Greetings in the precious name of Jesus.

Just a quick question.

I was reading in T1 page 44 this morning and was surprised to see that the chapter entitled "Opposition of Formal Brethren" contained several refrences to people loosing their strength, and falling to the floor under the influence of the Holy Spirit. This sounds very much like what Pentecostals experience today called, "Being Slain in the Spirit".

I did a little bit of research on the CD Rom and discovered that several people, in early Adventist, experienced this. I couldn't find any examples of this continuing on into later years.

Could you please help me understand what this manifestation was?

I have never been able to find, in the Bible, "Slain in the Spirit" as one of the gifts of God, yet here Sister White, and others, seem to be experiencing it.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours in Him,

___________

Dear ___________,

Thank you for contacting the Ellen G. White Estate. Early in the 1970s Arthur L. White prepared a series of articles about various charismatic manifestations that had taken place in our history. In the first article he included mention of the incident you have referred to, and in the following one he reported a vision shortly thereafter in which Mrs. White was shown something of the danger of relying upon such things. I have copied the relevant portions for you below my signature. We hope to have the series on our website before too long, but if you would like them in print, they are available from us for $1.50 plus postage here in the USA. You can let me know if you would like a copy. In the meantime, I hope this is helpful. Let me know if I can be of further service. Thank you for writing, and God bless!

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William Fagal, Director
Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1400 USA
Phone: 616 471-3209
FAX: 616 471-2646
Website: www.WhiteEstate.org or www.egwestate.andrews.edu
E-mail: [email protected]

From "Charismatic Experiences in Early Seventh-day Adventist History,"

a 12-part series by Arthur L. White which appeared in the Review and Herald in August of 1972 and March, April, and August of 1973. The following is excerpted from the first two parts of the series.

Ecstatic experiences were not uncommon among sincere Christians in the 1830's and the 1840's. Some who later became our spiritual forefathers were involved in them. These experiences may be noted as: (1) Physical prostration; (2) shouting the praises of God; (3) speaking in unknown tongues; (4) divine healing. As we look back from our position today there appears to be convincing evidence that some of these experiences were genuine. There is also evidence that some were counterfeit or were self-induced in periods of excitement. In a series of articles we will explore these experiences in their historical setting and trace Ellen White's relationship to them. As Ellen White recounts her early experience in the Advent Awakening before the visions were given to her, she reports a number of occasions when she was left prostrate by the overwhelming presence of the Spirit of God. One such experience is believed to have taken place in 1843:

"I bowed trembling during the prayers that were offered. After a few had prayed, I lifted up my voice in prayer before I was aware of it .... I praised God from the depths of my heart. Everything seemed shut out from me but Jesus and His glory, and I lost consciousness of what was passing around me. The Spirit of God rested upon me with such power that I was unable to go home that night. "When I did return, on the following day, a great change had taken place in my mind. It seemed to me that I could hardly be the same person that left my father's house the previous evening. This passage was continually in my thoughts: 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.' My heart was full of happiness as I softly repeated these words."--Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 31.

Overpowered by Spirit

In relating another incident during her early Christian experience as a young Millerite, she tells of how she, with others, was involved in a meeting about six months after the one described above. The chapter presenting this information is entitled "Opposition of Formal Brethren." She recounts: "At times the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me with such power that my strength was taken from me. This was a trial to some who had come out from the formal churches. . . . Many could not believe that one could be so overpowered by the Spirit of God as to lose all strength .... "We had appointed evening prayer meetings in different localities of the city to accommodate all who wished to attend them. The family that had been most forward in opposing me attended one of these. Upon this occasion, while those assembled were engaged in prayer, the Spirit of the Lord came upon the meeting, and one of the members of this family was prostrated as one dead. His relatives stood weeping around him, rubbing his hands and applying restoratives. At length he gained sufficient strength to praise God, and quieted their fears by shouting with triumph over the marked evidence he had received of the power of the Lord upon him. The young man was unable to return home that night."--Ibid., pp. 44, 45.

Unwillingness to Believe

While the family involved accepted this as a manifestation of the power of the Spirit of God, there was still unwillingness to believe that it was divine power that at times had rested upon Ellen, robbing her of her natural strength and filling her soul with the peace and love of Jesus. They considered her as self-deceived and influenced by overwrought feelings. This left Ellen in great perplexity, and she earnestly sought the Lord. She reports that some days after this: "While we were bowed before the Lord, my heart was drawn out in prayer and filled with a peace that only Christ can give. My soul rejoiced in the love of the Saviour, and physical strength left me. With childlike faith I could only say: 'Heaven is my home, and Christ my Redeemer.' "One of the family before mentioned as being opposed to the manifestations of the power of God upon me, on this occasion stated his belief that I was under an excitement which he thought it my duty to resist, but instead of doing so, he thought I encouraged it as a mark of God's favor. His doubts and opposition did not affect me at this time, for I seemed shut in with the Lord, and lifted above all outward influence; but he had scarcely stopped speaking when a strong man, a devoted and humble Christian, was struck down before his eyes by the power of God, and the room was filled with the Holy Spirit. "Upon recovering, I was very happy in bearing my testimony for Jesus and in telling of His love for me .... "The brother who had opposed me then rose, and with tears confessed that his feelings in regard to me had been all wrong. He humbly asked my forgiveness, and said: 'Sister Ellen, I will never again lay a straw in your way. God has shown me the coldness and stubbornness of my heart, which He has broken by the evidence of His power. I have been very wrong.' . . . 'My heart is convinced that I have been warring against the Holy Spirit.'"--Ibid., pp. 45-47. When presenting, in 1860, the story of her life in Spiritual Gifts, volume 2, she looked back to 1843 and wrote: "The Spirit of the Lord often rested upon me in great measure. My frail body could not endure the weight of glory which the mind grasped and feasted upon, and my strength was frequently gone."'Page 29.

An Experience Soon After the First Vision

In a vision given to her, probably very early in 1845, and soon after her first vision, which was given in December, 1844, she states: "My strength was taken away, and I fell to the floor. I seemed to be in the presence of the angels."--Life Sketches, p. 71. Such experiences were repeated again and again. And there were times when others under the influence of the Spirit of God were prostrated. Writing of an experience shortly after her marriage in 1846 when she was very ill and the neighbors had given her up to die, she said, "Many prayers had been offered to God in my behalf, yet it pleased the Lord to try our faith. After others had prayed, Brother Henry [Nichols] commenced praying, and seemed much burdened, and with the power of God resting upon him, rose from his knees, came across the room, and laid his hands upon my head, saying, 'Sister Ellen, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole,' and fell back prostrated by the power of God. I believed that the work was of God, and the pain left me."--Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, p. 84. Shortly after this Mr. and Mrs. Ralph were prostrated: "Last Sunday we were at Brother Ralph's and we engaged in prayer for the special teachings of God how to move, whether to go to New York or stay in Connecticut. The spirit came and we had a powerful season. Brother and Sister Ralph were both laid prostrate and remained helpless for some time."--Letter 1, 1848.

Shouting the Praises of God

In early 1850, six-month-old James Edson, the second son of James and Ellen White, was very ill. Here is the account as given by James White: "The babe was sick and Ellen anointed and prayed for him. The power came down more and more, and we all shouted and praised the Lord as much as we were a mind to. In this state of feelings among us Ellen was taken off in vision."--James White Letter to Leonard Hastings, Jan. 10, 1850. Later in the year, at a conference held in Paris, Maine, the believers manifested their rejoicing in loud praises to God. Ellen White recounts the experience in a letter written November 7: "Our conference at Topsham was one of deep interest. Twenty-eight were present; all took part in the meeting. "Sunday the power of God came upon us like a mighty rushing wind. All arose upon their feet and praised God with a loud voice; it was something as it was when the foundation of the house of God was laid. The voice of weeping could not be told from the voice of shouting. It was a triumphant time; all were strengthened and refreshed. I never witnessed such a powerful time before."--Letter 28, 1850. The records, published and unpublished, in subsequent years indicate that on certain occasions of the special outpouring of the Spirit of God the saints united in shouts of praise to God.

Vision Concerning Dependence Upon Ecstatic Experiences

In December, 1850, while at Paris, Maine, attending a conference where all present sensed the deep need of the outpouring of the Spirit of God, Ellen White was given a vision: "We were united in praying last evening for the Spirit of the Lord to fall upon us. God heard our earnest cries. I was taken off in vision. I saw how great and holy God was. Said the angel, 'Walk carefully before Him, for He is high and lifted up and the train of His glory fills the temple.' I saw that everything in heaven was in perfect order. . . . [The matter deleted is unrelated to the present topic.] "Said the angel, 'Behold ye, and know how perfect, how beautiful the order in heaven; follow it.'. . . "I saw that the exercises were in great danger of being adulterated, and their former opinion and knowledge governing in a measure their exercise, therefore implicit confidence could not be placed in these exercises. But if anyone was lost to everything around him, and he should be in the state that Paul was in, whether in the body or out of the body, he could not tell, and God communicate to him through His angels, there would be then no danger of mistake. "I saw that we should strive at all times to be free from unhealthy and unnecessary excitement. I saw that there was great danger of leaving the word of God and resting down and trusting in exercises. I saw that God had moved by His Spirit upon your company in some of their exercises and their promptings; but I saw danger ahead. . . . "I saw that the burden of the message now was the truth. The Word of God should be strictly followed and held up to the people of God. And it would be beautiful and lovely if God's people should be brought into a strait [place], to see the workings of God through exercises of visions."--Manuscript 11, 1850.

The paragraph that follows reiterated the baleful effect of depending upon ecstatic experiences or exercises, especially when searching out sound doctrine: "I saw in our conference meeting, some laid out the work that God was to give exercises, and rebels were to be purged out in the meeting. Then the honest, conscientious ones began to tremble. 'I am afraid [that] I shall be purged out,' and they take their minds from Jesus, and fix them upon themselves and others, and the meeting leaves them lower than it found them. I saw that we must try to lift our minds above self and have them dwell upon God, the high and lofty One."--Ibid. The significance of this vision given on December 24, 1850, cannot be overrated. It is a key document. The believers were praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, possibly hoping for some physically observed demonstration. The records of the time show an acceleration in ecstatic experiences. Coming to the point, she was shown that in the ecstatic experiences (or exercises) there was grave danger of adulteration, the former opinion of the individual involved "governing in a measure their exercise." This being the case, implicit confidence could not be placed in such experiences. But there was one means of communication upon which dependence could be firmly grounded, and that was the visions that God gave to the prophets--here "there would be . . . no danger or mistake." She was shown the possible negative effects of "unnecessary" excitement and that there was a grave danger of disregarding the Word of God and "trusting in exercises." She was shown that there were genuine experiences in which there were charismatic exercises, but that there was danger ahead. In this vision the Word of God was magnified. When God's people found themselves in a difficult place He would give guidance and instruction through the visions.