SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS HAVE AN EMBARRASSING PREDICAMENT!
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... ** Holy Sow--You Gotta Read This - July 25 *** "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you THAN THAT WHICH WE HAVE PREACHED UNTO YOU, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, LET HIM BE ACCURSED ." Galatians 1:8-9 dk |