Ellen G. White deletes her visions
By Robert K. Sanders
Mrs. E. G. White (EGW), deleted part of her visions and changes the words which changes the meanings in her books. Ellen White's problems are often compared by the denomination to the Bible prophets. Such as plagiarizing, making sinful mistakes, using hearsay information to reprimand individuals and etc. But has any Bible prophet ever deleted parts of their vision or came back and changed the words of their writings to give it a different meaning? This question we must ask, does a prophet have the right to delete the Word of God? What if John decided to delete two thirds of Revelation? Ellen has gone where no Bible prophet ever went by deleting her visions. (Each deletion is shown within the context of the page.)
Preface
"Footnotes giving dates and explanations, and an appendix giving two very interesting dreams, which were mentioned but not related in the original work, will add to the value of this edition. Aside from these, no changes from the original work have been made in the present edition, except the occasional employment, of a new word, or a change in the construction of a sentence, to better express the idea, and no portion of the work has been omitted. No shadow of change has been made in any idea or sentiment of the original work, and the verbal changes have been made under the author's own eye, and with her full approval."
The italics in the preface are a lie that had the approval of Ellen G. White and the Adventist denomination. As you will see, Ellen did change her original work, by deleting parts of her vision. This lie continued from 1851 to 1945, ninety four years. EGW and the denomination have not made an effort to correct this lie in the preface or to add the deleted portions of the vision. The first printing of Early Writings was in 1851 with a different title, "Christian Experience and Views of Mrs. E. G. White." The fourth edition of Early writings was published in 1945. I have reproduced Early Writings by pages, please note the deletions and why?
My First Vision
...them by raising His glorious right arm, and from His arm came a light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted, "Alleluia!" 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, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below.
Deleted: Following are four lines deleted from Mrs. E. G. White's vision Word to the Little Flock, (they are located 34 lines down from the top of page 14):
"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"
Note: Notice "all the wicked world which God had rejected." These lines were left out of Early Writings because the White's were wanting to purge from their teachings that the door of mercy was shut on the sinners that did not accept Miller's teachings. We have documents to show the White's believed in the shut door till 1851. The meaning of the shut door changed later as the Sanctuary doctrine evolved meaning the door of the holy was shut when Jesus moved into the Most holy in October 22, 1844, which is a non Biblical teaching. Also notice the paragraph above the deleted vision. The meaning of those that fell off the path, were those that did not accept Miller's false teaching.
Soon 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 spoke the time, He poured upon 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.
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 into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they 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, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand. angels, clothed with a glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet. Angels were all a about us as we marched over the sea of glass to the gate of the city. Jesus raised his mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly gate, swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to us, "you have washed your robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in." We all marched in and felt that we had a perfect right in the city.
Here we saw the tree of life and the throne of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life. On one side of the river was a trunk of a tree, and a trunk on the other side of the river, both of pure, transparent gold. At first I thought I saw two trees. I looked again, and saw that they were united at the top in one tree. So it was the tree of life on either side of the river of life. Its branches bowed to the place where we stood, and the fruit was glorious; it looked like gold mixed with silver.
We all went under the tree, and sat down to look at the glory of the place, when Brethren Fitch and Stockman, who had preached the gospel of the kingdom, and whom God had laid in the grave to save them, came up to us and asked us what we had passed through while they were sleeping. We tried to call up our greatest trials, but they looked so small compared with the far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory that surrounded us, that we could not speak them out, and we all cried out! "Alleluia. heaven is cheap enough and touched our glorious harps and made heaven's arches ring.
Deleted: Following are 22 lines deleted from Mrs. E. G. White's vision Word to the Little Flock page 16, (they are found 13 lines down from the top of page 16):
"And as we were gazing at the glories of the place our eyes were attracted upwards to something that had the appearance of silver. I asked Jesus to let me see what was within there. In a moment we were winging our way upward, an entering in; here we saw good old father Abraham, Isaac Jacob, Noah, Daniel, and many like them. And I saw a vail with a heavy fringe of silver and gold, as a border on the bottom; it was very beautiful. I asked Jesus what was within the vail. He raised it with his own right arm. and bade me take heed. I saw there a glorious ark overlaid with pure gold. and it had a glorious border, resembling Jesus' crowns; and on it were two bright angels-their wings were spread over the ark, as they sat on each end, with their faces turned toward each other and looking downward. In the ark, beneath where the angels' wings were spread, was a golden pot of Manna with a golden cast; and I saw a rod, which Jesus said was Aaron's; I saw it bud, blossom and bear fruit. And I saw two long golden rods, on which hung silver wires, and on the wires most glorious grapes; one cluster was more than a man here could carry. And I saw Jesus step up and take of the manna, almonds, grapes and pomegranates, and bear them down to the city, and place them on the supper table. I stepped up to see now much was taken away, and there was just as much left; and we shouted Hallelujah-Amen. We all descended from this place down into the city, and"
Note: From the deleted vision above, notice that in the Ark there are all kinds of fruit that replenishes itself. It appears that the Ten Commandments on tables of stone are missing from the Ark. This is one of Ellen's early visions from 1847. At that time she may not have been aware the Ten Commandments were in the Ark and not fruit. This is an excellent way to correct a false vision, to delete the erroneous parts and perhaps no one will be the wiser. She corrected her error in a later vision showing that the Ten Commandments were in the Ark and the Sabbath had a halo of light around it with no fruit mentioned that replenishes itself. How can a prophet correct their mistakes unless they delete them? What was that place EGW saw when she looked "UPWARDS"? Whatever that place is in heaven, it was in the sky above them where the Ark was located. Can anyone support her teaching from the Bible?
With Jesus at our head we all descended from the city down to this earth, on a great and mighty mountain, which could not bear Jesus up, and it parted asunder, and there was a mighty plain. Then we looked up...
Subsequent Visions
...Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God's holy name. The holy Sabbath looked glorious-a halo of glory was all around it. I saw that the Sabbath commandment was not nailed to the cross. I saw if it was, the other nine commandments were; and we are at liberty to break them all, as well as to break the fourth. I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath, for He never changes. But the pope had changed it from the seventh to the first day of the week; for he was to change times and laws.
And I saw that if God had changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day, He would have changed the writing of the Sabbath commandment, written on the tables of stone, which are now in the ark in the most holy place of the temple in heaven; and it would read thus: The first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. But I saw that it read the same as when written on the tables of stone by the finger of God, and delivered to Moses on Sinai, "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God's dear, waiting saints.
Deleted: Following are five lines deleted from Mrs. E. G. White's vision Word to the Little Flock, (they are located seven lines from the top of page 19):
"And if one believed, and kept the Sabbath, and received the blessing attending it, and then gave it up, and broke the holy commandment, they would shut the gates of the Holy City against themselves, as sure as there was a God who rules in heaven above."
Note: According to Ellen, this deleted part of the vision is an Eternal life and death matter, so she chooses to delete it. Would a true prophet of God withhold God's Word from his people?
I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully. This enraged the churches and nominal Adventists. as they could not refute, the Sabbath truth. And at this time God's chosen all saw clearly that we had the truth, and they came out and endured the persecution with us. I saw...
Experience and Views
...the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the land. The wicked thought that we had brought the judgments upon them, and they rose up and took counsel to rid the earth of us, thinking that then the would be stayed.
Deleted: Following are nine lines deleted from Mrs. E. G. White's vision A Word to the Little Flock, (they are located 23 lines down from the top page 19).
"I saw that all that "would not receive the mark of the Beast, and of his Image, in their foreheads or in their hands," could not buy or sell. I saw that the number (666) of the Image Beast was made up; and that it was the beast that changed the Sabbath, and the Image Beast followed on after, and kept the Pope's Sabbath. And all we were required to do, was to give up God's Sabbath, and keep the Pope's, and then we should have the mark of the Beast, and of his Image."
Note: In the above deletion Ellen made two mistakes which probably called for its deletion. One, that the Image Beast had the number 666 which is not Biblical as only the Beast has the number 666, Revelation 13. The second mistake is that the number of the Image Beast is made up and this has to be in 1847 when Ellen had this vision. This would mean everyone born after 1847 will never receive the number 666. Is this what the Bible teaches? It is no wonder this nonsense was deleted. There is no Bible text that tells us that giving up the Seventh day Sabbath and accepting Sunday in its place a person will receive the Mark of the Beast and his Image neither does the Bible tell us the Sabbath is the Seal of God. Revelation 14:9 tells us that "worshipping the Beast and his Image" a person will receive the Mark not by giving up the Sabbath for Sunday worship.
In the time of trouble we all fled from the cities and villages, but were pursued by the wicked, who entered the houses of the saints with a sword. They raised the sword to kill us, but it broke, and fell as powerless as a straw. Then we all cried day and night for deliverance, and the cry came up before God. The sun came up, and the moon stood still. The streams ceased to flow. Dark, heavy clouds came up, and clashed against each other. But there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters, which shook the heavens and the earth. The sky opened and shut, and was in commotion. The mountains shook like a reed in the wind, and cast out ragged rocks all around. The sea boiled like a pot, and cast out stones upon the land. And as God spoke the day and the hour of Jesus' coming, and delivered the everlasting covenant to His people, He spoke one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling through the earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed upward, listening, to the words as they came from the mouth of Jehovah, and rolled through the earth like peals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn. And at the end of every sentence the saints shouted, "Glory! Alleluia!" Their countenances were lighted up with the glory of God; and they shone with the glory, as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked could not look on them for the glory. And when the never-ending blessing was pronounced on those who had honored God, in keeping His Sabbath holy, there was a mighty shout of victory over the beast and over his image...
Part 2: Great Controversy Deletions
Compare the deletions from the 1888 and the 1911 editions of The Great Controversy and see how adding one word changes the meaning and the theology of those that give authority to Ellen G. White's books.
Great Controversy Chapter, A Warning Rejected (1888 Edition)
...the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revelation 14 announces the fall of Babylon, must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the Judgment, it must be given in the last days, therefore it cannot refer to the Romish Church, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries. (Page 383)
Great Controversy Chapter, A Warning Rejected (1911 Edition)
...the truth and the approval of God, in order to form and unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revelation 14 announces the fall of Babylon, must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the Judgment, it must be given in the last days, therefore it cannot refer to the Romish Church alone, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries. (Page 437 and Page 383 on the Centennial Edition, published in 1950.)
Note: In the 1888 edition, Ellen claimed that in Revelation 14 Babylon does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church. She applies Babylon to religious bodies—the Protestant churches. In the 1911 edition she adds "alone," which changes the meaning to now include the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Protestant Churches. So when a Seventh-day Adventist teacher would teach that the Roman Catholic Church was Babylon from Revelation 14, he would be contradicting the The Great Controversy, 1888 edition.
When Ellen changed her wording and added "alone" in the 1911 edition, the teacher would now be in harmony with Ellen. This is exactly what happened in the 1919 Bible Conference.
W. W. Prescott: No, but they did involve quite large details. For instance, before "Great Controversy" was revised, it was unorthodox on a certain point, but after it was revised, it was perfectly orthodox.
C. M. Sorenson: On what point?
W. W.Prescott: My interpretation was, and I taught for years in (The Protestant Magazine) and I taught it for years that Babylon stood for the great apostasy against God, which headed up in the papacy which included all minor forms, and that before we come to the end, they would all come under one. That was not the teaching of "Great Controversy." "Great Controversy" said that Babylon could not mean the Romish church, and had made it mean that largely and primarily. After the book was revised, although the whole argument remained the same, it said that it could not mean the Roman Church alone—just one word added.
F. M. Wilcox: That helped you out.
W. Prescott: Yes, but I told W. C. White I did not think anybody had any right to do that. And I did not believe anybody had any right to use it against me before or afterward. I simply went right on with my teaching.
More Great Controversy Deletions
Great Controversy 1888 edition, page 439: "This period, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the establishment of the papacy, A. D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time when the papacy was abolished and the pope made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled,"....
Great Controversy 1911 edition, page 501: "This period, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the establishment of the papacy, A. D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled,"....
Note: In the 1888 edition, Mrs. White states that the "papacy was abolished" in 1798. This is untrue as the papacy has never been abolished. In the 1911 edition the phrase about the papacy being abolished was removed. Also, both versions state that the papacy was terminated which is not true.
Part 3: "Amalgamation" deletions from Spiritual Gifts not included in Patriarchs and Prophets
"But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion everywhere." Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p. 64, 1864.
"Every species of animal which God had created, were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the flood. Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the endless varieties of species of animals and certain races of men." Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p.75, 1864.
Note: The amalgamation quotes was not included when Patriarchs and Prophets was printed. The two amalgamation quotes from Spiritual Gifts is in chapters titled, "Crime Before the Flood", and "The Flood". Patriarchs and Prophets in the chapter "The Flood," page 90, gives the reasons for the flood and Ellen completely left out the MAIN REASON for the flood which was amalgamation.
What right does a prophet have to delete this most important information for all the world to see, especially if it was from the throne of God, as Ellen claimed?
Amalgamation information see: Amalgamation