Dear Sister ___________,
I don't know of any book of Bible backgrounds produced by Adventists along the lines of the Guideposts book you mentioned. Readers Digest and others have produced beautifully-illustrated volumes, but I don't know of one within the Adventist circle. They are costly to produce, and it helps if you can market them widely.
Have you considered, though, the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary? This is a valuable reference tool for looking up names, places, and subjects found in the Bible. I have found it very helpful. It is available at the ABCs.
If you want something more comprehensive or more popularly written, I think you'll need to look outside the Adventist circle, among conservative Christians. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible is a five-volume work that would give you good information in most areas, though it probably doesn't do so well on certain issues such as the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. No doubt there are good one-volume works, too, some of which are written for the popular audience rather than for the scholars. You may wish to go to a Christian book store and see what they have.
I hope this helps. God bless!
William Fagal
Associate Director
Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: 301 680-6550
FAX: 301 680-6559
http://www.WhiteEstate.org
Dear Brother Fagal:
You are so good to get back to me so soon with an answer to my question. I do so appreciate your time and patience with me.
I do have one more question, I have been seeking information concerning Biblical times in history, etc. There are many books out and I reviewed one by Guideposts, which I had some queries about concerning what I found in it. But, because I do not find it, in tune with what I have learned in the past, I am returning it and am wondering if there is not a book that the SDA church uses for references in this area. I think that for me, knowing more about the time period that the Biblical happenings occurred would be most enlightening and helpful in understanding more fully what the Bible has to say.
Thank you again for your assistance.
God Bless,
___________,
Good to hear from you again. My dictionary defines "viceregent" simply as "a regent's deputy" and a regent as "a person who rules or reigns." On our latest CD-ROM, The Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings 2005, and on the forthcoming Comprehensive Research Edition 2005, we have included the 18 American Dictionary of Noah Webster. That work does not include the word "viceregent," but it does have a related word, "vicegerent," which it defines this way:
VICEGERENT, n. [L. vicem gereus, acting in the place of another.]
A lieutenant; a vicar; an officer who is deputed by a superior or by proper authority to exercise the powers of another. Kings are sometimes called God's vicegerents. It is to be wished they would always deserve the appellation.
VICEGERENT, a. Having or exercising delegated power; acting by substitution, or in the place of another.
On the CD-ROM of Mrs. White's writings, I found no occurrences of "viceregent," but 37 paragraphs had "vicegerent." Perhaps this is what you meant anyway.
We have no plans to put the 18 dictionary on our web site. It is one of the "added value" features that people get when they obtain those versions of our CD-ROM. For a description of the new versions that are available now, see our web site, www.WhiteEstate.org.
I hope this will be helpful. Thank you for writing, and God bless!
William Fagal
Associate Director
Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: 301 680-6550
FAX: 301 680-6559
http://www.WhiteEstate.org
You have been so helpful in the past, that I pray that you may help me again with this question.
There are words that Ellen White uses in her writings that I am not able to find in the dictionary or on the Internet. Since her day, many words in the English language, (meanings) have changed drastically. I would like to know if there is a way for me to research these words on her website, as I want to know the full meaning of her writings. The word today is (viceregent), from what I was able to gather, I came up with the following, but am not sure if it is totally accurate.
viceregent - a substitute for a regent, reigns in absence of original regent ?
I respectfully request your assistance in this endeavor to understand and be enlightened by her writing to its fullest extent.
God Bless you and Thank you in advance,
___________
