Some Honest Questions that Need Answers
Do you believe that Ellen G. White is a true prophet of God?
If Yes – Continue
If No – Disregard remaining questions
Do you believe that God can lie or use deception?
If No – Continue
If Yes – Disregard remaining questions (Titus 1:2)
Was God’s prophet shown what role God played in the creation of the 1843 prophecy chart?
Answer: “I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord, and that it should not be altered; that the figures were as he wanted them.” ExV 61
“I saw that the old chart was directed by the Lord, and that not a figure of it should be altered except by inspiration. I saw that the figures of the chart were as God would have them..”SpM 1
So God “directed” the 1843 chart. Webster’s dictionary says:
“DIRECTED: guided; regulated; governed; ordered; instructed”
She also says that the “figures were as he wanted them.” Webster’s dictionary says:
“Figure: A statue; an image; in arithmetic, a character denoting a number;
So the prophet of God was shown “in vision” that God guided, regulated, and governed the 1843 chart and that the pictures and the numbers were as He wanted them and were not to be altered!
This is plainly stated on the surface so everyone should agree with this concept thus far.
Were there any mistakes involved with the 1843 chart? (Here is where people start having trouble.)
Answer: “That his hand was over, and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none could see it, until his hand was removed.” ExV 61
“…that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none should see it till His hand was removed.” SpM 1
“But God designed to prove them. His hand covered a mistake in the reckoning of the prophetic periods.” EW 235
So how many mistakes? “A MISTAKE” – That is 1 mistake!
How much did this “single” mistake affect the chart?
Answer: “…some of the figures” - “…of the prophetic periods”
So this single mistake affected some of the figures or periods – more than 1!
Is this singular mistake portrayed on the chart itself?
Now before you answer – remember, God directed this chart, and God never lies!
“All deception and overstatements are falsehoods. A truthful man, a man of integrity, will not designedly produce impressions by language or signs that are not strictly true. He will not allow any to receive from him that which he knows to be incorrect. A falsehood consists in an intention to deceive. A look of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, will tell a falsehood as effectually as words.” ST, July 22, 1880
So would God have “directed” a “figure” to be placed on the chart that He knew, was a lie?
Answer: “While Satan can employ fraud and sophistry to accomplish his objects, God cannot lie; while Lucifer, like the serpent, can choose a tortuous course, turning, twisting, gliding, to conceal himself, God moves only in a direct, straight-forward line.” 4SP 319
“But God designed to prove them. His hand covered a mistake in the reckoning of the prophetic periods. Those who were looking for their Lord did not discover this mistake, and the most learned men who opposed the time also failed to see it.” EW 235
So the mistake was not in the numbers themselves that God had placed on the chart – but “in the reckoning” that arrived at those numbers – which was a mistake made by man.
In other words, the mistake itself, that man made, is not displayed on the chart – only the numbers resulting from that mistake are.
The word "mistake" is the combination of "Mis" and "Take" - it literally means that someone had a "mis" "take" - they "took" something from the figures that was not meant to be taken from it. In other words, the "mis-take" was something on the part of the humans, not on the part of the figures on the chart.
Now you may say that the number 1843 was a mistake – but was it?
Answer: No it was not! God had the date 1843 placed on the chart because that date was a direct fulfillment of the “tarrying time” prophecy!
Hab. 2:2-3 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
In other words, God made NO MISTAKE on the chart! He merely temporarily prevented man from discovering the mistake that they had made “in their reckoning” – which was not shown on the chart.
What was this mistake that God had His hand over?
Answer: “The hand of the Lord was removed from the figures, and the mistake was explained. They saw that the prophetic periods reached to 1844, and that the same evidence which they had presented to show that the prophetic periods closed in 1843, proved that they would terminate in 1844. Light from the Word of God shone upon their position, and they discovered a tarrying time--"Though it [the vision] tarry, wait for it." In their love for Christ's immediate coming, they had overlooked the tarrying of the vision, which was calculated to manifest the true waiting ones.”
EW 236
The mistake was in calculating time periods from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. In other words, instead of starting on the first day of 457 and reaching to the very last day of 1843, the prophecy started in the autumn of 457, which would make the time period end in the autumn of 1844.
This is called the “Full Year concept.” This mistake only added 7 months to the ending date for the prophetic periods that they had thought would end on the last day of 1843, thereby moving the ending date to 1844. This mistake was explained/corrected by God well before Oct.22, 1844.
This mistake did not have any bearing on the “validity” of the time prophecies. The prophet of God specifically states that “the same evidence” that they had presented before “proved” that the time periods would end in 1844!
Why would she specify “the same evidence”?
Because God does not lie!!
In fact, the prophecy in Habakkuk that the 1843 chart was a fulfilment of – specifies this fact!
Hab. 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
There are those who would have us believe that both the 1843 & 1850 charts were full of error. But they are not only teaching that the charts are “Lying” – they are, by default, teaching that God is a liar!
The prophetic period that they are so viciously opposed to is the “2520” or “seven times” – which is displayed on both charts.
When was the singular mistake explained?
Answer: “Those faithful, disappointed ones, who could not understand why their Lord did not come, were not left in darkness. Again they were led to their Bibles to search the prophetic periods. The hand of the Lord was removed from the figures, and the mistake was explained. They saw that the prophetic periods reached to 1844, and that the same evidence which they had presented to show that the prophetic periods closed in 1843, proved that they would terminate in 1844.” EW 236
That means that the mistake was explained after the first disappointment of 1843 and well before the disappointment of Oct.22, 1844!
So how can they say that the 2520 is the mistake – when it was again placed on the 1850 chart right along with the corrected date of 1844?!?
And what did the prophet of God state about the 1850 chart that also included the 2520?
Answer: “I saw that God was in the publishment of the chart by Brother Nichols. I saw that there was a prophecy of this chart in the Bible, …” 13MR 359
It is also significant that Sister White specifies that:
“Those who were looking for their Lord did not discover this mistake, and the most learned men who opposed the time also failed to see it.” EW 235
In other words, those who opposed the Millerites, did not see the mistake either – and a quick reference to the writings of Miller and the other pioneers reveals that their opponents were trying to discredit the 2520 in the early 1840’s – proving once again, from the mouth of the prophet herself, that the 2520 is not the mistake!
In fact, the pioneers believed in and taught the 2520 all the way up into the late 50’s.
It is very interesting that the 2520 (whose purpose, among other things, is to humble the pride of God’s people) was abandoned around the same time period that the church becomes Laodicean!
Coincidence???
The “proud” who hate the 2520, like to promote the article against the 2520 from 1863 that was purportedly written by James White, as “proof” that it is a false prophecy.
However, James White was just the editor of the Review & Herald, and a close examination of this article compared to all the previous articles written by James White, reveals a distinct difference in writing style.
Shortly after this anti-2520 article, that some have falsely claimed was from James White, Brother White himself posted information in the May 31, 1864 Review stating specifically that if something was published in the Review by him, it would be signed with the initials "JW".
The article from January that spoke against the 2520, was not signed by any name, and definitely not with "JW"!
Furthermore, in 1875, James White himself published a book on William Miller, which included, among other things, information promoting the 2520. Interestingly enough, though James inserted footnotes specifying some other early beliefs that the Millerites had that Adventists no longer believed, he said "Nothing" about the 2520 - no footnotes, nothing to discredit it in any way. If he no longer believed it, then he would have stated so. His silence on the topic, in light of his non-silence on other issues in this book that he published and promoted - shows that he did still believe in the 2520.
“Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith.” CCh 93
We are to base our decisions from the weight of evidence!
Out of over 180 hits in the pioneer writings for the 2520 prophecy, only a very few hits are against it. The vast majority are quotes that teach and promote it.
Are we to throw out the dozens of articles and quotes promoting the 2520, and base our belief on one single article from 1863 (and Uriah Smith’s article 34 years later)?
Those fighting against the 2520 claim that the word “times” that is in the King James Version is not in the original Hebrew texts in Lev. 26. But what does inspiration state?
Answer: “The Bible, just as it reads, is to be our guide.” 1MCP 93
“By many it is considered as evidence of ability and learning to sneer at the word of God; and in many cases those who are simple enough to take that word just as it reads, and believe it, are subjects of ridicule." ST, December 18, 1884
Not only that, but there is nowhere in the Bible that it states that the word “times” has to be present in order for it to be a time prophecy.
For example, in Genesis 41, pharaoh is given two dreams, one with 7 fat cows and 7 skinny cows, and one with 7 fat ears of corn and 7 skinny ears of corn. The word “times” is not used, but the exact same Hebrew word for “7” that is used in Lev. 26 is used.
And Joseph interprets those 7’s as representing years!!
If Lev. 26 cannot be a time prophecy, then Joseph was wrong as well!
It is more than significant, that it was Pharaoh that did not understand the significance of the “7” – but Joseph understood what the “7” meant.
The scholars who split the Bible up into man-made categories, like to claim that the 2520 is false because Leviticus is not a book of prophecy therefore there is no prophecy in Lev. 26!
But are their claims correct?
Answer: “All who join the ranks of Sabbathkeepers should become diligent Bible students, that they may know the pillars and groundwork of the truth. They should study prophetic history, which has brought us down point by point to where we are at the present time. This is God's plan for our school. Young men should attend who desire to become educated for any line of work, who have capabilities, and see the necessity of learning more and still more where we stand today in prophetic history, uniting link after link in the prophetic chain, even from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is the Alpha, the first link, and the Omega, the last link, of the gospel chain, which is welded in Revelation.” 10MR 171
This means that the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is a prophetic book!
But even if the reader disagrees with that statement, there is yet another piece of evidence that you must read. It deals specifically with Leviticus 26 itself.
Please notice what the prophet of God says about Leviticus 26 – even quoting from it herself!
“God specified also the sure result of a disregard for his commandments. "If ye will not harken unto me," he declared, "and will not do all these commandments, . . . I also will do this unto you; I will . . . set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you. . . . And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. . . . And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up." With these solemn warnings foretelling the results of disobedience, were given words of encouragement. God declared that even if his people should fail of fulfilling his purpose, he would not forsake them utterly. "If they shall confess their iniquity," he said, "and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. . . . When they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them; to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the Lord." These are some of the prophecies concerning Israel.” YI, April 23, 1903
Sister White just specifically listed the 2520 curse in Leviticus 26 as “Prophecies”!!!!
“Satan's snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people.” 5T 160
Those who are fighting against the 2520, state that this prophecy has never been believed or taught by Seventh-day Adventists (believing in their mind that there were no Seventh-day Adventists before 1863).
But this claim does not agree with the record!
The Millerites had already become known as “Adventists”:
“As early as 1842, the Spirit of God had moved upon Charles Fitch to devise the prophetic chart, which was generally regarded by Adventists as a fulfillment of the command given by the prophet Habakkuk, "to write the vision and make it plain upon tables." 4SP 241
Then, in the mid 40’s, they added the “Seventh-day” Sabbath, and the sanctuary to the doctrines that they believed and taught.
To quote the prophet of God:
“In the autumn of 1846 we began to observe the Bible Sabbath, and to teach and defend it. My attention was first called to the Sabbath while I was on a visit to New Bedford, Massachusetts, earlier in the same year.” 1T 75
To quote Uriah Smith:
“Inquirer - When, then, do the people known as Seventh-day Adventists, date their origin?
Adventist - In the following year, 1845; for then were brought out the views on the subject of the sanctuary, which explained why the Lord did not come in 1844, as had been expected, and furnished additional evidence concerning our duty to turn to the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord.” 1896 UrS, SDAWK 2
This means that from the 1830’s to 1845 – Millerite Adventists believed and taught the 2520 – then from 1845 to 1857, Seventh-day Adventists believed and taught the 2520!
Written July 4, 1907
“The interests of the cause of present truth demand that those who profess to stand on the Lord's side shall bring into exercise all their powers to vindicate the advent message, the most important message that will ever come to the world. For those who stand as representatives of present truth to use time and energy now in attempting to answer the questions of the doubting ones, will be an unwise use of their time. It will not remove the doubts. The burden of our work now is not to labor for those who, although they have had abundant light and evidence, still continue on the unbelieving side. God bids us give our time and strength to the work of preaching to the people the messages that stirred men and women in 1843 and 1844. We are now to labor unceasingly to get the truth before Jew and Gentile. Instead of going over and over the same ground to establish the faith of those who should never have accepted a doubt regarding the third angel's message, let our efforts be given to making known the truth to those who have never heard it. God calls upon us to make known to all men the truths that have made us what we are--Seventh-day Adventists.” 1SAT 385
“We have, as had John, a message to bear of the things which we have seen and heard. God is not giving us a new message. We are to proclaim the message that in 1843 and 1844 brought us out of the other churches. We need the Holy Spirit to kindle in our hearts the zeal and earnestness that were then seen among God's people.” RH, January 19, 1905
“All the messages given from 1840-1844 are to be made forcible now, for there are many people who have lost their bearings. The messages are to go to all the churches. Christ said, "Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" [Matthew 13:16, 17]. Blessed are the eyes which saw the things that were seen in 1843 and 1844.” Written January 30, 1906 21MR 437
God Himself pronounced a blessing on those who had faith in this 1840-1844 message! This may be found in the “1335 days” time prophecy, which pinpointed the year 1843.
Daniel 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
In other words, the real questions that need to be answered are not:
“Is the 2520 true or false?” or “Is the 2520 a salvational issue?” –
The real questions to be answered are:
“Is Ellen White a true prophet?”
And
“Does our God tell the truth?”