“Revelation”

Entry for Ellen G. White Encyclopedia

Ellen White’s view of the book of Revelation is most clearly discerned in the two major

treatments where she directly addresses her understanding of the context and purpose of the

book. The first and most comprehensive treatment was published in the Review and Herald, Feb.

18, 1890 and republished in Testimonies to Ministers, 112-119. The second treatment consists of

two chapters in Acts of the Apostles (568-592).

Basic Conviction

Ellen White’s approach to Revelation was informed by a basic conviction. She believed

that an end-time explosion in the understanding of Daniel and Revelation was the key factor

behind the rise of the Advent movement. She felt, in other words, that in her time God had lifted a

veil off from these books, enabling them to be fully understood (TM 113:3). The book of

Revelation, therefore, was addressed to those living in the last days and the time of fulfillment was

near (TM 113:3; 115:2; 116:2; 6T 61-62).

More Study Needed

Although the Adventist pioneers had invested much in the study of Revelation, Ellen

White was convinced that the book had not yet been fully understood (TM 113:2). Those wishing

a deeper understanding would need to approach the book “humbly and meekly” (TM 114:4). The

deeper understanding of Revelation that they gained would be a great boon to character

development (TM 114:3). There would be a “great revival” (TM 113:2) marked by “an entirely

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different religious experience” (TM 114:3). So the primary goal of Revelation, in her thinking,

was not knowledge, but character.

In terms of method, this deeper study would need to take two, somewhat contrasting

forms. On the one hand, Ellen White advocated studying Revelation in the context of Daniel, as a

follow-up to the visions given there (TM 114:6; EW 231:2). The two books were to be treated as

close companions (TM 115:3,4; AA 585:1). On the other hand, she urged people to study

Revelation in the context of all the other prophecies in the Bible (TM 112:1). She even went so

far as to suggest that in the book of Revelation “all the books of the Bible meet and end” (AA

585:1). So a whole-Bible approach with special attention to Daniel was the basic method she

thought should be applied to Revelation. But while Daniel and Revelation are complimentary, the

two books are not the same. Daniel contains much that was sealed up (Dan 12:4), but Revelation

was not sealed, its mysteries have always been “open to the study of all” (AA 584:1; RH August

31, 1897).

The Book’s Purpose

Ellen White articulated a high spiritual purpose for the book of Revelation. 1) The book

was designed to keep the human agent out of sight and to exalt God and His law (TM 112:2).

When readers view the glory of God portrayed there human pride is laid in the dust. 2) The close

connection between heaven and earth in the visions was designed to teach that the connection

between God and His people is “close and decided” (TM 114:5; AA 586:1). 3) Rightly

understood, Revelation enables presenters to “uplift Jesus as the center of all hope” (TM 118:1).

Revelation was not designed to satisfy curiosity about the future but to fix human eyes on Jesus

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and encourage a closer walk with God.

Authorship and Date

Ellen White’s view of Revelation’s authorship and time of writing was in harmony with

the traditions of the Early Church Fathers as well as the conservative consensus around the turn of

the Twentieth Century. She taught that the author of Revelation was the last survivor of the

disciples, presumably John the son of Zebedee (AA 569:1). The Apocalypse was written in the

time of Emperor Domitian, who summoned John to Rome to be tried for his faith, had him cast

into a cauldron of boiling oil, and then banished him to the Isle of Patmos, a place of banishment

for criminals (AA 569:4-570:4).

EllenWhite’s Approach to the Book

Where her statements are clear, Ellen White seems to consistently apply the “historicist”

method to the text of Revelation (EW 230:2). “Some of the scenes depicted in this prophecy are

in the past, some are now taking place; some bring to view the close of the great conflict between

the powers of darkness and the Prince of heaven, and some reveal the triumphs and joys of the

redeemed in the earth made new” (AA 584:1). Two examples of her historicist approach: 1) she

sees the letter to the church of Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7) as a description of the entire Christian church

in the apostolic age (First Century AD– AA 578:1-2, cf. AA 585:3), and 2) the message to

Laodicea is particularly applicable to the Adventist people at the end of time (MS 33, 1894,

quoted in 7 BC 961).

At the same time, however, she also acknowledges that the book of Revelation was given

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“for the guidance and comfort of the church throughout the Christian dispensation” (AA 583:1),

something more akin to the “idealist” approach. The overcomer promises of all the seven letters,

for example (including Rev 2:7; 3:5 and 3:21), belong to all the faithful ones striving against evil

throughout the centuries of darkness and superstition (AA 588:1-2). The message to Ephesus

offers an example of how to reprove sin for ministers today (MS 136, 1902, quoted in 7BC 956).

The message to Laodicea applies to all who profess to keep the law of God but are not doers of it

(RH Oct 17, 1899; DA 489-490).

Whichever way one studies Revelation, however, Ellen White sees the book of Revelation

fulfilling a special role in the final era of earth’s history (TM 113:0; 115:2; 116:2; GC 341-342).

The truths of the book are “addressed to those living in these last days” (TM 113:3; 8T 301).

Many parts of Revelation (she cites in this context Rev 15:2-3; 21:2-22; 22:1-5, 14; and 14:2-5)

are directly concerned with the ultimate triumph of God’s remnant church (AA 590-592). She

believed that her generation was nearing the time when those prophecies would be fulfilled (TM

113:3). So while historicism was her primary approach to Revelation, she understood that the

entire book would have special significance for the very last days (TM 116:5; 9T 267). Even the

chains of history portrayed there would help God’s people correctly estimate the value of things

and discern “the true aim of life” (PK 548:1-2).

Summaries of Interpretation

The remainder of this article summarizes random points of interpretation that can be found

scattered throughout Ellen White’s writings, particularly in the book The Great Controversy. The

concepts that follow are covered in the order of the texts in Revelation to which they apply,

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beginning with chapter 1 and ending with chapter 22. White understood the “Lord’s Day,” when

the spirit came upon John (Rev 1:9-10), to be the Sabbath day (AA 581:3; YI April 5, 1900). She

associates the heavenly scene of Revelation 4-5 with the ascension of Christ to heaven after His

resurrection (DA 834-835). The lion and the lamb (Rev 5:5-6) are both symbols of Christ,

representing the union of omnipotent power with self-sacrificing love (AA 589:2). The heavenly

signs of the sixth seal (Rev 6:12-14) are usually associated with events leading up to the Advent

movement in the mid-19th Century (GC 333-334).

While her language falls short of an endorsement, White approvingly reports the

predictions of Josiah Litch related to the fifth and sixth trumpets (GC 334-335). The scene of

Revelation 10 describes a point in history when the time periods of Daniel have reached their

conclusion and the final proclamation of the gospel has begun (MS 59, 1900, quoted in 7BC 971).

The two witnesses of Revelation 11 represent the Old and the New Testaments, and the

descriptions of the chapter portray how the Bible was treated in the course of the French

Revolution (GC 265-288).

Ellen White describes the war in heaven of Rev 12:7-12 in two different, but

complementary ways. On the one hand, the scene describes a threat to the government of heaven

that occurred even before the creation of the world. Satan, and all the angels who followed him,

were physically cast out of heaven at that time (RH January 28, 1909; Letter 114, 1903, quoted in

7 BC 973). On the other hand, the casting out of the dragon reflects the impact of the cross on the

affections of the universe (MS 50, 1900, quoted in 7 BC 974). At the cross, Satan lost any

spiritual credibility he may have retained in heavenly places (3SP 194-195).

Ellen White understood the sea beast of Rev 13:1-10 to represent the papacy of the

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Middle Ages (GC 49-60), which is to have an end-time role in opposition to the true people of

God (GC 445-450). While many of her statements against the leadership of the Roman Catholic

Church are painfully strong by today’s standards (GC 563-581), other statements caution against

personalizing one’s opposition to the papacy (Ev 576:1). She also recognizes that time and place

need to be considered when expressing that opposition (TM 112:2; Ev 573-577).

Ellen White understood the land beast of Rev 13:11-14 as the United States of America in

its end-time collaboration with the Roman heirarchy (GC 439-445). The Mark of the Beast is

received when one rejects God’s final call to true Sabbath keeping and instead submits to the end-

time enforcement of Sunday worship (GC 445-450). The three angels of Rev 14:6-12 represent

believers in God’s end-time message who spread the last gospel message throughout the world

(GC 311-312).

Ellen White did not consider the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 16:16) a military affair in the

Middle East or elsewhere, to her Armageddon will be a last-day spiritual conflict between the

people of God and the forces of evil (note several comments in 7BC 982-983). During that last

conflict fundamental spiritual principles will be clarified and people will be brought to decision

concerning them. It will be a time when faith is tested rather than physical power or skill (MS 1a,

1890, quoted in 7BC 983).

Regarding Revelation 20, Ellen White was a pre-millenialist. She believed that the

millennium will be a thousand-year period after the Second Coming of Jesus. During that period

the earth will be desolate of human beings, although Satan and his angels are confined there. The

people of God are taken up to heaven at the second coming to spend the thousand years with God

(GC 653-661). At the close of the millennium, the wicked of all time are resurrected and God’s

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people return to earth with the New Jerusalem to witness the final destruction of sin, sinners and

Satan (GC662-673). The earth is then destroyed by fire and God creates a new heaven and a new

earth in which God’s faithful people will dwell forever in joy and perfect harmony (GC 673-678).

In White’s opinion, however, the best definition of heaven is not riches and glory, it is the

presence of Christ (undated MS 58, quoted in 7BC 989).

Jon Paulien
Professor of New Testament
Andrews University