Participants: Dr. Allan Lindsay (Host)
Series Code: KOTF
Program Code: KOTF000006
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00:37 Rooster crowing.
00:40 Rooster crowing again. 02:08 Ellen White arrived in Australia in December of 1891. 02:12 While on a voyage from the United States 02:14 and again on her arrival, 02:16 she received a number of visions. 02:18 Some of these related to the workers 02:20 in the Australian publishing house. 02:23 In a manuscript, she wrote out 02:24 what she had been shown. 02:26 Much of this instruction was written 02:28 for the publishing house treasurer, Nathaniel Faulkhead. 02:35 Faulkhead was a tall and energetic business man 02:37 with a generous disposition. 02:39 But at the time of his becoming a member 02:41 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 02:43 he was also a prominent leader 02:45 of a number of secret societies. 02:55 And as time passed, he became more and more 02:58 engrossed in his lodge activities, 03:00 and less involved in his work for the church. 03:03 Some of his associates grew concerned 03:05 about his waning spirituality and urged him 03:08 to consider the direction of his life. 03:10 But Faulkhead firmly rejected any such promptings. 03:19 It was about this time that Ellen White wrote down 03:21 what had been revealed to her. 03:36 But when she thought to mail it to Faulkhead, 03:38 it seemed that a voice spoke to her and restrained her, 03:41 for the employees in the publishing house 03:43 were not yet ready to receive such a message. 03:50 Some 12 months later, the very first term 03:52 of the first Seventh-day Adventist school 03:54 in Australia had just ended. 03:56 In attendance at the closing exercises in Melbourne 03:59 was Ellen White. 04:01 Afterwards, she invited Nathaniel Faulkhead 04:04 to visit her. 04:07 On his arrival, she began to read to him 04:10 from the manuscript. 04:12 As she described some of the meetings 04:13 of the secret order, 04:15 she reminded him about his habit 04:17 of dropping small coins into the church offering plate, 04:20 and large coins into the lodge funds. 04:23 She also told of how she heard him addressed 04:25 as "Worshipful Master" and warned him 04:28 that no man should be addressed in this way. 04:32 Although, she did not attack 04:33 the Masonic Lodge system itself, she pointed out 04:36 how difficult it is for the Christian 04:38 to serve two masters. 04:40 As she spoke, she made a movement with her hand, 04:44 which startled Faulkhead. 04:45 Do you know what you have done? 04:48 You've just made the secret sign of the Masons - 04:51 the sign of the Knights Templar. 04:55 As they continued talking, 04:56 again she made a movement with her hand. 04:59 Suddenly, Faulkhead turned deathly pale. 05:02 The sign she had made was known 05:03 only to the highest order of Masons - 05:06 a sign no woman could know. 05:13 For the next two hours, Faulkhead struggled 05:15 with his conscience. 05:16 Eventually, he resolved to sever his connections 05:19 with the Lodges and finally did so, 05:21 but not without a conflict. 05:24 The Lord has honored me greatly, in speaking to me 05:28 through Mrs. White. 05:29 He has presented my case to her 05:33 and called me by name. 05:35 So, I will heed the instruction from the Lord. 05:48 Ellen White's experience with Nathaniel Faulkhead 05:51 illustrates some important aspects of how 05:53 the prophetic gift operated in Bible times, 05:55 and how it continues to operate today. 05:59 First, prophets are often given information 06:02 through the supernatural means of visions 06:05 or prophetic dreams, 06:06 which enable them to see people and experience events 06:10 outside of their range of knowledge. 06:22 Second, they are then directed to communicate 06:24 the Lord's message to the people concerned. 06:26 He or she, for women were also called to be prophets, 06:31 then delivers the message in oral, written, 06:34 or in an acted form. 06:35 Essentially, a prophet is the mouthpiece of God. 06:40 That is why the prophetic gift is called, 06:42 "The Testimony of Jesus. " 06:45 This does not mean that God dictates the message 06:48 to the prophet. 06:49 Rather, the Spirit of Christ 06:50 imbues the prophet's mind with thoughts. 06:53 The prophet then selects the words to express 06:56 those thoughts received through vision or dream. 07:00 It also means that the writer's own culture, 07:02 educational level and home background, 07:05 play important roles in a way these messages 07:08 are then delivered. 07:17 To express their thoughts, some Bible writers borrowed 07:20 from the words written by other Bible writers. 07:22 Some like Luke, selected passages 07:25 from non-inspired historical sources. 07:27 Paul used the words of secular poets. 07:30 And both Jude and John quoted 07:33 from the non-Biblical Jewish Book of Enoch. 07:35 Yet, under the direction of God's Spirit, 07:38 the prophet is inspired and the message 07:41 becomes the Word of God. 07:46 It is also obvious that there were some prophets, 07:48 whose testimonies were not included 07:50 in the books of the Bible. 07:52 The messages of Nathan, Gad, Azariah, Deborah, Miriam, 07:57 Agabus, Silas and Philip's four daughters, for example. 08:01 But this does not make their messages unimportant 08:03 or even less inspired. 08:05 It simply means that they were of local 08:08 and relatively temporary value. 08:12 Prophets also played a prominent part 08:14 in the New Testament church. 08:15 According to the Book of Acts, 08:17 they initiated the Church Missionary Outreach, 08:20 selected personnel and directed where they should be sent. 08:24 In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul says 08:27 that the prophetic gift strengthens the church, 08:30 and brings it encouragement and consolation. 08:37 Paul also writes in Ephesians 4, 08:40 The prophets are one of the main agencies 08:42 Christ has placed in the church 08:43 to bring about unity. 08:45 Their counsels, therefore, help protect the church 08:48 from false doctrines. 08:53 According to Acts 15, 08:54 prophets reaffirmed the believers 08:56 in the true teaching of the church 08:58 during times of religious controversy. 09:02 But above all else, Paul teaches that the prophets' 09:05 prime purpose is to lead men and women to Christ 09:08 and establish them in a relationship with Him. 09:12 To help accomplish this goal, Jesus predicted, 09:14 through the New Testament prophets, 09:15 that such activity would continue in the church. 09:20 The testimony of Jesus was not to cease 09:22 with the Book of Revelation. 09:24 In fact, the Books of Joel and Revelation indicate 09:27 that the gift of prophecy will especially assist 09:30 the church toward the end of time. 09:35 It is logical to expect that this latter-day manifestation 09:38 of the testimony of Jesus will fulfill the same role 09:41 and functions as did the prophets in Biblical times. 09:44 God will again reveal His purposes 09:46 through the medium of visions and dreams. 09:49 He will also inspire the messenger 09:51 so that the message itself will guide, rebuke 09:54 and challenge the church. 09:58 The question that must be addressed, of course is, 09:59 How did Ellen White exercise this prophetic gift 10:02 in her ministry to the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 10:08 In 1860, she wrote that, when the Lord gave her a vision, 10:11 she was taken into the presence of Jesus 10:14 and was unconscious of her surroundings. 10:16 Like the prophet Ezekiel, her attention when in vision 10:19 was often directed to scenes taking place on earth 10:22 though she could see no farther than the angel directed her. 10:26 Sometime, she was shown future events. 10:29 On other occasions, events of the past were revealed. 10:32 Often, she could not remember what she had been shown 10:35 until she commenced writing. 10:36 At other times, she could not recall anything 10:40 until she came in contact with the people 10:42 to whom the vision applied. 10:44 She then remembered clearly and forcibly 10:46 the instruction given 10:48 though it may have been shown to her years before. 10:51 Ellen White: "I am just as dependent 10:53 upon the Spirit of the Lord in relating or writing a vision 10:57 as in having the vision. 11:01 I have been shown faces that I have never seen 11:03 and, years afterward, I knew them when I saw them. 11:07 I have written at midnight, letters that have gone 11:10 across the continent and, arriving at a crisis, 11:13 have saved great disaster to the cause of God. " 11:17 Birds singing. 11:32 There was, perhaps, no greater crisis 11:34 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 11:35 during the first 60 years of its history, 11:38 than the threat of pantheism. 11:41 Pantheists believe that God is not a great personal being 11:45 but a mysterious essence, an impersonal influence, 11:48 pervading all nature. 11:50 Though, He exists in all things - 11:52 in trees, flowers, air, and animals - 11:55 He is as impersonal as gravitation 11:58 or the rays of the sun. 12:00 Birds singing. 12:09 This teaching had been adopted and taught 12:11 as new advanced truth 12:12 by some of the church leaders in Battle Creek. 12:17 In reality, it threatened the very foundations 12:20 of the Biblical view of God. 12:25 Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the brilliant doctor 12:28 and superintendent of the church's 12:29 medical institution in Battle Creek, 12:31 was one of a number of church leaders 12:34 who were attracted to this philosophy 12:35 as early as the 1880s. 12:38 But it was not until 1897, that he first introduced 12:41 the teaching in a public way. 12:45 Church bell tolling. 12:47 At the 1899 General Conference meetings, 12:49 held here in the South Lancaster Church 12:52 in Massachusetts, 12:53 pantheistic ideas were again promoted 12:56 by several of the church's leaders. 13:01 Ellen White was in Australia at the time 13:02 but she was impressed to post to the conference 13:05 a number of testimonies. 13:07 One carried the title, 13:09 The True Relation of God and Nature. 13:14 Nature is not God - and never was God. 13:18 The voice of nature testifies of God, declaring His glory. 13:23 But nature itself is not God. 13:26 As God's creative work, 13:28 it but bears a testimony of His power. 13:33 Well, brethren, what do you think? 13:38 The timing of these communications was significant. 13:41 They had been written here in Australia, nearly four weeks 13:44 before the conference began. 13:46 But they arrived just when they were needed. 13:51 However, that was not the end of the matter. 13:53 Pantheistic teachings soon became rampant 13:56 at Battle Creek College, 13:57 and in the sanitarium, which was under Dr. Kellogg's control. 14:06 In February 1902, the huge Battle Creek Sanitarium 14:10 was burnt to the ground. 14:11 A new building was needed 14:13 and to help defray the costs, it was suggested 14:16 that Dr. Kellogg write a book on health care. 14:20 All income from its sale 14:21 would be used to help rebuild the sanitarium. 14:25 Kellogg was warned, however, 14:26 against including any pantheistic ideas in it. 14:30 But when this book, 14:31 The Living Temple 14:33 finally came from the press, it was clear to some, at least, 14:36 that he had not taken any notice of the direction. 14:42 "The Star-Spangled Banner" playing. 14:50 In 1903, church leaders planned that the annual council 14:54 should meet in Washington, D.C. 14:56 Church President, Arthur Daniels, 14:59 hoped that no reference would be made to 15:01 The Living Temple, 15:03 or to Kellogg's pantheistic ideas. 15:05 However, when Kellogg and his supporters 15:08 from Battle Creek arrived, it was evident 15:10 that a confrontation was unavoidable. 15:14 Gentlemen, what we need is 15:15 a new understanding of God. 15:16 Pantheism will give that to us. 15:18 It will give us a deeper relationship surety. 15:20 No, no. I don't agree with you, brother, one bit. 15:22 I think pantheism is going to undermine faith. 15:25 Amen. And, if you were thinking, 15:27 that loss of confidence... 15:28 You would have a lot of confidence in God... 15:31 You need to go by tradition. 15:32 No! We've been holding on to those too long. We need... 15:35 We end up with a God 15:37 that doesn't care about us whatsoever. 15:39 That's not what we're talking about. 15:40 Brethren, please. I think we need to adjourn this meeting. 15:45 Ok. 15:46 I don't know why we need to adjourn the meeting when we... 15:49 Elder Daniels dared not call for a vote 15:53 because of the tension. 15:54 The church was facing a crisis. 15:57 But what to do? 16:21 Ellen White: I have some things to say 16:22 in reference to the new book, 16:24 The Living Temple. 16:25 Be careful how you sustain the sentiments 16:28 of this book regarding the personality of God, 16:30 As the Lord presents matters to me, 16:33 these sentiments do not bear His endorsement. 16:38 It is represented to me that the writer of this book 16:41 is on a false track. 16:42 He has lost sight of the distinguishing truths 16:45 for this time. 17:00 Ellen White had written the letters 17:01 from her Elmshaven home in California, 17:03 and had mailed them about a week before. 17:09 Was it just coincidence 17:10 that the letters came from thousands of mile away 17:12 at the very moment they were needed? 17:15 Daniels and many others certainly did not believe that. 17:26 Arthur Daniels: Never were messages from God 17:28 more needed at this very time. 17:31 And never were messages, sent from Him to His people, 17:34 more to the point than those you have sent us. 17:37 You can never know what a great blessing 17:40 your communication regarding 17:41 The Living Temple 17:43 has been to us. 17:44 It came at just the right time - exactly. 17:49 The conflict was severe but your message came 17:52 and settled the controversy. 18:04 The Washington Council was not just a threat 18:06 to organization or leadership. 18:07 It involved much more. 18:09 For the very understanding of the character and personality 18:13 of God was under threat. 18:15 That is why Ellen White decided to include in two of her books, 18:18 then in preparation, some material on the issues at stake. 18:22 The eighth volume of 18:24 Testimonies For the Church, 18:25 contains over 80 pages on God and nature, 18:29 and the relationship between them. 18:31 In 18:32 The Ministry of Healing, 18:34 she wrote a section entitled, 18:36 The Essential Knowledge, 18:37 that stresses the importance 18:39 of knowing about the kind of God 18:41 who is running the universe. 18:44 This was always of supreme importance to Ellen White. 18:47 Her constant aim, 18:48 both in her sermons and writings, 18:50 was to uplift Jesus and His love before the world. 18:54 Unfortunately, this was not always foremost 18:57 in the thinking of the church. 19:01 Take the church here in Battle Creek. 19:03 To no church of her time did she communicate more 19:07 than to this church? 19:09 Seventh-day Adventists had begun their work in this Michigan city 19:12 in 1852 when the retired sea captain, Joseph Bates 19:17 visited the city looking for the most honest man in town. 19:22 Directed by the postmaster, Leonard Stewart, 19:24 to David Hewitt, a Presbyterian peddler, 19:27 Bates convinced him of the importance of keeping 19:29 the Seventh-day Sabbath. 19:31 And Hewitt became the first 19:32 Sabbath keeping Adventist in Battle Creek. 19:40 In 1855, the publishing work of the church moved 19:43 from Rochester, New York to Battle Creek 19:46 and soon this small two-story wooden structure was erected 19:50 to house the press. 19:54 During the decades that followed, 19:56 steam-powered equipment replaced the little hand press 19:59 and the publishing work mushroomed. 20:04 A succession of small wooden churches were built 20:06 in Battle Creek, each one larger than its predecessor 20:10 to cater for the growing membership. 20:12 In this second building, the young church decided 20:16 on its name, Seventh-day Adventists, in 1860 20:20 and on its method of organization in 1863. 20:28 In 1866, in response to a vision given to Ellen White, 20:31 the church opened its first health institution. 20:35 The Western Health-Reform Institute, 20:37 as it was called, was founded 20:39 in a remodeled old house in Battle Creek. 20:42 Its aim was not only to treat people with sensible remedies, 20:46 but also to teach people how to take care of themselves 20:50 and thus prevent sickness. 20:51 Little did its founders' dream that, within a few decades, 20:56 it would gain world recognition 20:58 under its dynamic head physician, 21:00 Dr. John Kellogg. 21:04 In 1872, the first Seventh-day Adventist school 21:07 was opened in the city. 21:08 It began in the little two-story building 21:11 that had first housed the publishing work. 21:14 Seven years later, the famous Dime Tabernacle, 21:17 the fourth Adventist Church building in the city 21:20 was dedicated. 21:21 An imposing brick structure, it could seat 3,200 people 21:26 and provided an ideal location for General Conference meetings. 21:31 In less than 30 years, Battle Creek had become 21:34 a mecca for church members, because the church provided 21:37 education, work and health care opportunities 21:41 not to be found anywhere else. 21:44 But Ellen White recognized the danger signals 21:46 of such intense centralization. 21:49 Amazingly, during the decades that followed, 21:51 her warnings went largely unheeded. 21:58 Birds singing. 21:59 By the late 1890s, 22:00 the Review and Herald Publishing House 22:02 was the largest in all of Michigan. 22:06 Up on the hill, the Sanitarium, now world famous, 22:09 had a staff numbering nearly a thousand. 22:11 More than 2,000 church members and visitors 22:14 crowded into the Dime Tabernacle each Sabbath. 22:19 Cows mooing. 22:22 But all the way from Australia, where Ellen White was living 22:25 during the 1890s, she urged that no more plans 22:29 for expansion to be made. 22:30 She saw the need to build smaller institutions 22:34 in diverse areas. 22:39 She also knew, from the visions given her, that great changes 22:43 were soon to sweep over the world. 22:51 In 1890, she had written of coming troubles 22:54 on all sides, with the sinking of thousands of ships 22:58 and the destruction of navies. 23:05 "Human lives would be sacrificed by millions," she said. 23:09 Confusion, collision and death would unexpectedly occur 23:13 on the great lines of travel. 23:15 Birds singing. 23:27 Remember that in 1890, a World War was unthinkable. 23:30 And planes and gasoline powered cars 23:32 had not even been invented. 23:34 But her words were found to be all too true. 23:41 Twenty-four years later, in World War I, 23:44 ten million people died 23:46 and another forty million in World War II. 23:49 And there have been vast losses of life 23:51 on the great lines of travel ever since. 23:57 At the General Conference in Battle Creek in 1901, 24:00 some steps were taken to decentralize 24:03 the church organization. 24:05 However, Ellen White's warnings 24:07 about the increasing commercialization 24:09 and unfair wages in the publishing house 24:11 fell largely on deaf ears, 24:14 But in November 1901, a startling message 24:19 was delivered to the members of the publishing house board. 24:22 She reminded them that God had established 24:24 the publishing house to publish His Truth. 24:27 But this goal had been forgotten 24:29 in the seeking after commercial profit. 24:31 Then came the warning. 24:33 Ellen White: "I have been almost afraid to open the Review, 24:36 fearing to see that God 24:38 has cleansed the publishing house by fire. 24:42 Unless there is a reformation, 24:43 calamity will overtake the publishing house 24:46 and the world will know the reason. " 24:49 It soon did. 24:51 Tragic music playing. 24:56 On the night of December 30, 1902, 24:59 the main building of the publishing house 25:01 was reduced to ashes. 25:09 This was some ten months after 25:10 the church's famous Battle Creek Sanitarium 25:13 had also been destroyed by fire. 25:22 When news of the fire reached Ellen White in California, 25:25 she wrote to the leaders in Battle Creek 25:28 expressing her deep sorrow at the great loss 25:30 the church had sustained. 25:34 Ellen White: "I am not surprised 25:36 by this sad news, for in the visions of the night, 25:39 I have seen an angel standing with a sword as a fire 25:43 stretched over Battle Creek. 25:46 Once in the daytime, while my pen was in my hand, 25:49 I lost consciousness and it seemed if this sword of flame 25:53 were turning first in one direction 25:55 and then in another. 25:57 Disaster seemed to follow disaster, 25:59 because God was dishonored by the devising of men 26:03 to exalt and glorify themselves. " 26:06 Sounds of panicked people. 26:09 In the months that followed, the church had occasion 26:11 to think seriously about the disastrous fires 26:14 and their cause. 26:15 The publishing leaders quickly took action 26:18 to never again publish commercial work. 26:20 And decisions were made to move the headquarters 26:23 of the church away from Battle Creek 26:25 to Washington, D.C. 26:35 In Bible times, the prophet - as God's mouthpiece - 26:38 often spoke plain and pointed messages of warning 26:41 to God's people and called them to repentance. 26:44 Such messages were never popular 26:46 for they often cut across 26:48 selfishness, pride and love of power. 26:51 In Revelation 3, Jesus wrote to one of His churches, 26:55 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. " 26:59 He is still the same today. 27:09 Through His modern messenger, Ellen White, 27:11 God also gave warnings and appeals to repentance; 27:15 not only to church leaders, but also to individuals. 27:20 Stephen Smith and his family accepted the Adventist message 27:23 in 1850, and worshiped with the Sabbath keepers, 27:26 here in Washington, New Hampshire. 27:29 However, not long after, Smith was influenced 27:32 by some "so-called" new light, 27:34 and began to preach his ideas. 27:37 He became bitter and critical of the church's leadership, 27:40 especially that of James and Ellen White. 27:45 Late in 1851, Smith's name 27:47 was reluctantly withdrawn from church fellowship, 27:50 because of his discordant views and bitterness. 27:54 Over the next 30 years, 27:55 he joined one offshoot group after another. 27:58 And though warnings concerning the unbiblical teachings 28:01 of these groups were issued, 28:02 he felt no need of the counsel given. 28:09 But God still loved Stephen Smith, 28:11 and in a vision revealed 28:13 His life and future to Ellen White. 28:15 In the late 1850s, 28:17 she wrote out what had been shown her, 28:19 and closed with an appeal for him to return to God. 28:25 When Smith received the letter, 28:27 he became angry and declared 28:29 that he wanted no testimony from Ellen White. 28:33 He locked it away, and forgot about it. 28:40 In the meantime, Smith went on his critical way. 28:42 A friend said he had the meanest 28:44 and most withering tongue of any man he knew. 28:47 And, in this way, he spent what should have been 28:50 the best years of his life. 28:54 Then in 1884, he happened to pick up a copy 28:57 of the church's paper, 28:58 The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. 29:00 His eye caught upon an article by Ellen White. 29:04 On reading it, he was impressed with its truth. 29:08 As the weeks went by, he continued to read the Review, 29:11 and his family and friends noticed a gradual change 29:14 in his bitter and harsh attitudes toward the church, 29:17 and its leaders. 29:25 A year later, Eugene Farnsworth was invited back 29:28 to speak here in his home church. 29:30 His old acquaintance, Stephen Smith, 29:33 now 78 years of age, 29:35 resolved to attend the meeting on the Sabbath morning 29:38 when Farnsworth preached from this desk 29:40 on the rise of the Adventist Movement in Bible prophecy. 29:45 Farnsworth's positive and confident words 29:48 deeply affected Smith. 29:51 During the following week, Smith remembered the letter 29:54 he had received from Ellen White all those years ago. 29:57 On retrieving it, he read about what his life would be 30:00 if he continued to follow the course he had embarked on. 30:06 However, what had been a prediction 30:08 when it was written, was now history - 30:10 his story, a record of how he had lived his life 30:15 for he had not changed his ways. 30:20 Organ music playing. 30:46 On the following Sabbath, Smith returned 30:47 to the Washington Church. 30:49 Farnsworth, who as yet knew nothing of this experience, 30:53 had prepared a sermon on the gift of prophecy 30:56 in the Adventist Church. 31:09 This letter was written by Eugene Farnsworth 31:11 to Ellen White on July 15, 1885, 31:15 a short time after he had preached his sermon 31:17 in the Washington church. 31:19 It tells how, after the sermon, Smith had stood up and related 31:24 to the congregation the story of the testimony 31:26 he had received more than 25 years before 31:29 and how he had not read it until the previous Thursday. 31:33 Its truth had convicted him. 31:37 Farnsworth records Smith's words on this occasion 31:41 in this way... 31:44 If I had heeded the testimony God sent to me, 31:46 it would have changed the whole course of my life 31:49 and I should have been a very different man. 31:52 Any man that is honest, must say that the testimonies 31:55 lead a man toward God and the Bible always. 32:03 Strong words from one of her harshest former critics. 32:07 In view of their obvious impact on individuals, 32:10 and on the church at large over the years, 32:12 many have asked how Ellen White's inspired writings 32:15 relate to the Bible in today's world. 32:20 Because they are more recent, 32:21 do they supersede the Scriptures? 32:23 Are they, in some way, an addition to them? 32:27 Perhaps Ellen White, herself deserves the last word 32:30 on the matter. 32:31 Ellen White: "If you had made God's Word 32:33 your study, you would not have needed these. 32:36 It is because you have neglected to acquaint yourselves 32:40 with God's inspired Book, that He had sought to reach you 32:43 by simple direct testimonies. 32:45 They are not to give new light, but to impress vividly 32:50 upon the heart the truths of inspiration 32:53 already received. " 32:55 Rooster crowing. 32:56 "Because little heed is given to the Bible, 32:58 the Lord has given a Lesser Light 33:01 to lead men and women to the Greater Light. " 33:16 Captioning made possible by 3ABN viewers 33:20 and supporters. |
Revised 2014-12-17