Messenger of the Lord
- Contents- Preface
- Acknowledgments
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An Overview by the Author
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Section I—God’s Communication System
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Chapter 1—The Revealer and the Revealed
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Chapter 2—God Speaks Through Prophets
- Communication Before Sin
- How God Bridged the Gap of Sin
- Prophets—the Most Recognized Form of Divine Disclosure
- The Prophet’s Work
- Long Line of Splendor
- Low Success Rate
- Names Applied to the Prophetic Messages
- How God and Prophets Interact
- How Prophets Delivered Their Messages
- Letters Carry Authority
- Literary Assistants
- Paul’s Several Assistants
- Obvious Difference Between 1 and 2 Peter
- How Luke Was Written
- Verbal Inspiration or Thought Inspiration
- Prophets, Not Words, Are Inspired
- Some Prophetic Messages Not Preserved
- God Is Gender Impartial
- Deborah More Than a Judge
- Dreary Gap Between Malachi and John the Baptist
- The First Century, A.D.
- The Prophet Jesus
- Since Apostolic Times
- Teaching Replaced Prophecy
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Chapter 3—Characteristics of the Prophets
- Prophets Share Common Characteristics
- Tests of a Genuine Prophet
- 1. The Test of Fulfilled Predictions
- 2. Agreement With the Bible
- 3. The Orchard Test
- 4. Unequivocal Witness to the Divine-human Nature of Jesus Christ
- Physical Manifestations
- Timeliness of the Prophet’s Messages
- Heroic and Unequivocal Witnessing
- Practical Counsel, Not Abstractions, Characterize Their Ministry
- Weight of Evidence
- Can All Be Prophets?
- Prophets Not Always Aware of the Full Meaning
- A Contrast Between the True and False
- Physical Phenomena Often Provide Coercive Evidence
- The 1840s a Turbulent Period for Prophetic Claims
- William Foy and Hazen Foss
- God Reveals Himself Through Prophets in Times of Crisis
- Ellen White Appeared at the Time of Greatest Distress
- Note
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Section II—The Real Ellen White
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Chapter 4—The Person and Her Times
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Chapter 5—Messenger, Wife, and Mother
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Chapter 6—Physical Health
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Chapter 7—Personal Characteristics
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Chapter 8—As Others Knew Her
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Chapter 9—Humor, Common Sense, and a Practical Counselor
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Chapter 10—The American Pioneer and the Victorian Woman
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Chapter 11—The Prolific Writer
- Editorial Assistants
- A 19th Century Accent
- Wide Reading Habits
- Writing for the General Public
- Personal Experiences Enriched Her Writing
- Variety of Personal Letters
- How Categories of Literary Production Were Developed
- Marian Davis “My Bookmaker”
- Why Revisions Were Necessary
- Opposition to Revisions
- Revision Experience Teaches Lessons
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Chapter 12—The Sought-for Speaker
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Section III—The Listening Messenger
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Chapter 13—Delivering God’s Message
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Chapter 14—Confirming the Confidence
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Chapter 15—Timely Instruction and Predictions
- Timeliness of Delivering Visions Often Crucial
- Salamanca Vision
- Foreign Language Tensions
- Shortest Testimony
- Visions, at Times, Changed Mrs. White’s Habits and Opinions
- Vision Changes Prophet’s Counsel
- Visions, at Times, Modified Ellen White’s Theological Opinions
- Corrected By a Vision
- Lessons Learned
- Delivering Reproof—a “Cross”
- Some Visions Contained Predictions
- Food for Worms
- Civil War
- Contrary to Contemporary Optimism
- Modern Spiritualism
- Rise of Papal Influence
- Union of Catholics and Protestants
- Health and Medicine
- Worldwide Expansion of Adventists
- Some Visions Directed to Secret Problems
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Chapter 16—Ellen White’s Self-awareness as a Messenger
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Section IV—The Voice of a Movement
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Chapter 17—Organization, Unity, and Institutional Development
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Chapter 18—Theological Crises
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Chapter 19—Evangelism, Local and Global, and Race Relations
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Chapter 20—Stewardship, Government Relations, and Humanitarian Involvement
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Chapter 21—Dissidents, Within and Without
- Chapter 21a—Who’s Who in the Adventist World of Ellen G. White
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Section V—Nurturer of Inspired Concepts
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Chapter 22—The Organizing Theme
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Chapter 23—Clarification of Major Doctrines
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Chapter 24—Health Principles-Part 1: Emergence of a Health Message
- Interaction a Spiritual Matter
- Nineteenth-Century Health Notions
- Physical Afflictions of Early Adventists
- Dramatic Healings
- First Health-minded Adventist
- Ellen White’s Early Awareness of Health Principles
- The Health Vision of 1863
- Led Step by Step
- Ingredients of the Otsego Health Vision
- Adventist Life Style
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Chapter 25—Health Principles-Part 2: Relationship of Health to a Spiritual Mission
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Chapter 26—Health Principles-Part 3: Quality Improvement in Adventist Health
- James White, the Highly Visible Exception
- The Gospel Sieve
- The Rochester Vision of Hope and New Territory to Conquer
- The key points of the vision were:
- The Beginning of Adventist Health Institutions
- Fifth Health Vision
- The Principle of Moderation Avoids Extremes
- James Becomes Editor
- Applying Common Sense
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Chapter 27—Health Principles-Part 4: Principles and Policies
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Chapter 28—Health Principles-Part 5: Reviewing a Century of Health Reform Principles
- Dietary Aspects of Health Reform
- What Scientific Research Indicates Regarding a Meat Diet
- Animal Products Increase Death Risk
- Humanity’s Original Diet
- Non-dietary Features of Health Reform
- Cancer, a Virus
- Table 11-5: Virus implicated in various cancers
- Contributing Causes of Cancer
- Modern Research Confirms Health Principles
- Summary of Ellen White’s Principles of Health Reform
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Chapter 29—Education-Part1: Principles and Philosophy.
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Chapter 30—Education-Part 2: Establishing Educational Institutions
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Chapter 31—Publishing, Temperance, and Social Principles
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Section VI—How to Listen to the Messenger
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Chapter 32—Hermeneutics-Part 1: Basic Principles
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Chapter 33—Hermeneutics-Part 2: Basic Rules of Interpretation—Internal
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Chapter 34—Hermeneutics-Part 3: Rules of Interpretation—External
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Chapter 35—Hermeneutics-Part 4: Characteristics Shared by Biblical Writers and Ellen White
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Chapter 36—Hermeneutics-Part 5: Authority and Relationship to the Bible
- Ellen White’s Relation to the Bible and to Bible Study
- Biblical Principles Worthless Unless Internalized
- “Gifts” Tested by the Bible, Not the Bible by the “Gifts”
- Primarily a Commentator, Not an Exegete
- Additional Details to the Biblical Story
- Practical Purpose of Bible Study
- Ellen White’s Understanding of How Inspiration Works
- Unfolding, or Progressive Revelation
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Chapter 37—Hermeneutics-Part 6: How Contemporaries Understood Ellen White’s Authority
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Chapter 38—Hermeneutics-Part 7: 1919 Bible Conference/History Teachers Council
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Chapter 39—Understanding How the Books Were Written
- The Making of “Steps to Christ”
- Background of “Steps to Christ”
- Ellen White’s Core Theme—the Title of One of Her Best-Known Books
- The 1884 Edition of “The Great Controversy”
- The 1888 Edition of “The Great Controversy”
- Why Some Materials Were Deleted
- The 1911 Edition of “The Great Controversy”
- How “The Desire of Ages” Was Created
- Not a Scrapbook
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Chapter 40—Understanding How the Books Were Prepared
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Section VII—How to Evaluate Criticism
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Chapter 41—Truth Still Makes One Free
- Differing Responses Depend on Circumstances and Attitudes
- Gifts Are Self-Authenticating
- Criticism Founded on a Misunderstanding of Revelation/Inspiration
- Criticism That Does Not Recognize That Prophets May Make Mistakes in Details
- Unfounded Criticism Involving Ellen White Personally
- Shouting, Prostration, Swooning, Creeping
- Various Effects of Menopause
- Year-long Depression
- Charged With Profiting Financially
- Israel Dammon’s Trial
- No Sabbath Keepers at Atkinson
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Chapter 42—Criticism Involving Relationships With Other People
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Chapter 43—Predictions, Scientific Observations, and Unusual Statements
- Various Civil War Statements
- Time Is Short
- Some in 1856 Never to Die
- Jerusalem Never to Be Rebuilt
- Concern Over Unusual Statements
- Concern Over Ellen White’s Scientific Statements
- Amalgamation
- Volcanology
- Masturbation
- Phrenology
- Harm From Wearing Wigs
- What Drives Motivations
- Smith Addresses the Critics
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Chapter 44—The Shut Door—A Case Study
- More Than a Minor Footnote
- Recognition of Presuppositions
- Essential Attitude of Truth Seekers
- Presuppositions of Critics
- Presuppositions of Affirmers
- Reviewing the Record
- New View for Millerites
- First Connection Between 1844 and Heavenly Sanctuary
- Time of Jacob’s Trouble
- Christ’s Return Near, But Not Imminent
- Sabbath-in-the-Sanctuary Vision
- Seal-of-God Vision
- Holding-the-Winds Vision
- Open-Door Vision
- “Present Truth” Article
- Reviewing the Critics’ Charges
- No Evidence of Deception
- Summary:
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Section VIII—Continuing Relevancy of God’s Messenger
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Chapter 45—Does Ellen White Measure Up?
- Applying Biblical Norms
- Unique Objectives
- Ellen White Readers Read Bible More Than Others
- Witness of Ellen White’s Contemporaries
- Convincing Integrity
- The Witness of Uriah Smith
- The Witness of Mrs. S. M. I. Henry
- Unabated Confidence
- Fidelity to Bible
- The Message Is Greater Than the Messenger
- Erroneous Concepts Lead to Confusion
- Distinctive Theological System
- The Weight of Evidence
- Perfect Assurance Not Compatible With Faith
- Three Basic Presuppositions That Hinder Acceptance
- Truth “as it is in Jesus”
- Prediction of the End Times Never Contradicted
- Young People Still Respond
- “Only an Instrument”
- The Weight of Evidence
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Chapter 46—She Still Speaks
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Chapter 47—Messenger and Message Inseparable
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Appendix
- Appendix A—Camp Meetings in Early Nineteenth Century
- Appendix B—Background to Exchange of Letters Between James and Ellen White in 1874
- Appendix C—Excerpts from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Across the Plains (1892)
- Appendix D—A Partial List of Ellen G. White Visions
- Appendix E—Basic Presuppositions Shared by Most Shut-door Critics
- Appendix F—Time-conditioned or Time-related?
- Appendix G—Ellen White’s Growth in Understanding Her Own Visions
- Appendix H—Ellen White Enriched the Term “Shut Door”
- Appendix I—Ellen White Led the Way in Building a Biblically-Oriented Message for the World
- Appendix J—Response to Deletion of “Wicked World”
- Appendix K—Why Ellen White Seemed to Reach Out Only to Shut-door Advocates
- Appendix L—Chief Charges Against Ellen White Regarding the Shut-door Issue and the Responses Through the Years
- Appendix M—The July 13, 1847, Letter to Joseph Bates
- Appendix N—Last Will and Testament of Ellen G. White
- Appendix O—Comments of National Leaders in the Early 1860s Regarding Slavery Crisis
- Appendix P—The Ellipse of Salvation Truth