| Author | Message | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 2189 Registered: 8-2004  |
Recently, in reading through the Old Testament, I ran across the last days of Moses and how God took him up to see the 'length and breadth of the land'. The account was clear that he was able to see quite a large span of the land his people were about to cross into, but strangely (or not) there is no mention of him seeing the sweep of future history to the conclusion of the 'plan of salvation' EGW describes. This got me to wondering just how many of these 'saw the plan of salvation' claims there are in EGW's writings? And is there ANY Biblical support for these affirmations? Off the top of my head I can recall her making that claim for Adam (but not Eve), Abraham (and how, then, was it 'walking by faith' if he'd already seen?), Moses, and at least one other - perhaps Daniel? Now this used to puzzle me even as an SDA. Why would God give particular people views of the whole 'plan of salvation' like that, and still leave them to walk 'in just the light they had' on so many essential SDA beliefs? And how would such special sweeping revelations to a few people fit in with the actual sweep of history? I think they DON'T fit, but they do fit the paradigm EGW was trying to move people to - perhaps she thought they would legitimize her own claims to having seen the span of the 'plan of salvation' herself. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7482 Registered: 3-2004  |
As an SDA, I was a robot and never questioned anything until I heard a pastor use all EGW quotes in his sermon. My son was just a little guy. I remember thinking, if there are non adventists here, they will not believe as the Bible was not quoted. A few years later his school teacher treated him badly because I did not agree with her. Then I took him out of SDA school, in spite of what EGW said. I was a good robot. Diana L | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10416 Registered: 12-2003  |
Interesting observations, Mary! Intriguing idea about her trying to "normalize" her views of the "entire plan of salvation"... You know, I had forgotten until fairly recently that she claimed Moses had a vision of the Promised Land. Last fall when we stood on top of Mt. Nebo in Jordan with the tour group from our church, we could see the entire Promised Land. We could see the northern end of the Dead Sea to the south; we could see the green line of the Jordan River clear up to the edge of the northern area of Dan. We could see the mountain behind which Jerusalem sits, and, if the day had been clear of mist and haze, we could have seen the Mediterranean beyond the hills. The plains of Moab were just below us, where Israel was encamped. He didn't see a vision; God literally showed him the Promised Land. As to your question about how many she claims had these "visions", I don't know! Colleen | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 1234 Registered: 11-2007  |
I'm reading OT again too - almost to that part you are. The sda static has faded now for the most part.. which is is so wonderful. I see things every time I didn't before.. it's so amazing. I bought a journaling Bible awhile back because I can't even read now without scribbling down notes. Don't ever remember doing that as an sda.. all the notes were aleady scribbled out for you in all the red books! I am seeing so clearly that the things that made God seethe in wrath was simply their inability to believe what He said and trust Him to take care of them, even after every imaginable awesome miracle. I very much relate to that as a parent.. ha. The children that whine and cry and chant their demands at you even after you have agreed to tend to their needs. By the time they go back into the wilderness for another 40 years.. I'm feeling so sorry for Moses I would like to give him a timeshare condo in the Bahamas somewhere. He even got blamed when GOD consumed the rebels. Amazing. Anyway.. sorry. Just really learn alot from those stories. sondra | ||
| Seekinglight Registered user Username: Seekinglight Post Number: 424 Registered: 3-2009 |
I ran across this site recently (http://www.nonsda.org/egw/egw60.shtml) that shows how Ellen's descriptions of Enoch receiving pre-translation visions of the "Plan of Salvation" are very similar to what Joseph Smith wrote in his book Pearl of Great Price. Seems like Ellen & Joseph were a bit obsessed with Enoch. Know why? Because they assert that he lived a "perfect" life and was fit for translation! Enoch is our great example of how we can be perfect before we are translated as well. I ran across the above site several weeks after my husband had a very interesting conversation with one of our SDA friends who was devastaed after we announced we were leaving. This friend argued the same way that EGW does--that we all must be perfect right before Jesus comes. He used the example of Enoch--that Enoch could not have had any sin before he was taken to heaven! My husband asked the friend where this was stated in the Bible, and the friend had no clue but of course was dogmatic about it anyway. Well, now I know where he picked up this concept, and it's not from God but from Joseph Smith. BTW, for those unfamiliar, Joseph Smith wrote his book before EGW wrote hers, so she copied from him, not the other way around... | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7523 Registered: 3-2004 |
deleted by diana (Message edited by Flyinglady on September 25, 2009) |
