Investigating Ellen G. White #10: “The Great Controversy Myth” [Taglish)

Intro: Ang Akala Nating “Prophetic Masterpiece”

Kung lumaki ka sa Adventist church, malamang alam na alam mo ang librong The Great Controversy. Ito ‘yung librong sinasabing “divine revelation” ni Ellen G. White — ang kumpletong kwento ng cosmic war between Christ and Satan, mula Eden hanggang sa end of time. Millions of copies have been printed and distributed worldwide, proudly claiming to warn the world of what’s to come.

Pero teka lang. Na-curious ka na ba kung saan talaga galing ang librong ito? Vision ba talaga ‘to galing kay God… o compilation lang ng mga existing ideas at borrowed materials?

Let’s investigate.

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The “Vision” at Lovett’s Grove — or Just Convenient Timing?

Ayon sa kwento, nagsimula daw ang lahat noong 1858 sa Lovett’s Grove. Doon raw si Mrs. White nagkaroon ng “panoramic vision” tungkol sa hinaharap. Over time, isinulat daw niya ito hanggang naging Spiritual Gifts (vol. 1), later Spirit of Prophecy (vol. 4), at finally, noong 1888 — The Great Controversy na.

Ang claim niya?

“While writing the manuscript of The Great Controversy, I was often conscious of the presence of the angels of God.”

Powerful, di ba? Sino bang hindi maniniwala kung mismong “angels” daw ang kasama mo habang nagsusulat? Pero may plot twist dito…

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May Nauna Nang “Great Controversy” Book?!

Surprise! Noong 1858 din—oo, same year, may isang first-day Adventist author named H.L. Hastings na nagsulat ng The Great Controversy Between God and Man: Its Origin, Progress, and Termination.

At guess what — just four days after Ellen White’s so-called “vision,” lumabas ang review ng librong ito sa Review and Herald magazine ni James White. Para mailabas iyon, ibig sabihin nabasa na nila ni Ellen ang libro before her vision ever happened.

Coincidence? Or convenient timing?

Ang review mismo (likely sinulat ni James White o Uriah Smith) ay nagsabi na maganda ang libro pero…

“We could wish the author had dwelt more on the law that reposes in that ark…”

Lo and behold — ilang buwan lang pagkatapos nito, lumabas ang Spiritual Gifts Vol. 1 ni Ellen White, may chapter na “God’s Law Immutable.” Exactly what the review “wished” for.

So parang ganito: nabasa nila ‘yung unang Great Controversy, nag-comment na may kulang, tapos biglang “nagka-vision” si Ellen White na puno ng eksaktong mga “kulang” daw.

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Recycled Doctrines, Repackaged as Revelation

Ayon sa SDA historian na si Walter Rea, halos lahat ng doctrines sa Great Controversy — gaya ng “Mark of the Beast = Sunday worship,” “Image to the Beast = USA,” at iba pa — ay hindi galing sa Lovett’s Grove vision. Galing ‘yan kina Joseph Bates, J.N. Andrews, at Uriah Smith bago pa man maisulat ang libro.

In fact, Life Incidents ni James White (1868) at The Three Messages of Revelation ni J.N. Andrews (1860) ay naglalaman na ng mga parehong themes at phrases na makikita rin sa Great Controversy.

So paano naging “divine revelation” kung halos lahat ng laman nito ay pre-existing Adventist theology?

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Behind the Scenes: The 1919 SDA Leaders’ Admission

Fast forward to 1919. During a private SDA conference, church leaders openly admitted that Ellen White didn’t even write many of the historical sections.

W.W. Prescott, one of her editors, said:

“If they did not find in her writings anything on certain chapters… they took other books, like Uriah Smith’s Daniel and Revelation, and used portions of them.”

So hindi pala “angels” ang tumulong sa kanya — kundi mga editors.

At si A.G. Daniells, General Conference President mismo, umamin na:

“We could never claim inspiration in the whole thought and make-up of the book…”

Kung mismong top church leaders na ang nagsasabi niyan — paano pa natin maipipilit na “heaven-inspired” ang librong ito?

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Academic Confirmation: Dr. Don McAdams’ Research

Decades later, SDA scholar Dr. Don McAdams (Spectrum, 1980) examined Ellen White’s handwritten manuscript for The Great Controversy.

Ang conclusion niya:

“I have found no historical fact in her text that is not in their text [the historians she copied from].”

Ibig sabihin, kahit historical details ay hindi kanya — copy-paste lang from other historians, including their errors.

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So What Are We Left With?

Kung tatanggalin mo lahat ng borrowed paragraphs, recycled ideas, and SDA add-ons — ano pa nga ba ang matitira sa Great Controversy?

Hindi original, hindi inspired, at hindi prophetic. It’s simply a 19th-century Adventist remix of older religious literature — na ginamitan ng “vision” claim para maging authoritative.

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The Real Great Controversy

Here’s the thing: The real “Great Controversy” isn’t between Ellen White and Rome. It’s between truth and deception.

The battle today isn’t about Sunday laws or papal conspiracies — it’s about who we trust for truth. The Bible alone, or a claimed prophet whose words were patched together by editors and borrowed from other authors?

Jesus said,

“Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

At doon dapat umiikot ang ating pananampalataya. Hindi sa mga vision claims ng 19th century, kundi sa inspired Word of God na tunay na “breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16).

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Conclusion: From Fiction to Faithfulness

Many of us once held The Great Controversy like it was holy writ. Pero ngayon, as we examine its origins, one thing becomes clear — this book tells us more about Ellen White’s imagination than about God’s revelation.

The good news? We don’t need a “prophet” to know God’s plan. The Bible itself — complete, sufficient, and living — already reveals the true story of redemption: From creation to Christ, from cross to kingdom.

Now that’s the real Great Controversy worth believing in.

References:

1. Ellen White, Letter 56, 1911.

2. Unsigned book review published in the March 18, 1858, issue of the Review, vol. 11, #18.

3. Walter T. Rea, The White Lie, pp. 223-224.

4. Ellen White, Manuscript 23, 1890.

5. Donald McAdams, “Shifting View of Inspiration”,  Spectrum, vol. 10 , No. 4, March. 1980.

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