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America in Prophecy
Originally published as "The Great Controversy" in 1858 by Ellen G. White, one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this is "a history of sin from beginning to end."
- GenresNonfiction
662 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 22, 1858
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211 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Gould White
2,182 books546 followersIn brief, Ellen Gould Harmon White was a woman of remarkable spiritual gifts who lived most of her life during the nineteenth century (1827-1915), yet through her writings she is still making a revolutionary impact on millions of people around the world. During her lifetime she wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books; but today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Her writings cover a broad range of subjects, including religion, education, social relationships, evangelism, prophecy, publishing, nutrition, and management. Her life-changing masterpiece on successful Christian living, Steps to Christ, has been published in more than 140 languages. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was more than a gifted writer; they believe she was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world's attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ's second advent. From the time she was 17 years old until she died 70 years later, God gave her approximately 2,000 visions and dreams. The visions varied in length from less than a minute to nearly four hours. The knowledge and counsel received through these revelations she wrote out to be shared with others. Thus her special writings are accepted by Seventh-day Adventists as inspired, and their exceptional quality is recognized even by casual readers. As stated in Seventh-day Adventists Believe ... , “The writings of Ellen White are not a substitute for Scripture. They cannot be placed on the same level. The Holy Scriptures stand alone, the unique standard by which her and all other writings must be judged and to which they must be subject” (Seventh-day Adventists Believe ... , Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Washington D.C., 1988, p. 227). Yet, as Ellen White herself noted, “The fact that God has revealed His will to men through His Word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit was promised by our Saviour to open the Word to His servants, to illuminate and apply its teachings” (The Great Controversy, p. vii). The following is a more detailed account of the life and work of this remarkable woman who, meeting all the tests of a true prophet as set forth in the Holy Scriptures, helped found the Seventh-day Adventist church.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 24, 2015
Rarely do I give a book one star, so where to start?
First, the title is deceptive. Mine reads: America in Prophecy, Will America Always Be Free? That is in fact, the title of Chapter 25 of 42. This book was formerly titled The Great Controversy. Secondly, the publish date says 1973, but it was originally written in 1888. That made a big difference since I picked the book because I assumed I was getting a book on prophecy that would be interesting to contrast with The Late, Great Planet Earth, written back-in-the-day.
Then I started reading. The first nearly 300 pages is hateful spewing against Catholicism which continues to be interwoven throughout the text -- loaded terms - "ignorant, superstition, oppression, College of the Propaganda". According to Ch 13, the Catholic Church is a beast of the End Days.
And Ch 32 warns us to beware of science.
I finally figured out that the author was a prominent 19th Seven Day Adventist and that is the book’s slant. I am unfamiliar with the religion, so I was intrigued.
Ms. White spent an inordinate amount of print describing Miller’s anticipated (but not materialized) 1844 end of days, and she then applied the Biblical principles as she understood them to End Times she expected to be forthcoming. What will be the final trip wire to the Apocalypse? Celebrating the Sabbath on Sunday instead of Saturday, with duped Catholics pounding their chests and chanting “Mea culpa”. (In all fairness, she neither had good words for Universalists )
Now, granted, a thorough updating (or at least a caveat that we are reading “a slice in time” analysis) would have acknowledged that, yes, there were atrocities in years past but then there was Vatican II (and now Pope Francis), that even 40+ years ago science was not diabolical, that her application of the Biblical quotes in Daniel and Revelations are truly out of sync with the world even in 1973, and that God is probably more interested in our heartfelt worship than on which day of the weekend it is offered.
Reviews show quite a few 5 stars, so others apparently saw the 654 pages differently. My recommendation to them: Use the knowledge base acquired in this historical tome, go to any religious or secular bookstore in the U.S. and purchase some more current End Times books. They will likely more adequately provide “fascinating predictions about America and surprising conclusions about what the future may hold” (Source: Back cover of book).
Having read the entire book, I can only say that, as E.G. White would surmise, I feel as though I have spent many hours in purgatory . . . without the benefit of indulgences.
First, the title is deceptive. Mine reads: America in Prophecy, Will America Always Be Free? That is in fact, the title of Chapter 25 of 42. This book was formerly titled The Great Controversy. Secondly, the publish date says 1973, but it was originally written in 1888. That made a big difference since I picked the book because I assumed I was getting a book on prophecy that would be interesting to contrast with The Late, Great Planet Earth, written back-in-the-day.
Then I started reading. The first nearly 300 pages is hateful spewing against Catholicism which continues to be interwoven throughout the text -- loaded terms - "ignorant, superstition, oppression, College of the Propaganda". According to Ch 13, the Catholic Church is a beast of the End Days.
And Ch 32 warns us to beware of science.
I finally figured out that the author was a prominent 19th Seven Day Adventist and that is the book’s slant. I am unfamiliar with the religion, so I was intrigued.
Ms. White spent an inordinate amount of print describing Miller’s anticipated (but not materialized) 1844 end of days, and she then applied the Biblical principles as she understood them to End Times she expected to be forthcoming. What will be the final trip wire to the Apocalypse? Celebrating the Sabbath on Sunday instead of Saturday, with duped Catholics pounding their chests and chanting “Mea culpa”. (In all fairness, she neither had good words for Universalists )
Now, granted, a thorough updating (or at least a caveat that we are reading “a slice in time” analysis) would have acknowledged that, yes, there were atrocities in years past but then there was Vatican II (and now Pope Francis), that even 40+ years ago science was not diabolical, that her application of the Biblical quotes in Daniel and Revelations are truly out of sync with the world even in 1973, and that God is probably more interested in our heartfelt worship than on which day of the weekend it is offered.
Reviews show quite a few 5 stars, so others apparently saw the 654 pages differently. My recommendation to them: Use the knowledge base acquired in this historical tome, go to any religious or secular bookstore in the U.S. and purchase some more current End Times books. They will likely more adequately provide “fascinating predictions about America and surprising conclusions about what the future may hold” (Source: Back cover of book).
Having read the entire book, I can only say that, as E.G. White would surmise, I feel as though I have spent many hours in purgatory . . . without the benefit of indulgences.
February 5, 2017
This is not a book. It's a fraud bordering on felony.
OK, I'm being harsh. This book has two redeeming features. The first is that it's perhaps the only book I've ever seen where the paratext (that is, the cover, blurb and publishing details) managed to say almost nothing useful about the content.
The offending starts on the front cover, where we're improbably assured this book is a '#1 Best Seller'. This is followed with the statement in quotation marks that this is "Easily the most controversial and provocative book of the decade". We're not told the source of this quotation. Was it from William Safire? From Norman Mailer? From the parrot at the hardware store that will say anything it hears often enough?
The title of the is the biggest con of all, but we'll come to that in a minute.
The blurb declares that
Despite this promise, readers will be disappointed to find in the book no discussion at all about the economic policies of the later years of the Reagan administration or indeed about nuclear warfare. And this leads us to the publication details, where we're unobtrusively told that the book was originally published under the title "The Great Controversy". It takes a trip to Google to discover that "The Great Controversy" was first published in 1858, and that it's a significant text of the Seventh Day Adventist church. Yes, readers, you've been sold a pup.
And what a pup it is: a 654-page history of Christianity (specifically, western Christianity: I don't think I saw any awareness that Orthodox or Coptic churches even exist). Heroes and villains are simple and clear, with the Protestant reformers in the former category and the Catholic church perpetually in the role of Satan's eternal co-conspirator. A warning to readers in 1858 (and presumably in 1988) declares that -
This sort of thing is the reason why Canadian police considered investigating whether distribution of this book is a hate crime. Nevertheless it points up the book's second redeeming feature. I'd always thought that Chick tracts were the crappiest form of religious publishing. I was wrong. Chick tracts are also bargain-basement anti-Catholic bigotry, but they're several several hundred pages shorter than "America in Prophecy".
Not surprisingly, this book has no merit as a scholarly work. An undergraduate who presented its style of historical analysis would probably be failed instantly. For example, it asserts that in the centuries before the 1200s "Europe had made no progress in learning, arts, or civilization [and ...] a moral an intellectual paralysis had fallen upon Christendom" (p.52). The author was plainly unaware of the Carolingian renaissance, the twelfth century renaissance, the writings of Peter Abelard, the philosophical work of Anselm of Canterbury, the theology of Bernard of Clairvaux, the writings of William of Malmsbury etc etc.
"America in Prophecy" really can only be read as a historical text in itself. Its near-pathological hatred of the Catholic Church is an insight into the mentality of the mid-nineteenth century. The book's inexplicable reprinting in the 1980s may serve as a kind of aetiological explanation for (for example) the assertion of by 'preacher' Chuck Missler in 2016 that
Scholars from the middle ages to the present are often fond of saying "if I have seen far, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants". Anyone relying on this book as a source of knowledge can be assured it will have more-or-less the opposite effect.
OK, I'm being harsh. This book has two redeeming features. The first is that it's perhaps the only book I've ever seen where the paratext (that is, the cover, blurb and publishing details) managed to say almost nothing useful about the content.
The offending starts on the front cover, where we're improbably assured this book is a '#1 Best Seller'. This is followed with the statement in quotation marks that this is "Easily the most controversial and provocative book of the decade". We're not told the source of this quotation. Was it from William Safire? From Norman Mailer? From the parrot at the hardware store that will say anything it hears often enough?
The title of the is the biggest con of all, but we'll come to that in a minute.
The blurb declares that
Millions ... believe America is on the brink of economic collapse and moral ruin, and may lead the world into Nuclear Armageddon, attempting to hold her position of power and prestige.
Here are fascinating predictions about America, and some surprising conclusions about what the future may hold.
Despite this promise, readers will be disappointed to find in the book no discussion at all about the economic policies of the later years of the Reagan administration or indeed about nuclear warfare. And this leads us to the publication details, where we're unobtrusively told that the book was originally published under the title "The Great Controversy". It takes a trip to Google to discover that "The Great Controversy" was first published in 1858, and that it's a significant text of the Seventh Day Adventist church. Yes, readers, you've been sold a pup.
And what a pup it is: a 654-page history of Christianity (specifically, western Christianity: I don't think I saw any awareness that Orthodox or Coptic churches even exist). Heroes and villains are simple and clear, with the Protestant reformers in the former category and the Catholic church perpetually in the role of Satan's eternal co-conspirator. A warning to readers in 1858 (and presumably in 1988) declares that -
The Roman Catholic Church, with all its ramifications [sic] throughout the world, forms one vast organization, under the control, and designed to serve the interests, of the papal see. Its millions of communicants, in every country on the globe, are instructed to hold themselves as bound in allegiance to the pope. Whatever their nationality or their government, they are to regard the authority of the church as above all other. Though they may take the oath pledging their loyalty to the state, yet back of this lies the vow of obedience to Rome, absolving them of every pledge inimical to her interests (p.555)
This sort of thing is the reason why Canadian police considered investigating whether distribution of this book is a hate crime. Nevertheless it points up the book's second redeeming feature. I'd always thought that Chick tracts were the crappiest form of religious publishing. I was wrong. Chick tracts are also bargain-basement anti-Catholic bigotry, but they're several several hundred pages shorter than "America in Prophecy".
Not surprisingly, this book has no merit as a scholarly work. An undergraduate who presented its style of historical analysis would probably be failed instantly. For example, it asserts that in the centuries before the 1200s "Europe had made no progress in learning, arts, or civilization [and ...] a moral an intellectual paralysis had fallen upon Christendom" (p.52). The author was plainly unaware of the Carolingian renaissance, the twelfth century renaissance, the writings of Peter Abelard, the philosophical work of Anselm of Canterbury, the theology of Bernard of Clairvaux, the writings of William of Malmsbury etc etc.
"America in Prophecy" really can only be read as a historical text in itself. Its near-pathological hatred of the Catholic Church is an insight into the mentality of the mid-nineteenth century. The book's inexplicable reprinting in the 1980s may serve as a kind of aetiological explanation for (for example) the assertion of by 'preacher' Chuck Missler in 2016 that
There is no organisation on the planet earth that has murdered more Christians than the Roman Catholic Church. One Pope, one afternoon, murdered more Christians than all the Roman Emperors put together, and you need to understand that.
Scholars from the middle ages to the present are often fond of saying "if I have seen far, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants". Anyone relying on this book as a source of knowledge can be assured it will have more-or-less the opposite effect.
May 15, 2024
THE SDA FOUNDER’S INTERPRETATION OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOD & SATAN
Ellen Gould White (1827-1915) was the co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She claimed to have received numerous visions and dreams from God throughout her life. [NOTE: this book was originally published under the title, ‘The Great Controversy.’]
She wrote in the first chapter of this 1888 book, “Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the scenes of the long-continued conflict between good and evil have been opened to the writer of these pages. From time to time I have been permitted to behold the working, in different ages, of the great controversy between Christ, the Prince of life, and the Author of our salvation, and Satan, the prince of evil, the author of sin…” (Pg. 10) She continues, “It is not so much the object of this book to present new truths concerning the struggles of former times as to bring out facts and principles which have a bearing upon coming events… To unfold the scenes of the great controversy between truth and error… and to show the holy, unchanging nature of His law, is the object of this book.” (Pg. 11-12)
She argues, “In the early part of the fourth century, the emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire … He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church, who… perceive that if the same day was observed by both Christians and the heathen, it would promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans, and this advance the power and glory of the church. But while Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing a degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath as the holy of the Lord, and observed it in obedience to the fourth commandment.” (Pg. 45-46)
She asserts, “The advancing centuries witnesses a constant increase of error in the doctrines put forth from Rome… the teachings of heathen philosophers had received attention and exerted an influence in the church… Then the way was prepared for the introduction of still another invention of paganism, which Rome named purgatory, and employed to terrify the credulous and superstitious multitudes. By this heresy is affirmed the existence of a place of torment, in which the souls of such as have not merited eternal damnation are so suffer punishment for their sins… Still another fabrication was need ed to enable Rome to profit by the fears and vices od her adherents. This was supplied by the doctrine of indulgences… The Scriptural ordinance of the Lord’s Supper had been supplanted by the idolatrous sacrifice of the mass… In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy---the Inquisition… Popery had become the world’s despot. The destinies of men, both for time and eternity, seemed under his control.” (Pg. 50-52)
She notes, “The Waldenses were the first of all the peoples of Europe to obtain a translation of the Holy Scripture … there were Waldenses who denied the supremacy of Rome, who rejected image worship as idolatry, and who kept the true Sabbath.” (Pg. 58) Later, she adds, “there arose false prophets in the sixteenth century. A few men, deeply affected by the excitement in the religious world, imagined themselves to have received special revelations from Heaven, and claimed to have been divinely commissioned to carry forward to its complete the Reformation which, they declared, had been but feebly begun by Luther.” (Pg. 172)
Later, she continues, “The great principle so nobly advocated … that truth is progressive and Christians should stand ready to accept all the light which may shine from God’s holy word, was lost sight of by their descendants. The Protestant churches of America… failed to press forward in the path of reform… the majority… were content to believe as their fathers had believed… Thus the spirit inspired by the Reformation gradually died out, until there was almost as great need of reform … as in the Roman Church in the time of Luther.” (Pg. 280)
She says of William Miller, “Miller and his associated at first believed that the 2300 days would terminate in the spring of 1844, whereas the prophecy points to the autumn of that year. The misapprehension of this point brought disappointment and perplexity to those who had fixed upon the earlier date as the time of the Lord’s coming. But this did not in the least affect the strength of the argument showing that the 2300 days terminated in the year 1844, and that the great event represented by the cleansing of the sanctuary must then take place.” (Pg. 310)
She continues, “William Miller and his associates did not themselves, fully comprehend the import of the message which they bore…. Through a misapprehension of its meaning, they suffered disappointment… His error resulted from accepting the popular view as to what constitutes the sanctuary…. The disappointment… was to be overruled for good. It would test the hearts of those who had professed to receive the warning… This test would reveal the strength of those who with real faith ad obeyed what they believed to be the teaching of the word and the Spirit of God.” (Pg. 333-335)
She says, “What was the origin of the great apostasy?.. By confirming to the practices of paganism, to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by the heathen… Has not the same process been repeated in nearly every church calling itself Protestant?” (Pg. 364)
She argues, “The fact that a few fanatics worked their way into the ranks of Adventists is no more a reason to decide that the movement was not of God, than was the presence of fanatics and deceivers in the church of Paul’s or Luther’s day a sufficient excuse for condemning their work… It was not the proclamation of the second advent that created fanaticism and division. These appeared in the summer of 1844, when Adventists were in a state of doubt and perplexity concerning their real position.” (Pg. 376)
She rejects the notion of an eternal hell of torment: “What would be gained to God should we admit that He delights in witnessing unceasing tortures; that He is regaled with the groans and shrieks and imprecations of the suffering creatures whom He holds in the flames of hell? Can these horrid sounds be music in the ear of Infinite Love?... God’s glory is not enhanced by thus perpetuating continually increasing sin through ceaseless ages.” (Pg. 514)
She states, “The doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living?... Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of this purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds. He has the power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends… When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in heaven… and thus the error is widely taught, that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked.” (Pg. 528-529)
She asserts, “Romanism as a system is no more in harmony with the gospel of Christ now than at any former period in her history… Conscientious souls are kept in constant terror, fearing the wrath of an offended God, while the dignitaries of the church are living in luxury and sensual pleasure. The worship of images and relics, the invocation of saints, and the exaltation of the pope, are devices of Satan, to attract the minds of the people from God and His Son…” (Pg. 541, 544)
She warns, “the law of God enjoining the Creator’s rest day demands obedience, and threatens wrath against all who transgress its precepts. With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whoever shall trample upon God’s law to obey a human enactment, received the mark of the beast; he accepts the sign of allegiance to the power which he chooses to obey instead of God… But no one is made to suffer the wrath of God until the truth has been brought home to his mind and conscience, and has been rejected. There are many who have never had an opportunity to hear the special truths for this time. The obligation of the fourth commandment has never been set before them in its true light… The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is the truth especially controverted.” (Pg. 582-583)
The book’s ‘new’ title may mislead some potential readers; Mrs. White does not profess to find America written about specifically in the Bible, or the prophetic scriptures. This book will appeal mostly to SDAs, of course; but other Christians interested in an ‘expanded’ life of Christ may also enjoy it.
Ellen Gould White (1827-1915) was the co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She claimed to have received numerous visions and dreams from God throughout her life. [NOTE: this book was originally published under the title, ‘The Great Controversy.’]
She wrote in the first chapter of this 1888 book, “Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the scenes of the long-continued conflict between good and evil have been opened to the writer of these pages. From time to time I have been permitted to behold the working, in different ages, of the great controversy between Christ, the Prince of life, and the Author of our salvation, and Satan, the prince of evil, the author of sin…” (Pg. 10) She continues, “It is not so much the object of this book to present new truths concerning the struggles of former times as to bring out facts and principles which have a bearing upon coming events… To unfold the scenes of the great controversy between truth and error… and to show the holy, unchanging nature of His law, is the object of this book.” (Pg. 11-12)
She argues, “In the early part of the fourth century, the emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire … He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church, who… perceive that if the same day was observed by both Christians and the heathen, it would promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans, and this advance the power and glory of the church. But while Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing a degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath as the holy of the Lord, and observed it in obedience to the fourth commandment.” (Pg. 45-46)
She asserts, “The advancing centuries witnesses a constant increase of error in the doctrines put forth from Rome… the teachings of heathen philosophers had received attention and exerted an influence in the church… Then the way was prepared for the introduction of still another invention of paganism, which Rome named purgatory, and employed to terrify the credulous and superstitious multitudes. By this heresy is affirmed the existence of a place of torment, in which the souls of such as have not merited eternal damnation are so suffer punishment for their sins… Still another fabrication was need ed to enable Rome to profit by the fears and vices od her adherents. This was supplied by the doctrine of indulgences… The Scriptural ordinance of the Lord’s Supper had been supplanted by the idolatrous sacrifice of the mass… In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy---the Inquisition… Popery had become the world’s despot. The destinies of men, both for time and eternity, seemed under his control.” (Pg. 50-52)
She notes, “The Waldenses were the first of all the peoples of Europe to obtain a translation of the Holy Scripture … there were Waldenses who denied the supremacy of Rome, who rejected image worship as idolatry, and who kept the true Sabbath.” (Pg. 58) Later, she adds, “there arose false prophets in the sixteenth century. A few men, deeply affected by the excitement in the religious world, imagined themselves to have received special revelations from Heaven, and claimed to have been divinely commissioned to carry forward to its complete the Reformation which, they declared, had been but feebly begun by Luther.” (Pg. 172)
Later, she continues, “The great principle so nobly advocated … that truth is progressive and Christians should stand ready to accept all the light which may shine from God’s holy word, was lost sight of by their descendants. The Protestant churches of America… failed to press forward in the path of reform… the majority… were content to believe as their fathers had believed… Thus the spirit inspired by the Reformation gradually died out, until there was almost as great need of reform … as in the Roman Church in the time of Luther.” (Pg. 280)
She says of William Miller, “Miller and his associated at first believed that the 2300 days would terminate in the spring of 1844, whereas the prophecy points to the autumn of that year. The misapprehension of this point brought disappointment and perplexity to those who had fixed upon the earlier date as the time of the Lord’s coming. But this did not in the least affect the strength of the argument showing that the 2300 days terminated in the year 1844, and that the great event represented by the cleansing of the sanctuary must then take place.” (Pg. 310)
She continues, “William Miller and his associates did not themselves, fully comprehend the import of the message which they bore…. Through a misapprehension of its meaning, they suffered disappointment… His error resulted from accepting the popular view as to what constitutes the sanctuary…. The disappointment… was to be overruled for good. It would test the hearts of those who had professed to receive the warning… This test would reveal the strength of those who with real faith ad obeyed what they believed to be the teaching of the word and the Spirit of God.” (Pg. 333-335)
She says, “What was the origin of the great apostasy?.. By confirming to the practices of paganism, to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by the heathen… Has not the same process been repeated in nearly every church calling itself Protestant?” (Pg. 364)
She argues, “The fact that a few fanatics worked their way into the ranks of Adventists is no more a reason to decide that the movement was not of God, than was the presence of fanatics and deceivers in the church of Paul’s or Luther’s day a sufficient excuse for condemning their work… It was not the proclamation of the second advent that created fanaticism and division. These appeared in the summer of 1844, when Adventists were in a state of doubt and perplexity concerning their real position.” (Pg. 376)
She rejects the notion of an eternal hell of torment: “What would be gained to God should we admit that He delights in witnessing unceasing tortures; that He is regaled with the groans and shrieks and imprecations of the suffering creatures whom He holds in the flames of hell? Can these horrid sounds be music in the ear of Infinite Love?... God’s glory is not enhanced by thus perpetuating continually increasing sin through ceaseless ages.” (Pg. 514)
She states, “The doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living?... Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of this purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds. He has the power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends… When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in heaven… and thus the error is widely taught, that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked.” (Pg. 528-529)
She asserts, “Romanism as a system is no more in harmony with the gospel of Christ now than at any former period in her history… Conscientious souls are kept in constant terror, fearing the wrath of an offended God, while the dignitaries of the church are living in luxury and sensual pleasure. The worship of images and relics, the invocation of saints, and the exaltation of the pope, are devices of Satan, to attract the minds of the people from God and His Son…” (Pg. 541, 544)
She warns, “the law of God enjoining the Creator’s rest day demands obedience, and threatens wrath against all who transgress its precepts. With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whoever shall trample upon God’s law to obey a human enactment, received the mark of the beast; he accepts the sign of allegiance to the power which he chooses to obey instead of God… But no one is made to suffer the wrath of God until the truth has been brought home to his mind and conscience, and has been rejected. There are many who have never had an opportunity to hear the special truths for this time. The obligation of the fourth commandment has never been set before them in its true light… The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is the truth especially controverted.” (Pg. 582-583)
The book’s ‘new’ title may mislead some potential readers; Mrs. White does not profess to find America written about specifically in the Bible, or the prophetic scriptures. This book will appeal mostly to SDAs, of course; but other Christians interested in an ‘expanded’ life of Christ may also enjoy it.
July 12, 2017
This was one of the first prophecy books that I read. It was slightly confusing because of the liberal interpretation that Mr. White took. Some of his assumptions are plausible but many are far-stretched fantasy. He is definitely unfamiliar with the symbolism of prophecy and the ancient biblical lands, Still, he obviously does know basic biblical prophecy and history but he asserts some wild hypotheses and assumes a lot of happenstance. It remains required reading for any student of eschatology and modern application. The writing style is very academic and may confuse some because of its extremely scholarly approach and many references. I will probably reread it sometime in the future now that I am more schooled in prophecy.
October 29, 2023
Yesterday I finished a book called "America in Prophecy" that I'd been chipping away at for a long time. I can't remember where I got it, but it might have been a super cheap one at a library sale? Anyway, what kept happening is that I'd get a library book on loan that I'd prioritize over this one and I'd set aside America in Prophecy to finish the library book so I could return it in time. This resulted in me taking a very long time to finish this one.
First, there's a couple things about the physical book itself: the pages are printed in noticeably thin paper, which felt more like the paper they print cash register receipts on. I actually measured it with my calipers to see how thin it was and I got a measurement of 0.002", about half the thickness of normal paper that is used for book pages. Secondly, the book's cover shows the title but not the author. Curious about this, I opened the book and saw the author's name, E. G. White, printed within. As this name meant nothing to me, I flipped to the next page where I saw a copyright date of 1973 and then began reading the book. More on this later.
As it starts out, the book is about the history of Christianity, starting with the life of Jesus. The author makes no attempt to hide their background in theology and makes commentary about historical events from the perspective of a Christian. The author is remarkably critical of the Catholic church and refers to them as "papists" and "Romanists" throughout the text. I found the language to be strangely vitriolic, especially for a book written in 1973 America but actually somewhat enjoyed the criticism of the Catholic church (and, later, organized Protestant and Anglican religion) coming from a Christian perspective, the criticism being that these entities seem to value human tradition and even Pagan practices over what is clearly written in the Bible, even taking flawed translations into account.
The title of the book, "America in Prophecy" and the title's tagline, "Will America always be free?" were remarkably poor choices for this 654 page book, seeing as the word 'America' doesn't appear until page 231 and even then, no part of the story actually takes place in America until page 266. Before this, there are detailed accounts of the Reformation as well as proto-Reformers such as John Wycliffe in England. This is probably the part of the book I enjoyed the most, thanks to my interest in history. As the story progresses, it covers the flight of various Europeans to the New World, many of whom sought religious freedom there. There was also a lot of attention given to some of the denominations that formed in America, especially the Adventists and how they came up with their predictions as to when Christ would return to earth and how they were ultimately wrong about that.
The latter part of the book is essentially a long-winded commentary on the book of Revelations, heavily salted with the author's own personal opinions and descriptions. This begins on page 363/chapter 22 and takes up the remainder of the book. The whole book suffers from excessively flowery, poetic wording in my opinion. Perhaps this appeals to some, but I just found it to be meandering and syrupy, really difficult to read. This tendency got turned up to 11 for this latter half of the book and I found that it really just belabored the same point unnecessarily for hundreds of pages.
I got about 90% of the way through the book before I found myself wondering who exactly this E. G. White guy was who wrote this book? For someone to use such language and writing style in the 1970's, I presupposed that he must be a dour, judgmental old guy who spent his days raging against the excesses of late 20th century America. So imagine my surprise when I googled that name and discovered that Ellen G. White had died in 1915! I flipped back to the page with the copyright date on it and, upon more careful reading, saw that the 1973 copyright date was for the cover art, not the book itself; that one being 1888 (my copy was a reprint from exactly 100 years later). As I read more about White online, I became mildly embarrassed that I hadn't heard of her before, seeing as she was the co-founder of the 7th Day Adventist church, a central figure of early vegetarianism, and the author of more than 5,000 articles and 40 books. Her grandson and biographer claims that Ellen G. White is the most translated female non-fiction author in the history of literature, as well as the most translated American non-fiction author of either gender. It turns out that the original title of this book was "The Great Controversy", which I think was targeted towards the part about Adventists and their failed prediction of the Second Coming in 1844. Regardless, it's probably a better title than the one printed on the cover of this edition.
Overall, I really found the writing style to be a chore to read through, though the first half or so of the book was very interesting from both a historical and a theological perspective. The latter half of the book could be replaced with the sentence: "Read the book of Revelations" and that would also cut out all of the unbiblical commentary that amounts to little but personal imagining of how various details will play out.
First, there's a couple things about the physical book itself: the pages are printed in noticeably thin paper, which felt more like the paper they print cash register receipts on. I actually measured it with my calipers to see how thin it was and I got a measurement of 0.002", about half the thickness of normal paper that is used for book pages. Secondly, the book's cover shows the title but not the author. Curious about this, I opened the book and saw the author's name, E. G. White, printed within. As this name meant nothing to me, I flipped to the next page where I saw a copyright date of 1973 and then began reading the book. More on this later.
As it starts out, the book is about the history of Christianity, starting with the life of Jesus. The author makes no attempt to hide their background in theology and makes commentary about historical events from the perspective of a Christian. The author is remarkably critical of the Catholic church and refers to them as "papists" and "Romanists" throughout the text. I found the language to be strangely vitriolic, especially for a book written in 1973 America but actually somewhat enjoyed the criticism of the Catholic church (and, later, organized Protestant and Anglican religion) coming from a Christian perspective, the criticism being that these entities seem to value human tradition and even Pagan practices over what is clearly written in the Bible, even taking flawed translations into account.
The title of the book, "America in Prophecy" and the title's tagline, "Will America always be free?" were remarkably poor choices for this 654 page book, seeing as the word 'America' doesn't appear until page 231 and even then, no part of the story actually takes place in America until page 266. Before this, there are detailed accounts of the Reformation as well as proto-Reformers such as John Wycliffe in England. This is probably the part of the book I enjoyed the most, thanks to my interest in history. As the story progresses, it covers the flight of various Europeans to the New World, many of whom sought religious freedom there. There was also a lot of attention given to some of the denominations that formed in America, especially the Adventists and how they came up with their predictions as to when Christ would return to earth and how they were ultimately wrong about that.
The latter part of the book is essentially a long-winded commentary on the book of Revelations, heavily salted with the author's own personal opinions and descriptions. This begins on page 363/chapter 22 and takes up the remainder of the book. The whole book suffers from excessively flowery, poetic wording in my opinion. Perhaps this appeals to some, but I just found it to be meandering and syrupy, really difficult to read. This tendency got turned up to 11 for this latter half of the book and I found that it really just belabored the same point unnecessarily for hundreds of pages.
I got about 90% of the way through the book before I found myself wondering who exactly this E. G. White guy was who wrote this book? For someone to use such language and writing style in the 1970's, I presupposed that he must be a dour, judgmental old guy who spent his days raging against the excesses of late 20th century America. So imagine my surprise when I googled that name and discovered that Ellen G. White had died in 1915! I flipped back to the page with the copyright date on it and, upon more careful reading, saw that the 1973 copyright date was for the cover art, not the book itself; that one being 1888 (my copy was a reprint from exactly 100 years later). As I read more about White online, I became mildly embarrassed that I hadn't heard of her before, seeing as she was the co-founder of the 7th Day Adventist church, a central figure of early vegetarianism, and the author of more than 5,000 articles and 40 books. Her grandson and biographer claims that Ellen G. White is the most translated female non-fiction author in the history of literature, as well as the most translated American non-fiction author of either gender. It turns out that the original title of this book was "The Great Controversy", which I think was targeted towards the part about Adventists and their failed prediction of the Second Coming in 1844. Regardless, it's probably a better title than the one printed on the cover of this edition.
Overall, I really found the writing style to be a chore to read through, though the first half or so of the book was very interesting from both a historical and a theological perspective. The latter half of the book could be replaced with the sentence: "Read the book of Revelations" and that would also cut out all of the unbiblical commentary that amounts to little but personal imagining of how various details will play out.
January 5, 2026
Well first of all, it's mistitled. The original title from its 19th century release, "The Great Controversy," was a lot more fitting, as the book describes the centuries-long quest by Christian reformers to restore Christendom to the original teachings of Christ rather than Papal doctrine. There is actually only one chapter in the book that has anything to do with America's appearance in prophecy, and even that is more deductive than prophetic.
With that said, I can't say the book is a waste. The step-by-step, century-by-century walkthrough of the long succession of reformers who have had the guts to say "no, what Rome is teaching is not what's in the Bible," is worth a read. I mean, I considered myself somewhat well-versed in this subject but even I thought that it began with Luther's reforms. But spoiler alert, he doesn't even appear until page 134 (and in 9 point font, 134 pages is long enough for a lot to happen before then).
However, I warn that it's not by any means a page-turner. It reads like a theology textbook; as technical and citation-riddled as a historical study, and with the ponderous and sometimes self-important verbage of an author trying their best to imitate the Apostle Paul. It's something you'll study a few pages of at a time, not something you'll devour at a go. I found myself having to put it down every few pages and pick up something a little less high-handed.
For the theologian or church historian, it's worth the time to study it. For John Q. Pewsitter... probably not so much.
With that said, I can't say the book is a waste. The step-by-step, century-by-century walkthrough of the long succession of reformers who have had the guts to say "no, what Rome is teaching is not what's in the Bible," is worth a read. I mean, I considered myself somewhat well-versed in this subject but even I thought that it began with Luther's reforms. But spoiler alert, he doesn't even appear until page 134 (and in 9 point font, 134 pages is long enough for a lot to happen before then).
However, I warn that it's not by any means a page-turner. It reads like a theology textbook; as technical and citation-riddled as a historical study, and with the ponderous and sometimes self-important verbage of an author trying their best to imitate the Apostle Paul. It's something you'll study a few pages of at a time, not something you'll devour at a go. I found myself having to put it down every few pages and pick up something a little less high-handed.
For the theologian or church historian, it's worth the time to study it. For John Q. Pewsitter... probably not so much.
March 28, 2023
This book was not at all what I was expecting. I found it to be extremely interesting and informative; furthermore, as someone who grew up in the Catholic Church, this book taught me a lot about the protestant faith. I am left agreeing with many of the points made and feel more comfortable in my faith. The largest downfall of the book is it is written poorly in my opinion. Often times the book rambles or repeats itself for chapters at a time.
July 26, 2019
Thus far half way in and I am amazed by the history. This book is a slow read but worth every page. Most people won't read this because they feel its all about religion and the church. This book is so much more. Its very informative about what we should know about the behind the scenes.
Want to read
March 9, 2023Interested
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