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Desire of Ages - "Paradigm Shift"?

Did Ellen G. White make a "paradigm shift" in the Desire of Ages with respect to the doctrine of the Trinity? This is what is often alleged by trinitarian Adventists (see Appendix section below). The two Desire of Ages statements most often quoted to support this paradigm shift idea are found in DA 530.3 and DA 671.2 and are discussed below.

The two alleged trinitarian statements

  • Desire of Ages, p. 530.3. Discusses the phrase, "In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived."
  • Desire of Ages, p. 671.2. Discusses the phrase, "The mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead." The original casing of "third person" is in lowercase as seen in any edition prior to 1940 (e.g. DA 802.2).

Father-Son theology throughout. Apart from the two alleged trinitarian statements listed above, Desire of Ages is replete with Father-Son theology. Consider the following: Desire of Ages Father-Son statements.

Revisionist origins. Le Roy Froom is generally considered the principal protagonist of this "paradigm shift" view of the Desire of Ages. This is discussed in detail here: Le Roy Froom on The Desire of Ages.

The Making of The Desire of Ages. EGW's Desire of Ages came under considerable scrutiny in the late 1900's when revealed (by Walter Rea, et. al) that the book largely borrowed from other sources without attribution. The other concern was Marian Davis' influence on the writing of the book. Marian Davis was EGW's editorial assistant and worked closely with EGW on The Desire of Ages. It is claimed that Marian Davis had pro-trinitarian views.

Other significant EGW Quotes regarding this subject

Post-1898 EGW statements:

  • GC 493.1: Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy throughout the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the Creator's will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,—one in nature, in character, and in purpose,—the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. By Christ the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly beings. “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, ... whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers” (Colossians 1:16); and to Christ, equally with the Father, all heaven gave allegiance.
  • 20LtMs, Ms 62, 1905, par.14 ("A Warning Against False Theories"): Those who seek to remove the old landmarks are not holding fast; they are not remembering how they have received and heard. Those who try to bring in theories that would remove the pillars of our faith concerning the sanctuary or concerning the personality of God or of Christ, are working as blind men. They are seeking to bring in uncertainties and to set the people of God adrift without an anchor.
  • 8T 268.3 (Pub-Year 1904): God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son.
  • AUCR January 15, 1903, par. 14: ...In your hands will be placed a golden harp, and touching its strings, you will join with the redeemed host in filling all heaven with songs of praise to God and His Son.
  • YI July 7, 1898, par. 2: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them.” “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Let the brightest example the world has yet seen be your example, rather than the greatest and most learned men of the age, who know not God, nor Jesus Christ whom he has sent. The Father and the Son alone are to be exalted.
  • RH May 19, 1904, par. 1: Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,—the soul of his life, the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin.
  • RH April 5, 1906, par. 16: The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ. This union is represented by the union of the vine and the branches. Finite man is united to the manhood of Christ. Through faith human nature is assimilated with Christ's nature. We are made one with God in Christ.
  • 12MR 145.2: When God's people search the Scriptures with a desire to know what is truth, Jesus is present in the person of His representative, the Holy Spirit, reviving the hearts of the humble and contrite ones. (John 15:23, 10, 11 quoted.)—Manuscript 158, 1898.
  • SW September 13, 1898, par. 2: That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the meaning of a spiritual manifestation.
  • 15LtMs, MS 76, 1900, par.10: Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man is returned to God there to be preserved. In the resurrection every man will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry bones live. The same form will come forth, but it will be free from disease and every defect. It lives again bearing the same individuality of features, so that friend will recognize friend. There is no law of God in nature which shows that God gives back the same identical particles of matter which composed the body before death. God shall give the righteous dead a body that will please Him.
  • 1SM 249.3 (This article appeared in The Review and Herald, April 5, 1906): “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Christ declares: “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Christ is invested with power to give life to all creatures. “As the living Father hath sent me,” He says, “and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:57, 63). Christ is not here referring to His doctrine, but to His person, the divinity of His character. “Verily, verily, I say unto you,” He says again, “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man”

Pre-1898 statements of interest:

  • ST January 9, 1879, par. 13: After the earth was created, and the beasts upon it, the Father and Son carried out their purpose, which was designed before the fall of Satan, to make man in their own image. They had wrought together in the creation of the earth and every living thing upon it. And now God says to his Son, “Let us make man in our image.”
  • 10MR 385.1: To the honor and glory of God, His beloved Son—the Surety, the Substitute—was delivered up and descended into the prisonhouse of the grave. The new tomb enclosed Him in its rocky chambers. If one single sin had tainted His character the stone would never have been rolled away from the door of His rocky chamber, and the world with its burden of guilt would have perished. But it was only for a little while the divine Vanquisher seemed the vanquished. The serpent had bruised the heel, but Christ could not be holden by death. The stone was rolled away. The Lord Jesus walked forth from His prison house a triumphant, majestic conqueror, and proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).—Manuscript 81, 1893, 11. (Diary entry for Sunday, July 2, 1893, Wellington, New Zealand.)
  • EW 54.2: I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus’ countenance and admired His lovely person. The Father's person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a form like Himself. He said He had, but I could not behold it, for said He, “If you should once behold the glory of His person, you would cease to exist.” Before the throne I saw the Advent people—the church and the world. I saw two companies, one bowed down before the throne, deeply interested, while the other stood uninterested and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus; then He would look to His Father, and appear to be pleading with Him. A light would come from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them. Some cherished it, and went and bowed down with the little praying company. This company all received the light and rejoiced in it, and their countenances shone with its glory.

Appendix

References