The SDA church claims that Ellen’s failed prophecies were conditional. However, this principle is not biblical. When a conditional prophecies were given within scripture, the conditions were given at the time the prophecy was given. 

 

Scripture:

• "Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.' When the word reached the king of Nineveh...he issued a proclamation...'they are not to eat or drink water. But every person and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and people are to call on God vehemently, and they are to turn, each one from his evil way, and from the violence which is in their hands. Who knows, God may turn from his burning anger so that we will not perish.' When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil way, then God relented of the disaster which he had declared he would bring on them. So He did not do it." Jonah Ch. 3
  • The people of Nineveh were told that God may spare them if they repented, fasted, and prayed. When they adhered to these conditions, God indeed spared them.

 

• "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, or destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster that I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it." Jeremiah 18:7-10

 

• "And you may say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." Deuteronomy 18:21-22

 

Ellen G. White:

• “I was pointed to some who are in the great error of believing that it is their duty to go to Old Jerusalem, and think they have a work to do there before the Lord comes. . . . I saw that Satan had greatly deceived some in this thing. . . . I also saw that Old Jerusalem never would be built up; and that Satan was doing his utmost to lead the minds of the children of the Lord into these things now, in the gathering time.” Early Writings, p. 75 
  • At the time of Ellen’s writing, Jerusalem and Israel was a desolate place compared to what it is today. Since Israel's re-establishment in 1948, Israel has been replanted with crops and vineyards. Old Jerusalem has been since built up and is flourishing with people, business, and tourism. Ministries such as One For Israel report approximately 30,000 messianic Jewish believers in Israel today, who came to faith long after Ellen’s death. There have never been more Jewish believers in Israel today who are coming to faith in Jesus since the time Jesus walked there. Evidence shows that at the time Ellen claimed God’s people had no work to do there, God still had a plan to reach the Jewish people in Israel. 

 

• “January 4, 1862, I was shown some things in regard to our nation… This nation will yet be humbled into the dust. England is studying whether it is best to take advantage of the present weak condition of our nation, and venture to make war upon her…When England does declare war, all nations will have an interest of their own to serve, and there will be general war, general confusion…The weakness of our Government is fully open before other nations, and they now conclude that it is because it was not a monarchial government, and they admire their own government, and look down, some with pity, others with contempt, upon our nation, which they have regarded as the most powerful upon the globe. Had our nation remained united it would have had strength, but divided it must fall.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 259
  • England did not declare war.

 

Ellen prophesied from vision that the door was “shut” and time was ending in just a few years.

• “Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. . . . Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, “Alleluia!” as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.” Early Writings, p. 15-16

 

• “Some are looking too far off for the coming of the Lord. Time has continued a few years longer than they expected; therefore they think it may continue a few years more, and in this way their minds are being led from present truth, out after the world. . . . I saw that the time for Jesus to be in the most holy place was nearly finished and that time can last but a little longer.” Early Writings, p. 58 (1850)

 

• “My accompanying angel said, “Time is almost finished.” . . . Said the angel, “Get ready, get ready, get ready . . .”  I saw that there was a great work to do for them and but little time in which to do it. . . . Then I saw the seven last plagues were soon to be poured out upon those who have no shelter...” Early Writings, p. 64

 

• “I was shown the company present at the Conference. Said the angel: “Some food for worms, [Sister Clarissa M. Bonfoey, who fell asleep in Jesus only three days after this vision was given, was present in usual health, and was deeply impressed that she was one who would go into the grave, and stated her convictions to others.] some subjects of the seven last plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus.” Ellen White, Testimonies to the Church Vol 1, p. 131

 

Ellen taught that those converting to Christianity after the shut door are simply false converts:

• “I was shown that the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, relating to the shut door, could not be separated. . . I saw that the mysterious signs and wonders and false reformations would increase and spread. The reformations that were shown me were not reformations from error to truth, but from bad to worse, for those who professed a change of heart had only wrapped about them a religious garb, which covered up the iniquity of a wicked heart. Some appeared to have been really converted, so as to deceive God’s people, but if their hearts could be seen they would appear as black as ever. My accompanying angel bade me look for the travail of soul for sinners as used to be. I looked, but could not see it, for the time for their salvation is past.” Present Truth, p. 21-22 (1849)
  • This vision took place during the seven-year theory when Ellen was claiming, based on her vision, that the door of mercy had already been “shut.” Anyone who appeared to come to faith during this time was now “past salvation,” and they were still lost. Ellen claimed to have seen this vision from an angel of God. Because these things never came to pass as her angel said, the angel she spoke with does not appear to have come from God.

 

When the shut door became unpopular, Ellen (and the church) claims she did not receive her shut door theory in vision: 

• “For a time after the disappointment in 1844, I did hold in common with the advent body that the door of mercy was then forever closed to the world. This position was taken before my first vision was given me. It was the light given me of God that corrected our error and enabled us to see the true position.” Manuscript 4, par. 20 (1883)

 

However she did in fact claim to have received the shut door in vision when she wrote of her vision to Bates, a letter that was hidden from the public until the 1980's:

• “Brother Bates, you write in a letter to James something about the Bridegroom's coming, as stated in the first published visions. By the letter you would like to know whether I had light on the Bridegroom's coming before I saw it in vision. I can readily answer, No. The Lord showed me the travail of the Advent band and midnight cry in December, but He did not show me the Bridegroom's coming until February following. Perhaps you would like to have me give a statement in relation to both visions. At the time I had the vision of the midnight cry I had given it up in the past and thought it future, as also most of the band had…There were but few out when he talked, so the next meeting I told my vision, and the band, believing my visions from God, received what God bade me to deliver to them. The view about the Bridegroom's coming I had about the middle of February, 1845. While in Exeter, Maine in meeting with Israel Dammon, James, and many others, many of them did not believe in a shut door. I suffered much at the commencement of the meeting. Unbelief seemed to be on every hand. There was one sister there that was called very spiritual. She had traveled and been a powerful preacher the most of the time for twenty years. She had been truly a mother in Israel. But a division had risen in the band on the shut door. She had great sympathy, and could not believe the door was shut. (I had known nothing of their differences.) Sister Durben got up to talk. I felt very, very sad. At length my soul seemed to be in an agony, and while she was talking I fell from my chair to the floor. It was then I had a view of Jesus rising from His mediatorial throne and going to the holiest as Bridegroom to receive His kingdom. They were all deeply interested in the view. They all said it was entirely new to them. The Lord worked in mighty power setting the truth home to their hearts. Sister Durben knew what the power of the Lord was, for she had felt it many times; and a short time after I fell she was struck down, and fell to the floor, crying to God to have mercy on her. When I came out of vision, my ears were saluted with Sister Durben's singing and shouting with a loud voice. Most of them received the vision, and were settled upon the shut door. Previous to this I had no light on the coming of the Bridegroom, but had expected him to this earth to deliver His people on the tenth day of the seventh month. I did not hear a lecture or a word in any way relating to the Bridegroom's going to the holiest… I know the light I received came from God, it was not taught me by man. I knew not how to write so that others could read it till God gave me my visions.” Manuscript Release, Letter 3 (1847)