The approach I share in this essay concerning Ellen White’s writings is one that I have not seen before in a sustained study on her published materials. Because of the nature of the material, this paper takes more the tone of a personal testimony than that of a formal presentation. None of the following personal illustrations may be found in the standard textbooks treating the prophetic ministry of Ellen White. ^{1There are some excellent treatments of this topic. See especially Herbert E. Douglas, Messenger of the Lord: The Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press^®, 1998).} My approach comes from the perspective of an Old Testament biblical theologian. That is my academic discipline. ^{2I earned a Th.D. (later retitled Ph.D.) in biblical studies from Andrews University, with a major in Old Testament, a minor in New Testament, and a cognate area of systematic theology. My dissertation was an interdisciplinary hermeneutical study involving the New Testament use of the Old Testament (typological relationships).} Since becoming a seminary professor at Andrews University in 1979, I have had numerous opportunities to consider Ellen White’s insights when seeking to understand the meaning of biblical passages in the original Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek.GOP 155.1

Time and again I have been surprised to find that nuances of the biblical texts detected only in my study of the original languages, and not reflected in modern translations, were embedded in comments on those texts by Ellen White. Conversely, I have frequently come to the usually serendipitous discovery that Ellen White’s detailed insights concerning biblical narratives, which I had assumed were not mentioned directly in the Scriptures, are actually supported by a close reading of the biblical text in the original languages. These experiences have repeatedly reminded me of statements that Ellen White made to the effect that since little heed is given to the Bible, her writings are a lesser light to lead us to the greater light (i.e., Scripture). ^{3“Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light” (Ellen G. White, “Dear Brethren and Sisters,” Review and Herald, Jan. 20, 1903, 15; also in idem, Selected Messages [Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald^®, 1980], 3:30; idem, Colporteur Ministry [Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press^®, 1953], 125).}GOP 155.2

Before sharing specific examples, I offer the following caveats:GOP 155.3

First, in this essay I do not intend to imply that if one simply studies Ellen White’s writings, there is no further need to study Scripture. In fact, I support just the opposite. In what follows I have sought to show that the divine gift of prophetic inspiration is evident in the writings of Ellen White because (among other reasons) her deep insight into biblical passages seems beyond her human capability, given her own lack of facility with the original biblical languages. But these and other inspired insights into the biblical text should motivate us to go back to Scripture, to search deeply to see if her insights are in fact supported by biblical exegesis, and then to share the distinctive truths of the Advent movement, especially with others not of our faith, from Scripture alone, not from her writings.GOP 155.4

Second, Ellen White has certainly not exhausted the meaning of these and other Scriptures. Her sampling of buried treasures to be found in the Bible should prompt us to mine the Scriptures for ourselves, utilizing all available exegetical tools to find additional riches contained therein.GOP 156.1

Third, Ellen White often uses biblical phraseology in her writings where it is clear from the context that she is not seeking to give specific exegetical insights regarding a given biblical passage. We may compare this with the common English expression that “I have escaped by the skin of my teeth”: those of us who use this biblical allusion in ordinary conversation are clearly not trying to exegete Job 19:20, the original source of this citation.GOP 156.2

Fourth, I am not suggesting in this essay that it is necessary to know Greek and Hebrew in order to have a solid understanding of the Bible or the writings of Ellen White. The main message of Scripture is plain in whatever modern-language versions one may read. But the knowledge of the original languages is helpful for specialists in biblical studies, as scholars attempt to plumb the depths of meaning in a given biblical passage in all its beauty and richness.GOP 156.3

Fifth, I am not arguing for a theory of verbal inspiration, either for the Bible writers or for Ellen White. Both the Bible and Ellen White make clear that God inspired His prophets with thoughts, and did not verbally dictate the message to them. At the same time, both the Bible writers and Ellen White express as much dependence upon the Holy Spirit in communicating the inspired message as in receiving it, sometimes involving divine guidance in selecting appropriate words to express the truth. The Holy Spirit imbued human instruments with divine truth in thoughts and so assisted them in writing that they faithfully committed to apt words the things divinely revealed to them. ^{41 Cor. 2:10-13; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:19-21. Ellen White writes: “I am just as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in relating or writing a vision, as in having the vision. It is impossible for me to call up things which have been shown me unless the Lord brings them before me at the time that He is pleased to have me relate or write them” (Spiritual Gifts [Battle Creek, Mich.: James White, 1860], 2:292, 293; republished in idem, Selected Messages [Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald^®, 1958], 1:36). “Although I am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they be those spoken to me by an angel, which I always enclose in marks of quotation” (idem, in “Questions and Answers,” Review and Herald, Oct. 8, 1867, 260; republished in idem, Selected Messages, 1:37]). “The Spirit of God works upon my mind and gives me appropriate words with which to express truth” (idem, letter 325, 1905; published in idem, Selected Messages, 3:51).} GOP 156.4

Finally, I do not claim that I have solved all the difficulties related to Ellen White’s allusions to biblical texts, or in areas in which Ellen White presents insights into Scripture that I have not been able to verify by detailed biblical exegesis. In some cases Ellen White may have seen in vision details of biblical history that are not set forth in the biblical record. In other cases, apparent discrepancies have been pointed out by certain modern researchers between some of Ellen White’s descriptions of historical events and the biblical record of those events. I once had a long list of these apparent discrepancies, but the list has been steadily shrinking before the light of further study. I have a “shelf in my mind where unsolved problems like these are resting until further light shines upon them. For some problems I no doubt will have to wait until Christ Himself explains them to me in the hereafter!GOP 156.5

But dozens—yes, scores—of times I have encountered truth from the “lesser light” and then later come to realize that it is part of the “greater light” already, if studied deeply. Many other times I have found some rich treasure in the Scriptures revealed only in the original language, and then later discovered that Ellen White had captured this insight as well, apparently without any knowledge of the original languages (or of secondary sources pointing out this insight). In these occasions my heart has burned with joy (like the disciples on the way to Emmaus, Luke 24:32), as Scripture has been illuminated and Ellen White’s prophetic gift confirmed. In what follows I will share a few of these personal “burning heart” experiences, particularly in relation to the Old Testament.GOP 157.1

Instead of a Conclusion

Genesis 1:26, 27: Imago Dei