Desire of Ages quotes - misconstrued and misapplied
Theologians and Scholars today claim, that Ellen White became a Trinitarian with the writing of the Desire of Ages in 1898. They tend to dumb down the people with their narrow quotes. Here are many points within the book that show us otherwise. Keep in mind in 1909 six years before her death, and eleven years after she was supposedly a Trinitarian, she wrote this statement in Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 9, 189.3:
“They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—is to bring unity into their ranks.” If she was Trinitarian, she would have removed “Spirit of Christ” and wrote “God the Holy Spirit”. It is the Spirit of Christ that comes to us as a third person of the Godhead. Not someone else.
Theologians and Scholars will sometimes say that Ellen White matured and with that, her beliefs changed when she got older. Well she grew up as a Methodist and knew what the Trinitarian doctrine was. In 1898 when the Desire of Ages came out, she was 71. Was she matured by then? How about 1909 when she clearly identifies the third person as the Spirit of Christ at age 82 in the Testimonies, vol. 9? How big of a lie do these leaders need to make?
“All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all.” — (Desire Of Ages, p. 21) — Christ received everything from His Father including His life. "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." - John 5:26
“The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 51) — Jesus was the Son of God before He came to Earth. The trinity doctrine teaches all three are one god and that the Father sent Himself to die playing the role of the Son. Modern Adventism also claims that the churches pioneers that formed the faith did not believe in Christ as the Son of God prior to his human birth in Bethlehem. This is very dishonest.
“Satan well knew the position that Christ had held in heaven as the Beloved of the Father. That the Son of God should come to this earth as a man filled him with amazement and with apprehension. He could not fathom the mystery of this great sacrifice.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 115) — Same comment as above.
“While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth. He is withdrawn from the eye of sense, but His parting promise is fulfilled, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matt. 28:20. While He delegates His power to inferior ministers, His energizing presence is still with His church.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 166) — It is the Holy Spirit of Christ here on Earth working in us, not another being as per the trinity doctrine which is Satan's counterfeit for the Godhead.
“The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets. “The Spirit of Christ which was in them” “testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 234) — The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was also the Holy Spirit of Christ and not another literal being as per the trinity doctrine.
“It was Gabriel, the angel next in rank to the Son of God, who came with the divine message to Daniel.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 234) — The Holy Spirit should be the highest being next to the Son of God according to the trinity doctrine, but that is not accurate. It is Gabriel after the fall of Lucifer.
“When He should come forth from the tomb, their sorrow would be turned to joy. After His ascension He was to be absent in person; but through the Comforter He would still be with them, and they were not to spend their time in mourning.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 278) — Christ by His Holy Spirit is the Comforter, not another being as per the trinity doctrine. Note also: “This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter.” — (Ellen White, 14MR 179.2)
"Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual, what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church." — (Desire of Ages, p. 671) - It is the Spirit of Christ given as a divine power. Almost everyone quotes the first sentence without reading and understanding the whole paragraph.
“In the beginning, the Father and the Son had rested on the Sabbath after their work of Creation.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 769) — The trinity doctrine teaches that the word “us” in Genesis 1:26 is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three beings that were involved in creation. But it was only the Father and Son which Scripture reveals as well as the Spirit of Prophecy. This was the firm belief in the SDA church from
1850 (prior to the official organizational date) to 1979.
“And when He had said this, He (Christ) breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: ... Before the disciples could fulfill their official duties in connection with the church, Christ breathed His Spirit upon them. He was committing to them a most sacred trust, and He desired to impress them with the fact that without the Holy Spirit this work could not be accomplished.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 805) — The Holy Spirit given by Christ to His disciples and at Pentecost was His OWN Spirit. Not another literal being as per the trinity doctrine. John 20:22 quoted.
“The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church.” – (Desire of Ages, p.805.3)
“Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind.” — (Desire of Ages, p. 827) — The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, not another being as per the trinity doctrine which was a teaching that begun 348 years after the cross and hence never came from Christ or the disciples. Note also: “The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, which is sent to all men to give them sufficiency,” — (Ellen White, 14 Manuscript Releases, p. 84)
“The humble Nazarene asserts His real nobility. He rises above humanity, throws off the guise of sin and shame, and stands revealed, the Honored of the angels, the Son of God, One with the Creator of the universe. His hearers are spellbound. No man has ever spoken words like His, or borne himself with such a kingly majesty. His utterances are clear and plain, fully declaring His mission, and the duty of the world. “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him.... For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man.” – (Desire of Ages, p. 210.1)
“However much a shepherd may love his sheep, he loves his sons and daughters more. Jesus is not only our shepherd; He is our “everlasting Father.” And he says, “I know Mine own, and Mine own know Me, even as the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father.” John 10:14, 15 R.V. What a statement is this!—the only-begotten Son, He who is in the bosom of the Father, He whom God has declared to be “the Man that is My fellow” (Zech. 13:7), --the communion between Him and the eternal God is taken to represent the communion between Christ and His children on the earth!” – (Desire of Ages, p. 483)
“But while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come. The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.....The disciples still failed to understand Christ's words in their spiritual sense, and again He explained His meaning. By the Spirit, He said, He would manifest Himself to them.” – (Desire of Ages, page 669-670, ‘Let not your heart be troubled’)
“It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal.” – (Desire of Ages, page 388, ‘The crisis in Galilee’)
“Never before have the angels listened to such a prayer. They are eager to bear to their loved Commander a message of assurance and comfort. But no; the Father Himself will answer the petition of His Son. Direct from the throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens are opened, and upon the Saviour’s head descends a dovelike form of purest light—fit emblem of Him, the meek and lowly One…….The people stood silently gazing upon Christ. His form was bathed in the light that ever surrounds the throne of God. His upturned face was glorified as they had never before seen the face of man. From the open heavens a voice was heard saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” – (Desire of Ages, p. 112)
“The Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of His love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing His grace to the world. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people.” – (Desire of Ages, p. 671.3)
“The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for Christ had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the Spirit did not take place till after Christ’s ascension.” – (Desire of Ages, p. 805.2)
“Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, “whose goings forth have been from an old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. Again the priests and rabbis cried out against Jesus as a blasphemer. His claim to be one with God had before stirred them to take His life, and a few months later they plainly declared, “For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.” John 10:33. Because He was, and avowed Himself to be, the Son of God, they were bent on destroying Him.” – (Desire of Ages, p. 469, 470)
“With the golden chain of His matchless love Christ has bound them to the throne of God. It is His purpose that the highest influence in the universe, emanating from the source of all power shall be theirs.” – (Desire of Ages, p. 679, 680)