Subject: 1856 Prophecy 'Failed' Aug.

28th, 1998

! Answer
Dear _______,

Below is a copy of a reply I sent to someone else who asked about ellenwhite.org's charge that Mrs. White's 1856
prophecy had failed. I hope it may prove helpful to you. You will also find an electronic copy of a document Arthur White
prepared some years ago on this question. It explores certain aspects of the matter in more detail than I tried to do. I will
join you in prayer for the church member who has been affected by the allegations of the ellenwhite.org website.

--------
William Fagal, Director
Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1400 USA
Phone: 616 471-3209
FAX: 616 471-6166
E-mail: egw@aubranch.egwestate.andrews.edu

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ellen G. White Estate <egw@aubranch.egwestate.andrews.edu> To:
xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: 1856 prophecy 'failed'

You wanted me to comment on ellenwhite.org's charges regarding Mrs. White's 1856 vision that some at the conference
would live to see Jesus come. Obviously, none of them are still living. Was it a false prophecy? The charge includes a
dismissal of the idea of conditional prophecy, but I think we should not be so quick, or we may find ourselves with other,
even more difficult, questions to address.

For instance, Jonah made a specific prophecy about Ninevah, and it also involved a period of time by which something
would happen--in this case, the destruction of the city. You recall it: "Yet forty days, and Ninevah shall be destroyed." Did
God inspire it? Yes--the whole experience of getting Jonah there by way of the fish's belly testifies to that. Did the
prophecy contain any stated conditions? No, it sounded like an absolute prediction. But did it come true? No, the city was
not destroyed in 40 days, though it did meet destruction later because of the people's renewed impenitence. Did God know
that the people would repent under the preaching of Jonah? Yes, we would probably all agree that He did.

There are quite a few parallels to the case of Ellen G. White's 1856 vision, don't you think so? But Jonah is not called a
false prophet. God in His mercy extended time to the Ninevites because they repented. In the case of Mrs. White's vision,
God again in mercy has extended time to a doomed earth, in this case so that His people may complete the work He has
given them to do, which they indeed could have accomplished long ago. As in the case of Ninevah, the prophecy was
conditional (even though in both cases the conditional factors are not stated). God's mercy has extended time for the
conditions to be met.

Read Jeremiah 18:1-10 for an explicit picture of the conditional nature of many of God's prophecies. (For brevity's sake I
won't copy those verses here.) Speaking of the promise of God to come and destroy evil and evildoers, Peter said, "The
Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that
any shoud perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). Yet he follows that verse immediately with, "But the
day of the Lord *will come* as a thief in the night . . . ." (v. 10). So God will fulfill His promises, even if not just when
we--or even his prophets--think he will.

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Subject: 1856 Prophecy 'Failed' Aug. 28th, 1998

Did the apostle Paul expect to be alive when Jesus came? Look and see which group Paul saw himself in: "For the Lord
himslef shall descend from heaven with a shout, . . . and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). Who is "them"
here, and who is "we"? And this is in the Bible! But did Paul live to see Jesus come? No. So was he a false prophet? None
of us would say so.

So if you are going to hold to the "no conditional prophecy" viewpoint when Ellen G. White makes a specific prediction,
and you proclaim her a false prophet on that basis, to be consistent you are going to have to do the same to at least Jonah
and Paul in the Bible. Maybe the problem is not with Jonah, Paul, or Mrs. White, but with the reasoning of sites like
ellenwhite.org.

Below my signature I will attach a document that Arthur L. White wrote a number of years ago about this vision. It covers
a lot more ground than I have, and you may find it helpful. God bless.

--------
William Fagal, Director
Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1400 USA
Phone: 616 471-3209
FAX: 616 471-6166
E-mail: egw@aubranch.egwestate.andrews.edu

The Question of the Vision of 1856 By Arthur L. White.

The question relates to a statement appearing in Testimonies for the Church, volume 1, pages 131,
132, which reads:
"I was shown the company present at the conference. Said the angel: Some food for worms, some
subjects of the seven last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the
coming of Jesus. Solemn words were these, spoken by the angel."
This vision was given in connection with the conference held at Battle Creek the latter part of May,
1856. This meeting was quite widely advertised, and was attended by those coming in from other
States and Canada. The conference opened Friday afternoon, May 23, and closed Monday, May 26. It
was so well attended that on Sabbath it was necessary to leave the church building and go across the
street to a tent which had been pitched for that purpose.
Tuesday morning, May 27, another meeting was held in the church, attended largely by the workers
who were still in Battle Creek, and it was at this service that the vision to which we have referred, was
given. The statement is made that those "at the conference" were spoken of, not those in the meeting
at the time the vision was given. No record was made of those who came to the conference. Many
years after this memorable meeting, a list was made of those who were present in the room when the
vision was given. There are none alive today who were at that meeting.
Have the words of the angel, heard by Ellen White while in vision, failed? In this connection, I should
like to make a few suggestions. We must keep in mind that prominent among God's characteristics is
His forbearance. It is His desire that man shall be saved, and in His forbearance there have been
instances where definite prophecies have not been fulfilled. There are instances also of promises made
which, because of the disobedience of the people, were not fulfilled. In addition, it is a
well-established principle that positively stated predictions are sometimes delayed or modified by the
attitude of the people of God. This is well stated by the prophet Jeremiah:

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"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
if it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I
would benefit them."--Jeremiah 18:9, 10.
A striking instance of this principle of God's dealings with men, is in the case of the city of Nineveh.
Nothing could be more definite than the time prophecy of Jonah*}, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall
be destroyed." The repentance of the people of Nineveh averted the judgments of God for a time, even
to another generation, yet they came eventually, and Nineveh was completely destroyed. These facts
do not prove that {*Jonah was a false prophet, or that he did not receive his message from God. This
thought stands out prominently in a statement penned by Mrs. White in 1901:
"It [the coming of the Lord] will not tarry past the time that the message is borne to all nations,
tongues, and peoples. Shall we who claim to be students of prophecy forget that God's forbearance to
the wicked is a part of the vast and merciful plan by which He is seeking to compass the salvation of
souls?"--RH June 18, 1901.
In our day, God's people have not carried forward God's work to completion. The good things that
might have been received are yet future. Instead of resting today in triumph, they must toil on a little
longer till God's purpose is accomplished. Through the same messenger who in 1856 was shown the
soon coming of our Redeemer, our Captain has spoken repeatedly of the church's unfaithfulness and
the consequent delay in His coming.
"If those who claimed to have a living experience in the things of God had done their appointed work
as the Lord ordained, the whole world would have been warned ere this, and the Lord Jesus would
have come in power and great glory."--RH October 6, 1896.
"Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving to the world the message of mercy,
Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth, and the saints would have received their welcome into
the city of God."--6T 450 (published in 1900).
"I know that if the people of God had preserved a living connection with Him, if they had obeyed His
Word, they would today be in the heavenly Canaan."--GCB, vol. 5, no. 1, March 30, 1903. (Sabbath
sermon, March 28, 1903; published in Evangelism 694.)
"If every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere
this have heard the message of warning. But the work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan
has stolen a march upon us."--9T 29 (published in 1909).
"The long night of gloom is trying; but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should
come, so many would be found unready. God's unwillingness to have His people perish, has been the
reason of so long delay."--2T 194 (published in 1868).
That the church by its attitude and its activity may hasten the day of Christ's coming, is inferred in 2
Peter 3:12, where the word "hasting" is translated from the Greek verb "speudo" from which the
English "speed" is derived. Says Mrs. White, in harmony with this Scripture:
"By giving the gospel to the work it is in our power to hasten our Lord's return. We are not only to
look for but to hasten the coming of the day of God. Had the church of Christ done her appointed
work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus
would have come to our earth in power and great glory."--DA 633, 634 (published in 1898).
In a statement written in 1883, which appears in Selected Messages, book 1, pages 67-69, she deals
with the manner in which the shortness of time was always revealed to God's prophets:

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Subject: 1856 Prophecy 'Failed' Aug. 28th, 1998

"Am I accused of falsehood because time has continued longer than my testimony seemed to indicate?
How is it with the testimonies of Christ and His disciples? Were they deceived?
"Paul writes to the Corinthians: But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they
that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they
that rejoice, as thought they rejoiced not (1 Cor. 7:29, 30).
"Again, in his epistle to the Romans, he says: The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12).
"And from Patmos, Christ speaks to us by the beloved John: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that
hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at
hand. The Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which
must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy
of this book (Rev. 22:6, 7).
"The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been
presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this
message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed?
Never! It should be remembered that the promises and the threatenings of God are alike conditional.
"God had committed to His people a work to be accomplished on earth. The third angel's message was
to be given, the minds of believers were to be directed to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ had
entered to make atonement for His people. The sabbath reform was to be carried forward. The breach
in the law of God must be made up. The message must be proclaimed with a loud voice, that all the
inhabitants of earth might receive the warning. The people of God must purify their souls through
obedience to the truth, and be prepared to stand without fault before Him at His coming.
"Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith, and followed on unitedly
in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the
Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would
have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have
come ere this to receive His people to their reward. But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that
followed the disappointment, many of the advent believers yielded their faith. . . . Thus the work was
hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist body united upon the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history!
"It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design that
His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to
the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was
first preached, went not in because of unbelief. Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion,
and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.
"For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of
Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In
neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and
strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many
years."--1SM 67-69 (portion in Evangelism 695, 696).
In a letter dated December 7, 1901, Mrs. White wrote:
"We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years, as did the
children of Israel; but for Christ's sake, His people should not add sin to sin by charging God with the

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consequence of their own wrong course of action."--Evangelism 696.

Even should the delay in the coming of Christ, caused by the sloth and indolence of God's people, be
longer than we anticipate, yet in harmony with the above principles, this would not discredit the
message or the messenger of God. We may ask: Did Israel of old enter the promised land? Indeed she
did! Will modern Israel enter the heavenly promised land? Indeed she will, even though there has
been some delay!
Attached is a copy of an article from Sister White's pen which appeared in the Review and Herald,
March 22, 1892. It seems fitting that we should review this statement in connection with the question
that has been raised.
********************************************************************** It Is Not for
You to Know the Times and the Seasons
(E. G. White Sermon at Lansing, Michigan, September 5, 1891.)
"He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days,
and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with
them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the
Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they
asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said
unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own
power" [Acts 1:3-7].
The disciples were anxious to know the exact time for the revelation of the kingdom of God; but Jesus
tells them that they may not know the times and the seasons; for the Father has not revealed them. To
understand when the kingdom of God should be restored, was not the thing of most importance for
them to know. They were to be found following the Master, praying, waiting, watching, and working.
They were to be representatives to the world of the character of Christ. That which was essential for a
successful Christian experience in the days of the disciples, is essential in our day. "And He said unto
them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.
but ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." And after the Holy Ghost
was come upon them, what were they to do? "And ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" [Acts 1:7, 8].
Improve Present Opportunities
This is the work in which we also are to be engaged. Instead of living in expectation of some special
season of excitement, we are wisely to improve present opportunities, doing that which must be done
in order that souls may be saved. Instead of exhausting the powers of our mind in speculations in
regard to the times and seasons which the Lord has placed in His own power, and withheld from men,
we are to yield ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit, to do present duties, to give the bread of
life, unadulterated with human opinions, to souls who are perishing for the truth.
Satan is ever ready to fill the mind with theories and calculations that will divert men from the present
truth, and disqualify them for the giving of the third angel's message to the world. It has ever been
thus; for our Saviour often had to speak reprovingly to those who indulged in speculations and were
ever inquiring into those things which the Lord had not revealed. Jesus had come to earth to impart
important truth to men, and He wished to impress their minds with the necessity of receiving and
obeying His precepts and instructions, of doing their present duty, and His communications were of an
order that imparted knowledge for their immediate and daily use.

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Jesus said, "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
Thou hast sent." All that was done and said had this one object in view--to rivet truth in their minds
that they might attain unto everlasting life. Jesus did not come to astonish men with some great
announcement of some special time when some great event would occur, but He came to instruct and
save the lost. He did not come to arouse and gratify curiosity; for He knew that this would but
increase the appetite for the curious and the marvelous. It was His aim to impart knowledge whereby
men might increase in spiritual strength, and advance in the way of obedience and true holiness. He
gave only such instruction as could be appropriated to the needs of their daily life, only such truth as
could be given to others for the same appropriation.
He did not make new revelations to men, but opened to their understanding truths that had long been
obscured or misplaced through the false teaching of the priests and teachers. Jesus replaced the gems
of divine truth in their proper setting, in the order in which they had been given to patriarchs and
prophets. And after giving them this precious instruction, He promised to give them the Holy Spirit
whereby all things that He had said unto them should be brought to their remembrance.
We are in continual danger of getting above the simplicity of the gospel. There is an intense desire on
the part of many to startle the world with something original, that shall lift the people into a state of
spiritual ecstasy, and change the present order of experience. There is certainly great need of a change
in the present order of experience; for the sacredness of present truth is not realized as it should be,
but the change we need is a change of heart, and can only be obtained by seeking God individually for
His blessing, by pleading with Him for His power, by fervently praying that His grace may come upon
us, and that our characters may be transformed. This is the change we need today, and for the
attainment of this experience we should exercise persevering energy and manifest heartfelt
earnestness. We should ask with true sincerity, "What shall I do to be saved?" We should know just
what steps we are taking heavenward.
Warned in Regard to Time-Setting
Christ gave to His disciples truths whose breadth and depth and value they little appreciated, or even
comprehended, and the same condition exists among the people of God today. We too have failed to
take in the greatness, to perceive the beauty of the truth which God has entrusted to us today. Should
we advance in spiritual knowledge, we would see the truth developing and expanding in lines of
which we have little dreamed, but it will never develop in any line that will lead us to imagine that we
may know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power. Again and again
have I been warned in regard to time-setting. There will never again be a message for the people of
God that will be based on time. We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ.
I was searching through my writings before coming to this meeting, to see what I should take with me
to Australia, and I found an envelope on which was written, "Testimony given in regard to
time-setting, June 21, 1851. Preserve carefully." I opened it, and this is what I found. It reads:
"A copy of a vision the Lord gave Sister White June 21, 1851, at Camden, New York. The Lord
showed me that the message must go, and that it must not be hung on time; for time will never be a
test again. I saw that some were getting a false excitement, arising from preaching time, that the third
angel's message can stand on its own function, and that it needs not time to strengthen it, and that it
will go with mighty power, and do its work, and will be cut short in righteousness.
"I saw that some were making everything bend to this next fall; that is, making their calculations, and
disposing of their property in reference to that time. I saw that this was wrong for this reason, instead
of going to God daily, and earnestly desiring to know their present duty, they looked ahead and made

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their calculations as though they knew that the work would end this fall, without inquiring their duty
of God daily. --E. G. White. (Copied at Milton, June 29, 1851. A.A.G.)"
This was the document I came upon last Monday in searching over my writings, and here is another
which was written in regard to a man who was setting time in 1884, and sending broadcast his
arguments to prove his theories. The report of what he was doing was brought to me at the Jackson,
Michigan, camp meeting, and I told the people they need not take heed to this man's theory, for the
event he predicted would not take place. The times and the seasons God has put in His own power.
And why has not God given us this knowledge? Because we would not make a right use of it if He
did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly
retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come. We are not to
live upon time excitement. We are not to be engrossed with speculations in regard to the times and the
seasons which God has not revealed. Jesus has told His disciples to "Watch," but not for definite time.
His followers are to be in the position of those who are listening for the orders of their Captain; they
are to watch, wait, pray, and work, as they approach the time for the coming of the Lord; but no one
will be able to predict just when that time will come; for "of that day and hour knoweth no man." You
will not be able to say that He will come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off His
coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years.
To Have Lamps Trimmed and Burning
It is the duty of the people of God to have their lamps trimmed and burning, to be as men that wait for
the Bridegroom, when He shall return from the wedding. You have not a moment to lose in neglect of
the great salvation that has been provided for you. The time of the probation of souls is coming to an
end. From day to day the destiny of men is being sealed, and even from this congregation we know
not how soon many shall close their eyes in death and be habited for the tomb. We should now
consider that our life is swiftly passing away, that we are not safe one moment unless our life is hid
with Christ in God. Our duty is not to be looking forward to some special time for some special work
to be done for us, but to go forward in our work of warning the world; for we are to be witnesses of
Christ to the uttermost parts of the world.
All around us are the young, the impenitent, the unconverted, and what are we doing for them?
Parents, in the ardor of your first love, are you seeking for the conversion of your children, or are you
engrossed with the things of this life to such an extent that you are not making earnest efforts to be
laborers together with God? Do you have an appreciation of the work and mission of the Holy Spirit?
Do you realize that the Holy Spirit is the agency whereby we are to reach the souls of those around
us? When this meeting shall close, will you go from here and forget the earnest appeals that have been
made to you? Will the messages of warning be left unheeded, and the truth you have heard leak out of
your heart as water leaks out of a broken vessel?
The apostle says, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have
heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and
every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if
we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonder, and with
divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?" [Heb. 2:1-4].
The third angel's message is swelling into a loud cry, and you must not feel at liberty to neglect the
present duty, and still entertain the idea that at some future time you will be the recipients of great
blessing, when without any effort on your part a wonderful revival will take place. Today you are to
give yourselves to God, that He may make of you vessels unto honor, and meet for His service. Today
you are to give yourself to God, that you may be emptied of self, emptied of envy, jealousy, evil-

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surmising, strife, everything that shall be dishonoring to God. Today you are to have your vessel
purified that it may be ready for the heavenly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for the
latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every
defilement. It is our work today to yield our souls to Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of
refreshing from the presence of the Lord--fitted for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.--RH March 22,
1892.
Ellen G. White Estate
Washington, D. C.
March, 1962. Revised January, 1990.

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