Chapter Twenty-One—The Physical Tests Applied

THE believers in the Advent movement in the early days were not slow to apply to the manifestation of the gift of prophecy through Ellen G. Harmon the tests of the Bible. The fruits of this gift had not then developed, and the test, “By their fruits ye shall know them,” had to be deferred until later. The physical tests pointed out in the Bible, however, were searched out, carefully and thoroughly applied, and successfully met.GoPH 150.1

An eyewitness, one who saw her in many visions, describes her condition in this way: “I have had the privilege of seeing her in vision about fifty times. I have been present when physicians have examined her while in this state, and I esteem it a pleasure to bear testimony to what I have seen and known. I trust a narration of the facts in the case may not be carelessly cast aside for the random suppositions of those who have never seen her in this condition.GoPH 150.2

” In passing into vision she gives three enrapturing shouts of ‘Glory!’ which echo and [150] re-echo, the second, and especially the third, fainter, but more thrilling than the first, the voice resembling that of one quite a distance from you, and just going out of hearing. For about four or five seconds she seems to drop down like a person in a swoon, or one having lost his strength: she then seems to be instantly filled with superhuman strength, sometimes rising at once to her feet and walking about the room. There are frequent movements of the hands and arms, pointing to the right or left as her head turns. All these movements are made in a most graceful manner. In whatever position the hand or arm may be placed, it is impossible for any one to move it. Her eyes are always open, but she does not wink; her head is raised, and she is looking upward, not with a vacant stare, but with a pleasant ex-pression, only differing from the normal in that she appears to be looking intently at some distant object. She does not breathe, yet her pulse beats regularly. Her countenance is pleasant, and the color of her face is florid as in her natural state.”— J. N. Loughborough, in “The Great Second Advent Movement,“ pp. 204, 205.GoPH 150.3

The following statement of a physician regarding her condition in vision speaks for itself:GoPH 151.1

“Sister White [formerly Miss Harmon] was in a vision about twenty minutes or half an hour. As she went into vision every one present seemed to feel the power and presence of God, and some of us did indeed feel the Spirit of God resting upon us mightily. We were engaged in prayer and social meeting Sabbath morning at about nine o’clock. Brother White, my father, and Sister White had prayed, and I was praying at the time. There had been no excitement, no demonstrations. We did plead earnestly with God, however, that He would bless the meeting with His presence, and that He would bless the work in Michigan. As Sister White gave that triumphant shout of ‘Glory! g-l-o-r-y! g-l-o-r-y!’ which you have heard her give so often as she goes into vision, Brother White arose and informed the audience that his wife was in vision. After stating the manner of her visions, and that she did not breathe while in vision, he invited any one who wished to do so to come forward and examine her. Dr. Drummond, a physician, who was also a First-day Adventist preacher, who (before he saw her in vision) had declared her visions to be of mesmeric origin, and that he could give her a vision, stepped forward, and after a thorough examination, turned very pale, and remarked, ‘She doesn’breathe!’ “I am quite certain that she did not breathe at that time while in vision, nor in any of several others which she has had when I was present. The coming out of the vision was as marked as her going into it. The first indication we had that the vision was ended, was in her again beginning to breathe. She drew her first breath deep, long, and full, in a manner showing that her lungs had been entirely empty of air. After drawing the first breath, several minutes passed before she drew the second, which filled the lungs precisely as did the first; then a pause of two minutes, and a third inhalation, after which the breathing became natural.”— Signed, “M. C. Kellogg, M. D., Buttle Creek, Mich., Dec. 28, 1890”GoPH 152.1

Every mark of a true prophet in vision, as given in the Bible, extreme weakness, open eyes, supernatural strength, and cessation of breathing, were all met in Miss Harmon’s experience again and again, and to the satisfaction of her fellow believers. A signed statement by D. II. Lamson, Hillsdale, Mich,, dated Feb. 8, 1893, thus describes his experience of a vision given her at Rochester, N. Y., on June 26, 1854:GoPH 153.1

“I was then seventeen years old. It seems to me I can almost hear those thrilling shouts of ‘G-l-o-r-y!’ which she uttered. Then she sank back to the floor, not falling, but sinking gently, and was supported in the arms of an attendant. Two physicians came in, an old man and a young man. Brother White was anxious that they should examine Sister White closely, which they did. A looking-glass was brought, and one of them held it over her mouth while she talked; but very soon they gave this up, and said, ‘She doesn’t breathe.’ Then they closely examined her sides, as she spoke, to find some evidence of deep breathing, but they did not find it. As they closed this part of the examination, she arose to her feet, still in vision, holding a Bible high up, turning from passage to passage, quoting correctly, although the eyes were looking upward and away from the book.”GoPH 153.2

Another witness testifies thus:GoPH 154.1

“June 28, 1857, I saw Sister Ellen G. White in vision for the first time. I was an unbeliever in the visions: but one circumstance among others that I might mention convinced me that her visions were of God. To satisfy my mind as to whether she breathed or not, I first put my hand on her chest sufficiently long to know that there was no more heaving of the lungs than there would have been had she been a corpse. I then took my hand and placed it over her mouth, pinching her nostrils between my thumb and forefinger, so that it was impossible for her to exhale or inhale air, even if she had desired to do so. I held her thus with my hand about ten minutes, long enough for her to suffocate under ordinary circumstances; she was not in the least affected by the ordeal. Since witnessing this wonderful phenomenon, I have not once been inclined to doubt the divine origin of her visions.”— Signed, “D. T. Bourdeau, Battle Creek, Mich., Feb. 4, 1891. ”GoPH 154.2