Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Encyclopedia
Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen G. White
, one of the church's co-founders, was a prophet, understood today as an expression of the New Testament
spiritual gift
of prophecy
.
Seventh-day Adventist believe that White had the spiritual gift
of prophecy
, but that her writings are inferior to the Bible, which has ultimate authority. According to the 28 Fundamentals
the core set of theological
beliefs held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
, states that Adventists accept the Bible
as their only creed.. and can be read online on the website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The 18 of the 28 Fundamentals states the Adventists viewpoint on the Gift of Prophecy:
According to one church document, "her expositions on any given Bible passage offer an inspired guide to the meaning of texts without exhausting their meaning or preempting the task of exegesis". In other words, White's writings are considered an inspired commentary on Scripture, although Scripture remains ultimately authoritative.
Adventist believe she had the spiritual gift
of prophecy
as outlined in Revelation
19:10. Her restorationist writings endeavor to showcase the hand of God in Christian
history. This cosmic conflict, referred to as the "Great Controversy theme
", is foundational to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology.
of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
. It has received worldwide review and input, although is not an official statement. It concludes that a proper understanding will avoid the two extremes of regarding her "writings as functioning on a canonical
level identical with Scripture, or […] considering them as ordinary Christian literature."
Most Seventh-day Adventists believe White was inspired by God, while most non-Adventists believe that she was not. Most denominationally-employed Adventist scholars today agree that:
Alberto Timm believes, "as far as we know, there is no genuine prophet alive in our days".
of prophecy
.
who expected the end of the world around 1843 or 1844. A number of the Millerites claimed the gift of prophecy.
Two Millerites claimed to have had visions prior to Ellen White – William Ellis Foy (1818–1893), and Hazen Foss (1818?–1893), Ellen White's brother-in-law. Adventists believe the gift offered to these two men was instead passed on to White.
Of the women visionaries, several made the press for their visions. The other known prophets are female: Dorinda Baker (associated with the Israel Dammon incident
), Emily Clemons, Phoebe Knapp, and Mary Hamlin, who are all mentioned in newspapers of the time.
However most Adventists only believe Ellen White had the spiritual gift
of prophecy
.
from 1842 (two visions) to 1844. A tall man, he was the first of three Millerites to claim visions around the time of the 1844 "Great Disappointment
".
A common theme of his visions was that the Second Coming
would come later than the Millerites expected. They inspired many people through the Great Disappointment when Jesus did not return as they had expected. Ellen White supported his visions. They also concern the judgment, and rewards for the righteous.
He claimed visions in January and February 1842, told in his autobiographical The Christian Experience of William E. Foy, published 1845. They were similar to those experienced by Ellen White.
Foy was reluctant to obey his commission to share the visions, yet did eventually. He never became a Seventh-day Adventist, and his subsequent history was unknown. J. N. Loughborough
's account was simply repeated by later historians (e.g. Light Bearers, 64) until Delbert Baker
's definitive 1987 biography The Unknown Prophet traced his subsequent history.
See also.
See also.
received a vision about the heavenly sanctuary
or investigative judgment
on October 23, 1844 – the day following the "Great Disappointment
". He wrote,
Moses Hull
(c. 1836–1907) was an eloquent speaker and apologist (defender of Adventist beliefs). He converted to Adventism in 1857, but later converted to spiritualism
(the key feature of which is allegedly contacting the dead), leaving the church. He claimed to write as influenced by spirit
s.
For two years prior, Ellen White had trying to help Moses Hull and been warning him on his focus and "overweening trust in his own abilities."Hull sensed his problem and asked for Ellen White and others to come to his Battle Creek home to pray for him. Ellen writes "I was shown the condition of Bro. Hull. He was in an alarming state. His lack of consecration and vital piety left him subject to Satan’s suggestions. . . . He is asleep to his own danger. . . . He was presented to me as standing upon the brink of an awful gulf, ready to leap. If he takes the leap, it will be final; his eternal destiny will be fixed. . . . Never should one man be sent forth alone to combat with a Spiritualist.”
Ellen White wrote of false dreams and visions in 1844 and following, "again and again".
Adventists believe church co-founder Ellen G. White
was a prophet
, understood today as the New Testament
"gift
of prophecy
". White preferred to describe herself as a "messenger".
She was one of about 200 claimed prophets in New England at the time. For alleged miracles which occurred during her prophecies, see: inspiration of Ellen White#Tests of her inspiration.
White regarded herself as a messenger to the church of the end times. She believed her contemporary prophets were not legitimate.
direct from heaven" at a campmeeting in Healdsburg
, California
in 1882. In the midst of another's sermon,
In 1899 he claimed that all commandment keepers should have the gift of prophecy.
provided "impetus" to those radically seeking God's presence.
and others. From Ogden
, Utah
, she first claimed visions in 1891, and in April, 1894, Adventist minister A.T. Jones presented Anna Phillips's testimonies as a genuine manifestation of the spirit of prophecy.
However the next day he got a letter from Ellen White which convinced the church she was sincere yet mistaken. Anna Phillips repudiated her experience and became a trusted Bible worker.
Fannie Bolton, a former literary assistant to White, claimed visions around the end of the 1800s.
In the 1900's, Mrs. Mackin claimed the gift of prophecy, and under her and her husband Ralph's influence, a young girl (a family friend) also prophesied; see: Ralph and Mrs. Mackin.
, Michigan
claimed visions. She believed the close of probation would occur 40 years after the Great Disappointment
. Her father James M. stole the Review and Herald mailing list and sent out this prediction to 20,000 people. Ellen White rejected Anna's theories, and authored the tract, An Exposure of Fanaticism and Wickedness in response. After 1884 passed, James wrote to Ellen White and she responded to their predictions critically. The Garmires influenced others in this way until as late as 1900.
.
, subsequently "A dozen or more persons" claimed the gift, to succeed Ellen. He considered some "good-hearted but misguided", but others fanatical and who denounced those remaining unconvinced by their claims.
).
Rowen became an Adventist in 1912. She claimed to receive her first vision on June 22, 1916 which she shared with members of a prayer group at her South Side Los Angeles Church, gaining a small following. Several church leaders, especially Dr. Bert E. Fullmer, supported her. A periodical The Reform Advocate and Prayer Band Appeal was printed. The Southern California Conference investigated the claims, but was originally inconclusive.
She authored A Stirring Message for the Time (Pasadena, California: The Grant Press, 1918). In 1918, A. G. Daniells reported the investigators had concluded her visions were not of heavenly origin. The following year Rowen, Fullmer, a physician, and at least two other ministers were disfellowshipped.
In 1920, a false document was planted by Fullmer (under Rowen's directive) in the Ellen G. White Estate
files in White's home. Dated 1911 and supposedly written by White, it announced Rowen as a succeeding prophetess. At its peak, the movement had around 1000 followers. Rowen gave several false predictions. Fullmer authored Bearing Witness (Los Angeles: The Reform Press, 1923). In 1925, Fullmer admitted the fraudulent letter. In the March 1926 issue of the periodical, he presented his conclusion that Rowen was a fraud. In response, she conspired to murder him the following year, but was unsuccessful. She served a one-year sentence in the San Quentin State Prison
in California, by which time her movement had fallen apart.
"visionary" Jeanine Sautron. She claimed to see dreams and visions similar to those experienced by Ellen G. White. An offshoot church was formed based on her book Dreams and Visions that was published in audio cassette version and book format and published in her native tongue of French
and later translated into English
and Spanish
. The renaming of the church was originally called 'Seventh-Day Adventist The Remnant
' but was later renamed 'Laodicea
The Remnant', in order to separate its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist main body, and after the last end times church mentioned in the biblical book of Revelation
.
, founder of the Shepherd's Rod
offshoot. Benjamin Roden
was another, founder of the Branch Davidian
offshoot of Shepherd's Rod, whose wife Lois Roden
succeeded him as prophetess, and claimed a vision about the feminity of the Holy Spirit. David Koresh
considered himself the final prophet. He apparently saw himself as Ellen White's successor. Wayne Bent, the leader of the Lord Our Righteousness Church
which has been described as a cult, has claimed God has spoken to him. He is known as Wayne Travesser within that community. In 1990 Pastor Walter McGill claimed a "divine revelation" in taking the name Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church
when he and his associates formed their break-away church.
Amateur archaeologist
Ron Wyatt
claimed to meet "at least" an angel
, and another time four angels. Former Adventist William S. Sadler
was a sceptic of psychic phenomena generally, but was involved with The Urantia Book
, which was claimed to be inspired by celestial beings. Others have claimed to hear the voice of God, for example, Robert Brinsmead
's father Cedric claimed to hear voices saying, "Go north, young man." after which the family moved. Chinese Adventist David Lin claims his mother was told by a voice to go to Tianjin
.
Author Herbert Douglass wrote in 1998, "At any given time in the last few decades, at least a dozen people around the world have convinced others that they have been given the gift of prophecy."
Adventist author Clifford Goldstein
has described "nut cases" in the church and meeting "some of the weirdest and most bizarre folks you could imagine."
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
, one of the church's co-founders, was a prophet, understood today as an expression of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
.
Seventh-day Adventist believe that White had the spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, but that her writings are inferior to the Bible, which has ultimate authority. According to the 28 Fundamentals
28 Fundamentals
The 28 Fundamentals are a core set of theological beliefs held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Traditionally, Adventists have been opposed to the formulation of creeds. It is claimed that the 28 Fundamentals are descriptors not prescriptors; that is, that they describe the official position of...
the core set of theological
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
beliefs held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, states that Adventists accept the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
as their only creed.. and can be read online on the website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The 18 of the 28 Fundamentals states the Adventists viewpoint on the Gift of Prophecy:
- "One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen. G. White . As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested. (Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10.)."
According to one church document, "her expositions on any given Bible passage offer an inspired guide to the meaning of texts without exhausting their meaning or preempting the task of exegesis". In other words, White's writings are considered an inspired commentary on Scripture, although Scripture remains ultimately authoritative.
Adventist believe she had the spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
as outlined in Revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
19:10. Her restorationist writings endeavor to showcase the hand of God in Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
history. This cosmic conflict, referred to as the "Great Controversy theme
Great Controversy theme
In Seventh-day Adventist theology the Great Controversy theme refers to the cosmic battle between Jesus Christ and Satan, and also played out on earth. The concept is derived from many visions the author claimed to have received, scriptural references, and is delineated in the book The Great...
", is foundational to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology.
Viewpoints
"The Inspiration and Authority of the Ellen G. White Writings", document was issued by the Biblical Research InstituteBiblical Research Institute
The Biblical Research Institute is a service department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the three stated functions of research, apologetics , and service to the church. It serves as a theological consultant to the General Conference...
of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
. It has received worldwide review and input, although is not an official statement. It concludes that a proper understanding will avoid the two extremes of regarding her "writings as functioning on a canonical
Biblical canon
A biblical canon, or canon of scripture, is a list of books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community. The term itself was first coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources. The internal wording of the text can also be specified, for example...
level identical with Scripture, or […] considering them as ordinary Christian literature."
Most Seventh-day Adventists believe White was inspired by God, while most non-Adventists believe that she was not. Most denominationally-employed Adventist scholars today agree that:
- she was inspired by God
- her writings are important to the church today
- the Bible is superior to her writings
Alberto Timm believes, "as far as we know, there is no genuine prophet alive in our days".
History
Numerous Seventh-day Adventists have claimed the gift of prophecy throughout the history of the church, but only Ellen White is held by the church to have had the spiritual giftSpiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
.
Millerites
Seventh-day Adventists arose out of the Millerite movement, the followers of William MillerWilliam Miller (preacher)
William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
who expected the end of the world around 1843 or 1844. A number of the Millerites claimed the gift of prophecy.
Two Millerites claimed to have had visions prior to Ellen White – William Ellis Foy (1818–1893), and Hazen Foss (1818?–1893), Ellen White's brother-in-law. Adventists believe the gift offered to these two men was instead passed on to White.
Of the women visionaries, several made the press for their visions. The other known prophets are female: Dorinda Baker (associated with the Israel Dammon incident
Israel Dammon trial
The Israel Dammon trial was a court case which occurred in 1845. The main protagonist, Israel Dammon , was summoned for disturbing the peace during loud, fanatical worship in a farmhouse in Atkinson, Maine on February 15 of that year...
), Emily Clemons, Phoebe Knapp, and Mary Hamlin, who are all mentioned in newspapers of the time.
However most Adventists only believe Ellen White had the spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
.
William Foy
William Ellis Foy (1818–1893) was an African American Freewill Baptist minister and preacher in the Millerite movement, who claimed to receive four visionsHallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
from 1842 (two visions) to 1844. A tall man, he was the first of three Millerites to claim visions around the time of the 1844 "Great Disappointment
Great Disappointment
The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...
".
A common theme of his visions was that the Second Coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
would come later than the Millerites expected. They inspired many people through the Great Disappointment when Jesus did not return as they had expected. Ellen White supported his visions. They also concern the judgment, and rewards for the righteous.
He claimed visions in January and February 1842, told in his autobiographical The Christian Experience of William E. Foy, published 1845. They were similar to those experienced by Ellen White.
Foy was reluctant to obey his commission to share the visions, yet did eventually. He never became a Seventh-day Adventist, and his subsequent history was unknown. J. N. Loughborough
John Norton Loughborough
John Norton Loughborough was an early Seventh-day Adventist minister.Loughborough was involved in the Seventh-day Adventist movement from its early days, having been called to preach by Ellen White in 1852. He worked for the church in New England, Michigan, Ohio, Great Britain, and California...
's account was simply repeated by later historians (e.g. Light Bearers, 64) until Delbert Baker
Delbert Baker
Delbert W. Baker is a Seventh-day Adventist minister, author, educator, and administrator. He is currently a vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.-Education and Family:Baker was born in 1953 in Oakland, California...
's definitive 1987 biography The Unknown Prophet traced his subsequent history.
See also.
Hazen Foss
Hazen Foss (1818–1893) was another Millerite who claimed to receive several visions. However he refused to proclaim them, and God told him he was "released" from that ministry, and the message given to Ellen White instead. He was Ellen White's brother-in-law. Adventists tend to believe the prophetic gift offered to these two men was instead passed on to White.See also.
Early Adventists
Adventists believe Hiram EdsonHiram Edson
Hiram Edson was a pioneer of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, known for introducing the investigative judgment doctrine to the church.-Early life:Edson's first wife died in 1839, leaving him to care for three children...
received a vision about the heavenly sanctuary
Heavenly sanctuary
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his...
or investigative judgment
Investigative judgment
The investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
on October 23, 1844 – the day following the "Great Disappointment
Great Disappointment
The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...
". He wrote,
- "...while passing through a large field I was stopped about midway of the field. Heaven seemed open to my view, and I saw distinctly and clearly..." Jesus as High PriestKohen GadolThe High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
Moses Hull
Moses Hull
Moses Hull was a minister for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 19th century, who later became a Spiritualist lecturer and author.-Biography:...
(c. 1836–1907) was an eloquent speaker and apologist (defender of Adventist beliefs). He converted to Adventism in 1857, but later converted to spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
(the key feature of which is allegedly contacting the dead), leaving the church. He claimed to write as influenced by spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
s.
For two years prior, Ellen White had trying to help Moses Hull and been warning him on his focus and "overweening trust in his own abilities."Hull sensed his problem and asked for Ellen White and others to come to his Battle Creek home to pray for him. Ellen writes "I was shown the condition of Bro. Hull. He was in an alarming state. His lack of consecration and vital piety left him subject to Satan’s suggestions. . . . He is asleep to his own danger. . . . He was presented to me as standing upon the brink of an awful gulf, ready to leap. If he takes the leap, it will be final; his eternal destiny will be fixed. . . . Never should one man be sent forth alone to combat with a Spiritualist.”
Ellen White wrote of false dreams and visions in 1844 and following, "again and again".
Ellen White
Adventists believe church co-founder Ellen G. White
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
was a prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, understood today as the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
"gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
". White preferred to describe herself as a "messenger".
She was one of about 200 claimed prophets in New England at the time. For alleged miracles which occurred during her prophecies, see: inspiration of Ellen White#Tests of her inspiration.
White regarded herself as a messenger to the church of the end times. She believed her contemporary prophets were not legitimate.
E. J. Waggoner
E. J. Waggoner claimed "a revelationRevelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
direct from heaven" at a campmeeting in Healdsburg
Healdsburg, California
Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 11,254...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1882. In the midst of another's sermon,
- "...an experience came to me that was the turning point in my life. Suddenly a light shone about me, and the tent seemed illumined, as though the sun were shining; I saw ChristChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
crucified for me, and to me was revealed for the first time in my life the fact that God loved me, and that Christ gave Himself for me personally."
In 1899 he claimed that all commandment keepers should have the gift of prophecy.
After 1888
The 1888 Minneapolis General Conference1888 Minneapolis General Conference
The 1888 Minneapolis General Conference Session was a meeting of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in October of 1888. It is regarded as a landmark event in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Key participants were Alonzo T. Jones, Ellet J....
provided "impetus" to those radically seeking God's presence.
Anna Phillips
Anna Rice Phillips (1865–1926) was a claimed new prophetess, who was supported by W. W. PrescottW. W. Prescott
William Warren Prescott was an influential administrator, educator, and scholar in the early Seventh-day Adventist Church.- Biography :Prescott's parents were part of the Millerite movement.W. W...
and others. From Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, she first claimed visions in 1891, and in April, 1894, Adventist minister A.T. Jones presented Anna Phillips's testimonies as a genuine manifestation of the spirit of prophecy.
However the next day he got a letter from Ellen White which convinced the church she was sincere yet mistaken. Anna Phillips repudiated her experience and became a trusted Bible worker.
Others
By the 1890s, a "flood of volunteers" stepped forward, hoping to be the next prophet. However Ellen White usually responded to them that she had been given no "light" about the future prophetic gift.Fannie Bolton, a former literary assistant to White, claimed visions around the end of the 1800s.
In the 1900's, Mrs. Mackin claimed the gift of prophecy, and under her and her husband Ralph's influence, a young girl (a family friend) also prophesied; see: Ralph and Mrs. Mackin.
Anna Garmire
Anna Garmire (b.1870) from PetoskeyPetoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
claimed visions. She believed the close of probation would occur 40 years after the Great Disappointment
Great Disappointment
The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...
. Her father James M. stole the Review and Herald mailing list and sent out this prediction to 20,000 people. Ellen White rejected Anna's theories, and authored the tract, An Exposure of Fanaticism and Wickedness in response. After 1884 passed, James wrote to Ellen White and she responded to their predictions critically. The Garmires influenced others in this way until as late as 1900.
German Reform Movement
In Germany in 1915 Johann Wick, an Imperial Army member, claimed a vision of the close of probation "at the time the stone-fruit trees blossomed in the spring." Other lay people also reported similar visions and some became involved in the Seventh Day Adventist Reform MovementSeventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is a Protestant Christian denomination, part of the Sabbatarian adventist movement, and formed as the result of a schism within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe during World War I over the position its leadership took on proper Sabbath observance...
.
After Ellen White
Ellen White died in 1915. According to her son Willie WhiteWilliam C. White
William Clarence "Willie" White was secretary of the Ellen G. White Estate. He was placed in charge of his mother's estate at her death in 1915. "Willie," as his mother referred to him as, took on additional responsibility in helping his mother travel, write, and publish after his father's death...
, subsequently "A dozen or more persons" claimed the gift, to succeed Ellen. He considered some "good-hearted but misguided", but others fanatical and who denounced those remaining unconvinced by their claims.
Margaret Rowen
Margaret W. Rowen claimed to receive visions, and formed an alternative short-lived church, the Reformed Seventh-day Adventist Church (not to be confused with the much more significant Seventh Day Adventist Reform MovementSeventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is a Protestant Christian denomination, part of the Sabbatarian adventist movement, and formed as the result of a schism within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe during World War I over the position its leadership took on proper Sabbath observance...
).
Rowen became an Adventist in 1912. She claimed to receive her first vision on June 22, 1916 which she shared with members of a prayer group at her South Side Los Angeles Church, gaining a small following. Several church leaders, especially Dr. Bert E. Fullmer, supported her. A periodical The Reform Advocate and Prayer Band Appeal was printed. The Southern California Conference investigated the claims, but was originally inconclusive.
She authored A Stirring Message for the Time (Pasadena, California: The Grant Press, 1918). In 1918, A. G. Daniells reported the investigators had concluded her visions were not of heavenly origin. The following year Rowen, Fullmer, a physician, and at least two other ministers were disfellowshipped.
In 1920, a false document was planted by Fullmer (under Rowen's directive) in the Ellen G. White Estate
Ellen G. White Estate
The Ellen G. White Estate, Incorporated, or simply the White Estate, is the official organization created by Ellen G. White to act as the custodian of her writings, which are of importance to the Seventh-day Adventist Church...
files in White's home. Dated 1911 and supposedly written by White, it announced Rowen as a succeeding prophetess. At its peak, the movement had around 1000 followers. Rowen gave several false predictions. Fullmer authored Bearing Witness (Los Angeles: The Reform Press, 1923). In 1925, Fullmer admitted the fraudulent letter. In the March 1926 issue of the periodical, he presented his conclusion that Rowen was a fraud. In response, she conspired to murder him the following year, but was unsuccessful. She served a one-year sentence in the San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
in California, by which time her movement had fallen apart.
Jeanine Sautron
Another is FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
"visionary" Jeanine Sautron. She claimed to see dreams and visions similar to those experienced by Ellen G. White. An offshoot church was formed based on her book Dreams and Visions that was published in audio cassette version and book format and published in her native tongue of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and later translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. The renaming of the church was originally called 'Seventh-Day Adventist The Remnant
Remnant (Adventist)
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, there will be an end time remnant of believers who are faithful to God.The remnant church is a visible, historical, organized body characterized by obedience to the commandments of God and the possession of a unique end-time gospel proclamation...
' but was later renamed 'Laodicea
Laodicean Church
The Laodicean Church was a Christian community established in the ancient city of Laodicea . The church was established in the earliest period of Christianity, and is probably best known for being one of the seven churches addressed by name in the Book of Revelation The Laodicean Church was a...
The Remnant', in order to separate its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist main body, and after the last end times church mentioned in the biblical book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
.
Others
Numerous leaders of offshoot groups have also claimed the gift of prophecy for themselves, for example Victor HouteffVictor Houteff
Victor Tasho Houteff was a religious reformer and author.Houteff was born in Raicovo, Bulgaria, and as a child baptised as a member of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. As a young man, he was engaged in the mercantile trade...
, founder of the Shepherd's Rod
Shepherd's Rod
The Shepherd's Rod is a message believed and adopted by Davidian Seventh-day Adventists or Davidians, and authored by Victor T. Houteff . Davidians have claimed themselves a part of the Seventh Day Adventist Church but the majority were disfellowshipped because they follow the interpretations by...
offshoot. Benjamin Roden
Benjamin Roden
Benjamin Lloyd Roden was an American religious leader and the prime organizer of the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association....
was another, founder of the Branch Davidian
Branch Davidian
The Branch Davidians are a Protestant sect that originated in 1955 from a schism in the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists , a reform movement that began within the Seventh-day Adventist Church around 1930...
offshoot of Shepherd's Rod, whose wife Lois Roden
Lois Roden
Lois Irene Scott Roden was a president of the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Church, an apocalyptic Christian sect which her husband, Benjamin Roden founded. The sect began in Texas in 1955 as a succession to the Shepherd's Rod movement led by Victor T...
succeeded him as prophetess, and claimed a vision about the feminity of the Holy Spirit. David Koresh
David Koresh
David Koresh , born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh on May 15, 1990. A 1993 raid by the U.S...
considered himself the final prophet. He apparently saw himself as Ellen White's successor. Wayne Bent, the leader of the Lord Our Righteousness Church
Lord Our Righteousness Church
The Lord Our Righteousness Church, sometimes called Strong City, is a religious community near Travesser Park, Union County, New Mexico. It originated with a group of about eighty adherents who migrated to the area from Sandpoint, Idaho in 2000. In 2008, the community consisted of approximately...
which has been described as a cult, has claimed God has spoken to him. He is known as Wayne Travesser within that community. In 1990 Pastor Walter McGill claimed a "divine revelation" in taking the name Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church
Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church
The Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church is a Christian movement formed by a small group that broke off of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1988 and officially became a Church in 1991...
when he and his associates formed their break-away church.
Amateur archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
Ron Wyatt
Ron Wyatt
Ronald Eldon Wyatt was an adventurer and former nurse anaesthetist noted for advocating the Durupınar site as the site of Noah's Ark, among other Bible-related pseudoarchaeology...
claimed to meet "at least" an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
, and another time four angels. Former Adventist William S. Sadler
William S. Sadler
William Samuel Sadler was a well-known American psychiatrist and professor at McCormick Theological Seminary. For over sixty years he practiced medicine in Chicago, thirty-three years being associated in practice with his wife, Lena Kellogg....
was a sceptic of psychic phenomena generally, but was involved with The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book is a spiritual and philosophical book that discusses God, Jesus, science, cosmology, religion, history, and destiny. It originated in Chicago, Illinois, sometime between 1924 and 1955...
, which was claimed to be inspired by celestial beings. Others have claimed to hear the voice of God, for example, Robert Brinsmead
Robert Brinsmead
Robert Daniel "Bob" Brinsmead is a formerly controversial figure within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1960s and 1970s, known for his diverse theological journey....
's father Cedric claimed to hear voices saying, "Go north, young man." after which the family moved. Chinese Adventist David Lin claims his mother was told by a voice to go to Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
.
Author Herbert Douglass wrote in 1998, "At any given time in the last few decades, at least a dozen people around the world have convinced others that they have been given the gift of prophecy."
Adventist author Clifford Goldstein
Clifford Goldstein
Clifford R. Goldstein is an American author and editor. He is a leading figure in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and espouses traditional Adventist beliefs.- Biography :...
has described "nut cases" in the church and meeting "some of the weirdest and most bizarre folks you could imagine."
See also
- Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
- Seventh-day Adventist theology
- Teachings of Ellen White#End times
- Inspiration of Ellen WhiteInspiration of Ellen WhiteSeventh-day Adventists believe church co-founder Ellen G. White was inspired by God as a prophet, today understood as a manifestation of the New Testament "gift of prophecy", as described in the official beliefs of the church...
- List of Ellen White writings
- Ellen G. White EstateEllen G. White EstateThe Ellen G. White Estate, Incorporated, or simply the White Estate, is the official organization created by Ellen G. White to act as the custodian of her writings, which are of importance to the Seventh-day Adventist Church...
- Seventh-day Adventist interfaith relationsSeventh-day Adventist interfaith relationsThis article describes the relations between the Seventh-day Adventist Church and other Christian denominations and movements, and other religions. Adventist resist the movement to full ecumenical integration with other churches, believing that such a transition would result in a renouncing of its...
– for relations with other Protestants and Catholics - Second comingSecond ComingIn Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
- PremillennialismPremillennialismPremillennialism in Christian end-times theology is the belief that Jesus will literally and physically be on the earth for his millennial reign, at his second coming. The doctrine is called premillennialism because it holds that Jesus’ physical return to earth will occur prior to the inauguration...
- Investigative judgmentInvestigative judgmentThe investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
- Seventh-day Adventist eschatology
- Sabbath in Seventh-day AdventismSabbath in Seventh-day AdventismSabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of seventh-day Christians. These believers observe Sabbath on the seventh Hebrew day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, in similar manner as in Judaism, rather than Lord's day on Sunday like a most forms of Christianity...
- Charismatic AdventismCharismatic AdventismCharismatic Adventists are a segment of Seventh-day Adventist Church that is closely related to "Progressive Adventism", a liberal movement within the church.- Music :...
- Tongues in the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchTongues in the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventists believe that the spiritual gifts such as "speaking in tongues" do continue in the present age, but believe that tongues in the Bible refer to other or unlearned human languages only, and were used to communicate the truth to other people from differing languages, and are...
- Seventh-day Adventist worshipSeventh-day Adventist worshipThis article describes worship practice in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.The Seventh-day Sabbath is seen as an important aspect of worship....
External links
- Searches for "Prophets" and "Prophecy" in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)