ELLEN G. WHITE STATEMENTS RELATING TO
GEOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES
Ellen G. White Estate
Washington, D. C.
March, 1982
Table of Contents
Reformatted for website, 1999, Geoscience Research Institute
When the geology tour was originated by the Geoscience Institute in
1966, the White Estate was asked to assemble for the study of the group, the E.G. White
statements touching on geology. Copies of a very simple compilation of 34-pages were
provided.
The interest in the subject has called for repeated reprints until the
distribution runs into thousands of copies.
As plans were laid for the 1976 Geology Tour, it seemed desirable to
enlarge and in some areas rearrange the materials as presented herein. Among the items
introduced in this enlargement is an Ellen G. White statement appearing in Christian
Temperance and Bible Hygiene, published in 1890, which refers to man's transgression
"for over six thousand years." This statement, not being indexed, was overlooked
in the 1966 compilation.
One feature of the present compilation which will be appreciated is the
fact that in each section the items appear in chronological order.
We trust that in its new and enlarged form this document may continue
to serve.
Arthur L. White, Secretary
ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE
Washington, D. C.
June 29, 1976
I. THE BASIC STATEMENT OF 1864
Disguised Infidelity
I was then carried back to the creation and was shown that the first
week, in which GOD performed the work of creation in six days and rested on
the seventh day, was just like every other week. The great GOD in his days
of creation and day of rest, measured off the first cycle as a sample for successive weeks
till the close of time. "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth
when they were created." GOD gives us the productions of his work at
the close of each literal day. Each day was accounted of him a generation, because every
day he generated or produced some new portion of his work. On the seventh day of the first
week GOD rested from his work, and then blessed the day of his rest, and
set it apart for the use of man. The weekly cycle of seven literal days, six for labor,
and the seventh for rest, which has been preserved and brought down through Bible history,
originated in the great facts of the first seven days.
When GOD spake his law with an audible voice from Sinai,
he introduced the Sabbath by saying, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
He then declares definitely what shall be done on the six days, and what shall not be done
on the seventh. He then, in giving the reason for thus observing the week, points them
back to his example on the first seven days of time. "For in six days the LORD
made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day,
wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." This
reason appears beautiful and forcible when we understand the record of creation to mean
literal days. The first six days of each week are given to man in which to labor, because
GOD employed the same period of the first week in the work of creation. The
seventh day GOD has reserved as a day of rest, in commemoration of his rest
during the same period of time after he had performed the work of creation in six days.
But the infidel supposition, that the events of the first week required
seven vast, indefinite periods for their accomplishment, strikes directly at the
foundation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. It makes indefinite and obscure that
which GOD has made very plain. It is the worst kind of infidelity; for with
many who profess to believe the record of creation, it is infidelity in disguise. It
charges GOD with commanding men to observe the week of seven literal days
in commemoration of seven indefinite periods, which is unlike his dealings with mortals,
and is an impeachment of his wisdom.
Infidel geologists claim that the world is very much older than the
Bible record makes it. They reject the Bible record, because of those things which are to
them evidences from the earth itself, that the world has existed tens of thousands of
years. And many who profess to believe the Bible record are at a loss to account for
wonderful things which are found in the earth, with the view that creation week was only
seven literal days, and that the world is now only about six thousand years old. These, to
free themselves of difficulties thrown in their way by infidel geologists, adopt the view
that the six days of creation were six vast, indefinite periods, and the day of GOD's
rest was another indefinite period; making senseless the fourth commandment of GOD's
holy law. Some eagerly receive this position, for it destroys the force of the fourth
commandments, and they feel a freedom from its claims upon them. They have limited ideas
of the size of men, animals and trees before the flood, and of the great changes which
then took place in the earth.
Bones of men and animals are found in the earth, in mountains and in
valleys, showing that much larger men and beasts once lived upon the earth. I was shown
that very large, powerful animals existed before the flood which do not now exist.
Instruments of warfare are sometimes found; also petrified wood. Because the bones of
human beings and of animals found in the earth, are much larger than those of men and
animals now living, or that have existed for many generations past, some conclude that the
world is older than we have any scriptural record of, and was populated long before the
record of creation, by a race of beings vastly superior in size to men now upon the earth.
I have been shown that without Bible history, geology can prove
nothing. Relics found in the earth do give evidence of a state of things differing in many
respects from the present. But the time of their existence, and how long a period these
things have been in the earth, are only to be understood by Bible history. It may be
innocent to conjecture beyond Bible history, if our suppositions do not contradict the
facts found in the sacred Scriptures. But when men leave the word of GOD in
regard to the history of creation, and seek to account for GOD's creative
works upon natural principles, they are upon a boundless ocean of uncertainty. Just how GOD
accomplished the work of creation in six literal days he has never revealed to mortals.
His creative works are just as incomprehensible as his existence.
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable."
"Which doeth great things, past finding out; yea, and wonders without number."
"Which doeth great things, and unsearchable; marvelous things without number."
GOD thundereth marvelously with his voice. Great things doeth he. which we cannot comprehend."
"O, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of GOD!
How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the LORD? or who bath been his counselor?"
The word of GOD is given as a lamp unto our feet, and
a light unto our path. Those who cast his word behind them, and seek by their own blind
philosophy to trace out the wonderful mysteries of JEHOVAH will stumble in
darkness. A guide has been given to mortals whereby they may trace JEHOVAH
and his works as far as will be for their good. Inspiration, in giving us the history of
the flood has explained wonderful mysteries, that geology, independent of inspiration,
never could.
It has been the special work of Satan to lead fallen man to rebel
against GOD's government, and he has succeeded too well in his efforts. He
has tried to obscure the law of GOD, which in itself is very plain. He has
manifested a special hate against the fourth precept of the decalogue, because it defines
the living GOD, the MAKER of the heavens and the earth. The
plainest precepts of JEHOVAH are turned from, to receive infidel fables.
Man will be left without excuse. GOD has given
sufficient evidence upon which to base faith if he wish to believe. In the last days the
earth will be almost destitute of true faith. Upon the merest pretense, the word of GOD
will be considered unreliable, while human reasoning will be received, though it be in
opposition to plain Scripture facts. Men will endeavor to explain from natural causes the
work of creation, which GOD has never revealed. But human science can not
search out the secrets of the GOD of Heaven, and explain the stupendous
works of creation, which were a miracle of Almighty power, any sooner than it can show how
GOD came into existence.
"The secret things belong unto the LORD our GOD;
but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." Men
professing to be ministers of GOD, raise their voices against the
investigation of prophecy, and tell the people that the prophecies, especially of Daniel
and John, are obscure, and that we cannot understand them. But some of the very men who
oppose the investigation of prophecy because it is obscure, eagerly receive the
suppositions of geologists, which dispute the Mosaic record. But if GOD's
revealed will is so difficult to be understood, certainly men should not rest their faith
upon mere suppositions in, regard to that which he has not revealed. GOD's
ways are not as our ways, neither are his thoughts as our thoughts Human science can never
account for his wondrous works. GOD so ordered that men, beasts, and trees,
many times larger than those now upon the earth, and other things, should be buried in the
earth at the time of the flood, and there be preserved to evidence to man that the
inhabitants of the old world perished by a flood. GOD designed that the
discovery of these things in the earth, should establish the faith of men in inspired
history. But men, with their vain reasoning, make a wrong use of these things which GOD
designed should lead them to exalt him. They fall into the same error as did the people
before the flood — those things which GOD gave them as a benefit, they
turned into a curse, by making a wrong use of them.
----------
Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts (Battle Creek, Mich.: Steam Press of the
Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, 1864), vol. 3, pp. 90-96. Reprinted in Signs
of the Times, 5:90, March 20, 1879, and in Spirit of Prophecy (Battle Creek,
Mich.: Review and Herald, 1884), vol. 4, pp. 85-89.
Preface
IN presenting this, my third little volume, to the
public, I am comforted with the conviction that the Lord has made me his humble instrument
in shedding some ray's of precious light upon the past. Sacred History, relating to holy
men of old, is brief. Inspiration has dealt sparingly in praise of the noble deeds and
holy lives of the faithful. For example, the life of righteous Enoch is summed up in these
words: "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him."
On the other hand, the errors, sins, and vile apostasies of some, who
had been the consecrated and favored servants of God, are dwelt-upon in Sacred History at
length, as a warning to after generations.
Infidelity has seized upon the sad history of apostasy, which occupies
so large space in the Old Testament, and has deceived many with the base insinuation that
the men of the Bible, without distinction, revere bad men, and has even blasphemously
asserted that the Sacred Scriptures sanction crime.
Since the great facts of faith, connected with the history of holy men
of old, have been opened to me in vision; also, the important fact that God has nowhere
lightly regarded the sin the apostate, I have been more than ever convinced that ignorance
as to these facts, and the wily advantage taken of this ignorance by some who know better,
are the grand bulwarks of infidelity. If what I have written upon these points shall help
any mind, let God be praised.
When I commenced writing, I hoped to bring all into this volume, but am
obliged to close the history of the Hebrews, take up the cases of Saul, David, Solomon,
and others, and treat upon the subject of Health, in another volume.
E. G. W.
BATTLE CREEK, July, 1864.
----------
Ibid., pp. [iii], iv.
II. SCIENCE AND REVELATION
(Signs of the Times articles, 1884)
Science
"THE fool hath in his heart, There is no
God." The mightiest intellects of earth cannot comprehend God. If he reveals himself
at all to men, it is by veiling himself in mystery. His ways are past finding out. Men
must be ever searching. ever learning; and yet there is an infinity beyond. Could they
fully understand the purposes, wisdom, love, and character of God. they would not believe
in him as an infinite being, and trust him with the interests of their souls. If they
could fathom him, he would no longer stand supreme.
There are men who think they have made wonderful discoveries in
science. They quote the opinions of learned men as though they considered them infallible,
and teach the deductions of science as truths that cannot be controverted. And the word of
God, which is given as a lamp to the feet of the world-weary traveler, is judged by this
standard, and pronounced wanting. The scientific research in which these men have indulged
has proved a snare to them. It has clouded their minds, and they have drifted into
skepticism. They have a consciousness of power; and instead of looking to the Source of
all wisdom, they triumph in the smattering of knowledge they may have gained. They have
exalted their human wisdom in opposition to the wisdom of the great and mighty God, and
have dared to enter into controversy with him. The word of inspiration pronounces these
men "fools."
God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in
discoveries in science and art; but when professedly scientific men lecture and write upon
these subjects from a merely human stand-point, they will assuredly come to wrong
conclusions. The greatest minds, if not guided by the word of God in their research,
become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and
revelation. The Creator and his works are beyond their comprehension; and because they
cannot explain these by natural laws, Bible history is considered unreliable. Those who
doubt the reliability of the records of the Old and New Testaments, will be led to go a
step farther, and doubt the existence of God; and then, having let go their anchor, they
are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity. Moses wrote under the guidance of the
Spirit of God, and a correct theory of geology will never claim discoveries that cannot be
reconciled with his statements. The idea that many stumble over, that God did not create
matter when he brought the world into existence, limits the power of the Holy One of
Israel.
Many, when they find themselves incapable of measuring the Creator and
his works by their own imperfect knowledge of science, doubt the existence of God and
attribute infinite power to nature. These persons have lost the simplicity of faith, and
are removed far from God in mind and spirit. There should be a settled faith in the
divinity of God's holy word. The Bible is not to be tested by men's ideas of science, but
science is to be brought to the test of this unerring standard. When the Bible makes
statements of facts in nature, science may be compared with the written word, and a
correct understanding of both will always prove them to be in harmony. One does not
contradict the other. All truth, whether in nature or revelation, agrees. Scientific
research will open to the minds of the really wise vast fields of thought and information.
They will see God in his works, and will praise him. He will be to them first and best,
and the mind will be centered upon him. Skeptics, who read the Bible for the sake of
caviling, through ignorance claim to find decided contradictions between science and
revelation. But man's measurement of God will never be correct. The mind unenlightened by
God's Spirit will ever be in darkness in regard to his power.
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Those who have no vital
union with God are swayed one way and another; they put men's opinions in the front, and
God's word in the background. They grasp human assertions, that judgment against sin is
contrary to God's benevolent character, and, while dwelling upon infinite benevolence, try
to forget that there is such a thing as infinite justice.
When we have right views of the power, greatness, and majesty of God,
and of the weakness of man, we shall despise the assumptions of wisdom made by earth's
so-called great men, who have none of Heaven's nobility in their characters. There is
nothing for which men should be praised or exalted. There is no reason why the opinions of
the learned should be trusted, when they are disposed to measure divine things by their
own perverted conceptions. Those who serve God are the only ones whose opinion and example
it is safe to follow. A sanctified heart quickens and intensifies the mental powers. A
living faith in God imparts energy; it gives calmness and repose of spirit, and strength
and nobility of character.
Men of science think that with their enlarged conceptions they can
comprehend the wisdom of God, that which he has done or can do. The idea largely prevails
that he is bounded and restricted by his own laws. Men either deny and ignore his
existence, or think to explain everything, even the operations of his Spirit upon the
human heart, by natural laws; and they no longer reverence his name or fear his power.
While they think they are gaining everything, they are chasing bubbles, and losing
precious opportunities to become acquainted with God. They do not believe in the
supernatural, not realizing, that the Author of nature's laws can work above those laws.
They deny the claims of God, and neglect the interests of their own souls; but his
existence, his character, his laws, are facts that the reasoning of men of the highest
attainments cannot overthrow.
The pen of inspiration thus describes the power and majesty of God:
"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with
the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains
in scales, and the hills in a balance? . . . Behold, the nations are as a
drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, he taketh up
the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts
thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they
are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. . . . It is he that
sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;
that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell
in."
Nature is a power, but the God of nature is unlimited in power. His
works interpret his character. Those who judge him from his handiworks, and not from the
suppositions of great men, will see his presence in everything. They behold his smile in
the glad sunshine, and his love and care for man in the rich fields of autumn. Even the
adornments of the earth, as seen in the grass of living green, the lovely flowers of every
hue, and the lofty and varied trees of the forest, testify to the tender, fatherly care of
our God, and to his desire to make his children happy.
The power of the great God will be exerted in behalf of those that fear
him. Listen to the words of the prophet: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard,
that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not,
neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the
faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint
and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
In the word of God many queries are raised that the most profound
scholars can never answer. Attention is called to these subjects to show us how many
things there are, even among the common things of every-day life, that finite minds, with
all their boasted wisdom, can never fully comprehend.
All the systems of philosophy devised by men have led to confusion and
shame when God has not been recognized and honored. To lose faith in God is terrible.
Prosperity cannot be a great blessing to nations or individuals, when once faith in his
word is lost. Nothing is truly great but that which is eternal in its tendencies. Truth,
justice, mercy, purity, and the love of Gods, are imperishable. When men possess these
qualities, they are brought into close relationship to God, and are candidates for the
highest exaltation to which the race can aspire. They will disregard human praise, and
will be superior to disappointment, weariness, the strife of tongues, and contentions for
supremacy.
He whose soul is imbued with the Spirit of God will learn the lesson of
confiding trust. Taking the written word as his counselor and guide, he will find in
science an aid to understand God, but he will riot become exalted, till, in his blind
self-conceit; he is a fool in his ideas of God.
----------
Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, 10:[161], 162, March 13, 1884.
Science and the Bible in Education
THE foundation of all right education is a knowledge
of God. Many parents who make great sacrifices to educate their children, seem to think
that a well-trained intellect is more essential than a knowledge of God and his truth.
They neglect to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and act
as though they supposed this important part of education would come naturally, as a matter
of course. But the first and most important lesson to be impressed upon young minds is the
duty of regulating the life by the principles of the word of God.
Parents and teachers should make God first. The influence of his Spirit
purifies the heart and stimulates the intellect. If the fear of God is made the basis of
education, the result will be a well-developed and symmetrical character, one that is
neither dwarfed nor one-sided. Care should be taken to keep constantly before the mind the
fact that we are dependent on God, and that we owe him willing obedience, a life-time of
loving service. The true object of education is to fit us for this service by developing
and bringing into active exercise every faculty that we possess. Satan desires to defeat
this object. He is the great enemy of God, and it is his constant aim to lead souls away
from their allegiance to the King of Heaven. He would have minds so trained that men and
women will exert their influence on the side of error and moral corruption, instead of
using their talents in the service of God. to save souls and bless society. His object is
effectually gained, when, by perverting their ideas of education, he succeeds in enlisting
parents and teachers on his side; for a wrong education often starts the mind on the road
to infidelity.
The conclusions which learned men have reached as the result of their
scientific investigations are carefully taught and fully explained; while the impression
is distinctly given that if these learned men are correct, the Bible cannot be. These
philosophers would make us believe that man, the crowning work of creation, came by slow
degrees from the savage state, and that farther back, he was evolved from the race of
brutes. They are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the universe, that
they demean man, and defraud him of the dignity of his origin. Nature is exalted above the
God of nature; she is idolized, while her Creator is buried up and concealed from sight by
science falsely so-called.
Cold philosophical speculations, and scientific research in which God
is not acknowledged, are a positive injury. The thorns of skepticism are disguised; they
are concealed and made attractive by the bloom and verdure of science and philosophy.
Skepticism is attractive to the human mind. The young see an independence in it that
captivates the imagination, and they are deceived. Satan triumphs; it is altogether as he
meant it should be. He nourishes every seed of doubt that is sown in young hearts. He
causes it to grow anti bear fruit, and soon a plentiful harvest of infidelity is reaped.
Teachers who sow these doubts do not lead the mind through the mist of unbelief to faith
in the inspired word. But ignorance of God, of his might, his infinity, and his majesty,
is the real reason that there in an infidel in the world.
Many teach that matter possesses vital power. They hold that certain
properties are imparted to matter, and it is then left to act through its own inherent
power; and that the operations of nature are carried on in harmony with fixed laws, that
God himself cannot interfere with. This is false science, and is sustained by nothing in
the word of God. Nature is not self-acting; she is the servant of her Creator. God does
not annul his laws nor work contrary to them; but he is continually using them as his
instruments. Nature testifies of an intelligence, a presence, an active agency, that works
in, and through, and above her laws. There is in nature the continual working of the
Father and the Son. Said Christ, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."
God has finished his creative work, but his energy is still exerted in
upholding the objects of his creation. It is not because the mechanism that has once been
set in motion continues its work by its own inherent energy that the pulse beats and
breath follows breath; but every breath, every pulsation of the heart, is an evidence of
the all-pervading care of Him in whom we live and have our being. It is not because of
inherent power that year by year the earth produces her bounties and continues her motion
around the sun. The hand of God guides the planets, and keeps them in position in their
orderly march through the heavens. It is through his power that vegetation flourishes,
that the leaves appear and the flowers bloom. His word controls the elements, and by him
the valleys are made fruitful. He covers the heavens with clouds, and prepares rain for
the earth; he "maketh grass to grow upon the mountains." "He giveth snow
like wool; he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes." "When he uttereth his
voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend
from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind
out of his treasures."
Parents and teachers should aim to impress minds with the beauty of
truth: They should realize that the safety of the young depends upon combining religious
culture with general education, that they may escape the snare of unsanctified knowledge.
Who and what are the men of learning, that the minds and characters of the young should be
moulded by their ideas? They are not connected with the great Source of wisdom; and if
they do. not actually deny God, they at least lose sight of his direct agency in the
operations of nature. But his care over all the works of his hands. Nothing is too great
to be directed by him; nothing is too small to escape his notice.
God is the foundation of everything. All true science is in harmony
with his works; all true education leads to obedience to his government. Science opens new
wonders to our view; she soars high and explores new depths; but she brings nothing from
her research that conflicts with divine revelation. Ignorance may seek to support false
views of God by appeals to science; but the book of nature and the written word do not
disagree; each sheds light on the other. Rightly understood, they make us acquainted with
God and his character by teaching us something of the wise and beneficent laws through
which he works. We are thus led to adore his holy name, and to have an intelligent trust
in his word.
The Bible should be read everyday. It is the correct standard of right
and wrong and of moral principle. A life of devotion to God is the best shield for the
young against the temptations to which they are exposed while acquiring an education. The
first consideration should be to honor God; the second to be faithful to humanity,
performing the duties and meeting the trials that each day brings, and bearing its burdens
with firmness and courage. Earnest and untiring effort, united with strong purpose and
entire trust in God, will help in every emergency, and will qualify for a useful life.
Such a life is a series of triumphs, not always seen and understood, but reaching far into
the future, when we shall see as we are seen and know as we are known.
If we work in harmony with the Spirit of God, we shall see of his
salvation. The education begun here will not be completed in this life; it will be going
forward through all eternity, — progressing, ever, never completed. Day by day the
wonderful works of God, the evidences of his miraculous power in creating and sustaining
the universe, will open before the mind in new beauty and grandeur. shines from the
throne, mysteries will disappear, and the soul will be filled with astonishment at the
simplicity of the things that were never before comprehended.
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Ibid., [177], March 20, 1884.
Erroneous Doctrines Dangerous
SAYS the apostle Jude, "Beloved, when I gave all
diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto
you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once
delivered unto the saints." The apostles and their colaborers in the early Christian.
church were constantly obliged to meet heresies, which were brought in by false teachers
in the very bosom of the church. These teachers are represented not as coming openly, but
creeping in unawares, with the gliding motion of a serpent. They followed their own
pernicious ways, but were not satisfied without drawing away others with them. They had no
connected chain of truth, but taught a disjointed medley of ideas, supported bar a passage
of Scripture here and another there. These disconnected scriptures were woven together
into a tissue of falsehood that would strike the fancy, and would deceive those who had
not, by searching the Scriptures for themselves, become established in the truth for that
time.
Satan worked through these false teachers. Under a profession of regard
for the truth, they concealed base purposes, for their hearts were corrupt. Had they come
disclaiming faith in Christ, they would have been rejected at once; but professing to
believe in him, they gained the confidence of some, and without shame or conscience
perverted the truth to suit their own unsanctified hearts. And when once these deluded
souls had departed from the old landmarks of faith, they had let go their anchor, and were
tossed about like the waves of the sea. These lying prophets are described in the word of
God; their deeds are recorded in the register of Heaven. Their hearts and their deceptive,
wicked works were not understood by men; but the Lord saw them; he read their hearts as an
open book, and knew that their very thoughts and purposes were corrupt.
False teachers are just as active in our day as they were in the days
of the apostles. Satan has many agents, and they are ready to present any and every kind
of theory to deceive souls, heresies prepared to suit the varied tastes and capacities of
those whom he would ruin. There are cheap fallacies for those who are easily led into
error, and who desire something new, odd, or fanciful, which they cannot explain
intelligently: or even understand themselves. A mysterious, disconnected set of ideas is
more in accordance with their minds than the plain truth, which has a "Thus saith the
Lord" for its foundation. He has other heresies, — intellectual
poisons, — which he has concocted for another class of minds in this age of skepticism
and proud reasoning. These sophistries have a bewitching power over minds, and thousands
are deceived by them.
One class have a theory that there is no personal devil, and that
Christ had no existence before he came to this earth; and they try to maintain these
absurd theories by wresting scriptures frown their true meaning. The utter folly of human
wisdom in matters of religious faith is thus made manifest. The heart that is not
sanctified, and imbued with the spirit of Christ, is perverse in its interpretation of the
inspired word, turning the truth of God into senseless falsehood; and some who have not
searched the Scriptures with humble hearts allow these wild speculations to unsettle their
faith; they accept them in place of the plainly revealed will of God.
Satan assails another class with arguments that present a greater show
of plausibility. Science and nature are exalted. Men consider themselves wiser than the
word of God, wiser even than God; and instead of planting their feet on the immovable
foundation, and bringing everything to the test of God's word, they test that word by
their own ideas of science and nature, and if it seems not to agree with their scientific
ideas, it is discarded as unworthy of credence. Thus the great standard by which to test
doctrines and character is set aside for human standards. This is as Satan designed it
should be. Some say, "It is no matter what we believe, if we are only honest."
But the law and the testimony remain valid, and we are to seek unto them.
The law of God is the great moral standard by which character is to be
judged. It is the expression of his will, and must be obeyed from the heart. Its holy
principles must underlie our course of action in all our business relations. Those who
belittle their profession of faith by conformity to the world, show that they despise the
riches of the grace of Christ. They cry. "The grace of Christ! we are not saved by
works, but by Christ;" but they continue in sin, — continue to transgress the law
of God. They act as though they considered it their privilege to live in sin that grace
may abound. But every indulgence in sin weakens the soul; it welcomes Satan to come in and
control the mind, making the individual his effectual servant.
In these days of delusion, every one who is established in the truth
will have to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Every variety of error
will be brought out in the mysterious working of Satan, which would, if it were possible,
deceive the very elect, and turn them from the truth. There will be human wisdom to
meet, — the wisdom of learned men, who, as were the Pharisees, are teachers of the law
of God, but do not obey the law themselves. There will be human ignorance and folly to
meet in disconnected theories arrayed in new and fantastic dress, — theories that it
will be all the more difficult to meet because there is no reason in them.
There will be false dreams and false visions, which have some truth,
but lead away from the original faith. The Lord has given men a rule by which to detect
them: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it
is because there is no light in them." If they belittle the law of God, if they pay
no heed to his will as revealed in the testimonies of his Spirit, they are deceivers. They
are controlled by impulse and impressions, which they believe to be from the Holy Spirit,
and consider more reliable than the inspired word. They claim that every thought and
feeling is an impression of the Spirit; and when they are reasoned with out of the
Scriptures, they declare that they have something more reliable. But while they think that
they are led by the Spirit of God, they are in reality following an imagination wrought
upon by Satan.
Their character was described and their doom denounced by the ancient
prophets. It was ordained of old that those who unsettle faith in the word of God should
bear the condemnation of God.
Jude says, "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye
once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt,
afterward destroyed them that believed not." This will be the sure fate of all the
characters described by Jude, who depart from God, and lead others away from the truth.
Although the Lord gave Israel the greatest evidences of his favor, and upon condition of
obedience, the rich promise that they should be to him a peculiar people, a royal nation,
yet because of their unbelief and disobedience he could not fulfill the promise. Because
of their transgressions, he removed his restraining power over their enemies, the ungodly
nations around them, and did not protect them as he had done.
Some profess Christianity year after year, and in some things appear to
serve God, and yet they are far from him. They give loose rein to appetite and passion,
and follow their own unsanctified inclinations, loving pleasure and the applause of men
more than God or his truth. But God reads the secrets of the heart. Base thoughts lead to
base actions. Self-righteousness, pride, and licentiousness are far-reaching, deep, and
almost universal. These tare the sins for which God destroyed the inhabitants of the old
world by a flood of water, and they are corrupting the churches in these last days. They
are the hidden rocks upon which are wrecked thousands and tens of thousands who profess
godliness. Only those who are closely connected with God will escape the devices of Satan
and the prevailing moral corruptions of this age.
The character is revealed by the works, not by occasional good deeds
and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts. Those who
would put God out of their knowledge will show a want of principle. man will show which
master he is serving with the strength of his intellect, his skill, and his ability. The
servant of Christ will watch unto prayer; he will be devoted, humble, meek and lowly in
heart, seeking to know and do the will of God. Whereas he was once the servant of sin, he
has, through the grace of God, become transformed in mind and character. He will love the
day of Christ's appearing; for he will be able to say with Paul. "I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
----------
Ibid., [193], 194 , March 27, 1884.
III. SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE
(Education)
"WHO KNOWETH NOT IN ALL THESE
THAT THE HAND OF THE LORD HATH WROUGHT?"
SINCE the book of nature and the book of revelation
bear the impress of the same master mind, they cannot but speak in harmony. By different
methods, and in different languages, they witness to the same great truths. Science is
ever discovering new wonders; but she brings from her research nothing that, rightly
understood, conflicts with divine revelation. The book of nature and the written word shed
light upon each other. They make us acquainted with God by teaching us something of the
laws through which He works.
Inferences erroneously drawn from facts observed in nature have,
however, led to supposed conflict between science and revelation; and in the effort to
restore harmony, interpretations of Scripture have been adopted that undermine and destroy
the force of the word of God. Geology has been thought to contradict the literal
interpretation of the Mosaic record of the creation. Millions of years, it is claimed,
were required for the evolution of the earth from chaos; and in order to accommodate the
Bible to this supposed revelation of science, the days of creation are assumed to have
been vast, indefinite periods, covering thousands or even millions of years.
Such a conclusion is wholly uncalled for. The Bible record is in
harmony with itself and with the teaching of nature. Of the first day employed in the work
of creation is given the record, "The evening and the morning were the first
day." Genesis 1:5. And the same in substance is said of each of the first six days of
creation week. Each of these periods Inspiration declares to have been a day consisting of
evening and morning, like every other day since that time. In regard to the work of
creation itself the divine testimony is, "He spake, and it was done; He commanded,
and it stood fast." Psalm 33:9. With Him who could thus call into existence
unnumbered worlds, how long a time would be required for the evolution of the earth from
chaos? In order to account for His works, must we do violence to His word?
It is true that remains found in the earth testify to the existence of
men, animals, and plants much larger than any now known. These are regarded as proving the
existence of vegetable and animal life prior to the time of the Mosaic record. But
concerning these things Bible history furnishes ample explanation. Before the Flood the
development of vegetable and animal life was immeasurably superior to that which has since
been known. At the Flood the surface of the earth was broken up, marked changes took
place, and in the re-formation of the earth's crust were preserved many evidences of the
life previously existing. The vast forests buried in the earth at the time of the Flood,
and since changed to coal, form the extensive coal fields, and yield the supplies of oil
that minister to our comfort and convenience today. These things, as they are brought to
light, are so many witnesses mutely testifying to the truth of the word of God.
Akin to the theory concerning the evolution of the earth is that which
attributes to an ascending line of germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds the evolution of man,
the crowning glory of the creation.
When consideration is given to man's opportunities for research; how
brief his life; how limited his sphere of action; how restricted his vision; how frequent
and how great the errors in his conclusions, especially as concerns the events thought to
antedate Bible history; how often the supposed deductions of science are revised or cast
aside; with what readiness the assumed period of the earth's development is from time to
time increased or diminished by millions of years; and how the theories advanced by
different scientists conflict with one another, — considering all this, shall we, for
the privilege of tracing our descent from germs and mollusks and apes, consent to cast
away that statement of Holy Writ, so grand in its simplicity, "God created man in His
own image, in the image of God created He him"? Genesis 1:27. Shall we reject that
genealogical record, — prouder than any treasured in the courts of
kings, — "which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God"? Luke 3:38.
Rightly understood, both the revelations of science and the experiences
of life are in harmony with the testimony of Scripture to the constant working of God in
nature.
In the hymn recorded by Nehemiah, the Levites sang, "Thou, even
Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host,
the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou
preservest them all." Nehemiah 9:6.
As regards this earth, Scripture declares the work of creation to have
been completed. "The works were finished from the foundation of the world."
Hebrews 4:3. But the power of God is still exercised in upholding the objects of His
creation. It is not because the mechanism once set in motion continues to act by its own
inherent energy that the pulse beats, and breath follows breath. Every breath, every
pulsation of the heart, is an evidence of the care of Him in whom we live and move and
have our being. From the smallest insect to man, every living creature is daily dependent
upon His providence.
"These wait all upon Thee. . . .
That Thou givest them they gather:
Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good.
Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled:
Thou takest away their breath, they die,
And return to their dust.
Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created:
And Thou renewest the face of the earth."
Psalm 104:27-30.
"He stretcheth out the north over the empty place,
And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
He bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds;
And the cloud is not rent under them. . . .
He hath compassed the waters with bounds,
Until the day and night come to an end."
"The pillars of heaven tremble
And are astonished at His rebuke.
He stilleth the sea with His power. . . .
By His Spirit the heavens are beauty;
His hand hath pierced the gliding serpent.
Lo, these are but the outskirts of His ways:
And how small a whisper do we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?"
Job 26:7-10; 26:11-14, R.V., margin.
"The Lord bath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet."
Nahum 1:3.
The mighty power that works through all nature and sustains all
things is not, as some men of science claim, merely an all-pervading principle, an
actuating energy. God is a spirit; yet He is a personal being, for man was made in His
image. As a personal being, God has revealed Himself in His Son. Jesus, the outshining of
the Father's glory, "and the express image of His person" (Hebrews 1:3), was on
earth found in fashion as a man. As a personal Saviour He came to the world. As a personal
Saviour He ascended on high. As a personal Saviour He intercedes in the heavenly courts.
Before the throne of God in our behalf ministers "One like the Son of man."
Daniel 7:13.
The apostle Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, declares of Christ that
"all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things,
and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16, 17, R.V., margin. The hand
that sustains the worlds in space, the hand that holds in their orderly arrangement and
tireless activity all things throughout the universe of God, is the hand that was nailed
to the cross for us.
The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. "The Lord's throne
is in heaven" (Psalm 11:4); yet by His Spirit He is everywhere present. He has an
intimate knowledge of, and a personal interest in, all the works of His hand.
"Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
Who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!"
"Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there:
If I make my bed in the grave (see Psalm 139:8, R.V.;
Job 26:6, R.V., margin), behold, Thou art there.
"If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall Thy hand lead me,
And Thy right hand shall hold me."
Psalms 113:5, 6; 139:7-10.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,
Thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou searchest out my path and my lying down,
And art acquainted with all my ways. . . .
Thou hast beset me behind and before,
And laid Thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain unto it."
Psalm 139:2-6, R.V.
It was the Maker of all things who ordained the wonderful adaptation of means to end,
of supply to need. It was He who in the material world provided that every desire
implanted should be met. It was He who created the human soul, with its capacity for
knowing and for loving. And He is not in Himself such as to leave the demands of the soul
unsatisfied. No intangible principle, no impersonal essence or mere abstraction, can
satisfy the needs and longings of human beings in this life of struggle with sin and
sorrow and pain. It is not enough to believe in law and force, in things that have no
pity, and never hear the cry for help. We need to know of an almighty arm that will hold
us up, of an infinite Friend that pities us. We need to clasp a hand that is warm, to
trust in a heart full of tenderness. And even so God has in His word revealed Himself.
He who studies most deeply into the mysteries of nature will realize
most fully his own ignorance and weakness. He will realize that there are depths and
heights which he cannot reach, secrets which he cannot penetrate, vast fields of truth
lying before him unentered. He will be ready to say, with Newton, "I seem to myself
to have been like a child on the seashore finding pebbles and shells, while the great
ocean of truth lay undiscovered before me."
The deepest students of science are constrained to recognize in nature
the working of infinite power. But to man's unaided reason, nature's teaching cannot but
be contradictory and disappointing. Only in the light of revelation can it be read aright.
"Through faith we understand." Hebrews 11:3.
"In the beginning God." Genesis 1:1. Here alone can the mind
in its eager questioning, fleeing as the dove to the ark, find rest. Above, beneath,
beyond, abides Infinite Love, working out all things to accomplish "the good pleasure
of His goodness." 2 Thessalonians 1:11.
"The invisible things of Him since the creation of the world
are . . . perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting
power and divinity." Romans 1:20, R.V. But their testimony can be understood only
through the aid of the divine Teacher. "What man knoweth the things of a man, save
the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God." 1 Corinthians 2:11.
"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all
truth." John 16:13. Only by the aid of that Spirit who in the beginning "was
brooding upon the face of the waters;" of that Word by whom "all things were
made;" of that "true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world," can the testimony of science be rightly interpreted. Only by their guidance
can its deepest truths be discerned.
Only under the direction of the Omniscient One shall we, in the study
of His works, be enabled to think His thoughts after Him.
----------
Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1952), pp. 128-134.
Six Thousand Years
V. TIME LAPSE BETWEEN CREATION AND MOSES, AND CREATION AND CHRIST
Four Thousand Years
VI. AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF THE BEGINNING OF OUR WORLD
Authentic Account of Creation
In God's Word only we find an authentic account of creation. Here we
behold the power that laid the foundation of the earth, and that stretched out the
heavens. — RH July 11, 1882.
The Bible and Nature on Agree Because They Have the Same Author
The Bible is the most instructive and comprehensive history that has
ever been given to the world. Its sacred pages contain the only authentic account of the
Creation. Here we behold the power that "stretched forth the heavens, and laid the
foundations of the earth." Here we have a truthful history of the human race, one
that is unmarred by human prejudice or human pride. . . .
There is harmony between nature and Christianity; for both have the
same Author. The book of nature and the book of revelation indicate the working of the
same divine mind. There are lessons to be learned in nature; and there are lessons, deep,
earnest, and all-important lessons, to be learned from the book of God. — RH August
19, 1884.
The Divine Philosophy of Sacred History to be Studied
The history of the world from the beginning is contained in Genesis.
There it is revealed that all nations who forget God and discard His way and His sign of
obedience, which distinguishes between the just and the unjust, the righteous and the
wicked, the saved and the unsaved, will be destroyed. The first books of the Bible, which
trace down the history of nations, including the destruction of the old world, show the
overruling providence of God, which from generation to generation has provided for the
education of a chosen people. The plainly written word in regard to the just and the
unjust is a living testimony in regard to those whom the Lord will sanctify. None who live
in disobedience can receive His blessing. Only those who are obedient can receive this.
The Lord calls upon all to study the divine philosophy of sacred
history, written by Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The first family
placed upon the earth is a sample of all families which will exist till the close of time.
There is much to study in this history in order that we may understand the divine plan for
the human race. This plan is plainly defined, and the prayerful, consecrated soul will
become a learner of the thought and purpose of God from the beginning till the close of
this earth's history. He will realize that Jesus Christ, one with the Father, was the
great mover in all progress, the One who is the source of all the purification and
elevation of the human race. — Ms. 85, 1899.
An Authentic Account of the Origin of Evil and Early History
We are dependent on the Bible for a knowledge of the early history of
our world, of the creation of man, and of his fall. Remove the Word of God, and what can
we expect than to be left to fables and conjectures, and to that enfeebling of the
intellect which is the sure result of entertaining error. We need the authentic history of
the origin of the earth, of the fall of the covering cherub, and of the introduction of
sin into our world. Without the Bible, we should be bewildered by false theories. The mind
would be subjected to the tyranny of superstition and falsehood. But having in our
possession an authentic history of the beginning of our world, we need not hamper
ourselves with human conjectures and unreliable theories. — Medical Ministry
89 (Ms 42, 1904).
An Authentic Account of Creation
The divine Mind and Hand has preserved through the ages the record of
creation in its purity. It is the Word of God alone that gives us an authentic account of
the creation of our world. — Letter 64, 1909; RH Nov. 11, 1909.
Knowledge in SDA Schools
The light has been given me that tremendous pressures will be brought
upon every Seventh-day Adventist with whom the world can get into close connection. We
need to understand these things. Those who seek the education that the world esteems so
highly, are gradually led farther and farther from the principles of truth until they
become educated worldlings. At what a price have they gained their education! They have
parted with the Holy Spirit of God. They have chosen to accept what the world calls
knowledge in the place of the truths which God has committed to men through His ministers
and prophets and apostles. And there are some who having secured this worldly education
think that they can introduce it into our schools. But let me tell you that you must not
take what the world calls the higher education and bring it into our schools and
sanitariums and churches. I speak to you definitely. This must not be
done. . . .
The divine Mind and Hand has preserved through the ages the record of
creation in its purity. It is the Word of God alone that gives to us an authentic account
of the creation of our world. — Letter 84, 1909.
Creation Record Preserved In Its Purity
I am instructed that we are to carry the minds of our students higher
than it is now thought to be possible. Heart and mind are to be trained to preserve their
purity by receiving daily supplies from the fountain of eternal
truth. . . . The divine Mind and Hand have preserved through the ages the
record of creation in its purity. It is the Word of God alone that gives to us an
authentic account of the creation of our world. This Word is to be the chief study in our
schools. — CT 13. (Published in 1913.)
VII. GOD NOT INDEBTED TO PRE-EXISTING MATTER
Our World Could Have Been Spoken Into Existence in One Day
God took six days to make our world when He could have spoken it into
existence in one. — Letter 7a, 1878.
Dawn of the First Day of Creation
In the work of creation, when the dawn of the first day broke, and the
heavens and the earth, by the call of infinite power, came out of darkness; responsive to
the rising light, "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted
for joy." — ST Jan. 1, 1880.
Satan's Resolve to Induce Adam and Eve to Sin
As soon as the Lord through Jesus Christ created our world, and placed
Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, he [Satan] announced his resolution to conform to his
own nature the father and mother of all humanity, and to unite them with his own ranks of
rebellion. — Ms. 39, 1894.
As soon as the Lord through Jesus Christ created our world, and placed
Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, Satan announced his purpose to conform to his own
nature the father and mother of all humanity. — RH April 14, 1896.
Creation Can Only be Understood by Faith
It is not depth of reasoning that is to be productive of the most good;
"the world by human wisdom knew not God" (1 Corinthians 1:21), but "holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21). No amount of
reasoning or explanation can tell the whys and wherefores of the creation of the world. It
is to be understood by faith in the great creative power of God through Jesus Christ.
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that
things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" — (are not present
to the eye) (Hebrews 1:3). This is a matter that can be stated, but mere reasoning will
never convince one of the truth of the statement. — Letter 56, 1903.
God Alone Able to Bring Order and Beauty Out of Chaos
The infinite One — He who alone was able to bring order and beauty
out of the chaos and confusion of nature's darkness — is able to subdue the rebellious
heart of man. — RH Jan. 14, 1904.
When Genesis 3:15 Was Spoken the World was Newly Created
When Satan heard the words, "I will put enmity between thee and
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed," he knew that man would be given power
to resist his temptation. He realized that his claim to the position of the prince of the
newly created world was to be contested. — RH May 3, 1906.
God Existed Before He Purposed to Create the World
"Canst thou by searching find out God?" (Job 11:7). "In
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The Lord existed
before He purposed to create the world. He is "from everlasting." "Before
the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God" (Psalm 90:2). — Ms. 24, 1891.
The World Reminds Us of the Hand That Called It Into Existence
Who gives us the sunshine which makes the earth bring forth and bear?
and who the fruitful showers? Who has given us the heavens above and the sun and stars in
the heavens? Is it not the God of heaven who has created the worlds, and who rested upon
the seventh day? He blessed this day and made it holy, and is it more than justice that we
respect the day upon which He has set His blessing? Every time we look at the world we are
reminded of the mighty hand of God which called it into existence. — Ms. 16, 1895.
Christ Had the Power to Call Worlds Into Existence
Satan and his host disputed the ownership of Christ; but His seal is
upon everything He has made. . . . He could call worlds into existence. He
speaks, and thousands of angels stand before Him. — YI April 15, 1897.
When Man Sets Up His Judgment Against The Creator Confusion Results
He who gave being to the world has not lost His power or sovereignty.
He still presides over the world. It is His prerogative to speak out His purposes. By His
Son, the Mediator between God and man, these purposes are executed, and the Holy Spirit
gives them effect. The awful confusion in the world has been brought about because the way
of the Lord has not been followed, because man has set up his human judgment against the
law of Him who created the world. Men have undertaken to please and glorify themselves, to
set themselves above truth and above God. — Letter 141, 1902.
Christ Commanded and It Stood Fast
The power that gave life to the body, had renewed the heart [of the
paralytic]. He who at creation "spake, and it was," who "commanded, and it
stood fast" (Psalm 33:9), had spoken life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins.
— ST June 30, 1914.
IX. EARTH ANTEDATED BY OTHER CREATED WORLDS
Other Worlds Already Existed When Satan Rebelled
Satan was greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his influence over
them was strong. Some course must be pursued to uproot him from their affections. God's
government included not only the inhabitants of heaven, but of all the created worlds; and
Satan thought that if he could carry the intelligences of heaven with him in rebellion, he
could also carry with him the other worlds. — RH March 9, 1886.
The Controversy Not to be Taken to Other Worlds
The controversy was not to be taken into the other worlds of the
universe; but it was to be carried on in the very world, on the very same field, that
Satan claimed as his. — RH March 9, 1886.
Universe in Existence When the World was Created
Would it not have cast a reflection upon God if He had destroyed him
[Satan], he who had taken hold of the very heart of the universe, and the world that was
created? — Ms. 8, 1888.
The Hosts of Heaven Created Before the Earth
The Son of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the
hosts of heaven; and to him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due.
Christ was still to exercise divine power in the creation of the earth and its
inhabitants. — PP 36. (Published in 1890.)
Lucifer Insinuated Doubts to Heavenly Beings
He [Lucifer in heaven before creation week] began to insinuate doubts
concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be
necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such
restraint. — PP 37.
Inhabitants of Other Worlds in Existence When Rebellion Began
God's government included not only the inhabitants of heaven, but of
all the worlds that He had created; and Lucifer had concluded that if he could carry the
angels of heaven with him in rebellion, he could carry also all the worlds. — PP 41.
(See also GC 497.)
The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to
comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God
in the destruction of Satan. — PP 42. (See also GC 499.)
Man Was Created a Free Moral Agent Like the Inhabitants of Other Worlds
Man was created a free moral agent. Like the inhabitants of all other
worlds, he must be subjected to the test of obedience. — PP 331, 332.
The Plan of Salvation for the Good of all the Worlds God Had Created
Before the foundation of the world it was according to the determined
counsel of God that man should be created and endowed with power to do the divine will.
The fall of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent. Redemption
was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam, but an eternal purpose,
suffered to be wrought out for the blessing, not only of this atom of a world, but for the
good of all the worlds that God had created. — ST Feb. 13, 1893.
Statements Concerning This Earth and Other Worlds
Millions of Worlds Are Inhabited
Should all the inhabitants of this little world refuse obedience to
God, He would not be left without glory. He could sweep every mortal from the face of the
earth in a moment, and create a new race to people it and glorify His name. God is not
dependent on man for honor. He could marshal the starry host of heaven, the millions of
worlds above, to raise a song of honor and praise and glory to his name. — RH March
1, 1881.
Ellen White Given a View of Other Worlds
The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and
an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and
glorious. . . . The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were
noble, majestic, and lovely. . . . Then I was taken to a world which had
seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. . . . I
begged my attending angel to let me remain in that place. . . . Then the
angel said, "You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall
have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God."
— EW 39, 40. (Published in 1882.)
God's Creative Work Finished
God has finished His creative work, but His energy is still exerted in
upholding the objects of His creation. — ST, March 20, 1884.
Earth Is Small Compared to Other Worlds
How grateful we should be that, notwithstanding this earth is so small
amid the created worlds, God notices even us. The nations are before Him as the drop in
the bucket, and as the small dust in the balance. — RH March 9, 1886.
Unfallen Beings See the Controversy in This World
Every eye in the unfallen universe is bent upon those who profess to be
Christ's followers. Here in this atom of a world, an earnest warfare is going on. —
RH Sept. 29, 1891.
Diversity in the Universe Forms a Perfect Whole
The universe contains one great masterpiece of infinite Wisdom in
innumerable diversities of His great works, which, in their matchless variety, form a
perfect whole. — YI Aug. 19, 1897.
The World but an Atom in God's Vast Domain
This world is but a little atom in the vast domain over which God
presides. — TM 324. (Reprinted from Sp. Test., Series A, No. 8, 1897.)
The Plan of Salvation Set up Before the World Was Made
God and Christ knew from the beginning of the apostasy of Satan and of
the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was
designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ was appointed to
the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our
substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of
Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. — ST April 27, 1899.
This World a Speck in Comparison to the Universe
He endured the cross, despised the shame. He made it of small account
in consideration of the results that He was working out in behalf of, not only the
inhabitants of this speck of a world, but the whole universe, every world which God had
created. — RH Sept. 4, 1900. (Quoted in 5BC 1127.)
This little world is but a jot in God's creation. — YI April 4,
1905. (Quoted in 3BC 1154.)
God Made All Stars
There is not a star that beautifies the heavens which He [God] did not
make. — ST March 31, 1909.
X. THE SABBATH IS AS OLD AS THE EARTH ITSELF
XI. SCIENCE, TRUE AND FALSE, AND REVELATION
The 1864 Statement
Geology Without Bible History Proves Nothing
Infidel geologists claim that the world is very much older than the
Bible record makes it. They reject the Bible record because of those things which are to
them evidences from the earth itself that the world has existed tens of thousands of
years. And many who profess to believe the Bible record are at a loss to account for
wonderful things which are found in the earth, with the view that creation week was only
seven literal days, and that the world is now only about six thousand years old. These, to
free themselves of difficulties thrown in their way by infidel geologists, adopt the view
that the six days of creation were six vast, indefinite periods, and the day of God's rest
was another indefinite period; making senseless the fourth commandment of God's holy law.
Some eagerly receive this position, for it destroys the force of the fourth commandment,
and they feel a freedom from its claims upon them. They have limited ideas of the size of
men, animals, and trees before the flood, and of the great changes which then took place
in the earth.
Bones of men and animals are found in the earth, in mountains and in
valleys, showing that much larger men and beasts once lived upon the earth. I was shown
that very large, powerful animals existed before the flood which do not now exist.
Instruments of warfare are sometimes found; also petrified wood. Because the bones of
human beings and of animals found in the earth, are much larger than those of men and
animals now living, or that have existed for many generations past, some conclude that the
world is older than we have any scriptural record of, and was populated long before the
record of creation by a race of beings vastly superior in size to men now upon the earth.
I have been shown that without Bible history geology can prove nothing.
Relics found in the earth do give evidence of a state of things differing in many respects
from the present. But the time of their existence, and how long a period these things have
been in the earth, are only to be understood by Bible history. It may be innocent to
conjecture beyond Bible history if our suppositions do not contradict the facts found in
the sacred Scriptures. But when men leave the Word of God in regard to the history of
creation, and seek to account for God's creative works upon natural principles, they are
upon a boundless ocean of uncertainty. Just how God accomplished the work of creation in
six literal days He has never revealed to mortals. His creative works are just as
incomprehensible as His existence. . . .
The Word of God is given as a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our
path. Those who cast His Word behind them and seek by their own blind philosophy to trace
out the wonderful mysteries of Jehovah will stumble in darkness. A guide has been given to
mortals whereby they may trace Jehovah and His works as far as will be for their good.
Inspiration, in giving us the history of the flood, has explained wonderful mysteries that
geology, independent of inspiration, never could.
It has been the special work of Satan to lead fallen man to rebel
against God's government, and he has succeeded too well in his efforts. He has tried to
obscure the law of God, which in itself is very plain. He has manifested a special hate
against the fourth precept of the Decalogue, because it defines the living God, the Maker
of the heavens and the earth. The plainest precepts of Jehovah are turned from, to receive
infidel fables.
Man will be left without excuse. God has given sufficient evidence upon
which to base faith if he wishes to believe. In the last days the earth will be almost
destitute of true faith. Upon the merest pretense, the Word of God will be considered
unreliable, while human reasoning will be received, though it be in opposition to plain
Scripture facts. Men will endeavor to explain from natural causes the work of creation,
which God has never revealed. But human science cannot search out the secrets of the God
of heaven, and explain the stupendous works of creation, which were a miracle of Almighty
power, any sooner than it can show how God came into existence.
"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things
which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." Men professing to be
ministers of God, raise their voices against the investigation of prophecy, and tell the
people that the prophecies, especially of Daniel and John, are obscure, and that we cannot
understand them. But some of the very men who oppose the investigation of prophecy because
it is obscure, eagerly receive the suppositions of geologists, which dispute the Mosaic
record. But if God's revealed will is so difficult to be understood, certainly men should
not rest their faith upon mere suppositions in regard to that which He has not revealed.
God's ways are not as our ways, neither are His thoughts as our thoughts. Human science
can never account for His wondrous works. God so ordered that men, beasts, and trees, many
times larger than those now upon the earth, and other things, should be buried in the
earth at the time of the flood, and there be preserved as evidence to man that the
inhabitants of the old world perished by a flood. God designed that the discovery of these
things in the earth should establish the faith of men in inspired history. But men, with
their vain reasoning, make a wrong use of these things which God designed should lead them
to exalt Him. They fall into the same error as did the people before the flood —
those
things which God gave them as a benefit, they turned into a curse by making a wrong use of
them. — 3SG 91-96. (Published in 1864.)
Statements, 1880-1889
Scientists Are at Sea When They Try to Separate Nature From the Power of God
When scientists seek to separate the works of nature from the immediate
and constant manifestation of Divine power, they are at sea without a
compass. . . . Skeptics may multiply doubts, scoffers may rail; but the
true Christian calmly reposes in God, being assured that He is, and that He is a rewarder
of all who diligently seek Him. — ST Nov. 11, 1880.
Problems of Infinity Not Solvable Apart from Revelation
The finite mind, strong in its desire to satisfy curiosity, and solve
the problems of infinity, neglects to follow the plain course indicated by the revealed
will of God, and pries into the secrets hidden since the foundation of the world. Man
builds his theories, loses the simplicity of true faith, becomes too self-important to
believe the declarations of the Lord, and hedges himself in with his own conceit. —
ST 7:170, April 14, 1881.
The Danger of Extolling Human Reason Over Revelation
Another sin of the mind is that of extolling and deifying human reason
to the neglect of divine revelation. Here, too, we must "gird up the loins of the
mind." We are living in an age when the minds of men are ever on the stretch for
something new. Rightly directed, and kept within proper limits, this desire is
commendable. God has given us in His created works enough to excite thought and stimulate
investigation. He does not desire men to be less acute, less inquiring, or less
intelligent. But with all our aspirations, and in all our researches, we should remember
that arrogance is not greatness, nor is conceit knowledge. Human pride is an evidence, not
of strength, but of weakness. It reveals not wisdom, but folly. To exalt reason unduly is
to abase it. To place the human in rivalry with the Divine, is to make it contemptible.
— ST April 13, 1882.
Unenlightened by Revelation the Most Profound Mind Becomes Bewildered in Its
Investigation of the Creator's Works
Those who have no vital connection with God are swayed this way and
that, ever grasping the opinions of learned men who sit in judgment upon God and His works
and ways. Weak, finite minds weigh God's Word with men's balances. The wisdom of these
so-called great men is foolishness with God. They are blinded by the god of this world.
Those only who are willing to be accounted fools in the eyes of these very worldly-wise
men, will have the wisdom which is divine. God will not dwell with those who reject His
truth, for all who disregard truth, disregard its Author. . . .
How can those who are destitute of divine enlightenment have correct
ideas of God's plans and ways? They either deny Him altogether and ignore His existence,
or they circumscribe His power by their own finite, world-wise views and opinions.
That which I have seen of eternal things, and that which I have seen of
the weakness of men, as God has presented the matter before me, has deeply impressed my
mind and influenced my life and character. I see nothing wherein man should be exalted or
praised or glorified. I see no reason why the opinions of learned men and the so-called
great men should be trusted in and exalted. Those who are connected with the infinite God
are the only ones who make a proper use of their knowledge or of the talent entrusted to
them by the omniscient Creator. No man can ever truly excel in knowledge and influence
unless he is connected with the God of wisdom and power.
The real evidence of a living God is not merely in theory; it is in the
conviction which God has written in our hearts, illuminated and explained by His words. It
is the living power in His created works seen by a sanctified eye. The precious faith
inspired of God gives strength and nobility of character.
The natural powers are enlarged because of holy obedience. All the
philosophies of human nature have led to confusion and shame when God has not been
recognized as all in all. . . .
The most profound intellects of the world, when not enlightened by
God's Word, become bewildered and lost while trying to investigate the matters of science
and revelation. The Creator and His works are beyond finite comprehension, and men
conclude that because they cannot explain the works and ways of God from natural causes,
the Bible history is not reliable. Many are so intent upon excluding God from the exercise
of [His] sovereign will and power in the established order of the universe that they
demean man, the noblest of His creatures. The theories and speculations of philosophy
would make us believe that man has come by slow degrees, not merely from a savage state,
but from the very lowest form of the brute creation. They destroy man's dignity because
they will not admit God's miraculous power.
God has illuminated human intellects and poured a flood of light on the
world through discoveries in art and science. But those who view these from a merely human
standpoint will most assuredly come to wrong conclusions. The thorns of error, skepticism,
and infidelity are disguised by being covered with the garments of philosophy and science.
Satan has devised this ingenious manner of winning souls away from the living God, away
from the truth and religion. He exalts nature above nature's Creator.
The only safety for the people now is to feel the importance of
combining religious culture with general education, that we may escape the curse of
unsanctified knowledge. Every effort should be made in the education of youth to impress
their minds with the loveliness and power of the truth as it is in Jesus. When the veil
shall be removed which separates time from eternity, then will come to many minds the
clear perception of the policy of human wisdom in comparison with the sure word of
prophecy. All true education leads to harmony with, and obedience to, God. When that which
has seemed incomprehensible is seen in the light shining from the throne of God, it will
fill the soul with the greatest astonishment that it has never before seen and
comprehended.
Christ and the Father are continually working through the laws of
nature. Those who dwell on the laws of matter and the laws of nature, in following their
own limited, finite understanding, lose sight of (if they do not deny) the continual and
direct agency of God. Many express themselves in a manner which would convey the idea that
nature is distinct from the God of nature, having in and of itself its own limits and its
own powers wherewith to work. There is with many a marked distinction between natural and
supernatural. The natural is ascribed to ordinary causes, unconnected with the
interference of God. Vital power is attributed to matter, and nature is made a deity.
Matter is supposed to be placed in certain relations and left to act from fixed laws with
which God Himself cannot interfere; that nature is endowed with certain properties and
placed subject to laws, and left to itself to obey these laws and perform the work
originally commanded. This is false science; there is nothing in the Word of God to
sustain it. God does not annul His laws, but He is continually working through them, using
them as His instruments. They are not self-working.
God is perpetually at work in nature. She is His servant, directed as
He pleases. Nature in her work testifies of the intelligent presence and active agency of
a Being who moves in all His works according to His will. It is not by an original power
inherent in nature that year by year the earth produces its bounties and the world keeps
up its continual march around the sun. The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work
guiding this planet. It is God's power momentarily exercised that keeps it in position in
its rotations. The God of heaven is constantly at work. It is by His power that vegetation
is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears and every flower blooms. It is not as the
result of a mechanism, that, once set in motion, continues its work, that the pulse beats
and breath follows breath — in God we live and move and have our being. Every breath,
every throb of the heart, is the continual evidence of the power of an ever-present God.
It is God that maketh the sun to rise in the heavens. He openeth the
windows of heaven and giveth rain. He maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains.
"He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes" (Psalm
147:16). "When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens;
He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures"
(Jeremiah 10:13). Although the Lord has ceased His work in creating, He is constantly
employed in upholding and using as His servants the things which He has made. Said Christ,
"My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17).
Men of the greatest intellect cannot understand the mysteries of
Jehovah as revealed in nature. Divine inspiration asks many questions which the most
profound scholar cannot answer. These questions were not asked, supposing that we could
answer them, but to call our attention to the deep mysteries of God, and to make men know
that their wisdom is limited; that in the common things of daily life there are mysteries
past the comprehension of finite minds; that the judgment and purposes of God are past
finding out, His wisdom unsearchable. If He reveals Himself to man, it is by shrouding
Himself in the thick cloud of mystery. God's purpose is to conceal more of Himself than He
makes known to man. Could men fully understand the ways and works of God, they would not
then believe Him to be the infinite One. He is not to be comprehended by man in His
wisdom, and reasons, and purposes. "His ways [are] past finding out" (Romans
11:33). His love can never be explained upon natural principles. If this could be done, we
would not feel that we could trust Him with the interests of our souls.
Skeptics refuse to believe, because with their finite minds they cannot
comprehend the infinite power by which God reveals Himself to men. Even the mechanism of
the human body cannot be fully understood; it presents mysteries that baffle the most
intelligent. Yet, because human science cannot in its research explain the ways and works
of the Creator, men will doubt the existence of God and ascribe infinite power to nature.
God's existence, His character, His law, are facts that all the reasoning of men of the
highest attainments cannot controvert. They deny the claims of God, and neglect the
interest of their souls because they cannot understand His ways and works. Yet God is ever
seeking to instruct finite men that they may exercise faith in Him and trust themselves
wholly in His hands. Every drop of rain or flake of snow, every spire of grass, every leaf
and flower and shrub, testifies of God. These little things, so common around us, teach
the lesson that nothing is beneath the notice of the infinite God, nothing too small for
His attention.
God is to be acknowledged more from what He does not reveal of Himself
than from that which is open to our limited comprehension. If men could comprehend the
unsearchable wisdom of God, and could explain that which He has done or can do, they would
no longer give Him reverence, or fear His power. In divine revelation God has given to men
mysteries that are incomprehensible, to command their faith. This must be so. If the ways
and works of God could be explained by finite minds, He would not stand as supreme. Men
may be ever searching, ever inquiring, ever learning, and yet there is an infinity beyond.
The light is shining, ever shining with increasing brightness upon our pathway, if we but
walk in its divine rays. But there is no darkness so dense, so impenetrable, as that which
follows the rejection of heaven's light, through whatever source it may come.
Can men comprehend God? No. They may speculate in regard to His way and
works, but only as finite beings can. The question is asked by the Lord through His
prophet: [Isaiah 40:12-18, 21-31 quoted.] — Ms. 4, 1882.
Finite Minds Not to Test the Bible by Their Standard
To many, scientific research has become a curse; their finite minds are
so weak that they lose their balance. They cannot harmonize their views of science with
Scripture statements and they think that the Bible is to be tested by their standard of
"science falsely so called." Thus they err from the faith and are seduced by the
devil. Men have endeavored to be wiser than their Creator; human philosophy has attempted
to search out and explain mysteries which will never be revealed through eternal ages. If
men would but search and understand what God has made known of Himself and His purposes,
they would obtain such a view of the glory, majesty, and power of Jehovah, that they would
realize their own littleness, and would be content with that which has been revealed for
themselves and their children. — ST April 2, 1885.
Where Human Annals Cast No Light
There is history of inestimable value and absorbing interest [in the
Word of God]. The light of revelation shines undimmed into the distant past where human
annals cast not a ray of light. — RH Sept. 22, 1885.
God Will Never Remove All Occasion for Doubt
None need be left in uncertainty and doubt. There is always sufficient
evidence upon which to base an intelligent faith. But God will never remove from any man
all occasion for doubts. Those who love to dwell in the atmosphere of doubt and
questioning unbelief can have the unenviable privilege. He who turns from the weight of
evidence because there are a few things that he cannot make plain to his finite
understanding, will be left to the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and skepticism,
and will make shipwreck of faith. — ST Dec. 30, 1886.
Mysteries That the Deepest Philosophy Cannot Explain
There are men who proudly boast that they believe only what they can
understand. But the folly of their vaunted wisdom is apparent to every thoughtful mind.
There are mysteries in human life, and in the manifestations of God's power in the works
of nature — mysteries which the deepest philosophy, the most extensive research, is
powerless to explain. — ST Nov. 23, 1888.
Statements, 1890-1899
No Harmony Exists Between Scientists, Falsely So-Called, and the Bible
Men take the writings of scientists, falsely so-called, and seek to
make their deductions harmonize with the statements of the Bible. But where there is no
agreement, there can be no harmony. —