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Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which
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is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:10, 11
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“And,” said my father, warming with his subject, “the inspired
Paul wrote a letter to encourage his brethren in Thessalonica, saying:
‘To you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His
power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe ... in that day.’
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
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‘For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words.’
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
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“This is high authority for our faith. Jesus and His apostles dwell
upon the event of the second advent with joy and triumph; and the holy
angels proclaim that Christ, who ascended to heaven, shall come again.
This is our offense,—believing the word of Jesus and His disciples.
This is a very old doctrine, and bears no taint of heresy.”
The minister did not attempt to refer to a single text that would
prove us in error, but excused himself on the plea of a want of time. He
advised us to quietly withdraw from the church, and avoid the publicity
of a trial. We were aware that others of our brethren were meeting with
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similar treatment for a like cause, and we did not wish it understood
that we were ashamed to acknowledge our faith, or were unable to
sustain it by Scripture; so my parents insisted that they should be
acquainted with the reasons for this request.
The only answer to this was an evasive declaration that we had
walked contrary to the rules of the church, and the best course would
be to voluntarily withdraw from it to save a trial. We answered that we
preferred a regular trial, and demanded to know what sin was charged
to us, as we were conscious of no wrong in looking for and loving the
appearing of the Saviour.