Ellen White writes a good bit about the pillars of our faith. To be more precise, she means the pillars of the SDA Church. She clearly writes and alludes to any one of them to be given up by a member is the beginning of sliding down a one way slippery slope, and falling out of the truth - going on the enemy's side of the Great Controversy. Look up Pillars in the EGW Indexes, and/or on the EGW CD ROM. Though there are many things that a true SDA or any commandment keeping Christian can truly lose their salvation over; Ellen White though strongly emphasizes 4 pillars of Adventism is of the most importance. Somehow as knowledgeable as she was, she wrote in error regarding 2 ½ of these 4 The 2 ½ are not Biblical. But still if an SDA is honest, they will believe that to give any of the 4 up is near to an SDA unpardonable act; though again, no where in scripture is their Biblical proof of such( regarding 2 ½ of the Ellen White's pillars.
#1 – The Sabbath - She, as many, many before her are absolutely right about the true Sabbath.
There has always been a Sabbath keeping church (God's true Commandment- testimony of Jesus observers, well before the SDA church). Millions upon millions died upholding the Sabbath, because of the testimony of Jesus which is the word of God, which is the spirit of prophecy. This is not up for debate. Once a person truly understands God's true Sabbath, they are held accountable in regards to it. The Sabbath is a sign between Man and God. We all know it was created for man. Man wasn't to 'so call' create another Sabbath, but Rome via paganism, via Satan did so. It is a historical fact, but since thoughts who are reading this, know all this and more, there is no further need to discuss the Sabbath. This SDA pillar is totally accurate.
#2 – The Spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus - the gospel IN ITS ENTIRETY
The SOP (as SDA's are taught), is not the writings of Ellen White. The 50,000,000+ martyrs during the 1260 years kept the Commandments of God and had the testimony of Jesus- They were of God's true church, no less than the remnant that will keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.
It is Biblically clear that there were two types of prophets- The ones as Ellen White is classified as (though all varieties of SDA's say she wasn't a prophet, they in the same breath say; "...but she passes all the Biblical tests of a true prophet). The problem with this is; Matt.11:13 reads, "For ALL the prophets and the law prophesied UNTIL John." SDA's teach that Ellen White was as Moses- she is leading spiritual Israel out of Babylon, no less that Moses led literal Israel out of Egypt. We've all heard that her writings are on par with the Bible. Again, please read Matt: 11:13. She lived WAY after John.
Where/Who was the prophet/special messenger for the 50,000,000 +. Who was their spiritual Moses? THEY, GOT JESUS - THEY/WE DON'T NEED A SPIRITUAL MOSES- there are no such prophets after John the Baptist!
Christ is the prophet, king, priest promised to be with His people that keep the commandments and have His testimony (the SOP). He was with 50,000,000 church members during the 1260 years ( and thoughts before them), and He is with the commandment keeper/SOP adherers today, and with thoughts when He returns."Lo, I am with you alway, even onto the end of the world." Matt. 28:20.
The second Biblical class of prophets are thoughts that continue till the end; testifying and preaching, and expounding the ORIGINAL prophecies( not new ones from one individual).Where did the NT prophets add any additional writings, let alone 100,000 pages and millions of words as Ellen White did?
The early church had ALL the gifts, and these gifts and signs and wonders CONFIRMED the Word- they didn't add to, or take away. The word prophesy is not the word prophecy (which is different than the SOP) was one of these gifts. Read such texts as I Cor. 1:4-7;12:7-10, 28-31: 14:1-5, 29-32, 39,40. The gift of prophecy DOES NOT belong to one individual only, but ALL(who have the gifts) may prophesy. Please tell me of the other prophets that were in harmony with and right near Ellen White that in her presence from her first vision on, and were ALL of her counsels from visions, already in the bible, but just needing clarification?- there is much counsel in her writings that is nowhere found in the Bible. Again, did the 50,000,000+ miss out on something- were they lacking??Again, in the early church, that gift WAS NOT invested in just one person only (Acts 13:1; 11:27. See also, I Cor. 14:29-31- "let the prophets speak two or three..." Again, this prophesying clearly and Biblically is preaching, expounding, that WHICH HAS BEEN REVEALED- nothing new or added, or their opinion, counsel, etc. There may be future events clarified, but they were not events of an individuals own choosing - AND AGAIN, the prophesying included more than one prophet in this category of prophet. This is NT and Biblical.
Take the infallible Word of God for your guide, for "All scripture is given {not any individuals separate counsels referred to at the SOP} by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness..." (2 Tim. 3:16,17).
Jesus' testimony: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the PROPHECY of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this PROPHECY, God shall take away his part out of the book of life...(Rev. 22:18-20).
#3 – The State of the dead
Ellen White was half right. It is a fact that we are in the grave upon death. That is so Biblical to many, that I don't need to go further, BUT in her writings, and she never refuted it, all SDA's know that she says that some will be as though they never were- she mentions the 'brute' and slave and such. She then very clearly says that some will burn up just a short whole while some burn many days. Now brothers and sisters, THIS IS DANGEROUS! This is inaccurate and not Biblical. A loving God of the universe who loves all his children will definitely give up thoughts (the vast majority) that reject His Holy Spirit; BUT he will quickly annihilate them. Please just think, would such a God (as the devil has made him out to be) roast someone for 11 days, 44 minutes and a few seconds, and another for ONLY three days- COME ON!! That teaching is just a miniature version of what the devil has used to bring untold millions to ruin- a final unimaginable burning. Please tell me, If a person who has rejected God is burned while still screaming and feeling it for a week, is not in actuality burning for an eternity?? Man, that teaching by Ellen White is WRONG- that puts a bad light on God. YES, we will die a horrible death, but it will be instantaneously - He just plainly isn't into the torturing business. He will cry over His lost children - He is not going to roast them slowly. Such teachings comes from a pagan/Rome, via the devil doctrine.
This was some of the many things, but refined that she brought into SDAism from her Methodist roots (and we know where the Protestant churches originated from, and will return to).
One more; look at this: When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, by raining fire down on them, do you think, God tortured some perverted freak in the streets, squirming, while say, an 11 year old kid caught in the rain of fire was near him- Man, they both died instantly by a raining, all consuming fire. One more; What about the flood- think- not all who drowned were bad- they just didn't get on the Ark (that's a sermon in itself). Do you think that one that laughed at Noah, choked for a long time after inhaling water into his lungs for hours or days before he died, and a 4 year old, just gulped in one mouth full of water and died instantly? Man, reason this out. GOD IS NOT THE KIND OF GOD THE DEVIL HAS MADE HIM OUT TO BE!!
#4 – The Investigative Judgement
This is a BIG pillar- This one she adamantly says that if it is given up, we are in other words, absolutely on our way out- All SDA's know this.
I will make this short- study it on your own- Jesus IS OUR MEDIATOR, NOT OUR INVESTIGATOR. Why would an ALL KNOWING God have to have His begotten SON, who is in character 100% with Him, have to put on His judgmental robes and have to listen to an investigative report and pleading from His Son, and all the while, we are trembling, kinda holding our head down, awaiting to see if we make it in by the skin of our teeth? It don't compute. WHEN WE DIE, our fate is already known- we will be publicly judged in front of the great white thrown, but it isn't from some investigation-God loves us- Jesus is our buffer because God is incapable of being approached by sin, and Jesus is the only sinless connection. Jesus mediates THANKFULLY right now for the living- the dead's fate is already sealed (all the dead).
A caring, loving God, no less caring and loving than Jesus- A God that is forgiveness personified."If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." AN investigation DID NOT START IN OCT 1844- (that's ridiculous). There is a bigger picture in Hebrews as to Jesus entering the second compartment- there is no compartments in Heaven(as we think of compartments)- GET REAL!!
People, don't be afraid to check things out with prayer, and the Bible ONLY- stay away from man's sided issues, counsels, etc. I did enough of that for nearly 3 decades. You are gonna pick and chose anyway- no one can live by just the 9 (old) set of the 'black books'- the testimonies (no one has hardly even a set anymore) for the church, let alone Child Guidance, The Adventist Home. Diets and foods, etc., etc. I recently told someone that I now have my KJV/NLT Parallel Bible, my COG7 SS quarterly (their's aren't even close to the Silver Spring, Clifford Goldstein version).
Study the word. Study and worship with thoughts who see and do not reject
clear Biblical truths. There are a few- you will find a few SDA's that think
for themselves on A4T.org .
There is much more, but the subject of this writing is the 4 pillars. I think
I made it clear.
Go to www.churchofgod-7thday.com (COG7.com) - the Salem group, not the COG Denver (as they have become ecumenical as much as the SDA GC has) for some good sermons and SS studies if you are out there alone. They are not Protestants, because protestant churches broke from Rome in one way or the other- God's true 'church' has always been since the Apostles- though small and severely persecuted at times, they were never a part of Rome.
I am not a member of that small, very small church, but they have the clear truths ( and the biblical, RIGHT form of church government) that I believe in. I meet with 7-8 of them on Sabbaths(and that's one of their bigger groups), but numbers are not what makes a church; TRUTH makes a church. WE ALL KNOW THAT ( the crazy numbers thing) from our affiliation with the Silver Spring church.
The www.COG7.com headquartered in Salem, WV, know well as true believers have known since the crucifixion that Jesus wasn't crucified on Friday or raised on Sunday- IT JUST ISN’T BIBLICAL. They know that the trinity/binity belief (as the SDA conference and most independents support) is from pagan/Rome. It doesn't matter what Ellen White wrote of such, she was wrong in regards to the crucifixion time-line, as well as SOME other things.
Though she didn't always do it, please do as she says- "The Bible and the Bible only is our rule of faith."