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The Work
of a Prophet and more:
“I am now instructed that I am not to be
hindered in my work by those who engage in
suppositions regarding its nature, whose
minds are struggling with so many intricate
problems connected with the supposed work of
a prophet. My
commission embraces the work of a prophet,
but it does not end there. It
embraces much more than the minds of those
who have been sowing the seeds of unbelief
can comprehend. —Letter 244, 1906. Addressed
to elders of the Battle Creek church;”
(Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 34-36).
“My work includes much more than this
name signifies. I regard myself as a
messenger, entrusted by the Lord with
messages for His people.” (Letter 55, 1905,
Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 32, 35, 36).
Ellen G. White said she was
shown future events by the Spirit of God.
“As the Spirit of God has opened to my
mind the great truths of His word, and 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. In pursuance of this purpose, I
have endeavored to select and group together
events in the history of the church in such
a manner as to trace the unfolding of the
great testing truths that at different
periods have been given to the world, that
have excited the wrath of Satan, and the
enmity of a world-loving church, and that
have been maintained by the witness of those
who “loved not their lives unto the death.”
(The Great Controversy xi. 2).
Ellen White said that one had to either
believe everything she said was from God, or
none of it was.
“The
visions are either of God or the devil.
There is no half-way position to be taken in
the matter. God does not work in partnership
with Satan. Those who occupy this position
cannot stand there long. They go a step
farther and account the instrument God has
used a deceiver and the woman Jezebel. If
after they had taken the first step it
should be told them what position they would
soon occupy in regard to the visions, they
would have resented it as a thing
impossible. But Satan leads them on
blindfolded in a perfect deception in regard
to the true state of their feelings until he
takes them in his snare” (Letter 8, 1860,
pp. 16, 17, to Brother John Andrews, June
11, 1860. 1MR 307.1).
"…I am
presenting to you what the Lord has
presented to me. I do not write one article
in the paper expressing merely my own ideas,
they are what God has opened before me in
vision- precious rays of light shining from
the throne." (Testimonies Vol. 5, p. 67).
| Was
Ellen G. White a true prophet of God or was she a false prophet? |
"In examining
some of the predictions made by Ellen White,
it is evident she badly failed this test.
Most of Mrs. White's specific predictions
were made early in her career, and virtually
every single one of them failed to come to
pass. The further she progressed in life,
the less predictions she made, and if she
did make a prediction, it was usually
something vague and ambiguous, such as
"crime will worsen," "cities will be more
polluted," or "the earth will become more
and more corrupt." It appears that Mrs.
White learned from her early failures, and
was more careful in later predictions to
make them obscure and ambiguous enough so
that she could not be accused by her
detractors of making false predictions."[1]
Ellen. G. White lied about her sources
on many occasions and she was afraid of
being sued for stealing the writings of
other authors. She made many
false prophecies about people, future events:
The Civil War, England Invading the United
States, the Shut Door and Sunday worship and nations,
including England, Israel and the United
States.
Ellen G. White falsely claimed that the
Sabbath was a requirement in the New
Covenant and that the day of worship was
changed.
All the historical data shows that the
earliest Church set apart Sunday as their
day of worship. Neither the pope nor
Constantine changed the day of worship.
Seventh-day Adventist historians have now
proven that fact.
"Throughout the Bible, people are warned
about false prophets (Ezekiel 13; Matthew 24:23–27; 2 Peter 3:3). False prophets claim
to speak for God, but they speak falsehood.
To gain a hearing, they come to people “in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). No matter
how innocent and harmless these teachers
appear on the outside, they have the nature
of wolves—they are intent on destroying
faith, causing spiritual carnage in the
church, and enriching themselves. They
“secretly introduce destructive heresies,”
“bring the way of truth into disrepute,” and
“exploit you with fabricated stories” (2 Peter 2:1-3).
The false teachers don
“sheep’s clothing” so they can mingle with
the sheep without arousing suspicion. They
usually are not up front about what they
believe; rather, they mix in some truth with
their falsehood and carefully choose their
words to sound orthodox. In reality, they
“follow their own ungodly desires” (Jude 1:17-18), and “they never stop sinning; they
seduce the unstable; they are experts in
greed” (2 Peter 3:14)."[2]
The New Testament
warns that false prophets
and false teachers would be in the Church
and we are told to test them by the Word of God. The
strongest warnings in scripture are against
false prophets and false teachers leading
the Church away from the truth.
Here
are four biblical ways to determine if
someone is a false teacher or not.
1. The Fruit Test: What kind of
fruits has their life produced.
Matthew 7:15-20 says,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you
in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are
ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by
their fruits. Are grapes gathered from
thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So,
every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the
diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy
tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a
diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree
that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire. Thus you will
recognize them by their fruits.”
A Bible-believing
church should never allow a false teacher to
poison their church, anymore than a good
Shepard would allow a wolf to roam freely
among his sheep.
2. The Doctrine Test: As example,
the doctrine of the incarnation.
1 John 4:1-3 says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but
test the spirits to see whether they are
from God, for many false prophets have gone
out into the world. By this you know the
Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
from God, and every spirit that does not
confess Jesus is not from God. This is the
spirit of the antichrist, which you heard
was coming and now is in the world already."
We must always measure the
doctrines being taught in our group or
church by the written word of God. No other
source is needed.
1 Timothy 6:3-4 says, "If
anyone teaches a different doctrine and does
not agree with the sound words of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords
with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit
and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy
craving for controversy and for quarrels
about words, which produce envy, dissension,
slander, evil suspicions,"
3.
The Scripture Test: The test of submission
to Scripture.
1 Corinthians 14:37-38
says, "If anyone
thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual,
he should acknowledge that the things I am
writing to you are a command of the Lord. If
anyone does not recognize this, he is not
recognized."
1 John 4:6 says,
"We are from God.
Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is
not from God does not listen to us. By this
we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit
of error."
4. The Gospel Test: Legalism
must be dealt with.
Galatians 1:8-9
says, "But even if we
or an angel from heaven should preach to you
a gospel contrary to the one we preached to
you, let him be accursed. As we have said
before, so now I say again: If anyone is
preaching to you a gospel contrary to the
one you received, let him be accursed."
The New Testament offers many examples
of false teachers who the scriptures say God
has devoted to destruction (Matthew 24:24;
John 8:44; 1 Timothy 1:20; Titus 1:16), and
the Judaizers that Paul had to deal with in
Galatians 1:8-9 are included in that
company. Paul had to denounce the Galatians'
perversion of the gospel, and sometimes we
have to do the same.
There is only one true gospel, justification
by faith alone, apart from works of the law.
Galatians 5:2-3 says, "Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept
circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage
to you. I testify again to every man who
accepts circumcision that he is obligated to
keep the whole law."
Galatians 5:4
says "You are severed
from Christ, you who would be justified by
the law; you have fallen away from grace."
Salvation
by Law-keeping is an impossibility.
Any attempt to be justified by the law is to
reject salvation by grace alone through
faith alone. Those who seek to be justified
by the law are separated from Christ and
lose all possibility of God's salvation (Deuteronomy 27:26; Romans 19:5; Galatians 3:10-13; James 2:8-10). Their abandonment of
Jesus and the gospel simply serves to
demonstrate that their faith was never
real to begin with (Luke 8:13-14; 1 John 2:19).
The Bible warns us that
there will be false prophets and teachers in
the Church.
Mark 13:22 says,
"for false Christs and false
prophets will arise, and will show signs and
wonders, in order to lead astray, if
possible, the elect."
1 John 4:1 says,
"Beloved, do not
believe every spirit, but test the spirits
to see whether they are from God, because
many false prophets have gone out into the
world. "
1 Timothy 4:1-5
says,
"But the Spirit
explicitly says that in later times some
will fall away from the faith, paying
attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines
of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of
liars seared in their own conscience as with
a branding iron, men who forbid marriage
and advocate abstaining from foods which God
has created to be gratefully shared in by
those who believe and know the truth. For
everything created by God is good, and
nothing is to be rejected if it is received
with gratitude; for it is sanctified by
means of the word of God and prayer."
2 Timothy 3:1-5
says,
"But realize this,
that in the last days difficult times will
come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers
of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers,
disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips,
without self-control, brutal, haters of
good, treacherous, reckless, conceited,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, holding to a form of godliness,
although they have denied its power; Avoid
such men as these."
2 Peter 2:1-3 says,
"But false
prophets also arose among the people, just
as there will also be false teachers among
you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought
them, bringing swift destruction upon
themselves. Many will follow their
sensuality, and because of them the way of
the truth will be maligned; and in their
greed they will exploit you with false
words; their judgment from long ago is not
idle, and their destruction is not asleep."
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
says, "For such men are
false apostles, deceitful workmen,
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light. So it is no
surprise if his servants, also, disguise
themselves as servants of righteousness.
Their end will correspond to their deeds."
We have a responsibility to test
what those who claim to be prophets teach by
the written word of God.
1 Corinthians 14:32
says, "and the spirits
of prophets are subject to prophets;"
2 Timothy 4:1-5 says, "I
charge you in the presence of God and of
Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and
the dead, and by his appearing and his
kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season
and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and
exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
For the time is coming when people will not
endure sound teaching, but having itching
ears they will accumulate for themselves
teachers to suit their own passions, and
will turn away from listening to the truth
and wander off into myths. As for you,
always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do
the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry."
As Christians we have to
heed the counsel of 2 Timothy 4:2. Paul
tells us to be ready “in season and out of
season” to deal with the false teachers.
According to the Bible, false teachers have to be
identified and dealt with for the sake of
the church.
• We must reprove false teachers.
The
Greek word for "reprove" (elegchô - Strong's #1651)
refers to correcting behavior or false
doctrine by using careful biblical arguments
to help a person understand the error of
their
actions.
• We must rebuke them.
The Greek word for
"rebuke" (epitimaô - Strong's #2008) deals more with
correcting the person's motives by
convicting them of their sin and leading
them to
repentance.
• As leaders, we are told to exhort and
instruct the body of Christ.
The Greek word for
"exhort" (parakaleô - Strong's #3870) deals
with the positive
side of preaching (the "teaching" and
"training" as in 2 Timothy 3:16).
We have to always be ready to correct,
rebuke or encourage those who God has put
under our care.
How do we deal with false prophets
and false teachers? We must correct their
false teaching with the truths of scripture.
1 Peter 3:15 says, "But in
your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,
always being prepared to make a defense to
anyone who asks you for a reason for the
hope that is in you; yet do it with
gentleness and respect,"
2 Corinthians 10:1-6
says, "I, Paul,
myself entreat you, by the meekness and
gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when
face to face with you, but bold toward you
when I am away!— I beg of you that when I am
present I may not have to show boldness with
such confidence as I count on showing
against some who suspect us of walking
according to the flesh. For though we walk
in the flesh, we are not waging war
according to the flesh. For the weapons of
our warfare are not of the flesh but have
divine power to destroy strongholds. We
destroy arguments and every lofty opinion
raised against the knowledge of God, and
take every thought captive to obey Christ,
being ready to punish every disobedience,
when your obedience is complete."
Titus 1:9 says, "He must hold
firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so
that he may be able to give instruction in
sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who
contradict it."
2 Timothy 2:24-25
says, "And the Lord’s servant
must not be quarrelsome but kind to
everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring
evil, correcting his opponents with
gentleness. God may perhaps grant them
repentance leading to a knowledge of the
truth,"
Colossians 4:5-6
says, "Walk in wisdom toward
outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned
with salt, so that you may know how you
ought to answer each person."
Philippians 1:6-7
says, "And I am sure
of this, that he who began a good work in
you will bring it to completion at the day
of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel
this way about you all, because I hold you
in my heart, for you are all partakers with
me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in
the defense and confirmation of the gospel."
Philippians 1:16 says, "The latter do it out of love, knowing that I
am put here for the defense of the gospel."
2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All
Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in
righteousness,"
2 Timothy 2:15
says, "Do your best to present
yourself to God as one approved, a worker
who has no need to be ashamed, rightly
handling the word of truth."
Jude 1:3
says, "Beloved, although I
was very eager to write to you about our
common salvation, I found it necessary to
write appealing to you to contend for the
faith that was once for all delivered to the
saints."
2 Thessalonians 2:15
says, "So then, brothers, stand firm
and hold to the traditions that you were
taught by us, either by our spoken word or
by our letter."
What should we do if the false teacher will not
submit to the authority of the
pastor or the chosen leaders of the
congregation?
1 Peter 3:15-17
says, "but in your
hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always
being prepared to make a defense to anyone
who asks you for a reason for the hope that
is in you; yet do it with gentleness and
respect, having a good conscience, so that,
when you are slandered, those who revile
your good behavior in Christ may be put to
shame. For it is better to suffer for doing
good, if that should be God’s will, than for
doing evil."
Romans 16:16-19
says, "Greet one another with a holy
kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for
those who cause divisions and create
obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you
have been taught; avoid them. For such
persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but
their own appetites, and by smooth talk and
flattery they deceive the hearts of the
naive. For your obedience is known to all,
so that I rejoice over you, but I want you
to be wise as to what is good and innocent
as to what is evil."
Acts 20:28-29
says, "Pay careful attention
to yourselves and to all the flock, in which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to
care for the church of God, which he
obtained with his own blood. I know that
after my departure fierce wolves will come
in among you, not sparing the flock;"
Titus 1:9 says, "He must hold
firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so
that he may be able to give instruction in
sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who
contradict it."
Titus 3:10
says, "As for a person who stirs up
division, after warning him once and then
twice, have nothing more to do with him,
2 Thessalonians 3:6 says,
"Now we command you, brothers, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep
away from any brother who is walking in
idleness and not in accord with the
tradition that you received from us."
1 Timothy 1:19-20 says, "holding faith and a good conscience. By
rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of
their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and
Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan
that they may learn not to blaspheme."
2 John 1:7-11 says, "For
many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not confess the coming of Jesus
Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the
deceiver and the antichrist. Watch
yourselves, so that you may not lose what we
have worked for, but may win a full reward.
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not
abide in the teaching of Christ, does not
have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has
both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes
to you and does not bring this teaching, do
not receive him into your house or give him
any greeting, for whoever greets him takes
part in his wicked works."
1 Corinthians 5:11
says, "But now I am
writing to you not to associate with anyone
who bears the name of brother if he is
guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is
an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or
swindler—not even to eat with such a one."
Sometimes, false teachers need to be removed
from the church for the sake of Christ’s
body.
2 Thessalonians 3:13-15 says, "As for
you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing
good. If anyone does not obey what we say in
this letter, take note of that person, and
have nothing to do with him, that he may be
ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but
warn him as a brother."
1 Corinthians 5:1-5
says, "It is
actually reported that there is sexual
immorality among you, and of a kind that is
not tolerated even among pagans, for a man
has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant!
Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who
has done this be removed from among you. For
though absent in body, I am present in
spirit; and as if present, I have already
pronounced judgment on the one who did such
a thing. When you are assembled in the name
of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present,
with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to
deliver this man to Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit
may be saved in the day of the Lord."
Matthew 18:17 says, "If he
refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church. And if he refuses to listen even to
the church, let him be to you as a Gentile
and a tax collector."
So, how should we deal with Ellen G.
White?
Was she a true prophet of God, or
a wolf in sheep's clothing?
The Bible
says Jesus
Christ is the living “Word” of God and
the final revelation of God to man (John 1:1-3).
Hebrews 1:1-2 says,
"Long ago, at many times and in many
ways, God spoke to our fathers by the
prophets, but in these last days he has
spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed
the heir of all things, through whom also he
created the world."
Now notice what Ellen G. White said
about her role as the last-day prophet of
the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
"In ancient times God spoke to men by
the mouth of prophets and apostles. In these days he speaks to them by the
testimonies (her writings) of his Spirit.
There was never a time when God instructed
his people more earnestly than he instructs
them now (by her writings) concerning his
will and the course that he would have them
pursue." (Testimonies: Volume
5, p. 661).
It is hard to believe but
Ellen G. White arrogantly
claimed that she, not Jesus, was
the final interpreter of scripture and truth.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
says that Ellen G. White
speaks with prophetic authority.
The Seventh-day Adventist
Belief #18, "The Gift of Prophecy"
says,
The Scriptures testify that one of the gifts
of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is
an identifying mark of the remnant church
and we believe it was manifested in the
ministry of Ellen G. White. Her writings
speak with prophetic authority and provide
comfort, guidance, instruction, and
correction to the church. They also make
clear that the Bible is the standard by
which all teaching and experience must be
tested.
Ellen G. White even claimed that her
"testimonies" were
infallible and said those who reject her
gift are "rebelling against God".
"Yet, now when I send you a testimony of
warning and reproof, many of you declare it
to be merely the opinion of Sister White.
You thereby insulted the Spirit of God."
(Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 64).
"In
these letters which I write, in the
testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you
that which the Lord has presented to me. I
do not write one article in the paper
expressing merely my own ideas. They are
what God has opened before me in vision, the
precious rays of light shining from the
throne." (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 67).
"God is either teaching His church,
reproving their wrongs and strengthening
their faith, or He is not. This work is of
God, or it is not. God does nothing in
partnership with Satan. My work for the past
thirty years bears the stamp of God or the
stamp of the enemy. There is no halfway work
in the matter. The Testimonies are of the
Spirit of God, or of the devil. In arraying
yourself against the servants of God you are
doing a work either for God or for the
devil." (Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 230).
"If you lessen the confidence of God’s
people in the testimonies He has sent them,
you are rebelling against God as were Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram." (Testimonies , Vol. 5,
p. 66).
There is not one doctrine
that Ellen G. White advocated for that the
Seventh-day Adventists will go against. Even
when it can be shown she made false
predictions and heretical statements that go
against God’s word.
Ellen G. White’s
first visions were all proven to be completely
false. How many false prophecies does it
take to prove someone is a false prophet?
When
Seventh-day Adventists say they believe the
Bible alone, they are either lying to
themselves or deliberately deceiving those
they are speaking to. It has to be one or
the other! There is no middle ground. To
defend the doctrines of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church is to defend the heretical
teachings of a false prophet.
Who do you choose to follow, Jesus
Christ or Ellen G. White? Do you believe the
Bible or the writings and teachings of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church?
If any of you
follow someone who claims to have a
"special" word from God because of visions
and dreams, you need to scrutinize what they
teach more than anyone else you know or
trust. God has warned you! The last thing
any Christian should want to do is lead a
fellow believer into a false religious
system. Lives really are at stake!
1 Thessalonians 5:21
says to, "examine
everything carefully; hold fast to that
which is good."
References:
1. See:
hhttps://www.nonegw.org/egw35.shtml
2.
https://www.gotquestions.org/wolves-in-sheeps-clothing.html
3. Official SDA
Creed:
https://www.slideshare.net/va4sda/seventhday-adventist-baptismal-vows-standard-13-presentation
* The four
biblical tests are adapted from: How Do We
Discern False Teachers?
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-we-discern-false-teachers
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