THE PROPHET ELLEN G. WHITE

ELLEN G. WHITE

To find out if Ellen White was a true prophet of God, we first need to find out from the Bible what a true prophet was like. There are certain characteristics of a Bible prophet. So let's take a look through them and then find out if Ellen White fulfilled these "marks of a prophet".
 

"When the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known." (Jeremiah 28:9)
"He shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak." (John 16:13)
"But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD .. to declare to Israel his sin." (Micah 3:8)
"And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me." (Jeremiah 1:16)
"Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." (1 John 4:2)
"Ye shall know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:16)
"He shall speak unto them all that I command him." (Deuteronomy 18:18)
So we have a list of charateristics that help us know if a prophet is truly a prophet of God. So the prophecies of a true prophet will of course come to pass. A true prophet will not speak of themselves, but will bring glory to God. A true prophet will point out sin. A true prophet will speak of coming judgments. A true prophet will proclaim that Jesus came in the flesh as fully human, capable of sin. A true prophet will have a good Christian character. And a true prophet will be obedient to the will of God.
So does Ellen White fulfill these marks of a true prophet? Well, before we go on, the first thing I would like to confirm is that a woman CAN be a prophet of God. The reason I want to confirm this is because there are some people who reject Ellen White straight away because she is a woman, and they believe that God only uses men as prophets. Well, this thinking is in direct opposition to God's Word, because there were a number of prophetesses in the Old Testament, including Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Noadiah. So God DOES use women as His prophets also.

Any Prophets After Jesus?

Another point that some people raise against Ellen White is that there were to be no more prophets after the time of Christ Jesus. This we can deal with swiftly from the Bible.

Acts 11:27-28 ...'And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.'

Ephesians 4:11-12 ...'And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.'

1 Corinthians 12:28 ...'And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.'

Joel 2:28 ...'And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.'

So would God use prophets after the time of Christ Jesus? Most definately yes.

Did Ellen White Fulfill the Marks of a Prophet?

So, was Ellen White a prophet, and did she fulfill the marks of a true prophet from the Bible? Yes, in every way. The main point that many people focus on is the one to do with visions from God and prophecies, so we will focus on that point the most. But let me confirm before we go into her visions and predictions, that Ellen White fulfilled all other points. If you read her writings, rather than take a text here and there out of context like many opposers do, you will see that Ellen White brought Glory to God and pointed the people to study the Bible first and foremost.

"The Lord desires you to study your Bibles. He has not given any additional light to take the place of His Word. This light [her own ministry] is to bring confused minds to His Word, which, if eaten and digested, is as the lifeblood of the soul." (E.G.White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 29)

"We must gather about the cross. Christ and Him crucified should be the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of our most joyful emotion." (E.G.White, Steps to Christ, P.103 - 104)

"Make Christ first and last and best in everything. Constantly behold Him, and your love for Him will daily become deeper and stronger as it is submitted to the test of trial." (E.G.White, Testimonies, Vol.7, P.46)

"The object of all ministry is to keep self out of sight, and to let Christ appear. The exaltation of Christ is the great truth that all who labor in word and doctrine are to reveal." (E.G.White, Manuscript Releases, Vol.16, P.295)

As you can see, Ellen White's main focus was Christ Jesus and to bring glory to God. She also devoted much writing to point out sin and proclaim God's eternal law found in the ten commandments. She spoke much about the judgments that would come upon the world. And she truly declared that Jesus Christ was fully human on earth. And what about her character? Did she live a good Christian life, in line with the Word of God? Take a look at the following comments:

"She was absolutely honest in her belief in her revelations. Her life was worthy of them. She showed no spiritual pride and she sought no filthy lucre. She lived the life and did the work of a worthy prophetess." (New York "Independent", 1915).

"Mrs. White's life far transcends the life of anyone I have ever known or with whom I have been associated. She was uniformly pleasant, cheerful and courageous. She was never careless, flippant, or in any way cheap in conversation or manner of life. She was the personification of serious earnestness regarding the things of the kingdom. I never once heard her boast of the gracious gift God had bestowed upon her, or of the marvelous results of her endeavors." (A. G. Daniells, A Co-Worker for 23 Years)

Ellen White was generous, kind, and honest. She exemplified the Christian virtues she wrote about. For instance, despite the potential of living extravagantly off the royalties of her written work, she passed much of it on to spread the gospel and further the kingdom of God. Financially supporting church projects, and helping students attend Christian schools.

And what about the effect of her writings upon those who read them with an open mind? Well, in reviewing the chief findings of the 1980 research done by the Institute of Church Ministry at Andrews University, it is noted that Seventh-day Adventists "who regularly study the writings of Ellen White are also more likely to be stronger Christians in their personal spiritual life and in their witness to their communities than those church members who don't." (Ministry, October 1982, p. 10)
Did Ellen White fulfill the marks of a true prophet? She certainly did. But we still need to take a look at her visions and predictions.