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Ellen G. White -- Messenger or Medium? 51

Arthur L. White, in his book Ellen G. White: Messenger to the Remnant, picks up the
story:

Ellen Harmon, with her sister and James White, was in New Bedford early in 1846. Elder
Bates urged his Sabbath views upon them, but they did not accept his teachings.

"I did not feel its importance, and thought that he erred in dwelling upon the fourth com-
mandment more than the other nine." (Ellen G. White, Life Sketches, p.95)

In August, 1846, Joseph Bates published his forty-eight-page tract, The Seventh-day Sab-
bath a Perpetual Sign. James and Ellen White received a copy of this about the time of their mar-
riage. From the assum-
ed Scriptural evidence
presented, they took
their stand. "In the au-
tumn of 1846 we began
to observe the Bible
Sabbath, and to teach
and defend it." (Testi-
monies, vol.I, p.75). 0n
the first Saturday Sab-
bath in April, 1847,
some seven months af-
ter the Whites com-
menced keeping and
teaching the so-called
Sabbath, the Lord (ac-
The Ellen G. White family in 1865 cording to Ellen G.
White) gave a vision
stressing its importance.

After receiving this vision, Mrs. White sent a letter to Joseph Bates describing the scenes of
this Sabbath "revelation." In the letter, dated April 7, 1847, Mrs. White claims to have been
TRANSPORTED TO HEAVEN and conducted through the heavenly sanctuary. In the Holy of
Holies she saw the ark containing the law, and was amazed to note that "the fourth, the 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."

So far so good -- everything seems to be in order here. This revelation is confirmed by the
Bible -- YEHOVAH God did set aside the weekly Sabbath to conform with the phases of the moon.
However, Mrs. White was led to believe that the weekly Sabbath fell every Saturday on our Grego-
rian calendar -- an error as grievous as accepting Sunday as the Sabbath! But remember, Satan can
throw out pearls of truth. Let's continue on and examine other revelations Ellen G. White received
during her lifetime, and see if they are "in HARMONY with God's revealed word and command-
ments."

The Berean Voice November-December 2002