Chapter 82—Unfounded Reports
Several times during the past winter [
The Ellen G. White 1888
Materials, 89
.] I have met the report that, during the Conference at
Minneapolis, “Sister White was shown that the judgment, which since
1844 had been passing upon the righteous dead, had now begun upon
the living.” This report is not true. A similar rumor, which has been
afloat for about two years, originated in this wise: In a letter written
from Basel, Switzerland, to a minister in California I made a remark
substantially as follows: “The judgment has been over forty years in
progress on the cases of the dead, and we know not how soon it will
pass to the cases of the living.” The letter was read to different persons,
and careless hearers reported what they thought they heard. Thus the
matter started. The report from Minneapolis arose from someone’s
misunderstanding of a statement to the same effect as the one quoted
from the letter. There is no other foundation for either report than this.
Secondly, report has it that a minister now living has been seen
by me in vision as saved in the kingdom of God, thus representing
that his final salvation is assured. There is no truth whatever in this
statement. The word of God lays down the conditions of our salvation,
and it rests wholly with ourselves whether or not we will comply with
them.
Says the Revelator: “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which
have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white:
for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in
white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,
but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.”
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved,
seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found
of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” “Ye therefore, beloved,
[693]
seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led
away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.”
“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward
618