Dramatic predictions of world events

As God’s spokesperson, Ellen White was given remarkable visions of world events that no contemporaries had foreseen. One of Ellen White’s most stunning predictions was that of the impending American Civil War. On January 12, 1861, in Parkville, Michigan, three months before the first shots were fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, the congregation watched with intense interest for twenty minutes, while Ellen White was in vision.UEGW 91.2

Afterward, she shared briefly what had been revealed to her. J. N. Loughborough, an eyewitness, recalled her words:UEGW 91.3

Men are making light of the secession ordinance that has been passed by South Carolina [Dec. 20, 1860]. They have little idea of the trouble that is coming on our land. No one in this house has ever dreamed of the trouble that is coming. I have just been shown in vision that a number of States are going to join South Carolina in this secession, and a terrible war will be the result. In the vision I saw large armies raised by both the North and the South. I was shown the battle raging. ^{26Quoted in Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press®, 1998), 158. 27.} UEGW 91.4

Then, looking over the congregation she continued: “There are men in this house who will lose sons in that war.” This prophecy was literally fulfilled within a year.UEGW 91.5

On August 3, 1861, at Roosevelt, New York, Ellen White had her second Civil War vision, focusing on the evil of slavery—the North was to blame for the continuing extension of slavery, and the South for the sin of slavery. She went on to say that many “have flattered themselves that the national difficulties would soon be settled, and confusion and war will end; but all will be convinced that there is more reality in the matter than was anticipated. Many looked for the North to strike a blow and end the controversy.” ^{27See appendix O in Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 572, 573, for a sample listing of fourteen comments of national leaders in the early 1860s regarding the Civil War crisis.}UEGW 92.1

Another example of this kind of fulfillment was Ellen White’s previews of the rise of modern spiritualism. These were given when spiritualistic manifestations were local, isolated, and more of a curiosity than anything else. Those 1848 displays of strange rappings involving the Fox sisters in Hydesville, New York, were shown to her as the revival of spiritualism in modern times. She said: “I saw that the mysterious knocking in New York and other places was the power of Satan, and that such things would be more and more common, clothed in a religious garb so as to lull the deceived to greater security.” ^{28EGW, Early Writings (Washington, DC: Review and Herald®, 1945), 43.}UEGW 92.2

Spiritualism has perhaps never been more prominent in the history of the world than it is today. Adherents include people on all levels of society and in every economic class. Politicians and heads of government freely admit their reliance on spiritualist mediums of some kind. Who, other than Ellen White in 1849, had the insight to label the Fox sisters phenomenon as the beginning of a worldwide, sophisticated movement with tremendous implications for last- day events? Some have argued that the Fox sisters fabricated their experience. Whether this is the case or not, it remains true that their experience marked the beginning of the rapid expansion of spiritualism.UEGW 92.3

There are many dynamics to the process of special revelation through vi-sions and dreams and the transmission of the prophetic word to the intended recipients. There is a balance between the divine and the human. The critical point to understand is that God supernaturally works to make sure that His intended message is given. It may not be immediately or fully explained, but God leads His messenger and His people to the understanding and experience that He intends. Some of the misunderstandings of Ellen White’s statements are due to an unawareness of how God gave the prophetic revelation. The process is dynamic and at times requires time for clarification and even correction.UEGW 92.4