Here, Ellen White claims that visions confirmed the present truth
swine food teaching of 1850:
"Last night [Jan 9, 1850]...Ellen had the following view in relation
to the Present Truth: 'I saw the paper, and that it was needed, that
souls were hungry for the truth that must be written in the paper...I
saw that God did not want James to stop yet, but he must write,
write, write, and speed the message and let it go." James White
Letter, Jan 10, 1850, p.51 (Messenger to the Remnant A.L. White,
p.49)
"I saw that James had not borne the burden alone, but that the
ANGELS OF GOD HAD ASSISTED and had oversight of the
paper." Vision at Paris, Maine 25 Dec 1850
According to the visions of Ellen White, God approved of the
present truth swine's flesh teaching of 1850 and the angels of God
assisted James and had oversight of the paper that said:
SWINES FLESH
.
"…But as we may not all see just alike as to what the Prophet
[Isaiah] teaches on this subject, let us come to the New Testament.
And what do we find? Certainly, if eating swine's flesh is a sin in
the sight of Heaven, in this dispensation, the New Testament has in
some way taught us the fact. But we find that the New Testament
does not, directly nor indirectly, teach any such thing."
"… But the New Testament so far from teaching that the use of
swine's flesh is wrong, that it affords good testimony that it is not
forbidden. First, take the case of the Apostle Peter, when God was
about to send him to preach to the Gentiles. His Jewish views and
feelings in relation to common and unclean beasts that did not part
the hoof and chew the cud, see Lev.xi, must first be removed
before he could see that God was no respecter of persons, and that
there was salvation for the Gentiles. "About the sixth hour,"
(noon,) "Peter went upon the housetop to pray." "He became very
hungry, and would have eaten;" and in this state "fell into a trance."
The opening heavens discovered to him "a certain vessel"
descending, in which "were ALL MANNER of four-footed beast."
&c. Certainly, swine were there. The sudden appearance of these
beasts no doubt aroused Peter's Jewish feelings and prejudices for
he considered many of them "UNCLEAN." At this point "there
came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said, "Not
so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or
UNCLEAN." This vision, and the connected circumstances, rid the
Apostle of his exclusive feelings, and opened the way for him to
preach to, and eat with the Gentiles."
"Now look at some of the trials of the apostolic church, on the
subject of eating with the Gentiles, and some other points of the
law of Moses, and the final decision of the conference of apostles
and elders assembled at Jerusalem. See Acts,chap.xv. Judaizing
teachers taught the churches that they, in order to be saved must
keep the law of Moses. This at once caused divisions among them,
and called forth the following from the Apostle Paul. "Let not him
that eateth, despise him that eateth not; and let not him which
eateth not, JUDGE him that eateth." See Rom.xiv,1-6. "Let no man
therefore JUDGE you in meat, &c." See Col.ii,14-17. The Gentile
converts used swine's flesh, and other meats which were
"abomination" to the Jews, while the converts from the Jewish
church were inclined to still follow the law of Moses in these
things, and were JUDGING the Gentile converts, and binding on
them burdens which the gospel did not require…Some of our good
brethren have added "swine's flesh" to the catalogue of things
forbidden by the Holy Ghost, and the apostles and elders
assembled at Jerusalem. But we feel called upon to protest against
such a course, as being contrary to the plain teaching of the holy
scriptures. Shall we lay a greater "burden" on the disciples than
seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and the holy apostles of our Lord
Jesus Christ? God forbid. Their decision, being right, settled the
question with them, and was a cause of rejoicing among the
churches, and it should forever settle the question with us."
THE PRESENT TRUTH. VOL. I. - PARIS, ME.,. NOVEMBER,
1850. - NO. 11 James White *
Since Ellen White testified that visions confirmed that God
approved of the present truth SWINE FLESH teaching of 1850 and
that angels of God assisted James and had oversight of the paper,
that puts "vegetarian" in an embarrassing position for saying this:
"...We know biblically speaking, GOD WOULD NEVER PERMIT
HIS PEOPLE TO EAT PORK, BUT THEY WERE BLINDED."**
The irony is overwhelming – when the early Adventists stuck with the
Bible they were certain that eating flesh meat – even swine's flesh
was not a sin.
Jesus ate flesh-meat; the apostles ate flesh-meat; --and none of
them taught that vegetarianism is a requirement for salvation. THE
GOSPEL OF HEALTH REFORM IS ANOTHER GOSPEL"*** and
it directly contradicts the teaching of Jesus Christ, the apostles
and THE PRESENT TRUTH TEACHING OF 1850.
Donna Kupp
* The entire article is found at:
http://www.presentdaytruth.com/books/present-truth/present-truth-vol1...
