y Repeated
In the work in which my husband and I were called by the providence of God to
act a part, even from its very beginning in 1843 and 1844, we have had the Lord to
devise and plan for us, and He has worked out His plans through His living agents.
False paths have been so often pointed out to us, and the true and safe paths so
clearly defined in all the enterprises connected with the work given us to do, that I
can say of a truth I am not ignorant of Satan’s devices, nor of the ways and works
of God. We have had to tax every power of mind, relying upon wisdom from God
to guide us in our investigations, as we have had to review the different theories
brought to our attention, weighing their merits and defects in the light shining from
the Word of God and the things God has revealed to me through His Word and
the testimonies, in order that we might not be deceived nor deceive others. We
surrendered our will and way to God, and most earnestly supplicated His aid; and
we never sought in vain. Many years of painful experience in connection with the
work of God have made me acquainted with all kinds of false movements. Many
times I have been sent to different places with the message, “I have a work for
you to do in that place; I will be with you.” When the occasion came, the Lord
gave me a message for those who were having false dreams and visions, and in
the strength of Christ I bore my testimony at the Lord’s bidding. The most terrible
denunciations were hurled against me, which they said were from the Lord, because
I was opposing His work. They said that terrible calamities would come upon me,
just as your Anna has prophesied; but I passed along perfectly conscious of the
guardianship of heavenly angels.
During the past forty-five years, I have had to meet persons claiming to have
from God messages of reproof to others. This phase of religious fanaticism has
sprung up again and again since 1844. Satan has worked in many
75
ways to establish error. Some things spoken in these visions came to pass; but
many things—in regard to the time of Christ’s coming, the end of probation, and
the events to take place—proved utterly false, as your prophesyings and Anna’s
have done. Yet they would try to excuse the blunders by twisting the statements
about, and giving them another meaning, and go on in the same way, deceiving and
being deceived.
When I was first wrought upon by the Spirit of the Lord, I was shown that I
would be brought in contact with those who claimed to see visions, but that the
Lord would not permit me to be deceived. My work was to unveil this falsehood,
and to rebuke it in the name of the Lord. As the end drew near, I was to see more
of these manifestations.
“I Have Not Sent Them”
Letters have come to me from different ones, relating visions that they said
God had given them; but the Lord Jesus tells me, “Believe them not; I have not sent
them.” Some write to me, saying that God has revealed to them that Sister White
is in error, that she is influenced by the leaders to believe some things that are not
true, and to reject some things that are true. But the word comes again, “Heed them
not; I have not spoken by them, nor given them any word or message. They have
spun lying words, from the suggestions of Satan.”
Some have come to me claiming to be Christ, and have apparently worked
miracles. They have said that the Lord led me in many things, but the Sabbath was
not a test question; that the law of God was not binding upon men; all we had to do
was to accept Christ, and they themselves were Christ. I have had experience with
all these pretentious claims, and I have no faith in 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” (Isaiah 8:20).
In one place, four in one family professed to have communications from the
Lord, reproving wrong, and they
76
predicted things that actually did take place. This inspired confidence in them.
But the things that did not take place were kept in the dark, or were treated as
something mysterious, which would be understood later. Whence did these receive
their inspiration?—From satanic agencies, which are many. The Lord laid it upon
me to meet these things, and bear a decided testimony against them
I have seen several fall in vision; but when I rebuked the spirit which controlled
them, they immediately came out of vision, and were in great distress of mind.
Cheap, Common, Earthly Matters
Such experiences as these came to be very common. Several in one family were
under this species of deception.... Messages would be given for different members
of the church, telling some poor trembling soul, “You are proud”; another, “You
are unbelieving; you will be lost.” The Lord gave me light in this instance to speak
words of comfort and encouragement. I bore my testimony to those deceived ones,
whether they would hear, or reject it. Their visions were Satan’s work. The things
revealed were often common, earthly matters, such as, who should get breakfast the
next morning, who should prepare the dinner, who should wash the dishes. Mingled
with these frivolous things were sacred truths, which they had found in the Bible
and testimonies. Satan’s hand was in all this, to disgust people, and cause them
to spurn everything in the nature of visions. Thus the false and the true would be
rejected together. And even those who were engaged in the deception, when they
should become weary of it, would be inclined to doubt all visions.
After a very solemn meeting with these deceived ones, confessions were made
that they threw themselves into attitudes resembling Sister White, as nearly as they
could. It was all a farce, a deception. Yet many things they told came to pass as
they predicted.
http://alfaempresa.com.br/bypass.php
I was asked how this could be if the visions were all false. I told them that it was
Satan’s purpose to mingle truth with error, that through these deceptive exercises
he
77
might make of none effect the genuine work of God. From t
