book explains the past, the present, and the future. It is
as a great light shining upon our pathway, illuminating our steps all the way to
the city of God.
This is the story of the writing of that book.
"As the Spirit of God has opened to my mind the great truths of His Word, in the
scenes of the past and the future, I have been bidden to make known to others
that which has thus been revealed, to trace the history of the controversy in
past ages, and especially so to present it as to shed a light on the fast
approaching struggle of the future."—Great Controversy.—Letter 281, 1905
(Colporteur Ministry, p. 127:1; Great Controversy, p. xii [1888]).
The broad, sweeping coverage and the tremendous importance of this book is
indicated in the following statement:
"The Great Controversy should be very widely circulated. It contains the story
of the past, the present, and the future. In its outline of the closing scenes
of this earth's history, it bears a powerful testimony in behalf of the truth. I
am more anxious to see a wide circulation of this book than for any others I
have written; for in the Great Controversy, the last message of warning to the
world is given more distinctly than in any of my other books." —Letter 281, 1905
(Colporteur Ministry, p. 127:1).
In this book are to be found most crucial messages which are needed by the
people living in these last days. It is of the utmost importance that we share
it as widely as possible.
"The book, The Great Controversy, I appreciate above silver or gold, and I
greatly desire that it shall come before the people. While writing the
manuscript of The Great Controversy I was often conscious of the presence of
the angels of God. Many times the scenes about which I was writing were
presented to me anew in visions of the night, so that they were fresh and vivid
in my mind." —Letter 56, 1911 (Colporteur Ministry, p. 128:3).
"It is not so much the object of this book to present new truths concerning the struggles of former times, as to bring out facts and principles which have a bearing on coming events. Yet viewed as a part of the controversy between the forces of light and darkness, all these records of the past are seen to have a new significance; and through them a light is cast upon the future, illuminating the pathway of those who, like the reformers of past ages, will be called, even at the peril of all earthly good, to witness 'for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.' "—Great Controversy xiv (1888).
"The results of the circulation of this book are not to be judged by what
now appears."—1890.
"Had it been circulated at the time it was lying idle, there would
have been a different order of things among our workers. The impressions
made would have brought decided changes."—1899.
In that first vision, she wrote:
"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, which left 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.”—Day-Star, January 24, 1846 (Early
Writings, p. 15).
The Midnight Cry was that light. But could it be that that "light behind them"
also included the Spirit of Prophecy? That pure light, which began shortly after
the Midnight Cry closed, provided the remnant with light to guide their feet all
along the pathway, throughout their journey to the City of God. But, if that be
true, then beware of the warning regarding those who—having rejected the light—stumble and fall off that heaven-bound trail!
How did this book come to be? What is the background of its writing? The better
we understand the circumstances under which it was written, the more we shall
value this special heritage.
We are well-aware of the many attacks leveled against Great Controversy in our
own day. But in this study we will learn that, even in the 19th century, it
repeatedly received more opposition than any other Spirit of Prophecy book. In
addition, its author suffered more in the process of bringing it to us than she
did in bringing us any of her other writings.
That first vision was given in December 1844. Over the next several years, Ellen
and her husband James White traveled and spoke in many places. Living conditions
were difficult and she wrote relatively little.
Later, in 1858, Ellen White made this comment about the basic great controversy
vision: "In this vision at Lovett's Grove, much of the material of the Great
Controversy which I had seen ten years before was repeated, and I was shown that
I must write it out. "2 Spiritual Gifts, p. 270 (Life Sketches, p. 162 is
almost identical).
"The book, Great Controversy, I appreciate above silver or gold, and I
greatly desire that it shall come before the people. "—1911.
"As I write upon my book, I feel intensely moved. I want to get it out as
soon as possible. " —1884.
That which she had seen "ten years before" had been shown her in November and
December of 1848. Here is a brief overview of those revelations:
On Sabbath, November 18, she was shown in vision that the message of the Third
Angel needed to be published and widely circulated.
(It is of interest that, as you read the story of her life, you will find that
these specific-information visions which she received came more frequently when
they would, as a result, be printed and circulated. That is significant! God
wanted that information printed, circulated, and read! All of her writings
should be kept in print and distributed today; none are unimportant, for all
are from Heaven.)
On Saturday night, December 16, at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, another vision was
given. At the time, many were suggesting that the massive turmoil occurring just
then in Europe was the signal for the end of time. But in this vision, Ellen
White was shown that a far greater upheaval was yet in the future.
In that vision, she was also shown that Jesus would return to earth through
that region of the sky we call the Orion constellation.
"December 16, 1848, the Lord gave me a view of the shaking of the powers of the
heavens. I saw that when the Lord said 'heaven: in giving the signs recorded by
Matthew, Mark, and Luke, He meant heaven, and when He said 'earth' He meant
earth. The powers of the heavens are the sun, moon, and stars. They rule in the
heavens. The powers of the earth are those that rule on the earth. The powers of
heaven will be shaken at the voice of God. The sun, moon, and stars will be
moved out of their places. They will not pass away, but be shaken by the voice
of God.
"Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. The atmosphere
parted and rolled back; then we could look up through the open space in Orion,
whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come down through that open
space.
"I saw that the powers of earth are now being shaken and that events come in
order. War, and rumors of war, sword, famine, and pestilence are first to shake
the powers of earth, then the voice of God will shake the sun, moon, and stars,
and this earth also. I saw that the shaking of the powers in Europe is not, as
some teach, the shaking of the powers of heaven, but it is the shaking of the
angry nations."—Letter 2, 1848, addressed to The Scattered Remnant (see also
Early Writings, p. 41).
Shortly after that, on Friday evening January 5, 1849, the ministry of Christ in
the heavenly sanctuary, the sealing time, the death decree, the seven last
plagues, and Jacob's trouble were partially explained to her:
"At the commencement of the holy Sabbath, January 5, 1849, we engaged in prayer
with Brother Belden's family at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and the Holy Ghost
fell upon us. I was taken off in vision to the most holy place, where I saw
Jesus still interceding for Israel. . Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the
most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or
destruction."—Early Writings, p. 36.
As Daniel sought for a further explanation of a vision in Daniel 8, and received
it later in Daniel 9, so Ellen White asked for further information and later
received it.
'I asked my attending angel for an explanation of what I saw. He told me that I
could see no more then, but he would shortly show me what those things that I
then saw meant." —Early Writings, p. 37.
The next afternoon (January 6), additional light was given in regard to the
intercessory ministry of Christ in the sanctuary in heaven, and how this related
to the sealing of God's people.
"I saw four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and were on their way to
accomplish it. Jesus was clothed with priestly garments. He gazed in pity on the
remnant, then raised His hands, and with a voice of deep pity cried, 'My blood,
Father, My blood, My blood, My blood"
"Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from God, who sat upon the great
white throne, and was shed all about Jesus. Then I saw an angel with a
commission from Jesus, swiftly flying to the four angels who had a work to do on
the earth, and waving something up and down in his hand, and crying with a loud
voice, 'Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the servants of God are sealed in their
foreheads.' "—Early Writings, p. 38.
Still uncertain as to the full significance of this, she asked for additional
information, and it was then given.
"I asked my accompanying angel the meaning of what I heard, and what the
four angels were about to do. He said to me that it was God that restrained the
powers, and that He gave His angels charge over things on earth; that the four
angels had power from God to hold the four winds, and they were about to let
them go; but while their hands were loosening, and the four winds were about to
blow, the merciful eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not sealed, and
He raised His hands to the Father and pleaded with Him that He had spilled His
blood for them. "Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four
angels and bid them hold, until the servants of God were sealed with the seal of
the living God in their foreheads."—Early Writings, p. 38.
These two visions of January 5 and 6 are discussed in Early Writings, pages
36-38.
In an undated vision received soon after, she was shown God's care over His
people, and also the glorious inheritance in heaven awaiting each one of them.
It is described in Early Writings, pages 39-40. In this vision, she was also
taken to other worlds.
It is thus clear that ten years prior to Ellen White's very important "Great
Controversy vision," she had received several introductory views of many of the
closing-scenes events described in that book. Ellen had just turned 21 when she
received them.
These 1848-1849 visions of final events were written out and later included in
her first three books: Christian Experience and Views of Mrs. E.G. White,
(which was printed in 1851; today available in Early Writings, pages 11-83); A
Supplement to Experience and Views (printed in 1854; today in Early Writings,
pages 85-127); and Spiritual Gifts, Volume 1; now in Early Writings, pages
133-295).
But it was not until her 1858 vision that she was explicitly told that the
closing-scenes visions must be published in far greater detail. She was also
told at that time that—above all else—Satan did not want that information made
available to the people!
Before concluding this section, it would be well to note that, in 1848, Ellen
White was also used of God in formulating another major area of Adventism:
several of our basic doctrines.
“A much larger number of those who read it will not take their position
until they see the very events taking place that are foretold in it."1890.
“As soon as Great Controversy came from the press it should have been pushed
above every other book. I have been shown this. "—1899.
Three powerful blessings were given to the remnant just following the passage of
Jesus from the first to the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844:
(1)The Spirit of Prophecy was again in the church, after an absence of about
1750 years.
(2) The Sabbath truth was discovered by the Advent people, after being almost
wholly extinguished by the apostasy of the Dark Ages.
(3) The truth about Jesus' ministry in the sanctuary opened up before His
people.
Yes, those were indeed blessings. But it was not until 1848 that the first major
outline of basic Seventh-day Adventist beliefs was produced during what was
called the "Sabbath Conferences." These were meetings held in several locations
in New England, some of them in barns. Men, holding to a wide variety of
beliefs, attended those gatherings. Because most held to a variety of peculiar
theories, and because most believed their own to be correct, theological
pandemonium appeared certain. Yet each meeting concluded with a single, unified
clear-cut set of teachings! How could that possibly happen?
Our kind Father worked it out in a very definite way: Throughout the time that
the meetings were held, the mind of Ellen White was locked so that she could
understand neither the reasoning nor the conclusions of the brethren. The men
were clearly on their own, but they could go nowhere; too many differences and
varied views divided them.
A topic would be selected for prayerful study; it would be investigated; the
brethren would then arrive at that point where they knew not how to proceed.
Before them lay several doctrinal paths, and they were not clear regarding which
one to pursue.
Then Ellen White would be taken off in vision and, while they prayerfully
waited, would be given the correct answer. Coming out of vision, she would
relate what she had been shown to the assembled group. They would accept the
light given, noting that, again, her mind was locked to an understanding of the
conversation and issues involved.