Ellen G. White was one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In her lifetime she published more than 5000 articles for periodicals and wrote 40 books. [1] Smithsonian Magazine has listed her as one of the “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.”[2] She made many statements about the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in her writings. This should come as no surprise because Seventh-Day Adventists believe that on October 22, 1844 on the Day of Atonement, Jesus entered the Heavenly Sanctuary to perform His final work as our High Priest before He returns to earth as our King. However, did Ellen G. White ever write anything about the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) that our Jewish brethren or non-Adventist Christians would feel comfortable with? I have found several statements that I believe fulfil this criterion. As we get closer to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), I will examine some of these quotes. The first quote comes from the book Patriarchs and Prophets.
On the Day of Atonement two kids of the goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle, and lots were cast upon them, “one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.” The goat upon which the first lot fell was to be slain as a sin offering for the people. And the priest was to bring his blood within the veil, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat. “And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgression in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.”
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited.” Not until the goat had been thus sent away did the people regard themselves as freed from the burden of their sins. Every man was to afflict his soul while the work of atonement was going forward. All business was laid aside, and the whole congregation of Israel spent the day in solemn humiliation before God, with prayer, fasting, and deep searching of heart.
Important truths concerning the atonement were taught the people by this yearly service. In the sin offerings presented during the year, a substitute had been accepted in the sinner’s stead; but the blood of the victim had not made full atonement for the sin. It had only provided a means by which the sin was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed the guilt of his transgression, and expressed his faith in Him who was to take away the sin of the world; but he was not entirely released from the condemnation of the law. On the Day of Atonement the high priest, having taken an offering for the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, above the tables of the law. Thus the claims of the law, which demanded the life of the sinner, were satisfied. Then in his character of mediator the priest took the sins upon himself, and, leaving the sanctuary, he bore with him the burden of Israel’s guilt. At the door of the tabernacle he laid his hands upon the head of the scapegoat and confessed over him “all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat.” And as the goat bearing these sins was sent away, they were, with him, regarded as forever separated from the people. Such was the service performed “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Hebrews 8:5.[3]
Some people might think that our Jewish brethren might take offence to her last sentence of this statement that quotes a verse in the book of Hebrews. However, I don’t think that this is the case because the idea that the earthly Tabernacle and its services pointed to the Heavenly Sanctuary is not unique to the New Testament. It is also found in the Tanakh (Old Testament). The JPS Torah Commentary: Exodus supports this notion:
The Tabernacle and its furnishings are conceived either as earthly replicas of celestial archetypes or as constructions based upon divinely given blueprints and pictorial representations. Both notions are found elsewhere in the Bible.[4]
There are several texts in the Old Testament (Tanakh) that speak of a Heavenly Sanctuary. Isaiah saw God in the Heavenly Sanctuary in vision. “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple” Isaiah 6:1(KJV). Isaiah saw God in the Temple in Heaven. Micah also speaks of a Temple in Heaven:
2 Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.3 For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
Micah 1:2-3 (KJV)
Perhaps the strongest statement in the in the Old Testament (Tanakh) is found in Psalm 11:4 (KJV): The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
The earthly Temple has been destroyed. However, the Heavenly Temple remains. As long as this sinful world remains there are events that the earthly Temple pointed to that have not yet been fulfilled. Both Jews and Christians are looking for the coming of the Messiah. They are both looking for God to restore us and the earth to perfection.
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
Isaiah 65:17-19 (KJV)
References
[1] Arthur L. White. Ellen G. White – A Brief Biography. Ellen G. White Estate. Retrieved 9/17/2023. https://whiteestate.org/about/egwbio/#
[2] T.A. Frail. Meet the 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time. Smithsonian Magazine. November 17, 2014. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonianmag/meet-100-most-significant-americans-all-time-180953341/
[3] White, E. G. (1890). (E. G. White 1890)(Vol. 1, pp. 355–356). Pacific Press Publishing Association.
[4] Sarna, N. M. (1991). (Sarna 1991)(p. 159). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
The photograph of Ellen G. White is Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.
https://whiteestate.org/resources/photos/#copyright
Posted: September 20, 2023 · Leave a Comment
Statements from Ellen G. White about the Day of Atonement
Ellen G. White was one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In her lifetime she published more than 5000 articles for periodicals and wrote 40 books. [1] Smithsonian Magazine has listed her as one of the “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.”[2] She made many statements about the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in her writings. This should come as no surprise because Seventh-Day Adventists believe that on October 22, 1844 on the Day of Atonement, Jesus entered the Heavenly Sanctuary to perform His final work as our High Priest before He returns to earth as our King. However, did Ellen G. White ever write anything about the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) that our Jewish brethren or non-Adventist Christians would feel comfortable with? I have found several statements that I believe fulfil this criterion. As we get closer to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), I will examine some of these quotes. The first quote comes from the book Patriarchs and Prophets.
Some people might think that our Jewish brethren might take offence to her last sentence of this statement that quotes a verse in the book of Hebrews. However, I don’t think that this is the case because the idea that the earthly Tabernacle and its services pointed to the Heavenly Sanctuary is not unique to the New Testament. It is also found in the Tanakh (Old Testament). The JPS Torah Commentary: Exodus supports this notion:
There are several texts in the Old Testament (Tanakh) that speak of a Heavenly Sanctuary. Isaiah saw God in the Heavenly Sanctuary in vision. “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple” Isaiah 6:1(KJV). Isaiah saw God in the Temple in Heaven. Micah also speaks of a Temple in Heaven:
2 Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.3 For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
Micah 1:2-3 (KJV)
Perhaps the strongest statement in the in the Old Testament (Tanakh) is found in Psalm 11:4 (KJV): The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
The earthly Temple has been destroyed. However, the Heavenly Temple remains. As long as this sinful world remains there are events that the earthly Temple pointed to that have not yet been fulfilled. Both Jews and Christians are looking for the coming of the Messiah. They are both looking for God to restore us and the earth to perfection.
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
Isaiah 65:17-19 (KJV)
References
[1] Arthur L. White. Ellen G. White – A Brief Biography. Ellen G. White Estate. Retrieved 9/17/2023. https://whiteestate.org/about/egwbio/#
[2] T.A. Frail. Meet the 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time. Smithsonian Magazine. November 17, 2014. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonianmag/meet-100-most-significant-americans-all-time-180953341/
[3] White, E. G. (1890). (E. G. White 1890)(Vol. 1, pp. 355–356). Pacific Press Publishing Association.
[4] Sarna, N. M. (1991). (Sarna 1991)(p. 159). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
The photograph of Ellen G. White is Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.
https://whiteestate.org/resources/photos/#copyright
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