We are living in the last days, that epochal period of earth’s history that will be marked by great unbelief. (See 11 Peter 3:3–7; Matthew 24:37–39.) Those who are truly seeking to know and to do the Lord’s will are desirous of exposing their minds only to the truth, avoiding looking at or studying error. Ellen White addresses these issues plainly in her writings: “I was shown the necessity of those who believe we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily receiving or imbibing new error. I saw that neither young nor old should attend the assemblies of those who are in error and darkness. Said the angel, ‘Let the mind cease to dwell on things of no profit.’ ” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 425. In this statement, written in 1853, she was referring to those who had accepted the message of William Miller about the soon coming of Jesus and who had not accepted the Three Angels’ Messages which lead directly to an understanding of the sanctuary and the Sabbath.
“Many saw the perfect chain of truth in the angels’ messages, and gladly received them in their order, and followed Jesus by faith into the heavenly sanctuary. These messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who understand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan.” Early Writings, 256.
The central truths of the Three Angels’ Messages (Revelation 14) are under attack in the Christian world and in the Adventist world today. The devil knows that those who cling to the truths as contained in these messages will be so anchored that they will not be swept away by his many delusions.
If we have the faith of Jesus, we will accept the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12; 12:17.) Ellen White not only claimed to have the gift of prophecy but she wrote that “all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in in these last days.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 320.
The Bible tests to be applied to anyone claiming to have the gift of prophecy are:
- They must speak according to the law and to the testimony of the Bible. (Isaiah 8:20.) The opponents of Ellen White have tried over and over to find something in the Bible that disagrees with something in her writings. Those who oppose the Three Angels’ Messages find fault with Ellen White, because she teaches these messages, including the investigative judgment.
- Their predictions come to pass. (Jeremiah 28:9.) Although well over 100 predictions that Ellen White made have been fulfilled already, her opponents attack statements that contain conditional prophecy. (See Jeremiah 18:7–10.) With this technique, even the Bible writers can be proved false prophets, including Isaiah and Jeremiah and especially Jonah.
- A prophet’s writings will produce good fruit, or results, in the lives of those who follow their teachings. (Matthew 7:15–20.) Opponents of Ellen White blame her if they find somebody who has become fanatical or mentally unbalanced.
- A prophet will confess the fact that Jesus came in the flesh. (1 John 4:1–3.) This is not talking simply about the fact that Jesus came in human flesh but that He came in fallen human nature, which is the technical way that the word flesh is used in the New Testament. (See 1 John 2:15–17; Romans 6–8; Galatians 5, 6.) To document Ellen White’s position on this topic, see Elder Ralph Larson’s book, The Word was Made Flesh.
- A prophet will have visions and dreams. (Numbers 12:6.) This must be documented from public or published evidence before you can be sure that any person who claims to be a prophet really has the prophetic gift.