An Inadequate Cause
To say that these visions, with their most unusual features, and all that grew out of the visions can be explained away on the basis that Mrs. White had an emotionally unstable personality, or simply “put on an act” to deceive, is too shallow, yes, too silly, an explanation to offer. The cause is inadequate to the effect, to borrow a scientific phrase. It just does not explain. This much we think is evident to anyone who is not hopelessly set to explain it all away: The visions revealed the presence of a supernatural factor. Now the question that presses immediately for answer is this, Is the supernatural power from above or below? Christ gave a sure, safe way to reach a right conclusion on a question like this. Said He: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Does a person controlled by the evil one live a long life of eighty-seven years of holiness, propriety, and rectitude, mingling with all classes of people endlessly, and ever above reproach? Would a power from beneath provide spiritual guidance, counsel, rebuke, and edification, as her writings constantly did? We think these questions answer themselves and thus lead us, naturally and inevitably, to the conclusion that in some way that can but dimly be understood by the human mind, Mrs. White possessed the gift of the Spirit of prophecy.WBEGW 90.4
Why should such a conclusion seem strange and unreasonable? Was it not true that in the early Christian church, as the New Testament reveals, there were prophets and prophetesses? And is it not also true that Paul, speaking of the gifts of the Spirit that Christ gave to His church after His ascension, listed one of the gifts as that of prophets? Let us read the lines: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).WBEGW 91.1
No one will say that we have already reached perfection in the Christian way and are all “in the unity of the faith.” Hence it is needful that the gift of prophecy still be displayed. Now lay this alongside the explanation earlier offered regarding the prophecy of Revelation 14:17 and 19:10. All this leads us to conclude, not that it is strange to think that someone in our day received the gift of the Spirit of prophecy, but that it would be strange indeed if the gift had not displayed itself in our time. Indeed, the prophecy in Revelation calls for it to be revealed.WBEGW 91.2