Communicating God's Will
What were some of the ways the prophets delivered God’s messages to His people? Num. 9:1–5; Jer. 37:16, 17; Ezek. 4:1–6; Col. 4:16.
Prophets were charged by God to deliver to the people the messages that they received from Him. At times they proclaimed God’s words in a discourse before a company of people. At other times they delivered their testimonies in private interviews. Frequently, prophets were told to write out the messages received so that not only the people living at that time but also all future generations would hear what God had to say.
When Ellen Harmon (Ellen G. White’s maiden name) received her second vision in December 1844, she was told that she must go and relate to others what had been revealed to her. For several days, she prayed that this burden might be taken from her, but the words of the angel sounded continually in her ears, “ ‘Make known to others what I have revealed to you.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 69.
During 1845, therefore, Ellen Harmon, accompanied by her sister Sarah or other friends, visited former Millerites in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts who had experienced the Great Disappointment on October 22, 1844, and shared her early visions with them. James White, a former Millerite preacher, became convinced that her visions were genuine and began to travel with her and her companions, and in 1846 James and Ellen were married.
Early in her ministry, Ellen White also was told to write out the things revealed to her. Messages to individuals frequently were communicated to their recipients through letters (often called testimonies). Thousands of such communications were mailed from her home over the years. Of these she wrote, “In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 67. When Ellen White died, she left behind about one hundred thousand pages of published and unpublished material.
| What do the writings of Ellen White mean to you personally? Discuss your answer in class. |
No comments:
Post a Comment