“Visions and Prophecy—Have They Been Manifested Among Seventh-day Adventists?”

Under this heading George I. Butler, then president of the General Conference, wrote a series of articles for the Review and Herald, concluding with the article of June 9, 1874. We quote only from this last article:TOJ 40.3

“Here we leave the Bible argument. To our mind we have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that these visions are just such as the Bible teaches are given through the influence of the Holy Spirit. We have shown that the gifts of the Spirit were to be perpetuated in the church, that they were to be seen in the last days. We have taken the tests given in the Bible to show the difference between the spurious and the genuine, and every rule given proves these to be true. We have noticed nearly every instance where the nature of the manifestations of true visions in the Bible is given, and we find these exactly similar. We are compelled, therefore, to conclude that these are genuine visions of the Spirit of the Lord, or that the Bible has left us wholly unable to determine between the true and the spurious.TOJ 40.4

“As the Scriptures are designed to ‘thoroughly furnish’ the man of God unto all good works, we can rely upon them in this case. We believe these visions because the Bible teaches them. We use the rules given in that Holy Book, and are forced to the conclusion that the manifestations are the work of the Spirit of God. Instead of our setting up these visions above and outside of the Scriptures as another rule of authority, as our opponents pretend, we claim that none can really take the Bible and fairly apply its teachings without accepting these visions as from God. The Bible is the supreme authority in deciding this as well as other questions. When it tells us to ‘try the spirits,’ to ‘prove all things’ and ‘hold fast that which is good,’ it is our duty to do this. We find by so doing that these visions harmonize perfectly with the Scriptures....TOJ 41.1

“We have tested them as a people for nearly a quarter of a century, and we find we prosper spiritually when we heed them, and suffer a great loss when we neglect them.... They never have led us into fanaticism in a single instance, but they have ever rebuked fanatical and unreasonable men. They everywhere direct us to the Scriptures as the great source of true instruction, and to the example of Jesus Christ as the true pattern. They never claim to be given to take the place of the Bible, but simply to be a manifestation of one of those spiritual gifts set in the church by its divine Lord; and as such should have their proper weight.TOJ 41.2

“We admit that their influence upon Seventh-day Adventists during their past history has been weighty, but it has always been for good, and has always had a tendency to make us better people. Having been in exercise for so many years among us, we are certainly prepared to judge by this time in regard to the nature of their teachings.”TOJ 41.3