Basic HTML Version
Foreword
This volume is an adaptation of From Eternity Past, the 1983 con-
densed edition of Ellen G. White’s classic, Patriarchs and Prophets.
The condensed volume included all the stories and major applica-
tions in the original book. Moreover, except for supplying a word
here or there for a smooth transition, it rigidly retained Mrs. White’s
own words. The Beginning of the End has taken a step beyond
that. It has substituted some modern words, expressions, and sen-
tence constructions for twenty-first century readers. But it is not a
paraphrase. It follows From Eternity Past sentence by sentence and
maintains the force of Mrs. White’s writing. It is hoped that new
readers will thus develop a taste for Mrs. White’s writings and will
be led to read and enjoy the original books, though written in the
style of an earlier time.
Except where noted, Scripture passages have been quoted from
the New King James Version. It closely parallels the King James
Version that Mrs. White usually used, but many people today find
that they can read it more easily.
The Beginning of the End is rich in insight into the Bible stories
of origins—the origin of sin, of this world, of the plan of salvation,
and of the people of God. It makes the treasures of Patriarchs and
Prophets accessible to more people. In this way it helps to make
more widely known the beginning of “the great controversy” story
that Mrs. White told so compellingly in the five-volume “Conflict of
the Ages” series of books. That many more readers may experience
the life-changing power of these books and their presentation of
Bible themes is the hope and prayer of
The Trustees of
The Ellen G. White Estate
[6]
[7]
xiv