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The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts: Volume 1

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    Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts (1845-1859)

    1845

    Lt 1, 1845

    December 20, 1845, Portland, Maine1EGWLM 85.1

    Letter to
    Enoch Jacobs.1

    Identity: Enoch Jacobs was editor of the Day-Star, a Millerite paper published in Cincinnati, Ohio. After the October 1844 disappointment, Jacobs's paper became an important publishing venue for those who continued to believe in the relevance of the 1844 experience. Early in 1846 he became sympathetic to the Shaker view of a spiritual second coming of Christ, and by the summer of 1846 he embraced Shakerism. His publication of this letter was just before his theological shift.

    See: SDAE, s.v. “Enoch Jacobs,” “Day-Star”; EGWEnc, s.v. “Enoch Jacobs.”

    1EGWLM 85.2

    Transcribed from the Day-Star, vol. 9, nos. 7, 8, January 24, 1846, pp. 31, 32. See Ellen G. White, Early Writings, pp. 13-20.

    First known published account by 18-year-old Ellen Harmon of her first vision2

    James White, however, had included an abbreviated account of the vision five months earlier, in a letter to the editor of the Day-Star, where he wrote of “one Sister in Maine who has had a clear vision of the Advent people traveling to the City of God.”

    See: James White to “Bro. Jacobs,” Day-Star, Sept. 6, 1845, p. 17 (letter dated Aug. 19, 1845).

    and subsequent “new earth” vision. Written about one year after her first vision,3

    The exact date of Ellen White's first vision is unknown. In her July 13, 1847, letter to Joseph Bates, Ellen White gave the date as December 1844. James White gave the same date in his comments about the vision in A Word to the “Little Flock,” published a few weeks earlier. In her autobiography Ellen White described the vision as being received while at the home of Elizabeth Haines in Portland, Maine.

    See: Ellen G. White, Lt 3, 1847 (July 13); James White, ed., A Word to the “Little Flock,” p. 22; Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], p. 30.

    it blends information from these two visions, which have related content. What follows is an unmodified transcription of the printed text.1EGWLM 85.3

    Letter from Sister Harmon.

    Portland, Me., Dec. 20, 1845.

    Bro. Jacobs:—

    As God has shown me in holy vision the travels of the Advent people to the Holy City, and the rich reward to be given those who wait the return of their Lord from the wedding,4

    Although the important concept of “the return of their Lord from the wedding” is inserted here, it does not actually form part of the December 1844 vision, but is part of Ellen Harmon's introductory remarks to Enoch Jacobs, written one year later, reflecting theological insights gained after the December vision. The wedding imagery is first introduced about two months after the first vision, in the vision of February 1845. See notes under Lt 1, 1846 (Feb. 15).

    it may be my duty to give you a short sketch of what God has revealed to me. The dear saints have got many trials to pass through. But our light afflictions which are but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.5

    Cf. 2 Cor. 4:17, 18. The report of this vision contains many scriptural allusions, only a few of which are noted in the annotations. James White supplied more than 40 references in his reprint of the vision in A Word to the “Little Flock,” pp. 14-18.

    I have tried to bring back a good report, & a few grapes from the heavenly Canaan, for which many would stone me, as the congregation bade stone Caleb and Joshua for their report, (Num. 14:10.) But I declare to you, my brother in the Lord, it is a goodly land, and we are well able to go up and possess it. While praying at the famly [sic] altar the Holy Ghost fell on me and I seemed to be rising higher and higher, far above the dark world. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not find them, when a voice said to me, Look again, and look a little higher. At this, I raised my eyes and see [sic] a strait and narrow path, cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were traveling to the City, which was at the farther end of the path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the first end of the path, which an angel told me was the Midnight Cry.6

    The expression “midnight cry” is an allusion to the warning cry “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him,” given at midnight in the parable of the 10 virgins (Matt. 25:6). As it is used here it refers to the powerful proclamation during the late summer and autumn of 1844 announcing the second coming of Christ on October 22. Even though the predicted Advent failed to materialize, this first vision declares the Midnight Cry to be “a bright light.” No information is given at this stage regarding in what way the seemingly discredited Midnight Cry contained light from God.

    This light shone all along the path and gave light for their feet so they might not stumble. And if they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the City, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the City was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising his glorious right arm, and from his arm came a glorious light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted, Hallelujah! 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 which left their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and got their eyes off the mark and lost sight of Jesus, and fell off the path down in the dark and wicked world below. It was just as impossible for them to get on the path again & go to the City, as all the wicked world which God had rejected.7

    Two groups are portrayed here as rejected by God: (1) those who had initially accepted the Second Advent message (“Midnight Cry”) but later rejected it; (2) “all the wicked world,” composed of persons who had never professed a faith in the Second Advent. Although we are not told specifically why God “rejected” the members of the second group, the implication is that like the first group, it was because they had wickedly rejected the Advent message.

    Concerning members of the first group—those who at first accepted but later rejected the Midnight Cry—William Miller initially took a view similar to that of this vision. They “were crying for mercy a few days since … [but] are now scoffing and mocking us.” He then added the pointed question “Have not such individuals sinned against the Holy Ghost?” (see William Miller to I. E. Jones, in Advent Herald, Dec. 25, 1844, p. 154). For biblical examples of probation closing on certain classes and groups of people, see Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, pp. 206-210.

    Much discussion has ensued through the years as to the extent and size of the second group—“all the wicked world which God had rejected.” Some have held that “the wicked world” refers to the entire population of the world (apart from the loyal Advent believers), since, presumably, in a general sense all humanity is “wicked” and sinful. While this is a reasonable interpretation of the phrase “all the wicked world” taken on its own, the context suggests (as argued above) that “the wicked world” refers to a much more circumscribed group, viz., that which had specifically rejected, maligned, and mocked the Advent proclamation. This would accord with Ellen White's own interpretation of the passage in 1883 when she was called upon to explain its omission in later printings of the vision:

    “Two classes are brought to view in the vision—those who declared the light which they had followed a delusion, and the wicked of the world who, having rejected the light, had been rejected of God. No reference is made to those who had not seen the light, and therefore were not guilty of its rejection” (Ms 4, 1883, quoted in Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 64).

    An example of the second, more restricted, interpretation of “wicked world” can be seen in another passage from William Miller: “And the wicked world, who have scoffed at the idea of Christ's second coming … and laughed and ridiculed the servants of Christ … will be silent.” Apollos Hale and Joseph Turner likewise used “world” in a very specific manner when they wrote of “the world” that had “rejected the [Advent] truth” and “turned away their ears with loathing from its warnings and promises.” (See William Miller, Evidence From Scripture and History, p. 188; A. Hale and J. Turner, “Has Not the Savior Come as the Bridegroom?” Advent Mirror, January 1845, pp. 3, 4.)

    The bibliography of published comment and debate on “the wicked world” passage is extensive. For contrasting interpretations, see, e.g., Uriah Smith, The Visions of Mrs. E. G. White, pp. 29-31; W. W. Fletcher, The Reasons for My Faith, pp. 188, 205, 206; Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, pp. 212-214; Rolf J. Poehler, “‘… and the Door Was Shut,’” pp. 109, 110, 127, 128; Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, pp. 557, 558.

    For surveys of the “shut door” debates of the time, see P. Gerard Damsteegt, Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission, pp. 106-112; George R. Knight, Millennial Fever, pp. 236-242; Ingemar Lindén, 1844 and the Shut Door Problem, pp.19-23. See also introductory essay in this volume, “The ‘Shut Door’ and Ellen White's Visions,” and online bibliography by Gary Shearer, “The Shut Door Controversy,” at http://library.puc.edu/heritage/bib-ShutDoCon.html.

    They fell all the way along the path one after another, until we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ coming.8

    In A Word to the “Little Flock” James White provides an early discussion of this prediction, contrasting it with Millerite thinking on “the voice of God.” Note that according to the sequence described in this vision, the “day and hour of Jesus’ coming” is announced after the close of probation and apparently only a short time before the Second Advent. When some subsequently alleged that Ellen White claimed to know the day and hour of Jesus’ coming, having been shown it in vision, she responded, “I have not the slightest knowledge as to the time spoken by the voice of God. I heard the hour proclaimed, but had no remembrance of that hour after I came out of vision.”

    See: James White, “The Voice of God,” in A Word to the “Little Flock,” pp. 4-8; Ellen G. White, Lt 38, 1888 (Aug. 11).

    The living saints, 144,000,9

    See: EGWEnc, s.v. “144,000.”

    in number, know and understand the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder & an earthquake. When God spake the time, he poured on 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, (Ex. 34:30-34.) By this time the 144,000 were all sealed10

    See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Seal of God.”

    and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious Star containing Jesus’ new name.11

    Cf. Rev. 3:12; Rom. 16:16.

    At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us in prison,12

    That the saints would experience violent persecution just prior to the Second Coming, as portrayed here, was not featured in Millerite prophetic exposition, at least during the final years of the movement. “An idea is abroad that a great time of persecution and martyrdom is before the church,” wrote Josiah Litch in 1840, “but I cannot find it in the Bible.” Thus, for example, Litch held that the terrors of the seven last plagues would be poured out on the wicked after the Second Advent, when the saints had already been delivered, not before. Hale and Jacobs argued that the “time of trouble” predicted in Daniel 12:1 would not touch the saints, who would be delivered before it started. On the matter of the seven last plagues, major Millerite expositors such as Apollos Hale, Enoch Jacobs, and C. S. Minor agreed with Litch. William Miller had a different view, holding that six of the seven plagues were already past, being symbolic of the judgments of God on the Papacy going back to the Reformation. While he thought the seventh plague was still future, it did not presage any special persecution for the saints other than what they had always had to endure throughout the centuries. Thus on this point the vision given to Ellen Harmon constituted a major departure from mainstream Millerite thinking. This probably explains why, when this vision was included in the pamphlet A Word to the “Little Flock” 16 months later, James White felt it necessary to include a section offering biblical support for the position “that the seven last plagues were all in the future, and that they were all to be poured out before the first resurrection.” For White himself, this represented a reversal of his earlier Millerite position.

    See: L. [Josiah Litch], “The Battle of Armageddon (concluded),” Signs of the Times, Sept. 15, 1840, p. 95; Josiah Litch, Prophetic Expositions, p. 175; A. Hale, Herald of the Bridegroom! pp. 23, 29; E. Jacobs, “Seventh Seal,” Midnight Cry, Oct. 26, 1843, p. 82; C. S. M. [C. S. Minor], “His Coming,” Midnight Cry, Sept. 21, 1843, p. 36; William Miller, Evidence From Scripture and History, pp. 219-232; James White, “The Seven Last Plagues,” in James White, ed., A Word to the “Little Flock,” pp. 1-4.

    when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and the wicked would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan13

    The imagery used here is taken from Revelation 3:9, in which religious opponents of the people of God (“synagogue of Satan”) are finally brought to humbly acknowledge that those they had bitterly opposed were “loved by God.” For further comment, see Lt 2, 1847 (Apr. 21), note 5.

    knew that God had loved us who could wash one another's feet, and salute the holy brethren with a holy kiss,14

    It is interesting to note the positive mention, already in this first vision, of the ancient Christian liturgical practices of foot washing and the “holy kiss.” It marks an early expression of the restorationist ideal which was to become central to Seventh-day Adventist theological development. Following New Testament admonitions to “salute one another with an holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16, etc.) this practice found its way into the worship services of the early church. “Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss,” Justin Martyr reported in the second century (First Apology I. 65). Gradually, however, the “holy kiss” became restricted to a few special ceremonial occasions, such as the consecration of bishops. A somewhat similar historical trajectory can be traced in connection with liturgical foot washing as instituted by Jesus (John 13). With the coming of the Reformation, most Reformers elected not to reinstate these practices; the exception was the Anabaptists, among whom the holy kiss and foot washing were revived. The situation in mid-nineteenth-century America remained largely the same, with only a minority of smaller churches, such as the Mennonites (of the Anabaptist tradition) and the Dunkards, maintaining these practices while the mainline Protestant churches rejected them.

    See: The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, s.v. “Kiss of Peace,” by Victor Schultze; Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, s.v. “Feet-Washing,” by G. A. Frank Knight; The Mennonite Encyclopedia, s.v. “Kiss,” by James Reusser. For a recent discussion of the restoration motif in Seventh-day Adventist theology, see Hans K. LaRondelle, “The Remnant and the Three Angels’ Messages,” in Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology, pp. 880-889.

    and they worshipped 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, lighter, and brighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire, a rainbow was over it, around the cloud were ten thousand angels singing a most lovely song. And on it sat the Son of Man, on his head were crowns, his hair was white and curly and lay on his shoulders. His feet had the appearance of fire, in his right hand was a sharp sickle, in his left a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched his children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless? Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke, Those who have clean hands and a pure heart shall be able to stand, my grace is sufficient for you. At this, our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sung again while the cloud drew still nearer the earth. Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as he descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints then raised his eyes and hands to heaven & cried out, Awake! Awake! Awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise. Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, Hallelujah! as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. We all entered the cloud together, and were 7 days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought along the crowns and with his own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared hung15

    In subsequent printings, the apparent error of “hung” was corrected to “heavy.”

    See: Ellen G. Harmon, Ms 1, 1846 (Apr. 6); James White, ed., A Word to the “Little Flock,” p. 15.

    with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns. And they were all clothed with a glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet. Angels were all 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 gate and swung it back on its golden 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 we had a perfect right in the City. Here we see [sic] the tree of life, & 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.16

    The description given in this section leaves no doubt that after the resurrection the saints ascend to heaven, where are “the City,” the tree of life, and the river of life. On this point, in interesting ways the account diverges from mainstream Millerism of the time. William Miller's conclusion, accepted almost universally in his movement, was that at Christ's coming both the “living and raised saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then the saints will be judged and presented to the Father without spot or wrinkle. … And while this is being done in the air, the earth will be cleansed by fire. … Then Christ and his people will come down from the heavens, or middle air, and live with his saints on the new earth in a new heaven, or dispensation, forever.” The idea that the saints ascend to heaven after the resurrection is not found in Millerite accounts. The saints are “in the air” or “middle air” awaiting the purification of the earth. The focus is on the earth to which the saints descend with the Holy City once the earth has been cleansed, to spend the millennium and beyond.

    The Millerite concept of an earthly millennium was retained in the writings of Joseph Bates as late as 1847. Prior to Christ's “second appearing,” he wrote in 1847, He receives “the Holy City, which is the capital of his kingdom, that he will bring with him and establish here, and it will ever be the capital of all his dominions under the whole heaven” (Second Advent Waymarks, p. 57).

    James White likewise maintained in 1846 that “Christ is coming to raise the dead saints and change those who are alive. Christ is coming to restore this earth to its primitive purity. He is coming to set up His everlasting kingdom and reign. Christ is to be king. The Land promised to Abraham and enlarged in Dan. 7: and Isaiah 65: is to be the territory, the spiritual seed of Abram, the subjects, etc.” (In a memory statement made 10 years later, in 1855, James White claimed that the Millerite preacher E. R. Pinney had taught “that the Kingdom of God would not be established on the earth till the close of the seventh millennium,” and that he, White, had “taught the same since 1845.” However, the above extract suggests that it was somewhat later that he took this view.) It would seem, then, that the vision of December 1844 contained hints of a heavenly millennium well before this theme was developed by Sabbatarian Adventists.

    See: “Synopsis of Mr. Miller's Views,” Midnight Cry, Nov. 22, 1842, p. [2]; Joseph Bates, Second Advent Waymarks and High Heaps, p. 57; James White to “Brother Collins,” Aug. 26, 1846; J. W. [James White], “A Test,” Review, Oct. 16, 1855, p. 61. For a comparison of Millerite with Seventh-day Adventist views on the millennium, see SDAE, s.v. “Millennium”; Alberto R. Timm, The Sanctuary and the Three Angels’ Messages, pp. 152, 153.

    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 see [sic] two trees. I looked again and see [sic] 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, which looked like gold mixed with silver. We all went under the tree, and sat down to look at the glory of the place, when Bro. Fitch [Charles Fitch],17

    Identity: Charles Fitch (1805-1844) was a prominent Holiness Millerite minister who died on October 14, 1844, less than two weeks before the anticipated date for the Second Coming.

    See: SDAE, s.v. “Charles Fitch”; EGWEnc, s.v. “Charles Fitch.”

    and Stockman [Levi Stockman],18

    Identity: Levi Stockman (1812-1844) was a respected Methodist Millerite minister who lived in Maine. He helped Ellen Harmon understand the love of God during her conversion process. He contracted tuberculosis and died before the 1844 disappointment. In this vision Ellen White is taken to the future and meets these men after the second coming of Jesus and the resurrection.

    See: SDAE, s.v. “Levi Stockman”; EGWEnc, s.v. “Levi Stockman.”

    who had preached the gospel of the kingdom, 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 Hallelujah, heaven is cheap enough, and we touched our glorious harps and made heaven's arches ring. 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 and entering in. Here we saw good old father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Noah, Daniel, and many like them. And I saw a veil 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 veil. 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. On it were two bright angels; their wings were spread over the ark as they sat on each end, with their faces turned towards each other and looking downward. In the ark, beneath where the angels [sic] wings were spread, was a golden pot of Manna of a yellowish cast, and I saw a rod, which Jesus said was Aarons [sic], 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 can 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 steped [sic] up to see how much was taken away, and there was just as much left, and we shouted Hallelujah. Amen.19

    From this point forward, Ellen White continues with an account of her “new earth” vision that describes the descent of the New Jerusalem to the earth following the millennium and the restoration of the earth to its Edenic state. The “new earth” vision was probably given in late spring or early summer of 1845. In this and her previous Midnight Cry vision she emphasized the tangible aspects of heaven and the new earth. Ellen White vigorously opposed the spiritualizing view of some Millerites who said that they were now spiritually living in the New Jerusalem. See Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], pp. 52-56.

    We all descended from this place down into the city, and 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 and saw the great city with twelve foundations, twelve gates, three on each side, and an angel at each gate, and all cried out the city, the great city, it's coming, it's coming down from God, out of heaven, and it came and settled on the place where we stood. Then we began to look at the glorious things outside of the city. There I saw most glorious houses, that had the appearance of silver, supported by four pillars, set with pearls most glorious to behold, which were to be inhabited by the saints. In them was a golden shelf, I saw many of the saints go into the houses, take off their glittering crowns and lay them on the shelf, then go out into the field by the houses to do something with the earth, not as we have to do with the earth here; no, no. A glorious light shone all about their heads, and they were continually shouting and offering praises to God. And I saw another field full of all kinds of flowers, and as I plucked them, I cried out, well they will never fade. Next I saw a field of tall grass, most glorious to behold. It was living green, and had a reflection of silver and gold as it waved proudly to the glory of King Jesus. Then we entered a field full of all kinds of beasts; the lion, the lamb, the leopard and the wolf, altogether in perfect union. We passed through the midst of them, and they followed on peaceably after. Then we entered a wood, not like the dark woods we have here, no, no; but light, and all over glorious. The branches of the trees waved to and fro, and we all cried out, we will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in this woods. We passed through the wood, for we were on our way to Mount Zion, as we were traveling along we met a company who were also gazing at the glories of the place: I noticed red as a border on their garments. Their crowns were brilliant—their robes were pure white. As we greeted them, I asked Jesus who they were? He said they were martyrs that had been slain for him. With them was an innumerable company of little ones, they had a hem of red on their garments also. Mount Zion was just before us, and on the Mount sat a glorious temple,20

    In his vision of the “holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven” John wrote, “I saw no temple therein” (Rev. 21:10, 22). Likewise, Ellen Harmon saw no temple in the Holy City in the earth made new. She did, however, see a temple on a mount “outside of the city,” although the main function of that temple is not revealed. Since sin and evil have now been eradicated forever, the temple cannot have the soteriological purpose it had served in heaven prior to the eradication of sin. Richard Davidson suggests that “at the consummation of salvation history, the heavenly sanctuary or temple apparently returns to its original doxological function.”

    See: Richard M. Davidson, “Sanctuary Typology,” in Symposium on Revelation, pp. 99-130.

    and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies, and I saw the little ones climb, or if they chose use their little wings and fly to the top of the mountains, and pluck the never fading flowers. There were all kinds of trees around the temple to beautify the place. The box, the pine, the fir, the oil, the myrtle, the pomegranet [sic] and the fig tree, bowed down with the weight of its timely figs that made the place look all over glorious. And as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus raised his lovely voice and said, only the 144,000 enter this place, and we shouted Hallelujah. Well bless the Lord, Bro. Jacobs, it is an extra meeting for those who have the seal of the living God. This temple was supported by seven pillars, all of transparent gold, set with pearls most glorious. The glorious things I saw there, I cannot begin to describe. O, that I could talk in the language of Canaan, then could I tell a little of the glory of the upper world; but if faithful you soon will know all about it. I saw there the tables of stone in which the names of the 144,000, were engraved in letters of gold.—After we had beheld the glory of the temple, we went out. Then Jesus left us and went to the city. Soon we heard his lovely voice again, saying: Come my people; you have come out of great tribulation, and done my will, suffered for me; come in to supper, for I will gird myself, and serve you. We shouted Hallelujah, glory, and entered into the city, and I saw a table of pure silver, it was many miles in length, yet our eyes could extend over it. And I saw the fruit of the tree of life, the manna, almonds, figs, pomegranets [sic], grapes, and many other kinds of fruit. We all reclined at the table. I asked Jesus to let me eat of the fruit. He said, not now. Those who eat of the fruit of this land, go back to earth no more. But in a little while if faithful, you shall both eat of the fruit of the tree of life, and drink of the water of the fountain, and he said, you must go back to the earth again, and relate to others, what I have revealed to you. Then an angel bore me gently down to this dark world. Sometimes I think I cannot stay here any longer, all things of earth look so dreary. I feel very lonely here, for I have seen a better land. O, that I had wings like a dove, then would I fly away, and be at rest.1EGWLM 85.4

    Ellen G. Harmon.

    N.B. This was not written for publication; but for the encouragement of all who may see it, and be encouraged by it.1EGWLM 93.1

    E. G. H.

    Picture: Ellen (Harmon) White's earliest known letter, published in the Day-Star, January 24, 1846. Courtesy of the Center for Adventist Research.1EGWLM 94

    Picture:1EGWLM 95

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