THE test of fulfilled predictions has been successfully met in the manifestation of the gift of prophecy given to Mrs. White. It is not, as has been pointed out, the chief factor in the exercise of this gift to foretell the future. There are occasions, however, when, in sending messages by revelation to His people, the Lord, for their encouragement, or as an incentive to activity and preparation, discloses coming events to them through this agency. All such predictions are exactly fulfilled when the time for their fulfillment arrives. Thus this test, laid down in the Bible in the words, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously,” has been fully met. (Deuteronomy 18:22.) The falsity of a prediction, and of the gift that makes it, is demonstrated by the nonoccurrence of the event foretold. GoPH 156.1
This is not the test of greatest importance, but it is by no means of slight importance. It has been applied many times to the work of Mrs. White, and never without being satisfactorily met. GoPH 156.2
In the year 1848 there began a movement that later was to attract world-wide attention. It is known today as Spiritualism. Then, at its beginning, it consisted of certain mysterious rappings and had not arrived at the dignity of having a name. It was confined to Rochester, N. Y., near which city it began. No one knew what it was, and no one dreamed of its later progress. GoPH 157.1
In the year 1850 Mrs. White wrote that she had received a revelation regarding this mysterious movement. This is what she said: GoPH 157.2
“Sabbath, March 24, 1849, ... I saw that the mysterious knocking in New York . . . was the power of Satan, and that such things would be more and more common, clothed in a. religions garb so as to lull the deceived to more security, and to draw the minds of God’s people, if possible, to those things, and cause them to doubt the teachings and power of the Holy Ghost.”—“ Early Writings,” p. 35. GoPH 157.3
Seventeen months later she wrote this: “August 24, 1850, I saw that the ‘mysterious rapping’ was the power of Satan; some of it was directly from him, and some indirectly, through his agents, but it all proceeded from Satan. It was his work that he accomplished in different ways; yet many in the churches and the world were so enveloped in gross darkness that they thought and held forth that it was the power of God. ... I saw that soon ... it would spread more and more, that Satan’s power would increase, and some of his devoted followers would have power to work miracles, and even to bring down fire from heaven in the sight of men. I was shown that by the rapping and mesmerism, these modern magicians would yet account for all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, and that many would believe that all the, mighty works of the Son of God when on the earth, were accomplished by this same power.” —“ Early Writings,” pp. 49, 50. GoPH 157.4
When this prediction was made Spiritualism was scarcely known, and no one could imagine its later development. Today it numbers its adherents by many millions, and thus this pre-diction has been fulfilled. GoPH 158.1
Five years after this she wrote: GoPH 158.2
“I saw the rapping delusion—what progress it was making, and that if it were possible it would deceive the very elect. Satan will have power to bring before us the appearance of forms GoPH 158.3
purporting to be our relatives or friends now sleeping in Jesus. It will be made to appear as though these friends were present, the words that they uttered while here, with which we are familiar, will be spoken, and the same tone of voice that they had while living, will fall upon the ear. All this is to deceive the saints, and ensnare them into the belief of this delusion.”— “Early Writings,” Supplement, p. 3. GoPH 159.1
This foretold the materialization of spirits, and spirit messages, at that time not practiced. Since then they have become the chief phenomena of Spiritualism. Forewarned by these gracious, enlightening messages from heaven, Seventh-day Adventists have not been deceived by spiritualistic trickery and deceit. GoPH 159.2
In 1890 a vision was given Mrs. White that led her to write the following predictions, which were published in the Signs of the Times of April 21, 1890: GoPH 159.3
“The tempest is coming, and we must get ready for its fury by having repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth. We shall see troubles on all sides. Thousands of ships will be hurled into the depths of the sea. Navies will go down, and human lives will be sacrificed by millions. Fires will break out unexpectedly, and no human effort will be able to quench them. The palaces of earth will be swept away in the fury of the flames. Disasters by rail will become more and more frequent; confusion, collision, and death will without a moment’s warning occur on the great lines of travel. Oh, let us seek God while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” GoPH 159.4
Here are things foretold that at that time seemed altogether incredible — increasing earthquakes, increasing trouble, thousands of ships hurled into the sea, navies going down, millions of human beings sacrificed, destroying fires increasing, and increasing railroad accidents. But we have seen their fulfillment since. GoPH 160.1
Who could have foreseen thousands of ships hurled into the sea when mines, torpedoes, and submarines were scarcely known, and their use on such a large scale as in the Great War unthought of? But literally “thousands of ships” were ” hurled into the midst of the sea,” during the Great War of 1914-18. And whole navies “went down.” And “human lives” were in that conflict literally “sacrificed by millions.” Nor are the other details of the prediction lacking in fulfillment all about us. GoPH 160.2
As far back as 1863 instruction was given by revelation to Mrs. White regarding the ad-vantages of a simple, vegetarian diet and the use of natural, drugless remedies for the treatment of the sick, in which water treatments and the application of heat, cold, and light are used. She began then to write articles, which she continued until her death, regarding healthful living and the manner of practicing it, declaring that God had shown her the growth and development of a world-wide system of sanitariums based on these principles. GoPH 161.1
The medical world has scarcely caught up even now with the advanced light given this messenger of God. And, growing out of this instruction, just as foreseen, there is a chain of ninety-six sanitariums and treatment rooms belting the globe, practicing these life-giving and life-preserving principles which have come from heaven, and ministering to suffering men and women of many nations. GoPH 161.2
When the people of the Advent movement numbered about fifty in all, Mrs. White was shown in vision that, as the threefold message of Revelation 14, the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, were faithfully proclaimed to men, it would meet a welcome response on the part of many, and large numbers would embrace it and carry it to the ends of the world. Fulfilling that prediction today more than 300,000 Seventh-day Adventists have been raised up in the nations of the world, and are pressing their missionary and evangelistic activities in more countries than is any other mission organization, thus bearing the message of the Lord’s return to all the earth. GoPH 161.3
In 1848 Mrs. White was given a revelation which she thus describes: GoPH 162.1
“At a meeting held in Dorchester, Massachusetts, November, 1848, I had been given a view of the proclamation of the sealing message, and of the duty of the brethren to publish the light that was shining upon our pathway. GoPH 162.2
“After coming out of vision, I said to my husband: ‘I have a message for you. You must begin to print a little paper and send it out to the people. Let it be small at first; but as the people read, they will send you means with which to print, and it will be a success from the first. From this small beginning it was shown to me to be like streams of light that went clear around the world.’” GoPH 162.3
In fulfillment of this prediction there are to-day fifty-nine publishing houses and branches in all the world, exclusively devoted to the publication of the threefold message, printing it in books, papers, pamphlets, magazines, and tracts in 141 languages. More than 400 languages are being used altogether in carrying this message in oral and written form. Evangelistic colporteurs numbering thousands are engaged in distributing this literature of the gospel of the kingdom, and it is, as foretold, “like streams of light” which go “clear around the world.” GoPH 162.4
“Beginning in the early seventies and based on instruction given in vision, Mrs. White began to urge the establishment of a separate system of schools, with an education based on the Bible, in which the young people and children of the Advent movement might be given a Christian education and prepare to become workers in bearing God’s final message to the world. She declared that God had shown her that as these schools were started they would grow in number and be used of God to save the children and youth to the movement, safeguarding them against the errors and dangers of a false education, and providing an ample supply of laborers in the cause of God. GoPH 163.1
These predictions have been fulfilled in their entirety. Today, following the counsel thus given, there is an educational system connected with the Seventh-day Adventist movement, differing from everything in the world, comprising 204 advanced educational institutions, and 1,971 primary schools, scattered in every part of the world, giving Christian education to 80,833 young people and children, and providing the workers of this cause. GoPH 163.2
Yes, the test of fulfilled predictions has been fully and most satisfactorily met in the present-day manifestation of the gift of prophecy. GoPH 164.1