Ellen White Supplement to the Glossary
This page features statements of Ellen White and other of the early SDA pioneers that contribute to our understanding of words included in the Character of God and the Gospel Glossary. The headings to each section link to the main entry for that word in the glossary.
“The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like an arrow. Conscience was aroused.” (The Desire of Ages, p 713)
“Three times Peter had openly denied his Lord, and three times Jesus drew from him the assurance of his love and loyalty, pressing home that pointed question, like a barbed arrow to his wounded heart.” (The Desire of Ages, p812)
“When the noble and eloquent Stephen was stoned to death at the instigation of the Sanhedrin council, there was no loss to the cause of the gospel. The light of heaven that glorified his face, the divine compassion breathed in his dying prayer, were as a sharp arrow of conviction to the bigoted Sanhedrist who stood by, and Saul, the persecuting Pharisee, became a chosen vessel to bear the name of Christ before Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p33-34)
Crucifixion
“Those who think of the result of hastening or hindering the gospel think of it in relation to themselves and to the world. Few think of its relation to God. Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused our Creator. All heaven suffered in Christ’s agony; but that suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him. When there came upon Israel the calamities that were the sure result of separation from God,—subjugation by their enemies, cruelty, and death,—it is said that “His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.” “In all their affliction He was afflicted: … and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” Judges 10:16; Isaiah 63:9.” (Education, p263)
“Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Whether we be saved or lost, we shall sometime see the Saviour as he is, in all His glory, and shall understand His character. At His second coming, conviction will be brought to every heart. Those who have turned from Him to the trivial things of this earth, seeking selfish interests and worldly honor, will in the day of His coming acknowledge their mistake. These are the ones spoken of by the Revelator as “all kindreds of the earth,” who “shall wail because of Him.” Let us not be content to be numbered among the “kindreds of the earth.” Remembering that our citizenship is in heaven, let us lay hold on the hope set before us in the Gospel.
And they also which pierced Him.” These words apply not only to the men who pierced Christ when He hung on the cross of Calvary, but to those who by evil-speaking and wrong-doing are piercing Him today. Daily He suffers the agonies of the crucifixion. Daily men and women are piercing Him by dishonoring Him, by refusing to do His will.
The Lord desires us to be men and women in Christ Jesus. Our natural dispositions are to be softened and subdued by His grace. Then we shall not be continually crucifying Him afresh. Our Saviour lived on this earth a perfect life. He is our Example. If we now follow Him, doing His will in all things, we shall in the world to come live with Him forever. Let us keep Him constantly in view.” (Signs of the Times, January 28, 1903)
This quote show that the cross was Satan’s planning not the Father’s
“Satan sought to overthrow Christ, in order that he himself might continue to reign in this world as supreme. And he planned and carried out the murder of Christ in the hope that the Son of God would not endure a death made as terrible as his cunning could make it. He thought to prove the truth of his assertion that Christ was not self-sacrificing.
Inspired by Satanic influences, men clamored for the Saviour’s crucifixion. All heaven watched the successive stages of his humiliation,—His trial, rejection, and death. Satan laid every scheme, planned every evil, inflamed every mind to bring affliction on the Son of God. He it was who instigated the false accusations against One who had done only good; he it was who inspired men to commit the cruel deeds that added to His suffering.” (ST August 27, 1902)
“When Satan declared to Christ, The kingdom and glory of the world are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will give it, he stated what was true only in part, and he declared it to serve his own purpose of deception. Satan’s dominion was that wrested from Adam, but Adam was the vicegerent of the Creator. His was not an independent rule. The earth is God’s, and He has committed all things to His Son. Adam was to reign subject to Christ. When Adam betrayed his sovereignty into Satan’s hands, Christ still remained the rightful King. Thus the Lord had said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” Daniel 4:17. Satan can exercise his usurped authority only as God permits.” (The Desire of Ages p129)
“When the crowing of the cock reminded him of the words of Christ, surprised and shocked at what he had just done he turned and looked at his Master. At that moment Christ looked at Peter, and beneath that grieved look, in which compassion and love for him were blended, Peter understood himself. He went out and wept bitterly. That look of Christ’s broke his heart. Peter had come to the turning point, and bitterly did he repent his sin. He was like the publican in his contrition and repentance, and like the publican he found mercy. The look of Christ assured him of pardon.” (Christ Object Lessons, p154)
Note: the look of Christ that gave Peter assurance of pardon (forgiveness) came before he repented.
“The Captain of our salvation is interceding for His people, not as a petitioner to move the Father to compassion, but as a conqueror, who claims the trophies of His victory. He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him. Make this fact very plain.” (Evangelism, p189)
“The name of God is not a mere empty sound. But is God’s own personality. Therefor when Christ says, ‘I will declare Thy name unto My brethren’ it is the same as if He had said, ‘I will reveal to them Your character.'” (E.J. Waggoner; The Present Truth Sep. 16, 1897)
“Satan, the author of sin and all its results, had led mean to look upon disease and death as proceeding form God, – as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on account to sin.” (The Desire of Ages, p471)
“In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed, that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; and if God should remit the punishment of sin, He would not be a God of truth and justice.” (The Desire of Ages, p762)
“Punishment” does not come directly from God:
“Their (the Jews) sufferings are often represented as a punishment visited upon them by the direct decree of God. It is thus that the great deceiver seeks to conceal his own work. By stubborn rejection of divine love and mercy, the Jews had caused the protection of God to be withdrawn from them, and Satan was permitted to rule them according to his will. The horrible cruelties enacted in the destruction of Jerusalem are a demonstration of Satan’s vindictive power over those who yield to his control.” (The Great Controversy, p36)
The “punishment” often comes from Satan and happens because God withdraws from the sinner, honoring the persistent resistance. He does not use force in punishment nor does He force His presence on those who do not want it:
“The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and then there is left no power to control the evil passions of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan. The destruction of Jerusalem is a fearful and solemn warning to all who are trifling with the offers of divine grace, and resisting the pleadings of divine mercy. Never was there given a more decisive testimony to God’s hatred of sin, and to the certain punishment that will fall upon the guilty.” (The Great Controversy, p36-37)
“We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the sinner for his sin. The sinner brings the punishment upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death.” (1Selected Messages, p235)
“Our only definition of sin is that given in the Word of God; it is “the transgression of the law;” it is the outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which is the foundation of the divine government.” (The Great Controversy 1888, p493)
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