This is My Bible…There are Many Like It….But This One is Mine…
With the rise of Social Media and post-modern thought, it should be no surprise that trust in the biblical canon and its contents should come into question and even to being regularly challenged and disregarded.
As I am not an expert in biblical languages, although proficient, nor am I a textual critic, I encourage anyone who has questions to do three things.
Write down your questions. Questioning is good and should always be encouraged no matter what it regards or how uncomfortable the questions make us.
Watch the many lectures by Dr. Dan Wallace from Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Wallace is the foremost expert on Manuscripts, Textual Criticism, and the formation of the biblical canon.
Read the book Christ and the Bible by John Wenham. This is perhaps the easiest book to understand that methodically breaks down the evidences and support for trusting the Old and New Testament canons.
I do not want to explore the evidences supporting Scripture. Today, I want to explore works that are often disagreed upon among Christians, fringe groups of Christians, and Christian Cults.
That is the Apocrypha and extra biblical sources.
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church overwhelmingly preaches that it follows Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone. However, there is a skeleton in the closet.
The very first vision of Ellen White’s was published in The Day-Star publication in 1847, title, “A Word to The Little Flock.” Even now, you can find the original copy of this and read through it online as individuals have taken the painstaking task to digitize the document. In “A Word to the Little Flock,” Ellen Harmon or White at this point, via the pen of James White, recounts her very first vision. It should also be noted that no one witnessed this ‘first vision.’
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church still upholds this as the very first vision of Ellen White (Harmon), and holds it as authoritative. When Researching the writings of Ellen White online via the church’s official site, one will notice that the portions attributed to James White in the original document are removed and unavailable.
“I believe the Sanctuary, to be cleansed at the end of the 2,300 days, is the New Jerusalem Temple, of which Christ is a minister. The Lord [showed] me in vision, more than one year ago, that Brother Crosier had the true light, on the cleansing of the Sanctuary; and that it was [God’s] will, that Brother C. should write out the view which he gave us in the Day-Star Extra, February 7, 1846. I feel fully authorize by the Lord, to recommend that Extra, to every saint.”
Here we are given an anchor for the sanctuary doctrine that Seventh-day Adventists hold. In Belief 24, of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs, we read…
There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle that the Lord set up and not humans. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. At His ascension, He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and, began His intercessory ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the holy place of the earthly sanctuary. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent.
I want you to scour the entire page of that belief. Does it ever mention that the Sanctuary being cleansed in heaven, that Ellen White saw in vision, a doctrine we uphold due to her vision, is not just the Sanctuary in heaven, it is the Sanctuary in the temple inside the New Jerusalem.
You will not find any reference to the Sanctuary in heaven being the Sanctuary in the New Jerusalem. Why?
In Revelation 21:9-27, we read the only description regarding the New Jerusalem.
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.[d] Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits[e] by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement.18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Notice, “ And I saw no temple in the city, for it’s temple IS the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”
Now we have a much larger issue. The Apostle John states in his Revelation about Jesus, that the Temple, containing the Sanctuary, is not in the New Jerusalem because Jesus IS the Temple. So how do we get a Temple in heaven? How do we get a temple in the New Jerusalem as seen in vision, claimed outrightly to be given by God?
The definition of the Temple is given by God to John. THE TEMPLE IS SYMBOLIC OR A PLACEHOLDER for Christ.
Now some might say this was a one off, Ellen White did not really mean the temple was in the New Jerusalem. Then what do we do when in a letter in April 7, 1847, she writes that she was in vision and, “He quickly carried me from the earth to the Holy City. In the city I saw a temple, which I entered.”
In the same document, A Word to the Little Flock, Ellen White quotes Apocryphal books, while in vision, which in the original document James White cites in several locations. Here is one such axample,
“Mount Zion was just before us, and on the Mount sat a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies,(A Word to the Little Flock, pg. 17.).”
“and the same number of springs flowing with milk and honey, and seven mighty mountains on which roses and lilies grow; by these I will fill your children with joy (2 Esdras 2:19).”
Elsewhere, while claiming to be in vision, Ellen White in A Word to the Little Flock, writes,
“The streams ceased to flow. Dark heavy clouds came up, and clashed against each other (A Word to the Little Flock, pg. 19).”
“At that time friends shall make war on friends like enemies, and the earth and those who inhabit it shall be terrified, and the springs of the fountains shall stand still, so that for three hours they shall not flow (2 Esdras 6:24).”
“Behold, clouds from the east, and from the north to the south; and their appearance is very threatening, full of wrath and storm. 35 They shall dash against one another and shall pour out a heavy tempest upon the earth, and their own tempest (2 Esdras 15:34-35);”
In January of 1850, in a Vision that is documented by several Ellen White stated,
"I then saw the Word of God, pure and unadulterated, and that we must answer for the way we received the truth proclaimed from that Word. I saw that it had been a hammer to break the flinty heart in pieces, and a fire to consume the dross and tin, that the heart might be pure and holy. I saw that the Apocrypha was the hidden book, and that the wise of these last days should understand it. I saw that the Bible was the standard Book, that will judge us at the last day. I saw that heaven would be cheap enough, and that nothing was too dear to sacrifice for Jesus, and that we must give all to enter the kingdom" (Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, p. 34).
“(Taking the large Bible containing the apocrypha:) Pure and undefiled, a part of it is consumed, holy, holy, walk carefully, tempted. The Word of God, take it (Marion Stowell), bind it long upon thine heart, pure and unadulterated. How lovely, how lovely, how lovely. My blood, My blood, My blood. O the children of disobedience, reproved, reproved. Thy word, thy word, thy word, a part of it is burned unadulterated, a part of the hidden book, a part of it is burned (the apocrypha)(Manuscript 5, 1849).”
So why is Ellen White’s quoting apocryphal books and then the affirmation to adopt the Apocrypha an issue for Seventh-day Adventists?
For starters, protestants hold to Scripture being their rule of faith, Sola Scripture. Apocryphal books have never been agreed upon as to their authority and authenticity as well as theological issues present within the books that align with catholic dogma and doctrine such as purgatory and justification..
The apocryphal books present in Ellen White’s Bible……
1 Esdras (Vulgate 3 Esdras)
2 Esdras (Vulgate 4 Esdras)
Tobit.
Judith ("Judeth" in Geneva)
Additions to Esther (Vulgate Esther 10:4 – 16:24)
Wisdom.
Ecclesiasticus (also known as Sirach)
Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy ("Jeremiah" in Geneva) (all part of Vulgate Baruch)
No protestant denomination holds the Apocrypha as Scriptural. Out of all Christian denominations, sects, and Christian cults, only Catholics and Ellen White state that the Apocrypha is Scripture.
The reason why protestants do not accept the Apocrypha is due too…
Different doctrine: The Apocrypha has different teachings and practices than the Bible. For example, the Apocrypha includes prayers for the dead, which Protestants reject because they believe in purgatory.
Not written by prophets: The Apocrypha was not written by recognized prophets, and there is no supernatural confirmation of the writers' works.
Not cited in the New Testament: The Apocrypha is never cited as scripture in the New Testament.
Rejected by the Jews: The Apocrypha was never considered part of the Jewish Old Testament.
Unbiblical teachings: Some teachings in the Apocrypha are unbiblical even heretical.
Fanciful stories: Some stories in the Apocrypha seem fanciful even unethical.
On October 9, 2021 General Conference President Ted Wilson stated, “I have even heard of an attempt to question the reliability of the 66 books of the Bible canon, suggesting we need to look at non-canonical apocryphal books to perhaps broaden our view on truth.”
So we have the leader of the world church, who by way of Ellen Church is stated to be the voice of God to the people, does not even know what someone with a laptop could discover with google and access to Ellen White’s writings via the official website. And we are told to have confidence in Ellen White, in our church, in our leadership, and in our beliefs.
