But primarily she demonstrated the gift of prophecy through visions and prophetic dreams, many of which she documented in her numerous books. The Ellen G. White Estate estimates that she had several hundreds of these prophetic experiences over her 70-year ministry.
So what were all these visions about? What messages did God want her to share with others?
Here’s a comprehensive list of her more significant visions and prophecies, starting with some important notes about the context of these visions and how to best use this list for reference. Then the list is divided into five categories that apply to the majority of her prophetic experiences.
First, a little preamble.
What you’ll find on this list
Photo by Oleksandr P
The list specifically covers daytime visions and prophetic dreams Ellen White received from the Holy Spirit. (This is not a comprehensive list of every topic she addressed in all her writings.)
Prophetic visions were common throughout the Bible. We don’t hear much about them in recent years, but according to Ellen White’s experiences, the description is similar to what we’d read in stories about the Bible’s prophets in both the Old and New Testament.
Ellen White experienced what we might call a dream, since what she saw in her mind was not happening around her. She was often shown supernatural things or faraway places.
Unlike dreams, however, her visions happened when she was awake. And those who were around her when they happened could tell when she went into vision.
As defined by the Bible, prophecies, no matter how they are received by the chosen individual, are messages from God. Sometimes they are for the receiver alone, sometimes they are for a small, specific audience, sometimes they are for a broad audience, and sometimes they include predictions of the future.
Most of the prophecies communicated by Ellen White came to her through visions that the Holy Spirit gave to her directly.
She usually recorded them in her autobiographical accounts or in letters to others, so this list will include links to those original sources.
Unfortunately, she didn’t record the details of all her visions, but we’ll mention each vision that had enough documented details to make them distinct from other visions or prophetic messages.
How to use this list
You can search for the visions and prophecies by topic on this page. In each section, the individual visions will be listed in order of the date Ellen White experienced them, and they will have some keywords or phrases in the heading to describe them.
Below the header of each vision, you’ll learn:
- The date of the vision
- The location where Ellen White had the vision (if documented)
- The type of vision/prophecy (revelatory, predictive, advisory, warning, situational, etc.)
- A short summary of the vision and its context
(To find a specific vision more quickly, try searching the page for keywords using the Command/Control+F function.)
For future reference, bookmark the page in your browser to find it quickly. You can share it with others by sending the link through email or social media.
Visions about Ellen White’s ministry
“Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.”
This section will cover any instructions or guidance Ellen White received directly for herself and her ministry as a messenger for God.
The beginning—Ellen White’s call to share her visions
Date: December 1844
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Situational
Summary: Near the beginning of her ministry, Ellen White had this one in which God called her to share what He had revealed to her. She saw some of the difficulties she would have to face, but an angel reminded her of Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and promised her that “the grace of God is sufficient for you; He will sustain you.”
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 63)
A visual representation of strength and encouragement
Date: December 1844
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen White was struggling with the decision to follow God’s call to share her visions. As a group of people was praying for strength for her, she felt that light came upon her and a ball of fire struck her heart. She felt like she was in the presence of angels, one of which told her, “Make known to others what I have revealed to you.”
(Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 71)
50 texts of Scripture in letters of gold
Date: 1845
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Because of all the fanatical religious movements happening at the time, some people had accused Ellen White’s visions of just being a part of that hype. This troubled her, and one time when she felt she was receiving a vision, she resisted it out of concern that it wasn’t really God. When she did so, she became mute. In the vision, an angel told her she’d be able to speak again in 24 hours. She also saw a card that had 50 texts of Scripture written in letters of gold. These verses indeed acknowledged her faltering faith in this situation, but also encouraged her to keep on, knowing God would be guiding her.
(Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 89-90)
Jesus Christ’s frown
Date: 1845
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Warning
Summary: Ellen White struggled to share some direct rebukes that God gave her for other people, so she would often soften these messages. In this vision, she saw Jesus’ frown because of her timid approach, which caused these important messages to be taken less seriously. She realized that she was letting her own fears overshadow her trust in God.
An angel told her, “This is not your case now, but this scene has passed before you to let you know what your situation must be if you neglect to declare to others what the Lord has revealed to you. But if you are faithful to the end, you shall eat of the tree of life, and shall drink of the river of the water of life. You will have to suffer much, but the grace of God is sufficient.”
(Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, p. 79)
Holding up the large family Bible in the Harmon home
Date: 1845
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Situational
Summary: While in her family’s home, Ellen White had a vision about the true value of the Word of God. During the vision, she picked up the large family Bible, quoting passages of Scripture while holding it at arm’s length for about half an hour—something that would’ve been incredibly difficult for a frail young woman of roughly 80 pounds.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 92)
Protection on a sailboat during a storm
Date: 1846
Location: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Massachusetts
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen White and her two travel companions decided to take a sailboat to visit an Adventist family that lived on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. But on the voyage there, they ended up in a violent storm. Those on the boat were afraid they wouldn’t make it! But while Ellen White knelt in the boat and prayed, God gave her a vision assuring her that they would indeed survive the trip despite the storm.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 109)
The purpose of Ellen White’s trials
Date: 1847
Location: Topsham, Maine
Type: Counsel
Summary: At the time of this vision, Ellen and James White were struggling financially, and their first child Henry was sick. God showed her that even through the trying times, He was still with them. These trials were a part of living in a sinful world, and she experienced agonizing challenges just like many other human beings. And these difficult times ended up preparing her for her ministry work and keeping her from seeking comfort in her home life rather than relying on God for her comfort and sustenance.
(Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White, 1880 ed., p. 243)
Instruction to go to Dartmouth and pray for a sick boy
Date: February 1849
Location: Topsham, Maine
Type: Situational
Summary: God gave Ellen White a vision that instructed her to go to Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She soon understood why when she received a letter about the son of a believer there who was very sick.
(Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 121)
She received many visions in which she “saw” that God wanted her to go somewhere, though many of them are so briefly mentioned that we won’t include them all in this list.
Encouragement from a tall angel
Date: May 1850
Location: Sutton, Vermont
Type: Situational
Summary: While away from home, Ellen White was discouraged about not being able to be with her children. She felt she was sacrificing so much for God’s work and yet the results were so small. That’s when God gave her encouragement by sending her a “tall angel” to help her open her heart and share her worries with God.
The angel told her, “You have given to the Lord two beautiful flowers, the fragrance of which is as sweet incense before Him, and is more precious in His sight than gold or silver, for it is a heart gift…. Every self-denial, every sacrifice, is faithfully recorded, and will bring its reward.”
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 177)
This prophetic experience even involved the angel helping James and Ellen choose the right horse to pull their carriage on their travels!
James White would speak about the near coming of Christ on a trip
Date: December 1851
Location: Unknown
Type: Prediction
Summary: God had shown Ellen White what would transpire on a particular trip that she and her husband went on. One event that God said would happen was a “meeting in a private family” where James would speak about his favorite topic, the near coming of Christ. On their way home, this ended up happening in Saratoga Springs, New York, when they unexpectedly visited a family who asked James to share about the Second Coming with their neighbors.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 225)
Saved from injury in a train accident
Date: May 23, 1854
Location: Michigan
Type: Situational
Summary: As they were boarding a train to go to Wisconsin, the Whites were disappointed that they couldn’t sit in the more comfortable seats of one of the “sleeping cars” and instead had to move into the next car. Shortly after the train left, it wrecked. The car with the seats they had wanted to sit in was greatly damaged, but James and Ellen White escaped unharmed. Later she was shown that an angel had been sent to preserve their lives.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, pp. 294-296)
Revealing the reason behind an attack of paralysis
Date: June 1858
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Type: Situational/Revelatory
Summary: This vision showed Ellen White that the sudden attack of paralysis she experienced a few weeks earlier was actually an attempt from Satan to keep her from continuing to write out her vision about the Great Controversy, which ended up becoming one of her most widely-read books.
(Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, p. 272)
Help for James White’s health
Date: April 4, 1878
Location: Oakland, CA
Type: Counsel/Revelatory
Summary: This scene of this vision was of a “celebrated physician” entering James and Ellen White’s home. It recounted the specifics of James’ failing health and exactly what he needed to do to start regaining his strength and faith.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 22, 1878”)
Seeing her son Edson nearly drown, symbolizing his spiritual condition
Date: June 21, 1893
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Type: Situational/Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White had a dream about the spiritual life of her son Edson, who was losing his faith. She saw him on a beach being swept away by the undertow, unable to save himself. But someone saved him with a rope, and she was given encouragement and guidance in how to reach out to him.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 123, 1893”)
Warning of a deceitful assistant
Date: Late 1893
Location: New Zealand
Type: Warning/Revelatory
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White was shown the behind-the-scenes actions and conversations of her editorial assistant, Fannie Bolton. Fannie had become tempted by the limelight she perceived Ellen White to be experiencing, and wanted credit for her editorial work—which included altering Ellen White’s words and adding ideas of her own. So she was warned not to employ Fannie any longer.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 59, 1894″)
Visions for the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The following list of visions includes Ellen White’s inspired messages for Adventist believers and church leaders. This included instructions for specific people or specific duties, corporate messages of encouragement or caution, and counsel toward starting significant ministry efforts and establishing institutions.
“Advent people” traveling to the Holy City
Date: December 1844
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Revelatory
Summary: She saw believers traveling on a narrow pathway to the Holy City with their eyes fixed on Jesus. This vision was Ellen White’s first prophetic experience and it happened soon after the Great Disappointment in 1844, when Jesus didn’t return as expected by William Miller’s followers. It served as an encouragement to the believers that God had still been leading them, despite their misunderstanding of Bible prophecy.
(Early Writings, p. 14-19)
Encouragement for Washington Morse after the Disappointment in 1844
Date: Late spring of 1845
Location: Home of Washington Morse in New Hampshire
Type: Counsel
Summary: While traveling to Claremont, New Hampshire, Ellen White and her traveling companions stayed in the home of Washington Morse, a man who had been very disappointed and humiliated when Jesus didn’t return in 1844. While there, she had a vision counseling Morse to focus on the light God was giving, and would continue to give, rather than worrying about what others thought of him.
(Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 77-78)
Warnings of two false teachers in Claremont
Date: Late spring of 1845
Location: Claremont, New Hampshire
Type: Warning
Summary: This vision revealed that two men who claimed to be ministers were actually teaching deceptive ideas. They claimed they couldn’t sin, but they were actually hiding secret sins and exercising a powerful influence of mesmerism (similar to hypnosis, but with a spiritualistic focus) that would be damaging to other believers.
(Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White, 1880 ed., p. 210-211)
Fanaticism in Portland, Maine
Date: Spring 1845
Location: New Hampshire
Type: Warning
Summary: Fanaticism—a term used to describe a religious frenzy usually accompanied by false or exaggerated teachings—was taking place in Ellen White’s hometown because of the influence of a man named Joseph Turner. He was discouraging people and telling some of them that God had rejected them. God instructed Ellen White to return to Portland and confront Turner’s false teachings.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 87)
Confronting Joseph Turner
Date: Spring 1845
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Warning
Summary: Ellen White gathered a group of believers to discuss her concerns about the false teachings of Joseph Turner, who had claimed to receive impressions and guidance from God. Amid that gathering, she had a vision right in front of him, revealing to him his errors.
(Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White, 1880 ed., p. 213)
Rebuke for Elder Stevens
Date: 1845
Location: Paris, Maine
Type: Warning/Prediction
Summary: Elder Stevens had been leading out in a fanatical group that believed that work was a sin. During a meeting with him, Ellen White had a vision that pointed out his errors and predicted that his ministry would come to an end before long.
(Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White. 1880 ed., p. 225)
The errors of Robbins and Sargent
Date: 1845
Location: Randolph, Massachusetts
Type: Situational/Revelatory
Summary: While visiting a church in Randolph, Massachusetts, Ellen White saw the errors of two men there—Robbins and Sargent—who had tried to discredit her ministry. During this vision, which was her longest and lasted almost four hours, she held a large Bible outstretched in one hand and recited texts without seeing them.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 103)
View of the planets
Photo by Planet Volumes on Unsplash
Date: November 1846
Location: Topsham, Maine
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White had a vision in front of Joseph Bates in which God showed her various planets and information about astronomy that she would have had no way of knowing otherwise. Joseph Bates, a sea captain, knew from his experience that it was accurate and became convinced that God was using her.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 113-114)
Handing a large Bible to a man who didn’t believe in the Sabbath
Date: August 26, 1848
Location: Hannibal, New York
Type: Situational
Summary: Though the contents of this vision is not known, during the vision Ellen White took a large Bible, spoke from it, and carried it to a man who didn’t believe in the Sabbath truth. This action moved the man to tears.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 143)
Call for unity among Adventist believers at a conference in New York
Date: August 27-28, 1848
Location: Port Gibson, New York
Type: Counsel
Summary: While attending a conference in New York that was held in the barn of Hiram Edson, an early Advent Movement pioneer, Ellen White received a vision that emphasized the need to lay aside differences and be unified on Bible truth.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 143)
A publishing project to spread truth as “streams of light” around the world
Date: November 18, 1848
Location: Dorchester, Massachusetts
Type: Counsel/Revelatory/Prediction
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White was shown the importance of publishing the three angels’ messages. She received instruction for her husband to start a small periodical that would eventually become “like streams of light that went clear around the world.”
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 150-151)
Call for James White to rely on God to support his publishing ministry
Date: 1849
Location: Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Type: Counsel/Situational
Summary: James White had been unsure of how to earn the money to start the publishing work God had instructed him to do through Ellen’s “streams of light” vision. He decided to go out and mow hay to get funds, but around that time, God gave Ellen White a vision, instructing James that he should “write, write, write, and walk out by faith.”
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 164)
Encouraging Brother Rhodes
Date: November 1849
Location: Centerport, New York
Type: Situational
Summary: “Brother Rhodes” was a man who had been discouraged and humiliated by the Great Disappointment when Jesus didn’t return. As a result, he’d withdrawn to live away from society in a forest in New York. During a conference Ellen White attended, some believers gathered to pray for Rhodes. She had a vision encouraging some of the other Adventists to go and reach out to Rhodes with a message of hope.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 197-198)
Another call for James White to write, write, write, write
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Date: January 10, 1850
Location: Oswego, New York
Type: Counsel/Situational
Summary: James White was struggling with discouragement because he still wasn’t getting financial support to publish the Present Truth periodical. Yet again, Ellen White received a vision that encouraged him to keep moving forward; the paper was needed!
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 172)
Comfort after the death of Elvira Hastings
Date: March 1850
Location: Oswego, New York
Type: Situational/Prediction
Summary: Ellen White received news that Elvira Hastings, a devoted follower of God and someone who’d been involved in the Advent movement, had died. Soon after, she had a vision revealing to her that Elvira would indeed be among those resurrected by God’s voice when Jesus returned. She passed this comforting thought along to Elvira’s husband in a personal letter.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 173)
The dishonest county treasurer in Oswego
Date: 1850
Location: Oswego, New York
Type: Situational/prediction
Summary: While Ellen White was visiting Oswego, New York, she found out about a Methodist minister and county treasurer who was leading religious revivals there. A man named Hiram Patch and his fiancée were thinking about joining the Advent movement and asked Ellen White what she thought about the minister and his revivals. Not long after, she received a vision with the following instructions for the Patches: “Wait a month, and you will know for yourself the character of the persons who are engaged in this revival.”
Before long, the sheriff and constable uncovered that the Methodist county treasurer had stolen $1000 from the treasury. His revivals came to an end, and the Patches had their answer.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 175)
Instructions to make a chart of the three angels’ messages
Date: October 1850
Location: En route to Dorchester, Massachusetts
Type: Counsel
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White received the following instruction about the three angels’ messages in Revelation: “The truth must be made plain upon tables.” Soon after, church leaders followed this instruction by making a chart of the visions of Daniel and Revelation.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 185)
Warning against “ecstatic” experiences
Date: December 24, 1850
Location: Paris, Maine
Type: Counsel
Summary: While praying with a group of people for the Holy Spirit, Ellen White saw a vision that warned God’s followers against turning from the Word of God and relying on “unhealthy and unnecessary excitement” in worship. This is likely a reference to religious practices or behaviors that encouraged hysterical, erratic, emotionally-heightened actions or expressions. In the vision, she also received counsel for specific people.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 11, 1850″)
James to continue in publishing work
Photo by 4motions Werbeagentur on Unsplash
Date: 1851
Location: Ballston Spa, New York
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen and James White had been seeking God’s will to know what to do about the publishing work and where it should take place. She wrote the following about the vision she had: “It was shown me in vision that James must lay his hand to the work and strive to open the way, and if the way should bend before him, he must remain; but if it was shut up and did not open, we must go elsewhere.”
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 4, 1851″)
God’s frown upon His people in Medford, Massachusetts
Date: November 1851
Location: Medford, Massachusetts
Type: Situational
Summary: This vision revealed some errors that people in a church in Medford, Massachusetts, had accepted. James White said this about his wife’s vision: “[She] saw that the frown of God was on us as a people, because the accursed thing was in the camp, that is, errors among us, and that the church must act.”
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 217)
False teachings rebuked in Bethel, Vermont
Date: November 1851
Location: Bethel, Vermont
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen White had a vision about some individuals present at a gathering in Bethel, Vermont. These individuals had accepted a false teaching called the “age to come,” which taught that the Jews would return to Israel and that individuals would have a second chance for repentance during the 1,000-year period after Jesus’ coming.1 God gave Ellen White “straight messages to bear to different individuals” about the false teachings.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 8, 1851″)
During the same conference, one individual (called “Brother Baker”) recognized his error and acknowledged that Ellen White’s vision about him was true. She soon had another vision that encouraged him and showed that God was still calling him.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 222)
“Accursed thing must be put out of the camp”
Date: November 1851
Location: Vergennes, Vermont
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen and James White attended a conference in the home of a man named Elon Everts, who had accepted the false “age to come” teaching. Ellen White had a vision about him, in which God said that “the accursed thing must be put out of the camp,” a reference to the story of rebellious Achan in the Bible (Joshua 7). When she shared the vision, Everts confessed and gave up the false teaching.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 223)
Bringing much-needed correction to a hypocritical man
Photo by Larry Costales on Unsplash
Date: Fall 1852, a Sabbath
Location: Rochester, New York
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen White saw that a man, whom she had not met yet, was traveling away from home. While he was preaching on God’s law and the Sabbath, he was simultaneously maintaining an adulterous relationship. This man turned out to be someone everyone in the area knew. When he was eventually confronted, he confessed and dropped onto his knees.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 238)
Revealing more dangerous hypocrisy
Date: May 28, 1853
Location: Tyrone, Michigan
Type: Situational
Summary: Similar to the previous vision in Rochester, New York, Ellen White was shown a woman in the Tyrone area who had traveled around to share the Adventist message. However, while her husband remained at home, working to support her efforts, she was traveling with another man. Ellen White saw how this woman would respond to being confronted, which helped eventually identify her.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 277)
Speaking to false accusations
Date: June 3 & 4, 1853
Location: Jackson, Michigan
Type: Situational/Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White was shown the particulars of a church situation where a woman was falsely accused of calling a neighbor a crude word. These messages were given to reprove the woman for her attitude toward the neighbor. But she also had something to say for the accusers, who didn’t deal with the situation in a very Christ-like attitude.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 276)
A call to step up the publishing work
Date: July 2, 1853
Location: Rochester, New York
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision was the call to further increase publishing efforts. Ellen White was shown that they needed to be distributing material more often than every two weeks. She also saw that God was opening up a way to make this possible.
This vision also included some details regarding the Michigan churches.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 282)
Gospel order
Date: Late September 1852
Location: Dorchester, Massachusetts
Type: Revelatory/Counsel
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White was shown seven points on which the Adventists in the area had not met the standards of “Gospel order.”
- People who “hurried into the field” though they “lack wisdom and judgment”
- Knowingly allowing certain men to have teaching and/or missionary roles, even though they were ultimately unqualified and their hearts weren’t fully converted, and “confusion and disunion are the result”
- People sent out who were able to argue theories but knew little of practical applications or true spiritual conviction
- Pushing people “into the work,” even though it was clearly not their particular calling
- The church not embracing the “responsibility” to “look carefully and attentively at the lives, qualifications, and general course of those who profess to be teachers”
- This church’s need to distance itself from those who “are not called of God, yet profess to be teachers”
- The need to return to deep Bible study so they can “establish Gospel order” and shield themselves from Satan’s temptations to corrupt the congregation and its mission
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 286-287)
Addressing a congregation’s potential downfalls
Date: January or early February, 1854
Location: Brookfield, New York
Type: Counsel
Summary: This vision touched on a number of things. First and foremost, Ellen White was shown that the church was tolerating behavior that could harm its unity and integrity. She was informed that certain members were maintaining adulterous relationships, and parents were neglecting proper instruction and discipline for their children.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 290-291)
Instruction about using tents
Date: Early June, 1854
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Type: Situational/Counsel
Summary: This vision included a variety of instruction, correction, and counsel regarding the church. A specific topic was using tents for evangelism outreach. These would be patterned after the tent revivals popular in the earlier part of the century. Ellen White was encouraged that success would accompany the use of tents, and she was given pointers for best practices.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 299)
Counsel about handling an antagonistic group
Date: June 20, 1855
Location: Oswego, New York
Type: Situational
Summary: This vision gave insight on a group that had branched away from Adventism and began publishing opposing viewpoints. Ellen White was shown that engaging with this group would do no good, and Adventists would do well to ignore them, keeping their eyes forward. In time, the group would break apart with internal strife.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 309-310)
Settling a dispute and caution against “fading zeal”
Date: November 20, 1855
Location: Possibly Rochester, New York
Type: Counsel
Summary: This vision addressed many issues among Adventists at the time. A prominent one had to do with members’ zeal for God falling off. They gave excuses for spending money for selfish reasons instead of the church. Another part of the vision settled the question on when Sabbath began.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 326, 324)
The “Two Ways”
Date: May 27, 1856
Location: Battle Creek conference session
Type: Counsel
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White was shown the “Two Ways,” or paths a person could take in life. One was narrow and rugged and led to heaven, and the other was broad and open and led to destruction. She was also shown conformity to the world and people who believed they were on the narrow and rugged road but actually were not. She was also given counsel to pass on to ministers’ wives, showing them how they could aid their husbands in service.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 127-130, 137-140)
How the Church would be attacked by Satan
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Date: February 1857
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Type: Revelatory/Counsel
Summary: Ellen White saw in this vision the method of Satan’s attacks on the church: temptation with earthly prosperity and possessions.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 141-143)
Counsel to the New York church
Date: July 6, 1857
Location: Ulysses, Pennsylvania
Type: Counsel
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White was shown the state of the Adventist Church in New York. They were having a huge problem with fault-finding and focusing on accusing one another of various wrongs. In doing so, they had lost their strength as a church and their unity in mission. Ellen White advised the people to elevate their minds to more important matters.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 358)
Various insights for the church
Date: June 4, 1859
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Type: Revelatory/counsel
Summary: Ellen White was given a variety of information:
- She would not die yet (she was sick at the time)
- The Laodicean message (Revelation 3) applied to the current church
- Tithing was appropriate
- Counsel on clothing and fashion
- Counsel on covetousness and sacrifice for the church
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 185-195)
Civil War predictions
Photo by Scott Umstattd on Unsplash
Date: January 12, 1861
Location: Parkville, Michigan
Type: Revelatory
Summary: In this vision, which took place so soon after several Southern states had seceded from the Union, Ellen White saw that more states would secede and people from the congregation she was speaking to would lose their lives in the resulting war.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 463)
Counsel about the Civil War
Date: August 3, 1861
Location: Roosevelt, New York
Type: Revelatory/Counsel
Summary: This vision mostly addressed situations in the Civil War, such as a review of the Battle of Bull Run. She was also shown many points on the evils of slavery. The vision also touched on some aspects of church organization.
(The Review and Herald, “August 26, 1861: Communication from Sister White—Slavery and the War,”)
Caution about a specific pastor
Date: November 5, 1862
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Type: Revelatory/Counsel
Summary: This vision gave Ellen White insight on the troubling direction a pastor, Moses Hull, was headed. Mr. Hull was an Adventist pastor who later abandoned the church and turned to spiritualism. She saw that he had relented to various temptations of the devil and that he would leave the church soon.
(Ellen G. White: The Progressive Years: 1862-1876, vol. 2, p. 53, 56, 58)
Counsel to a prominent pastor
Date: Several years before 1873
Location: Unknown
Type: Counsel
Summary: Ellen White received counsel to address some issues regarding Dudley Canright and his wife’s attitudes and actions. Mr. Canright was a pastor and both were heavily involved in the Adventist Church at the time.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 304-311)
The extent of the Adventist publishing
Date: January 3, 1875
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White saw that both the Adventist work in general and Adventist printing presses would go to many different countries. She also saw several details having to do with the Battle Creek school, publishing house, and health institute that was recently established.
(Ellen G. White: The Progressive Years: 1862-1876, vol. 2, p. 462)
Foundations for colporteurs
Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash
Date: September 12, 1875
Location: Rome, New York
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision revealed to Ellen White many things about the colporteur ministry, which involves distributing Adventist books as a means of evangelism.
(The Review and Herald, “November 4, 1875: A Remarkable Dream”)
Caution and encouragement for James White
Date: January 5, 1876
Location: Oakland, CA
Type: Warning/Counsel
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White saw herself addressing her husband’s impatient attitudes toward others. She heard the heavenly instruction: “Give sympathy, give love, and you will find this power will soften and subdue the most wayward, and the greatest good will be realized upon your own heart and life.”
(Letters and Manuscripts, vol. 3 (1876-1882), “Manuscript 2, 1876″)
Counsel for sanitarium property
Date: 1883
Location: Unknown
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen White was instructed not to sell an eight-acre part of the St. Helena Sanitarium property. She bought it because God told her it must not be developed. The Sanitarium would need it later.
(Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years: 1905-1915, vol. 6, p. 139-141)
Counsel for the Adventist Church in Europe
Date: September 26, 1885
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Type: Counsel
Summary: In this vision, a book was opened that recorded the past year’s events. She was shown some areas of improvement to bring to the attention of the European leaders. She cautioned them not to let certain things distract them from spreading the Gospel. This especially related to one person, a Mr. Bourdeau.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 20,1885″)
A Christ-centered solution for a German congregation
Date: May 27, 1886
Location: Vohwinkel, Germany
Type: Situational
Summary: This vision showed Ellen White the tensions and problems within the Vohwinkel church and how Jesus would have them solve these problems.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 32, 1887”)
Further insight on the publishing work
Date: November 3, 1890
Location: Salamanca, New York
Type: Warning/Counsel
Summary: This vision revealed a lot of counsel, advice, and warnings regarding the publishing work. She was warned against them forming alliances with unbelievers and covering up their distinctness of the Adventist message. She was also warned against trusting in human efforts and called for more trust in God.
(Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 319)
Warning to publishers
Date: November 21, 1890
Location: New York City, New York
Type: Warning
Summary: Ellen White was given many warnings about the direction the publishing ministry was starting to take. She described what would happen if the head of publishing work didn’t put God first. This was a continuation of the previously-listed vision she had in Salamanca.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 29a, 1890″)
Revelations about a man’s involvement in secret societies
Date: 1891
Location: Australia
Type: Revelatory
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White was shown Mr. Faulkhead’s work in the Freemasonry lodges and Knights Templar. He had a high position within these societies and was refusing to give up his involvement with them. As a result, his interest in spiritual things was dying.
(Ellen G. White: The Australian Years: 1891-1900, vol. 4, p. 50)
Insisting on a piece of land
Date: 1894
Location: Australia
Type: Revelatory
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White saw a furrow plowed on the future site of the Avondale school. The people there said the soil was unfit for good yield but Ellen White was shown that they would produce good crops, despite what they said.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Message 62, 1898.”)
Proper attitudes for a Christian school
“Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.”
Date: Early July 1897
Location: Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Type: Situational
Summary: Ellen was given this vision about Avondale, the Australian school. The faculty and students were reckless and didn’t “stand the counsel of God.” This recklessness included attitudes of joking and low, cheap talk.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 174, 1897″)
Planning the Cooranbong church
Date: August 23, 1897
Location: Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Type: Situational
Summary: This vision gave Ellen White instructions as to the size of the Cooranbong church being built. She saw the dimensions on paper for the church and saw everyone was satisfied.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 175, 1897″)
The location of a meat substitute factory
Date: August 1898
Location: Australia
Type: Counsel
Summary: In symbolism, Ellen White was shown what to do about the meat substitute factory proposed to be built in Melbourne, Australia. She was shown it was better put in Sydney, Australia, because it could be of better use there. She was also shown it would have many branches of the factory in the future.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter, 63a, 1898″)
Rebuilding the Battle Creek sanitarium
Date: April 30, 1902
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Situational
Summary: This vision addressed Dr. Kellogg’s plans of rebuilding the Battle Creek Sanitarium. He was planning to build a huge complex that could be the worldwide hub for the Adventist health centers. Ellen White was shown that one large building was not appropriate. Rather, it should be smaller, so other smaller sanitariums could be built around the country and world for missionary purposes.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 125, 1902″)
Should the Pacific Press manager resign?
Date: April 22, 1902
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Situational
Summary: This vision answered the question asked if C. H. Jones should resign from his job as manager of the Pacific Press. He had received a lot of criticism lately. In the vision, Ellen White saw a council discussing the problems of the Pacific Press. Her Instructor then put his hand on Jones’ shoulder and told him to start his work again, arming himself with the armor of God. He could not and should not quit.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 65, 1902″)
Battle Creek warnings
Date: Fall 1902
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Warning/Revelatory
Summary: These numerous visions Ellen White had both day and night in the months leading up to the fire that destroyed the Review and Herald office in Battle Creek. She described seeing an angel with a sword of fire over Battle Creek. This sword moved back and forth across the city, and incident after incident followed.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 37, 1903″)
Should the South get a publishing house?
Date: October 19/20, 1902
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Situational
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White was shown many scenes that led her to conclude that the South needed its own publishing house, a thing many people did not want or see the need for. She was shown rooms where doctors were chastised for amputating before they’d made every effort to save the limb, and saw a council meeting where the members were told they needed another publishing house, instead of just one in North America.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 162, 1902″)
The symbol of a ship
Date: Fall 1903
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Counsel
Summary: Ellen White saw a ship in this vision. It was navigating through a thick fog, when the alarm was sounded, “Iceberg!” A giant iceberg loomed in front of them. The ship’s crew turned the ship directly onto the iceberg and crashed into it. The passengers were violently shaken by the impact, but no one was killed. This vision referred to a book and its pantheistic views being circulated in the Adventist world. This vision revealed that the book was inaccurate and should not be used.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 238, 1903″)
Dr. Kellogg
Date: May 19, 1904
Location: Berrien Springs, Michigan
Type: Counsel
Summary: This vision showed Ellen White that it was time to take an active role in trying to save Dr. Kellogg, who had been derailed by pantheistic theology, as well as other fixations. Everyone, she reminded others, is tempted by one thing or another, and saving Dr. Kellogg was worth the trial.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 165, 1904″)
A vision at a General Conference meeting
Date: May 1904
Location: Berrien Springs, Michigan
Type: Situational
Summary: This vision was given to Ellen White during a General Conference meeting to address the pantheism problem and to save Dr. Kellogg. In it, she was shown what the men were thinking and doing behind the scenes. She saw what had been done wrong during the meeting that made Dr. Kellogg’s opinions seem justified.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Elmshaven Years: 1900-1905, vol. 5, p. 334)
Guidelines for a new sanitarium
Date: August 1901
Location: Los Angeles, California
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision laid out the foundation for the new sanitarium to be established in southern California. She saw that, contrary to everyone’s opinion, the sanitarium should not be in the city, but in the countryside, where the people attending could receive fresh air, outdoor work, and exercise as part of their treatment.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 85)
The importance of medical missionaries
Date: December 1904
Location: Paradise Valley, California
Type: Counsel
Summary: This cluster of visions and instruction was given to her during the last three nights of her stay in Paradise Valley. She saw that medical missionary work is as important to the third angel’s message as a right hand to a body. She was also given instruction as to the temperament and actions of the employees at the sanitariums.
(The Paradise Valley Sanitarium, p. 13)
A necessary sanitarium
Date: April 1904
Location: Takoma Park, Maryland
Type: Counsel
Summary: Ellen White saw that a sanitarium desperately needed to be established near Los Angeles. Yet it should not be in the city, but in a rural area, where the patients could receive the benefits of the outdoors as well as medical treatment.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 147, 1904″)
Loma Linda shouldn’t involve commercial elements
Date: May 1906
Location: Mountain View, California
Type: Warning
Summary: Ellen White was shown in the vision that starting big health food production at the Loma Linda sanitarium was a disastrous idea. She advised Adventists to keep it and commercial enterprises apart. The sanitarium should be devoted totally to the ministry of healing and not be distracted by commercial aspects.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 140, 1906″)
A sanitarium in Colorado
Date: September 28, 1905
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Warning
Summary: This vision gave Ellen White insight on why a sanitarium shouldn’t be established in Canon City, Colorado, like several were proposing to. She saw that if these men did so the enterprise would result in constant friction and the wrong experience for patients.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 285, 1905″)
Important concepts for teachers
Date: April 26, 1910
Location: Loma Linda, California
Type: Counsel/revelatory
Summary: Ellen White saw that everyone associated with higher education should understand what it means to learn from God and then carry that out in their teaching. They were not to follow the lead of secular schools of higher education. Salvation was to be a core element in the curriculum.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Letter 61, 1910″)
Idle amusement
Date: July 4, 1912
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Counsel
Summary: Ellen White saw some events that took place at the St. Helena Sanitarium and objected to their nature. She wanted the young people to remember that they should glorify God and not spend their time amusing themselves.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 49, 1912″)
Advice for wages
Date: December 3, 1913
Location: St. Helena, California
Type: Counsel
Summary: Ellen White received instruction as to payment of physicians. One physician at the St. Helena Sanitarium was asking for higher wages than the others and was prepared to resign if he didn’t get them. Ellen White saw that raising his wages would cause the others to demand higher wages, too. She also saw that they should only pay physicians what they could afford at the time, and raise wages as they expanded and had more means.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 12, 1913″)
Appropriate books
Date: March 3, 1915
Location: St. Helena, CA
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision dealt with books. Ellen White saw that young people often neglected reading some books in favor of other books of lighter reading. She laid aside books that weren’t helpful to the youth. Instead, she told them to focus on books that pointed them to God and a godly life.
(The Review and Herald, “April 15, 1915: A Message for Our Young People”)
Visions about Bible doctrine
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
These visions related to teachings in the Bible that Adventist believers had been studying at the time.
Jesus moving from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in heaven
Date: February 1845
Location: Exeter, Maine
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision portrayed what had happened in 1844 when the 2,300-day prophecy ended—Jesus had gone into the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary to begin a work of ministry there and receive His kingdom. She saw that the Father moved from the Holy Place in the sanctuary to the Most Holy Place; Jesus followed. Believers who were praying in the Holy Place followed Jesus, who breathed His Spirit upon them.
(Early Writings, p. 54-56)
The heavenly sanctuary and a halo around the Sabbath commandment
Date: April 3, 1847
Location: Topsham, Maine
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White saw a vision of the sanctuary (temple) in heaven. She went into the Most Holy Place where the ark of the covenant was located. In it, she saw the Ten Commandments, and the fourth commandment had a halo of light encircling it. This view helped confirm the Sabbath truth the Adventists had been studying.
(Early Writings, p. 32)
Truth about the 1,000 years in Revelation 20
Date: August 18, 1848
Location: Volney, New York
Type: Revelatory
Summary: While at a conference in Volney, Ellen White had some concerns about the opinions people there were sharing. She had a vision that revealed some errors they had about the 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20. While having the vision, she held a Bible and quoted Scriptures that disproved the false teachings.
(Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, p. 98)
Bible conference visions of 1848
Date: 1848
Location: Varying locations
Type: Revelatory
Summary: During 1848, the Advent believers met numerous times for in-depth Bible study on various doctrines. Sometimes, they would study all night, agonizing over passages they couldn’t understand. While these studies took place, Ellen White often couldn’t understand what was being studied; she described her mind as being “locked.” But when the believers came to a point of being stuck on a difficult passage, Ellen White would often have a vision that directed them to other passages in the Bible that helped explain the passages they were studying. She wrote, “Light was given that helped us to understand the scriptures in regard to Christ, His mission, and His priesthood.”
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 144)
The Great Controversy and compromise
Photo by Aleksandar Popovski on Unsplash
Date: March 14, 1858
Location: Lovett’s Grove, Ohio
Type: Predictive
Summary: This vision, which lasted for two hours, gave Ellen White an overview of many different topics. The most important was a recap of the Great Controversy vision she was shown earlier. She was also shown some practical advice for church members. She was shown that, though they may walk alone in their beliefs, they should not compromise their standards for others.
(Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, p. 265-270)
Proper observance of the Sabbath
Date: December 25, 1865
Location: Rochester, New York
Type: Counsel
Summary: This vision gave Ellen White insight on proper observance of the Sabbath. It also gave her encouragement that her husband would be healed, and that he should leave the sanitarium (or hospital) at Dansville, New York.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 531-533)
Visions about the last days
The following visions are about end-time events, Jesus’ Second Coming, the millennium, heaven, the final judgment, and the New Earth.
The new earth
Photo by Alec Favale on Unsplash
Date: 1845
Location: Portland, Maine
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White traveled to the New Earth and saw the New Jerusalem, its temple, fields of flowers that never fade or die, and animals living peacefully together—among many other beautiful things.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 67-69)
Jesus to return after a time of trouble
Date: 1845
Location: Carver, Massachusetts
Type: Prediction
Summary: After the Great Disappointment, some believers tried to set other dates for Jesus’ coming. But in this vision, the Holy Spirit showed Ellen White that these people would be disappointed and that a time of trial, known as Jacob’s trouble, would take place before Jesus returned.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 100)
The shaking of the powers of the heavens
Date: December 16, 1848
Location: Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Type: Revelatory
Summary: She saw that the sun, moon, and stars would be moved out of place and shaken by the voice of God before the Second Coming (according to Matthew 24:29-30), but that this was different from the shaking of the powers of the earth that is happening currently (the wars, famine, and pestilence).
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 154)
Jesus interceding in the Most Holy Place in heaven and other last-day events
Date: January 5, 1849
Location: Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White had a view of Jesus interceding for his people in the Most Holy Place in heaven. Then, she saw last-day events in succession: the seven last plagues, the death decree, and the deliverance of God’s people.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 154-155)
Angels holding back the four winds until God’s people are sealed
Date: January 6, 1849
Location: Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Type: Revelatory
Summary: In this vision, angels were holding back the four winds, which symbolize the judgments of God, until God’s people had His seal.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 155)
Duty during the time of trouble
Photo by Donna Spearman on Unsplash
Date: January 18, 1849
Location: Topsham, Maine
Type: Warning
Summary: This vision assured Ellen White that God would provide for His people during the time of trouble in the last days. All they need to do is trust Him rather than trying to prepare physically. God would teach His people and guide them to know their duty and when it’s time to let go of their belongings. At the same time, He warns them against becoming focused on and attached to the things of this world.
(Early Writings, p. 56)
Angels helping God’s people; heaven and other worlds
Date: Unknown, though most likely between 1848 and 1849
Location: Unknown
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White saw God’s love for His people and the care His angels provide to them. She was also given a glimpse of heaven and other inhabited worlds. In each of these other worlds, she saw a tree of knowledge of good and evil, which the inhabitants had never touched. And in one world, she saw Enoch visiting.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 156)
Open and shut door; spiritualistic deceptions of Satan
Date: March 24, 1849
Location: Topsham, Maine
Type: Revelatory/Predictive
Summary: This vision involved many different aspects. In one part, she saw that Jesus had shut the door to the Holy Place and opened a door in the Most Holy Place, where He is ministering in heaven. From the Most Holy Place, the Ten Commandments shine out.
(Early Writings, p. 42)
Photo by Marcus Aurelius
In another part of the vision, God showed her that Satan was trying to distract God’s people from the truth through the influences of spiritualism that were emerging in Ellen White’s time—such as the mysterious “knocking” in New York at the home of the Fox sisters. He would use “mysterious signs and wonders” to deceive people.
People unwilling to give to God’s work; views of Jesus and the Holy City
Date: January 26, 1850
Location: Oswego, New York
Type: Warning/Revelatory
Summary: In the first part of the vision, Ellen White saw people in the Advent movement who were unaware of the times they were living in and unwilling to give of their means and energies to support God’s work. She saw this scene in contrast with Jesus’ suffering and intercession on our behalf. An angel told her, “Those who are not interested in the cause of God on earth can never sing the song of redeeming love above.”
(Early Writings, p. 48-50)
She also saw scenes of Jesus and of future events: God’s people living in the Holy City for the 1,000 years of the Millennium, the descent of that city to the earth afterward, and the cleansing of the earth by fire.
The mark of the beast, the seven last plagues, and the need to get ready
Date: June 27, 1850
Location: Unknown
Type: Warning/Revelatory
Summary: In this vision, Ellen White saw the contrast between the reward of God’s faithful people and the seven last plagues that would be poured on those who reject and rebel against God. An angel told her that God’s people needed to “get ready, get ready, get ready.”
(Early Writings, p. 64-66)
Powers of darkness rising
Date: July 29, 1850
Location: Possibly New York state
Type: Warning
Summary: This vision showed Ellen White that Satan was working hard to stop God’s work and that God’s people lacked power because they let go of His promises too quickly. She was encouraged to “have faith in God” and depend completely on Jesus.
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 7, 1850″)
Satan’s efforts to stop God’s work and deceive people in the last days
Date: August 24, 1850
Location: Oswego, New York
Type: Revelatory/Warning
Summary: This vision gave Ellen White a behind-the-scenes view of how Satan was trying to stop her work, whether making her son sick or trying to hurt her when she was thrown from a wagon. It then continued with scenes of how Satan will work in the last days through spiritualism, miracles, and other signs. But with all the danger, she saw that God had his angels “hovering around the saints.” God’s people would need to be vigilant and have the “whole armor of God.”
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 7, 1850″)
Those who reject the truth would slander God’s people
Date: September 7, 1850
Location: Oswego, New York
Type: Revelatory/predictive
Summary: In this vision, God showed her that “a great work must be done for His people before they could stand in the battle of the day of the Lord.” She saw that many people who claimed to be Adventists were rejecting truths of the Bible and that they would actually turn and slander God’s people. Eventually, though, their actions would help open the eyes of other people to the truth.
(Early Writings, p. 69)
Last plagues, the millennium, and the final judgment
Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA
Date: September 1850
Location: Sutton, Vermont
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White saw that the seven last plagues would be poured out after Jesus finished His work in the Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary. She also saw scenes of God’s people with Him during the millennium (1,000 years) after the Second Coming and the execution of the final judgment on the wicked when the millennium is over.
(Early Writings, p. 52-54)
Scattering and gathering of God’s people
Date: September 23, 1850
Location: Sutton, Vermont
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision revealed that God was gathering His people and calling them to put more effort into spreading the truth of the three angels’ messages. The promise was that, as God’s people united in this mission, their efforts would be successful. God also showed Ellen White that time prophecy would not be a test of the faith of God’s people again as it had been during the misunderstanding in 1844.
(Early Writings, p. 74)
Time wouldn’t be a test before Jesus’ coming
Date: June 21, 1851
Location: Camden, New York
Type: Warning
Summary: A well-meaning Adventist leader had published a pamphlet giving a possible time for Jesus’ return. As a result, God gave Ellen White a vision to warn against calculating the time of the Second Coming.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 208)
Seeing the seven last plagues
Date: June 26, 1854
Location: Rochester, New York
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision gave Ellen White a view of the seven last plagues described in Revelation. This was also a time when people in the audience examined her during the vision. At the end, she held the Bible up high above her and began turning pages and quoting verses, all correct.
(Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862, vol. 1, p. 302)
A glimpse of heaven and the new earth
Date: June 12, 1868
Location: Battle Creek
Type: Revelatory
Summary: Ellen White was given a view of heaven and the new earth in this vision. This view included those who won’t be going to heaven, which included some Adventists.
(Ellen G. White: The Progressive Years: 1862-1876, vol. 2, p. 235)
View of the judgment
Date: October 23, 1879
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Type: Revelatory
Summary: This vision focused on the judgment at the end of time.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 384-387)
Foreseeing disaster in San Francisco
Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash
Date: April 16, 1906
Location: Loma Linda, California
Type: Warning
Summary: Ellen White was shown a representation of a city that would suffer from an earthquake and fire. This is assumed to be San Francisco, which was hit with the infamous earthquake just two days later. She saw buildings shaking and crumbling, fires breaking out, and people killed.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 92-93)
Visions about health
Here, you’ll find Ellen White’s visions on various topics of personal health and the counsel she received from God about starting health institutions.
A focus on the dangers of tobacco
Date: 1848
Location: Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Type: Counsel
Summary: In the first vision about health that Ellen White received, God showed her the negative effects of tobacco and its addictive nature. “I have seen in vision that tobacco was a filthy weed, and that it must be laid aside or given up,” noting that it can easily become an idol in someone’s life. She was also shown that the stimulant effects of caffeine from tea and coffee can also have negative effects on physical and mental health.
(The Story of Our Health Message, p. 65-66)
Basic hygiene and a simple diet
Date: January or early February, 1854
Location: Brookfield, New York
Type: Counsel
Summary: Ellen White’s second health vision included concerns about the behavior of church members and counsel for them. But it specifically addressed two aspects of health: cleanliness/hygiene and eating a simple diet. She learned that a healthy diet focuses on simple foods rather than what she called “rich foods” (such as cakes, pies, pastries, spicy and highly seasoned foods, cheese, butter, and condiments).
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 1, 1854”)
Cautioning against overzealous ministry, finger-pointing, and “running ahead” of God’s plans or timing
Date: October 1858
Location: Mannsville, New York
Type: Warning
Summary: Ellen White received a vision that revealed the concerning mindset and overzealous behavior of a well-meaning but dangerously misguided couple of Christians. She was shown that they were taking “an exalted position that God has never assigned” to them. She was shown their mistaken notions of “afflicting your bodies” (depriving themselves of various foods) in order to appear more sacrificial and holy than others, all while maintaining an “appearance of humility.”
In her vision, she also saw three angels leading people in different ways, as the times and situations needed. She cautioned this couple against “running ahead of the angels that are leading this people.”
Instead, she encouraged them to focus on their own walk with Jesus and to stop “looking at the church and … noticing little things, when your attention should be turned to your own soul’s interest. God has not laid the burden of His flock up on you.”
(In this account of this vision, she also mentioned this couple’s question about avoiding pig products in the name of health, which was one of the fixations of their finger-pointing behavior. She cautioned them to let God be the one to “convict them on the matter” and to trust in God’s timing that, if this issue needed to be addressed church-wide, it would be. And five years later, Ellen White received what was known as the “health reform vision,” which addressed the question about pork products as well as several others.)
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 204-209)
“The health reform vision”
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
Date: June 5/6, 1863
Location: Otsego, Michigan
Type: Revelatory/Counsel
Summary: This vision, referred to as the health reform vision, shed light on some important aspects of well-being that are often ignored or overlooked. It was written as insight given specifically to the unique life and calling she and her husband, James, shared. But Ellen White also wrote it down to express principles of health that everyone, especially those involved in ministry, can consider and apply in their own lives.
For herself and James, the vision addressed:
- The need for mutual care and understanding regarding individual sensitivities and areas of vulnerability
- The temptation to dwell in the past, and how Satan can use this as a distraction
- James’ stress and suffering due to picking up the slack of others. She saw an angel tell James to forgive them and to give the situation to God, rather than fixating on the injustices.
- The dangers of overworking and neglecting rest, and not maintaining a healthy work/home balance.
- Encouraging a cheerful and hopeful frame of mind for the sake of overall health, and shunning the compulsion to be constantly busy, or to live up to the expectations of others in place of what’s needed for a balanced and peaceful home life.
Her vision also covered more general health principles, which later became an important part of the Adventist health message. These included:
- The connection of health to the spiritual life
- The link between lifestyle and disease
- The negative effects of alcohol, tobacco, stimulating drinks, and rich food
- Temperance (self-control) in every aspect of life—eating, drinking, and working
- A simple vegetarian diet
- Avoidance of unclean meat, such as pork, per Leviticus 11
- Cleanliness
- The healing power of exercise, pure water, fresh air, and sunlight
- The dangers of recreational drugs (particularly those used in Ellen White’s time)
- How the mind and attitude affect health
- The role of health in the Adventist mission
(Letters and Manuscripts, “Manuscript 1, 1863″)
Call to begin a health center
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
Date: December 25, 1865
Location: Rochester, New York
Type: Counsel
Summary: Ellen White’s final vision about health gave her a glimpse of the way health could be part of the Seventh-day Adventist mission. It called the leadership to begin health centers, where they could teach others about caring for their bodies. In her own words, “I was shown that we should provide a home for the afflicted and those who wish to learn how to take care of their bodies that they may prevent sickness.”
The vision went on to provide more details of what this health center would be like: a place that taught people simple principles of healthy eating, fresh air, and exercise and also had the freedom to teach the Bible and Christian living.
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 485–494)
Ellen White’s visions give us a glimpse of who she was
Here, we’ve given you an in-depth resource to dig deeper into Ellen White’s visions. And more than just learning about the contents of the visions, you’ve also gotten a glimpse into the type of woman she was.
She was a humble messenger of God, sharing the messages He gave her and not seeking credit for them. Because of this attitude, He used her in many great and small ways to make a difference in the lives of individuals and the church.
To zoom out and understand a bigger picture of her life and work,
Related Articles
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