Friday: Further Thought – The Prophetic Writings
Daily Lesson for Friday 6th of November 2026
Ellen G. White’s Writings
Ellen G. White’s experience and writings parallel much of what we have studied this week regarding God’s messengers in the Bible. She, too, received a divine commission to write out what had been revealed to her.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Reflecting in 1909, Ellen G. White wrote, “Because of the accident which had nearly cost me my life, I had been feeble in health and unable to write. . . . But one night the angel of the Lord came to my bedside and said to me, ‘You must write out the things that I give you.’ I said, ‘I can not write.’ Again the command was given, ‘Write out the things I give you.’ I thought I would try, and taking up a lapboard from the table, I began to write, and found that I could trace the words easily.”—The General Conference Bulletin, May 31, 1909.
Like the inspired writers of Scripture, Ellen G. White also employed literary assistants. Her secretaries did the work that editors are expected to do—assist authors in expressing their messages clearly while not inserting thoughts of their own. They were not ghostwriters or coauthors. Their work was dependent upon the material that Ellen G. White herself produced, whether written out by hand or delivered orally.
Ellen G. White also quoted and adapted material from other literary sources in her writing to aid in the presentation of her messages. By recommending to her readers some of the very books she used, it is evident that she was not intending to be deceitful or unfair to those authors, but she found in their language apt expressions to convey the truths that she wished to express.
What about discrepancies or inaccuracies?
“In regard to infallibility,” she wrote, “I never claimed it; God alone is infallible.”—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 37.
One may encounter certain statements in her writings that are difficult to understand or harmonize with others. Ellen G. White’s humanity was not overridden by her divine calling. Like all of us, Ellen White would grow and mature as well, a growth and maturity that is revealed in her writings.
As already stated, but worth repeating, she also corrected those who believed that every word she wrote came directly from heaven. “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.”—Selected Messages, book 3, p. 58.
In the context of this week’s lesson, it is useful to consider the inspiration of silence. There were a couple of times when prophets in the Bible had no light. Sometimes they said nothing and at other times they spoke out of turn before they had revelation from God.
There were times in Ellen Whites ministry where she said that she had no light on the matter. One particular instance, very late in her life where two ministers, Fullmer and Andross disagreed on the detail of the 144,000. Andross wrote to Ellen White asking for her to prove or distprove the detail. Her response was that she had no light on the subject and advised people to simply cling to the Lord.
This is a copy of part of the letter sent by C C Crisler, Ellen White’s secretary:
We can draw a couple of conclusions from this:
If people want to study Daniel and Revelation we have been given a great book to help us. The book that Ellen White recommended was “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation” by Uriah Smith.
“The light given was that Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, The Great Controversy, and Patriarchs and Prophets would make their way. They contain the very message the people must have, the special light God had given his people. The angels of God would prepare the way for these books in the hearts of the people.”—E. G. White Letter 43, 1899. (Published in The Colporteur Evangelist, 21)
Not being born into the church, rather studying my way into it, I was quite reluctant at first to accept Ellen G White as a prophetess. In fact that kept me from deciding to join the church for three years. Someone gave me a copy of Rene Noorbergen’s book, “Ellen G. White: Prophet of Destiny.” Reading that book convinced me that indeed she must have been given the prophetic gift.
In the decades since, I have come to appreciate her writings more and more. They have drawn me closer to Jesus and made me appreciate the Bible more. Jesus was always attractive however, her writings, especially Desire of Ages, and Steps to Christ really made Jesus and the Godhead even more attractive to me. It amazes me how God used the weakest of the weak to glorify his name.
2 Chronicles 20:20 is what I call God’s prescription for perfect vision on spiritual issues. There truly is no limit of how God can use a person that is committed to him and his message and mission for his glory.
Tim, I appreciate your testimony. While everything we need for our salvation is found in the Bible, I believe God, in His wisdom and grace, gave us the writings of Ellen White as a special blessing—almost like “icing on the cake.” They do not replace Scripture or add another foundation for our faith; rather, they point us back to the Word, help us understand its truths more deeply, and bring its teachings to life.
For me, one of the greatest evidences of the value of her ministry is precisely what you described: her writings have drawn us closer to Jesus and deepened our appreciation for the Bible. Desire of Ages and Steps to Christ are beautiful examples of how the prophetic gift can illuminate the character of Christ and make Him even more attractive to the soul.
“As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. But LOVE never ends.”
The observation that “one may encounter certain statements in her [Ellen White’s] writings that are difficult to understand or harmonize with others” is equally true of Scripture itself. We see this particularly in the writings of Paul, whose statements on faith and works, law and grace, justification and obedience can sometimes appear difficult to reconcile, especially when read in isolation. Consider, for example, Romans 3:28 alongside James 2:24, or Paul’s discussion of the law in Romans 7 compared with his affirmation of the law’s holiness in Romans 7:12.
Yet, we do not conclude that these apparent difficulties invalidate Paul’s writings or undermine the divine inspiration of Scripture. Rather, we recognize the need to consider context, audience, purpose, and the broader harmony of God’s Word.
The same principle should apply when reading Ellen White. Difficult statements call for careful study, comparison, and prayerful reflection and should not become grounds for dismissing her writings. If we extend grace to the Bible’s human authors as we seek to understand their writings, we should exercise the same fairness when examining the writings of Ellen White.
It is worthwhile to read the story of Baruch writing down Jeremiah’s message, and the scroll being brought in to King Jehoiakim who had the message read to him. (Jeremiah 37: 18-26) As he was sitting by the fireplace, he cut off each section of the scroll and threw it into the fire. At the end, the king ordered his men to seize Baruch and Jeremiah, “but the Lord hid them.”
I assume Jehoiakim was hoping to make the message of “none effect.”
And that reminded me of Ellen White writing this:
She also wrote,
God gave us the “gift of prophecy” in the person of Ellen White, and He told her to write out the messages He gave her, and she wrote them out and sent them as “testimonies” to various individuals before she ever wrote any books.
I wonder if not reading what God had to say through Ellen White is as serious as what Jehoiakim did to the messages from God when he burned them? Are we not keeping the messages from having their effect?
We are reading through the volumes of “Testimonies for the Church” right now and are being blessed. I am amazed at how relevant the messages still are. It is clear that God gave them to give us a clearer glimpse of Jesus and to keep us from deceiving ourselves.
(If you’ve never read any of Ellen White’s writings, I suggest beginnning with the modern versions listed on on the Gift of Prophecy Resources page)
I guess I would wonder what you exactly mean by “not reading”. There are probably as many reasons for “not reading” as there are people. Some people turn away from Ellen White because they are hostile and I don’t think that’s right. At the same time, is it really right to judge someone who decides that the Bible will be central to their devotional life? Somehow I think if we could ask Ellen White today, she would give primacy to spending time in the Word and would not tell someone, “No, it’s not enough for you to study the gospels, you need to study Desire of Ages.” At any rate, any time you tell people they have to read something, it doesn’t usually make them want to.
Also, as Ellen White wrote so much, it is probably impossible for most of us to read everything she wrote. Her writings are not like the Bible, which can be read comfortably in a year and probably in a month or two if you have a lot of time. So in reading Ellen White’s writings, most of us will have to make choices. Does it matter what we choose? Different people in the church emphasize different books and sadly can be quite judgmental about what they think is most important.
I will freely admit that the Bible is the center of my devotional time. I am not willing to take time away from the Word for Ellen White’s writings. If that makes me one on the “road to perdition” so be it. I did decide a number of years ago that as an Adventist it was high time I read the Conflict of the Ages series, and I am almost finished Acts of the Apostles. I do this on Friday or Sabbath when I have more time for study. I don’t take away from my Bible study for this. When I finish the Conflict of Ages series, I will probably read other books though I’m not sure I will ever get to the Testimonies. I have been blessed in my reading, though I will say that the biggest blessing has actually been to see there is more balance in Ellen White’s writings than many project. I won’t try to give examples, but one passage would provide a counterpoint to another passage. Previously, I had just heard one of the passages quoted and was often discouraged by it. Still, I enjoy the Bible much more and I think that’s as it should be. I don’t think Ellen White would condemn me for that.
Christina, I’m very sorry that you had such a negative experience with people promoting Ellen White’s writings that your first reaction is to believe it is meant “to judge someone who decides that the Bible will be central to their devotional life.” It corroborates my impression that Ellen White’s worst enemies are those who consider themselves her champion.
So this Sabbath, when I asked my class about their feelings when they heard the name “Ellen White,” I expected to hear some negative feelings. I didn’t. But I didn’t ask who had actually read full books written by Ellen White, like maybe 10 books? 5? 2? 1? That would have been interesting.
I am happy to read that, despite that bad experience, you’ve read almost four of the 5-volume set of The Conflict of the Ages. Now I wonder how that has affected your Bible-centered devotional life. Can you share?
As for me, I see that all of Ellen White’s writings have pointed me back to the Bible. They have fueled my love for the Bible by adding color and motion to its black-and-white images. Others with more sanctified imaginations may see the color and motion without Ellen’s help, but for me, she made the Bible come alive. One class member indicated that his experience has been similar.
I am sorry if the way I expressed myself contributed to your feeling “judged.” For Jehoiakim, disregarding the prophetic message led to a long march to Babylon in chains. God wanted to spare him and the nation that indignity and that suffering. God’s messages are always for our good! He wants us to be holy, healthy, and happy! And He gave us the gift of prophecy in the person of Ellen White because He knew we need some extra help in these last days. I thank Him daily for this gift!
Well, I am a more sensitive person than some, but I guess when you compare people who don’t read Ellen White’s writings to Jehoiakim, I can’t help but feel judged. After all, he was an incredibly wicked king (probably the worst of the kings after Josiah for Zedekiah at least sort of listened to Jeremiah).
I actually was not “beat up” by people for not reading Ellen White’s writings. I didn’t come from a family or church that was “hard-core” Ellen White. Probably that was because some of those people were clobbered by Ellen White and decided not to use her that way. I could tell a few stories, but they will wait for another time, perhaps. Most of the messages about Ellen White that I feel have negatively influenced me come more from church publications. I have read my share over the years. They are less common now since Ellen White’s writings are more neglected. For some people, that’s a bad thing, but having seen old Reviews and Sabbath School quarterlies from the 70s (various family members kept then and as a voracious reader, I read many of them), I am glad we are not promoting Ellen White as they did back then. Many articles were full of Ellen White quotes and had one Bible passage. That to me, is wrong.
As I said, my reading of the Conflict of the Ages series has mostly been positive, though I don’t think I would say it’s really changed my devotional life. Some of the ways Ellen White expresses ideas are beautiful and very memorable and that has been a blessing. But I wouldn’t say they necessarily make me love the Bible more. I guess that’s not what people want to hear, but I am being honest. I have more respect for the balance of Ellen White’s writings, as I said. You have to read her to really understand her. Snippets aren’t enough.
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4, NKJV
As a one-time teacher of English Literature, I have grown to recognize and deeply appreciate God’s written word for its power to guide, inform, instruct, convict and transform – the most vital role in the human life. Like the best of literary works, Scripture serves as, “A powerful tool for moral instruction, emotional expression, and social commentary,” with functions of shaping cultures, values, and human experiences.”
This “lamp to my feet and light to my path,” is a cut above the rest. It has the uninterrupted eternal function involving a climax written of throughout the ages, which, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1Cor. 2:9)
Praise God for the awesome privilege and help of the Holy Spirit in being a part of carrying the hope of Jesus Christ, across continents! Praise God that His written word, in any language, still has power to transform lives! Creator God is indeed the Living Word, our Heavenly Father, Loving Redeeming Lord and Soon-Coming King!
Reading Ellen White’s writings are not going to bring salvation, nor will it bring peace. Reading and living out scripture will. However, there is also wisdom in reading the words of her writings. As Paul said don’t judge those who eat or don’t eat, celebrate different holidays (Colossians 2:16), and in like manner, I believe we can also say, in the same spirit, don’t judge whether they read Ellen White or not.
How can we spread the love of God to people who can’t see such love in prophets of God or in God?
Providing loving acts on our part.
Living the love of God.
How do we do that? We can praise God to others. For instence: Praise God for the little miracle’s, or just an answer to prayer. Of course daily prayer with request of daily suplications of little things, precieved trivial things, as well as major request make it possible to have somthing to praise Him about. Then when a major answer to prayer takes place, or miracle if you prefer happens, you will be in the habit of giving the glory to God in the form of praise.
Psalms 34:1
Praise Him, Jesus our blessed Redeemer. Another example of a major answer to prayer is: A smile and saying the doctor was successful, God is good, or praise God, even better, give God the glory. To a stranger in the elevator is maybe all you should say with 1st contact. And then listen and ask questions if the opertunity happens to present itself in the future. Ambassadors of God’s love is what all Christian’s are.
The following is why we should put the Bible 1st as has been mentioned. In sticking with A Friday of giving inspirations from Ellen White. I read the following from Christian Education page 80.1. And will share by the following link to the exact page.
https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p10.342&index=0