STUDY 4

THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS

IN THE REMNANT CHURCH

The Bible tells us that the last remnant of the church will be identified by two
main characteristics-they keep the commandments of God and uphold the
testimony of Jesus Christ:

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17.

The enemy knows that his end is near; that is why his wrath is increasing to
the point of capping the climax of his wickedness in these last days. The
warning reads: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the
devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that
he hath but a short time." Rev. 12:12. "The wrath of Satan increases as his
time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its
culmination in the time of trouble." GC 623. The evils witnessed in the past
bear no comparison with the terrors, the troubles, and the deceptions that
are to involve the inhabitants of the earth in the near future. Satan will
exercise his power more and more to produce natural calamities
(earthquakes, tidal waves, tornadoes, hail-storms, floods, droughts, etc.),
famines, wars, pestilences, distress among the nations, etc. And he will be
very active, also, in the religious world: "For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt. 24:24. These
manifestations are to become more and more frequent, powerful, and
widespread. Those who are watching the events that are taking place in the
world can see that Satan is working with increasing deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish. In many cases, as he works miracles
through his agents, in the sight of men, he claims that he is Christ Himself.
"He [Satan] will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and
men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded
to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What shall we
do?" 6BC 1105, 1106. This will be the climax of all deceptions.
Mankind is being progressively ensnared in a fast-spreading delusion-
Spiritualism. And, when the climax in the great drama of deception comes,
when Satan himself personates Christ, the whole world will be prepared to
fall prey to the masterpiece of Satan's trickeries. But a small remnant-those
who keep the commandments of God and uphold the testimony of Jesus
(which is the spirit of prophecy)-will not be misled. It was for the sake of
safeguarding God's people against the great delusions of Satan in these last
days that the testimony of Jesus was entrusted to them.

"The enemy is on our track. We must be wide-awake, on our guard against

him. We must put on the whole armor of God. We must follow the directions
given through the spirit of prophecy. We must love and obey the truth for this
time. This will save us from accepting strong delusions." 8T 298.

But why should the wrath of the dragon be increased by this particular help
which was given to the remnant? Simply because this help thwarts Satan's
deceptions. Therefore: "There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies
which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the
churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring
in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and
reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded." 1SM 48.

I-ADDITIONAL HELP FOR THE LAST CONFLICT

Satan has had much success in perverting the truth through those who claim
to be his representatives on earth. The greatest perversion of the truth is
blamed on the religio-political combination represented by the beast of
Revelation 13:1-8. This power set up the head of its organization, the
antichrist, as the prophet of God. Instead of directing minds to the one God,
the Creator of heaven and earth, as the source of all truth, this pseudo-
prophet changed the law of God and lifted himself up as an object of
adoration (2 Thess. 2:3, 4).

The last message of mercy calling those that dwell on the earth to break
away from this system of falsehood and worship Him who has made heaven
and earth (Rev. 14:6, 7), intensifies the conflict of the ages, because it is the
closing of the age-lasting contention.

In the bitterness of this controversy, old disputes will be renewed, which were
thought to have long ago been hushed, and new and subtle ones will spring
to the front. "The days are fast approaching when there will be great
perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if
possible, the very elect. There will be gods many and lords many. Every wind
of doctrine will be blowing." 5T 80. Many will be looking for saint or prophet
to lead the way, and a spirit of discernment, which enables men to clearly
see the difference between truth and error, will then be needed.
As every case must be brought to the scrutiny of the law and the prophets, it
is important to read the Bible with the help of the testimony of Jesus, which is
the spirit of prophecy. Therefore, the message which was brought in the days
of Jehoshaphat has a special application today: "Believe in the Lord your God,
so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." 2Chron.
20:20.

1. Restoration of the Prophetic Gift

At this juncture the reader may ask, Does the Bible make provision for the
spirit of prophecy to be restored in the time of the end? We answer, Yes, it
does. Here are the evidences:

(1) Paul advises us to "covet the best gifts" (l Cor. 12:31). He says, "Follow
after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." 1
Cor. 14:1. In his epistle he is addressing not only the early Christians but also
this last generation. See evidence in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54. The apostle
refers specifically to these last days when he writes, "That in every thing ye
are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the
testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift;
waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you
unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1
Cor. 1:5-8. This is clear: We who are waiting for the second coming of the
Lord should not lack any gift. In other words, all spiritual gifts, including the
testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy, are to be restored in
our midst, that we may be confirmed and found blameless.

(2) Again, writing to the Thessalonians, Paul addresses this last generation of
believers, who are preparing to meet the Lord at His second coming (l Thess.
4:16, 17). After giving an important sign of the imminence of the day of the
Lord, he says, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should
overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:4. Then he gives us a series of counsels
calculated to preserve us "blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23). Among other things he says, "Despise not
prophesyings." 1 Thess. 5:20. This means that the gift of prophecy is to play
an important role among the true followers of Christ in these last days.

(3) Through the prophet Joel the Lord promised to send His Spirit in a special
manifestation shortly before the great day of the Lord. (Read Joel 2:28-31.)
This promise is quoted in the New

Testament as follows: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams." Acts 2:17. This prophecy was partially fulfilled in the days of
the apostles; it is to receive complete fulfillment in the closing work of the
gospel.

(4) The Bible says that the last remnant of the church of God on earth would
"keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,"
which is "the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 12:17; 19:10).

Great care must be exercised in the work of God when someone claims to
have the gift of prophecy, because two dangers surround this claim: (l) that
of rejecting a true prophet, and (2) that of welcoming a false prophet.
Whoever follows the rule given in the Bible, which shows how a prophet is to
be tested, need not err in this matter.

2. The Bible, and the Bible Only

The Bible, and the Bible alone, is the foundation of our faith. We do not
overlook the following instruction:

"God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible
only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The
opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of
ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches
which they represent, the voice of the majority-not one nor all of these
should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith.
Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'Thus
saith the Lord' in its support." GC 595.

The maxim, "The Bible, and the Bible only," does not carry one and the same
meaning with all Adventists. It has one specific meaning when used by those
who accept the Spirit of Prophecy; but when repeated by those who reject
the writings of E. G. White, it has a completely different meaning.

The right idea: When we say, "The Bible, and the Bible only," we understand
that the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy are in perfect harmony with the
Bible, that they make it easier for us to understand the Bible, and that they
show our way back to the Bible.

"The Word of God is sufficient to enlighten the most beclouded mind, and
may be understood by those who desire to understand it. But,
notwithstanding all this, some who profess to make the Word of God their
study are found living in direct opposition to its plainest teachings. Then, to
leave men and women without excuse, God gives them plain and pointed
testimonies, bringing them back to the Word they have neglected to follow."
"The Testimonies are not to belittle the Word of God, but to exalt it and
attract minds to it, that the beautiful simplicity of truth may impress all."-Life
and Teachings of Ellen G. White, p. 124.
"I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith
and practice. By that Word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word,
promised to give visions in the 'last days'; not for a new rule of faith, but for
the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from Bible truth." 3SM
29.

The wrong idea: When the opponents of the Spirit of Prophecy say, "The Bible
and the Bible only," they mean that the writings of E. G. White are in conflict
with the Bible. But, as a matter of fact, they put her writings aside, not
because there is a discrepancy as they say, but because they want to be free
to interpret the Bible to suit their unholy inclinations. Through their carnal
eyes they try to read their own ideas into the word of God. Thus, while
professing to be followers of the Holy Writ, they are actually drifting away
from it.

II-PROPHETS-TRUE AND FALSE

When the Lord called Moses to be a prophet, entrusting him with an

important mission, He assured him that certain evidences would make the
people of Israel believe him. By the power of God, Moses would work
miracles. If the first miracle would not convince them that the Lord had sent
him, then he would use a second miracle. And if in spite of the two miracles
they would still refuse to listen to him, then he would perform a third miracle.
(Read Ex. 4:1-9.) Something that would impress human eyes was needed;
and, initially, it served its purpose.

Moses was a miracle worker. But it has never occurred to us that we should
measure his prophetic claim by his power to convert his rod into a serpent,
etc. We consider his life, his character, his ministry, his writings, and the
benefits that the people of Israel received from his wise leadership over a
period of forty years, and we believe that God was with him and spoke
through him.

We adopt a similar method to validate the claims of Sister E. G. White. The

singular events which took place in connection with her early visions-such as
holding an 18-pound Bible at arm's length for about thirty minutes in the
presence of onlookers who later testified to the fact-served an important
purpose at the beginning of her ministry. Human beings need something to
spark their faith initially. But then the real evidences followed. Her seventy
years of self-denying labor for the Lord still carry unmistakable credentials.

Every honest searcher after truth will guard against two dangers-the danger
of being deceived by false prophets and the danger of rejecting true teachers
and their God-given messages and instructions. Failure to recognize the work
of the Holy Spirit will keep souls out of the kingdom of heaven. Honest
Christians, who actually want to be saved, should therefore consider the
evidences of divine guidance and the manifestation of the gift of prophecy in
the advent movement.

In the Bible we are instructed how to test those who profess to have been
sent by the Lord. Jesus said: "Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit.... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Matt. 7:16-20. A
life of self-sacrificing dedication to the cause of God, reserved and
unpretended demeanor, sober pronouncements in connection with a variety
of situations, deep insight into human character and into men's intricate
problems and innermost secrets, good judgment and timely warnings
concerning many difficulties and dangers faced by the church, unflinching
opposition to fanaticism, sound counsels on organization and administration,
advanced light on true education and on healthful living-these cannot be the
fruits of a disturbed or unbalanced mind often subject to hallucinations or
epileptic fits.

1. Sufficient Evidences

The life, the work, and the teachings of Sister E. G. White are open for
examination. Many sober-minded Christians have scrutinized her writings and
have come to favorable conclusions. She said:

"Let the Testimonies be judged by their fruits. What is the spirit of their
teaching? What has been the result of their influence? . . .

"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 . . . 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.

"As the Lord has manifested Himself through the spirit of prophecy, 'past,
present, and future have passed before me. I have been shown faces that I
had never seen, and years afterward I knew them when I saw them. I have
been aroused from my sleep with a vivid sense of subjects previously
presented to my mind; and I have written, at midnight, letters that have gone
across the continent and, arriving at a crisis, have saved great disaster to the
cause of God. This has been my work for many years. A power has impelled
me to reprove and rebuke wrongs that I had not thought of. Is this work . . .
from above or from beneath?' . . . Those who really desire to know the truth
will find sufficient evidence for belief." 5T 671, 672.

2. Testimonies of Close Associates

Some of those who were associated with Sister White over a period of many
years used their mature convictions to testify on behalf of her work, her
visions, and her writings. Consider, for example, the testimony of a close
associate, Elder Uriah Smith:

"Seventh-day Adventists do believe in the gifts of the Spirit. . . . They believe

that they have in their midst . . . at least one of these gifts.... This is found in
the visions of Mrs. E. G. White, as published in her works.

"Every test which can be brought to bear upon such manifestations, proves
these genuine. The evidence which supports them, internal and external, is
conclusive. They agree with the word of God, and with themselves. They are
given, unless those best qualified to judge are invariably deceived, when the
Spirit of God is especially present.... Calm, dignified, impressive, they
commend themselves to every beholder as the very opposite of that which is
false or fanatical....

"They are not the effect of disease.... Their fruit is such as to show that the
source from which they spring is the opposite of evil.

"They tend to the purest morality. They discountenance every vice, and
exhort to the practise of every virtue. They point out the perils through which
we are to pass to the kingdom. They reveal the devices of Satan. They warn
us against his snares. They have nipped in the bud scheme after scheme of
fanaticism which the enemy has tried to foist into our midst. They have
exposed hidden iniquity, brought to light concealed wrongs, and laid bare the
evil motives of the false-hearted. They have warded off dangers from the
cause of truth upon every hand. They have aroused and rearoused us to
greater consecration to God, more zealous efforts for holiness of heart, and
greater diligence in the cause and service of our Master.

"They lead us to Christ. Like the Bible, they set Him forth as the only hope
and only Saviour of mankind. They portray before us in living characters His
holy life and His godly example, and with irresistible appeals they urge us to
follow in His steps.

"They lead us to the Bible. They set forth that book as the inspired and
unaltered word of God. They exhort us to take that word as the man of our
counsel, and the rule of our faith and practise. And with a compelling power,
they entreat us to study long and diligently its pages, and become familiar
with its teaching, for it is to judge us in the last day.

"They have brought comfort and consolation to many hearts. They have
strengthened the weak, encouraged the feeble, raised up the despondent.
They have brought order out of confusion, made crooked places straight, and
thrown light on what was dark and obscure. And no person with an
unprejudiced mind can read their stirring appeals for a pure and lofty
morality, their exaltation of God and the Saviour, their denunciations of every
evil, and their exhortations to every thing that is holy and of good report,
without being compelled to say, 'These are not the words of him that hath a
devil."' Uriah Smith, The Visions of Mrs. E. G. White, pp. 3-8.

Messages which consistently exalt Christ as the divine Son of God and our
only Saviour and magnify His ministration in our behalf; messages which
vindicate the authority of the Bible and lead us into all biblical truth;
messages which uphold the holy law of God and enjoin obedience to all its
commandments-such messages cannot come through an agent of Satan.

3. Christ Exalted

The apostle Paul wrote: "For I determined not to know any thing among you,
save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." 1 Cor. 2:2. "Christ in you, the hope of
glory" (Col. 1:27) was the central subject of his teachings. While true
teachers work to bring souls to Christ, false teachers deny the Lord (2 Peter
2:1) and try to convert souls to themselves (Acts 20:30). Instead of rebuking
sinners and calling sin by its right name, they seek to please people by
flattering their carnal hearts. "They are of the world: therefore speak they of
the world, and the world heareth them." 1 John 4:5.

Sister White always exalted Christ as our only hope. Here is an example of
the tenor of her teachings:

"Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ ascended into the heavens, Christ
coming again, should so soften, gladden, and fill the mind of the minister that
he will present these truths to the people in love and deep earnestness. The
minister will then be lost sight of and Jesus will be made manifest. Lift up
Jesus, you that teach the people, lift Him up in sermon, in song, in prayer. Let
all your powers be directed to pointing souls, confused, bewildered, lost, to
the 'Lamb of God."' GW 159, 160.

4. The Bible Vindicated

Christ said: "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." Luke
11:28. And Paul wrote: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness." 2 Tim. 3:16. Then he added a warning about false teachers:
"The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.... They shall
turn

away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 4:3,
4.
In vain have some tried to find discrepancies between the Bible and the
writings of Sister White. Seeming contradictions can be detected even within
the Scriptures. But, so far, no one has ever been able to show us an example
of real disagreement t between the Word of God and the Testimonies of the
Spirit of Prophecy.

Sister White never indicated that we should regard her writings as an

addition to the Bible. Her consistent advice was as follows: "I am fully in
harmony with you in your work when you present the Bible, and the Bible
alone, as the foundation of our faith." 2SM 85.

"In the golden censer of truth, as presented in Christ's teachings, we have

that which will convict and convert souls. Pro claim, in the simplicity of Christ,
the truths that He came to this world to proclaim, and the power of your
message will make it self felt. Do not advocate theories or tests that Christ
has never mentioned, and that have no foundation in the Bible. We have
grand, solemn truths for the people. 'It is written' is the test that must be
brought home to every soul." GW 309.

5. The Law of God Upheld

When men ignore the will of God as it is revealed in His holy law, we are not
to regard the miraculous manifestations which may be connected with their
work as a proof that they have been sent by God. (Read Matt. 7:21-23.) False
prophets do not render or teach obedience to all the commandments of the
Decalogue. Therefore, we are told to test the genuineness of their claims by
considering their attitude toward the law. (Read Isa. 8:20; 1 John 24.)

No one can deny that Sister White has firmly upheld, before the church and
the world, the sacred requirements of God's moral law.

6. Predictions Fulfilled

In addition to the test mentioned before, the Lord said that those who claim
to be prophets should be tested also on the accurate fulfillment of their
predictions. (Read Deut. 18:21, 22; Isa. 41:22-24.)

In the writings of Sister White there are many undeniable examples of

prophetic foresight. This is the theme of a book entitled Divine Predictions of
Mrs. Ellen G. White Fulfilled, by F. C. Gilbert. And there are other publications,
too, dealing with this subject. The fulfillment of her predictions belonging to
events which are now behind us inspires us with confidence that her
prophetic utterances concerning events that are still before us will likewise
be fulfilled.

We share Elder S. N. Haskell's conclusion:

"After over sixty years' study of Mrs. White's writings with the Bible, we can
truthfully say that we know not of one Bible test of a true prophet but has
been most literally fulfilled in her writings and in her character."

III-RIGHT AND WRONG ATTITUDES

We are not ignorant of the objections that have been made against the
writings of Sister White. The arguments(1) that her visions were the product
of nervous disorders; (2) that she made false claims and predictions; (3) that
her writings do not always agree with the Bible; (4) that in some cases she
contradicted herself; (5) that she was influenced by those around her; (6)
that she copied extensively from other authors without giving credit to them;
(7) that she used literary assistants who doctored her writings as they saw fit;
etc. such arguments have already been answered successfully in SDA
publications.

From our standpoint, however, we must clarify a few points in connection

with inspiration. I

1. The Question of Infallibility

Men called to be prophets are not restricted to thinking, speaking, and acting
only under divine inspiration. Their human frailties often come to the front
when they speak their own words. Abraham used deception (Gen. 12:11-13),
Jacob uttered and maintained a wrong personal conclusion (Gen. 37:32-34),
Moses dishonored the Lord by speaking hasty and wrong words (Num. 20:10-
12), David gave murderous instructions to Joab (2 Sam.11:14, 15), Nathan
encouraged David to go ahead with his plans to build the temple and then
had to reverse his instructions (1 Chron. 17:1-12). All these men of God were
prophets, but they did not always speak the words given them by the Lord.

The fact that Sister White was called to the prophetic office did not hinder her
from maintaining and/or uttering some personal opinions. At the very
beginning, for example, she had wrong ideas about the close of probation
(lSM 741, the use of swine's flesh (lT 206, 207), Sabbathkeeping (1T 116),
and possibly other points. But what happened? Under the influence of the
Holy Spirit she gave up those ideas as she was guided, step by step, "into all
truth" (John 16:13).

Sister White declared: "In regard to infallibility, I never claimed it; God alone
is infallible." 1SM 37. "The Bible is the only infallible authority in religion." GC
238.

In 1906 a brother wanted to know if every word spoken or written by Sister

White was directly inspired. This was her answer:
"In your letter, you speak of your early training to have implicit faith in the
Testimonies, and say, 'I was led to conclude and most firmly believe that
every word that you ever spoke in public or private, that every letter you
wrote under any and all circumstances, was as inspired as the ten
commandments.' (Italics hers.)

"My brother, you have studied my writings diligently, and you have never
found that I have made any such claims. Neither will you find that the
pioneers in our cause have made such claims." RH Aug. 30, 1906.

In 1909 a worker in Southern California began to doubt the inspiration of the

Testimonies because Sister White had stated in a letter that the Paradise
Valley Sanitarium had forty rooms, when in reality it had only thirty-eight.
The fact was, as she explained, that she had obtained information about the
sanitarium, not from the Lord, but from a brother. So she stated that
information, "not as a revelation from the Lord, but simply as a human
opinion." In the same writing she added this warning:

"There are times when common things must be stated, common thoughts
must occupy the mind, common letters must be written and information
given that has passed from one to another of the workers. Such words, such
information, are not given under the special inspiration of the Spirit of God."
1SM 39.

In the preface to Spiritual Gifts, volume 2, Sister White wrote concerning the
biographical information contained in that volume:

"In preparing the following pages, I have labored under great disadvantages,
as I have had to depend in many instances, on memory, having kept no
journal till within a few years. In several instances I have sent the
manuscripts to friends who were present when the circumstances related
occurred, for their examination before they were put in print. I have taken
great care, and have spent much time, in endeavoring to state the simple
facts as correctly as possible."

As can be seen, there is no claim that her words were unerringly dictated to
her by the Holy Spirit.

2. The Concept of Inspiration

Although many members have been inclined to believe in a verbal inspiration

of the Bible and the Testimonies, the SDA Church as a denomination has
never held that view. On this point Sister White says:

"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." 7BC 945,
946.

"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.

3. Unwarranted Flexibility

a) Arbitrary Selections

Many believers have questions about the unpublished manuscripts from

which selections are gathered, put together, and published in the form of
books under the name of B. G. White. If these manuscripts were published in
full, exactly as they appear in their original form, this would make it easier to
understand the original idea conveyed. Furthermore, when a writing is taken
to pieces, and its segments are scattered and included in different chapters
or books, some confusion may result. Isolated portions, read out of their
context, can easily be misinterpreted.

b) Changes

The complaint has often been heard that those responsible for E. G. White's
publications have taken upon their shoulders the responsibility of making
unauthorized deletions, additions, and corrections in her writings. Evidences
show that changes have been made, and concerned believers wonder how
far these alterations were sanctioned by Sister White. We stand with those
who are opposed to this tampering with the inspired writings. What faith
would Christians have in the New Testament books if each succeeding
generation had taken the liberty of changing them?

c) Forming the Adventist Doctrine

We believe, with all faithful Adventists, that we must and can prove all our
doctrines from the Bible and the Bible alone. But we do not agree with the
statement that E. G. White played absolutely no role in the Adventist
interpretation of the Bible. We therefore object to the following declaration:

"No doctrinal truth or prophetic interpretation ever came to this people

initially through the Spirit of Prophecy not in a single case."-Ministry,
February 1957.
The Spirit of Prophecy had a definite part in helping the Advent believers find
in the Bible the present truth for today. We read:

"Many of our people do not realize how firmly the foundation of our faith has
been laid. My husband, Elder Joseph Bates, Father Pierce, Elder Edson, and
others who were keen, noble, and true, were among those who, after the
passing of the time in 1844, searched for the truth as for hidden treasure. I
met with them, and we studied and prayed earnestly. Often we remained
together until late at night, and sometimes through the entire night, praying
for light and studying the word. Again and again these brethren came
together to study the Bible, in order that they might know its meaning, and
be prepared to teach it with power. When they came to the point in their
study where they said, 'We can do nothing more,' the Spirit of the Lord would
come upon me, I would be taken off in vision, and a clear explanation of the
passages we had been studying would be given me, with instruction as to
how we were to labor and teach effectively. Thus light was given that helped
us to understand the scriptures in regard to Christ, His mission, and His
priesthood. A line of truth extending from that time to the time when we shall
enter the city of God was made plain to me, and I gave to others the
instruction that the Lord had given me.

"During the whole time I could not understand the reasoning of the brethren.
My mind was locked, as it were, and I could not comprehend the meaning of
the scriptures we were studying. This was one of the greatest sorrows of my
life. I was in this condition of mind until all the principal points of our faith
were made clear to our minds, in harmony with the word of God. The
brethren knew that when not in vision, I could not understand these matters,
and they accepted as light direct from heaven the revelations given."Sp T,
Series B, No. 2, pp. 56, 57.

d) Not a Test of Fellowship

In the SDA Church belief in, or acceptance of, the writings of E. G. White is
not a test of Christian fellowship. (Questions on Doctrine, pp. 96, 97.) This
means that whether you do or do not believe in the Spirit of Prophecy, you
can still be a church member in good and regular standing. We must take
exception especially to the fact that even opponents of the Spirit of Prophecy
can hold high offices in the church. Example: L. Conradi was the president of
the European Division and vice-president of the General Conference
(Movement of Destiny, p. 677) for years while being openly opposed to the
Testimonies.

4. Important Warning

We are warned, not only about those who reject the Testimonies, but also
about those who profess to accept them and actually misuse them. One of
the warnings seems to refer to those who have access to the archives where
the original writings of E. G. White are kept. The servant of the Lord says:

"Soon every possible effort will be made to discount and pervert the truth of
the testimonies of God's Spirit. We must have in readiness the clear, straight
messages that since 1846 have been coming to God's people.

"There will be those once united with us in the faith who will search for new,
strange doctrines, for something odd and sensational to present to the
people. They will bring in all conceivable fallacies, and will present them as
coming from Mrs. White, that they may beguile souls....

"Those who have treated the light that the Lord has given as a common thing
will not be benefited by the instruction presented.

"There are those who will misinterpret the message that God has given, in
accordance with their spiritual blindness.

"Some will yield their faith, and will deny the truth of the messages, pointing
to them as falsehoods.

"Some will hold them up to ridicule, working against the light that God has
been giving for years, and some who are weak in the faith will thus be led
astray. But others will be greatly helped by the messages." 1SM 41, 42.

IV-CONCLUSION

Through the rejection of the Spirit of Prophecy by a large proportion of

Seventh-day Adventists, heresies are streaming into the church, because the
floodgate is open. The fulfillment of the following predictions has already
begun:

"Let the son of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has
had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the
Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false
suppositions and false theories. Satan laughs at their folly; for he knows what
truth is.

"Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands,
kindled from the hellish torch of Satan." TM 409, 410.

"The enemy has made his masterly efforts to unsettle the faith of our own
people in the Testimonies, and when these errors come in they claim to
prove all the positions by the Bible, but they misinterpret the Scriptures.
They make bold assertions, as did Elder Canright, and misapply the
prophecies and the Scriptures to prove falsehood. And, after men have done
their work in weakening the confidence of our churches in the Testimonies,
they have torn away the barrier, that unbelief in the truth shall become
widespread, and there is no voice to be lifted up to stay the force of error.

"This is just as Satan designed it should be, and those who have been
preparing the way for the people to pay no heed to the warnings and
reproofs of the Testimonies of the Spirit of God will see that a tide of errors of
all kinds will spring into life. They will claim Scripture as their evidence, and
deceptions of Satan in every form will prevail." 3SM 83.

"One thing is certain: Those Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand
under Satan's banner will first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs
contained in the Testimonies of God's Spirit." 3SM 84.

"As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third
message, but have not been sanctified through it, abandon their position,
and take refuge under the banner of the powers of darkness. By uniting with
the world and partaking of its spirit, they come to view matters in nearly the
same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the
easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in
the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become
the most bitter enemies of their former brethren." 4SP 426.

Many are waiting, in vain, for all the deceivers, together with the backslidden
majority, to be shaken out of the church, but prophecy does not say that they
will leave the apostatized mother church. On the contrary, the prophetic
picture shows that these evildoers, and the evils for which they are
responsible, remain in the mother church to the very end. Read 3T 266, 267;
ST 209-214, 524; etc. A large proportion will fall prey to the delusions that
will come in these last days, but a small remnant-those that keep the
commandments of God and uphold the testimony of Jesus Christ-will not be
deceived.