The Divine Presence
"Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy
ground'" (Exodus 3:5). We approach the topic of this chapter with the full
reverence it deserves. The divine Presence, whether experienced as reality
or in a vision, always produces the same reaction; a sensation of
unworthiness and spiritual insufficiency when facing such a sublime
privilege. Isaiah recounts his experience: "In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted. . . . 'Woe to
me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live
among
a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord
Almighty'" (Isaiah 6:1, 5).
The divine Presence shows itself in different ways. In this chapter we
will
analyze three of them: (1) theophanies, or the real and visible presence
of
a divine Being; (2) visions and prophetic dreams, that due to their
supernatural character, indicate a superhuman presence, either real or in
the prophet's mind; (3) the divine Presence that manifests itself in the
message shared by the prophet with the people.
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Theophanies, The Real And Visible Presence Of A Divine Being
On occasion, God decides to communicate a message personally. He then
manifests Himself directly to a human being. In these cases, it seems that
the message is extremely important, the circumstances are urgent, or the
human messenger needs a direct divine corroboration of a call or a
challenge
put before him. God, then, condescends to reveal Himself visibly and
personally among humans. This was the case of Adam and Eve both before and
after the Fall.[26] God manifested Himself to Abraham to inform him of the
imminent destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.[27] He did so to Moses to
communicate the plan to liberate the chosen people and later to deliver
the
holy law.[28] God spoke directly with Joshua to confirm the entrance of
Israel into the Promised Land.[29] The same thing happened to Paul when he
was called to a special ministry.[30]
By manifesting Himself to the prophet or leader of His people, God
validates
the heavenly origin of the communication received both to the prophet and
to
the recipients of the message. No one would dare question the validity of
a
message personally delivered. In these cases, the real presence goes
beyond
the visionary experience.
Although Ellen White does not specifically mention direct and visible
encounters with a divine Being, on several occasions she did experience a
divine presence in her room. Here are some of her personal testimonies:
Friday, March 20, I arose early, about half past three o'clock in the
morning. While writing upon the fifteenth chapter of John suddenly a
wonderful
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peace came upon me. The whole room seemed to be filled with the atmosphere
of heaven. A holy, sacred presence seemed to be in my room. I laid down my
pen and was in a waiting attitude to see what the Spirit would say unto
me.
I saw no person. I heard no audible voice, but a heavenly watcher seemed
close beside me; I felt that I was in the presence of Jesus.[31]
All through my long affliction I have been most signally blessed of God.
In
the most severe conflicts with intense pain, I realized the assurance, "My
grace is sufficient for you." At times when it seemed that I could not
endure the pain, when unable to sleep, I looked to Jesus by faith, and His
presence was with me, every shade of darkness rolled away, a hallowed
light
enshrouded me, the very room was filled with the light of His divine
presence.[32]
The room was filled with light, a most beautiful, soft, azure light, and I
seemed to be in the arms of heavenly beings. This peculiar light I have
experienced in the past in times of special blessing, but this time it was
more distinct, more impressive, and I felt such peace, peace so full and
abundant no words can express it. I raised myself into a sitting posture,
and I saw that I was surrounded by a bright cloud, white as snow, the
edges
of which were tinged with a deep pink. The softest, sweetest music was
filling the air, and I recognized the music as the singing of the angels.
Then a Voice spoke to me, saying: "Fear
42
not; I am your Saviour. Holy angels are all about you."[33]
The language used by the prophets to describe these encounters leads us to
conclude that it is not always possible for the prophet to know if what he
is experiencing is a real presence or a vision. The apostle Paul's
experience was similar: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was
caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the
body
I do not know-God knows. And I know that this man-whether in the body or
apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-was caught up to
Paradise.
He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell"
(2
Corinthians 12:24). Whether the prophet experienced a real presence or
perceived that presence as part of a vision, the important thing is that
either way the divine presence leaves an indelible mark on the prophetic
experience.
The Angels as Representatives of Divinity
Although the angels are not divine beings, on many occasions they have
been
sent by God with messages for humanity. Humans, faced with such holy and
majestic beings, exhibit similar symptoms of astonishment, reverence, and
feelings of unworthiness.
The Bible describes numerous visits of angels to earth. At the moment,
however, we are particularly interested in analyzing the presence of
angels
sent with messages from God to His servants, the prophets.
Daniel's experience in the Old Testament and the apostle John's in the New
Testament are particularly illustrative.
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Daniel never got over his astonishment at seeing the angel Gabriel at his
side. From the prophet's description, it seems that this encounter was not
part of a vision, but a real presence: "And I heard a man's voice from the
Ulai calling, 'Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.' As he
came
near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.
'Son of man,' he said to me, 'understand that the vision concerns the time
of the end.' While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my
face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. . . .
While
I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision,
came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He
instructed me and said to me, 'Daniel, I have now come to give you insight
and understanding'" (Daniel 8:16-18; 9:21, 22).
The astonishment and subsequent reaction of the prophet Daniel are easily
understood. The presence of a celestial being is not common. The arrival
of
an angelic being flying in the heavens and materializing at the side of
God's servant, even when appearing in human form, produces an emotional
impact difficult for even the prophet himself to explain. Daniel
apparently
faints when faced with the angelic presence (Daniel 8:18; 10:8-20).
The case of the apostle John is similar. When recording his visions, the
apostle seems to behave calmly in telling us that they are "The revelation
of Jesus Christ, which God gave him. . . . And he made it known by sending
his angel to his servant John" (Rev. 1:1). In reality, however, when the
encounter took place with the angel, the servant of God experienced such
an
emotional shock that his natural reaction was to prostrate himself to
worship the celestial messenger
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by his side (Rev.19:10; 22:8, 9).
Ellen White also experienced the presence of angels in her prophetic
ministry. On several occasions she referred to the celestial
representative
who visited her, calling him "my Instructor." Here are some of her
testimonies:
I have received your letter, in which you inquire what is meant by the
words
"I," "We," and so on, in my testimonies. In my work, I am connected with
my
helpers, and I am also connected and in close touch with my Instructor and
other heavenly intelligences. Those who are called of God should be in
touch
with him through the operation of his Holy Spirit, that they may be taught
by him.[34]
[While sailing from Australia to the United States] I was visited by the
angel of the Lord on the boat, and instruction was given me, which I do
not
yet dare to speak. I will sometime give the whole history of my experience
on the boat. It is so solemn, so sacred a matter that I do not feel like
talking about it.[35]
Terrible as was the representation that passed before me, that which
impressed itself most vividly upon my mind was the instruction given me in
connection with it. The angel that stood by my side declared that God's
supreme rulership, and the sacredness of His law, must be revealed to
those
who persistently refuse to render obedience to the King of kings. Those
who
choose to remain disloyal, must
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be visited in mercy with judgments, in order that, if possible, they may
be
aroused to a realization of the sinfulness of their course.[36]
The presence of an angelic being with an important, solemn, or urgent
message, reconfirms the faith of God's servants of the heavenly origin of
that message, and it offers the individuals to whom it is directed
additional proof of its importance.
The Divine Presence In Visions And Prophetic Dreams
Although not as spectacular as a real and visible visit by a divine or
angelic Being, the divine Presence is also manifested in the prophet's
life
through visions. Although we do not fully understand the exact process by
which the Spirit communicates a message, the prophetic experience helps
us,
at least partially, to comprehend the process. Apparently, the five senses
with which human beings perceive images, sounds, smells, tastes, or
sensations in real life, are also used by the prophet to perceive the
various aspects of a divine communication. Hearing and sight seem to be
the
main media. The prophet sees and hears images and sounds. However,
comparing
his perceptions with our own leads us to conclude that the visions are
apparently more like a dream than reality. In a dream we see and hear not
with real sight or hearing but through the subconscious. In the case of
the
prophet, although he may be awake and conscious at the moment of receiving
a
vision, he immediately loses the sense of his actual real surroundings. He
is given access to systems of information and perception apparently
unknown
to
46
human beings in general. If God uses the conscious, unconscious, or
subconscious mind, we do not know. What we do know is that when the
prophet
returns to the real world, he is totally aware of having experienced the
divine presence.
It would be foolish on our behalf to deny the reality of this
communication
solely on the basis of not fully understanding it. At the moment of
writing
these lines, I am flying on a transcontinental trip. I am using a portable
computer to take advantage of the several hours of flight time. This same
computer, with the right connections and in the right place, gives me
access
to world-wide systems of communication such as the Internet that allow me
to
send, in seconds, a message to the other side of the world. I would be the
first to admit that I do not fully understand the process. However, when I
receive the answer to my message in minutes, I have to accept that,
although
I do not fully understand the process, the communication system works in
surprising ways, almost magically for me, since I am not an expert in
electronic systems.
To tell the truth, at this precise moment I am surrounded by systems of
communication that I cannot explain. A cellular telephone is located in
the
back of the seat in front of me on the airplane. By simply passing a
magnetic card though a slot, that small apparatus allows me to hear a
familiar voice. I don't know exactly how it gets here, but I am happy it
works the way it does. The television on the plane offers news, earphones
allow me to hear the voices of those appearing on the screen, and I can
even
hear the pilot's voice in contact with the air controllers in the tower.
All
these systems of information and communication are apt illustrations of
the
divine communication systems. I do not fully understand
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them, but that does not deprive me from accepting them and recognizing the
benefits they offer me.
Something similar happens in divine communication to the prophet. Although
not even the servant of God is able to explain fully the experience in
which
he is involved, and consequently we are even less able to comprehend it,
the
conviction that the divine presence has been manifested; that His voice
has
spoken, is fully certain in his mind.
Supernatural Phenomena That Accompany A Vision
Sometimes the Lord sees fit to manifest His presence through events of a
supernatural order that accompany the prophet when in vision. Probably,
the
most spectacular of these phenomena is the absence of breathing in the
prophet's physical activity. We all know that a human body cannot survive
without oxygen for more than a few minutes. The organs of the body,
especially the brain, require the presence of this vital element. Without
it, the brain will suffer irreversible damage within a short time.
Nevertheless, in the prophetic experience of Ellen White, believers as
well
as nonbelievers had more than one opportunity to observe that in some of
her
public visions, she did not breathe. There was no indication of breath, no
inhalation or exhalation, no movement of her chest. No vapor clouded a
mirror held in front of her mouth, and a burning candle placed next to her
lips did not flicker.
J. N. Loughborough, a pioneer of the Adventist movement, gathered a
significant number of testimonies, among them confirmation by several
doctors, that attest to this phenomenon.[37] Another pioneer, D. T.
Bordeau,
who originally
48
doubted the origin of the visions, declared that when he witnessed this
phenomenon personally and noted the total absence of breathing, it was
enough proof to confirm the divine origin of the messages. Here is his
personal testimony:
June 28, 1857, I saw Sister Ellen G. White in vision for the first time. I
was an unbeliever in the visions; but one circumstance among others that I
might mention convinced me that her visions were of God. To satisfy my
mind
as to whether she breathed or not, I first put my hand on her chest
sufficiently long to know that there was no more heaving of the lungs than
there would have been had she been a corpse. I then took my hand and
placed
it over her mouth, pinching her nostrils between by thumb and forefinger,
so
that it was impossible for her to exhale or inhale air, even if she had
desired to do so. I held her thus with my hand about ten minutes, long
enough for her to suffocate under ordinary circumstances; she was not in
the
least affected by this ordeal. Since witnessing this wonderful phenomenon,
I
have not once been inclined to doubt the divine origin of her
visions."[38]
Supernatural phenomena such as those just mentioned and others, such as
total loss of physical strength, or the momentary acquisition of
exceptional
strength, do not represent the most important elements of the prophetic
experience, but they are additional evidences that a superior Being or
superhuman element is behind the event. The prophet herself offers in her
personal testimony the reasons for this
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type of manifestation of the divine presence:
Some of the instruction found in these pages was given under circumstances
so remarkable as to evidence the wonderworking power of God in behalf of
His
truth. Sometimes while I was in vision, my friends would approach me, and
exclaim, "Why, she does not breathe!" Placing a mirror before my lips,
they
found that no moisture gathered on the glass. It was while there was no
sign
of any breathing that I kept talking of the things that were being
presented
before me. These messages were thus given to substantiate the faith of
all,
that in these last days we might have confidence in the Spirit of
Prophecy.[39]
Some believers do not need to depend on events like this to accept a
message
coming from God. Others, however, may need much more than a supernatural
phenomenon to believe. In this case, peculiar to the Adventist movement,
God
considered it opportune to surround the prophetic experience with events
of
special characteristics that confirmed the faith of the believers of the
time. Those of us who live several decades after the time of these events
can depend on the personal testimonies of these believers. They were
surely
as sincere and honest as we ourselves when they built and confirmed their
faith in the prophetic gift step by step, and accepted these signs as
evidence of the divine Presence with His people.
The Divine Presence in the Prophetic Message
However, on many occasions the prophetic visions and
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dreams are not accompanied by visible or audible signs of the divine
Presence. In these cases, the only sign or identity of the divine origin
of
the communication is found in the message itself. In other words, the
divine
Presence is manifested in the very characteristics of the message the
prophet is communicating.
As if placed in a "time machine," prophets are taken to the remote past,
or
transported to the distant future. With relationship to the past, they
obtain information never seen by archaeologists, geologists, or
paleontologists. With relationship to the future, they offer information
that the years or the centuries will eventually prove to be accurate. They
have access to places and beings in the universe that are totally unknown,
even to modern space scientists. As far as human history is concerned,
they
are witnesses to events that historians have not recorded. In relation to
the secret lives of individuals, they have access to situations and
circumstances known only to the people involved.
The last point mentioned in the previous paragraph, the communication to
the
prophet of events and circumstances that individuals keep secret, contains
the essence of the divine Presence that makes that particular message
something superhuman or supernatural. Hundreds of letters sent by Ellen
White during seventy years of prophetic ministry contained this component
that always caused astonishment and surprise to those involved. It is this
ingredient that produced changes and reformation in the honest and sincere
of heart, and that even the most rebellious had to accept as of divine
origin because of the accuracy and truthfulness of the declarations
referring to the deepest secrets of their lives.
Imagine for a moment the emotion-and probably the
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anxiety-of receiving a letter from a prophet that began like this:
In the last vision given me your case was presented before me. I have been
waiting to see if you had a tender, sensitive, or a seared, conscience. I
have had the following written out for a long time but have thought I
would
wait till you made some move yourself. I was shown that you have not lived
up to the light. You have departed far from the light. The Lord has been
following you with reproofs and counsel to preserve you from ruining your
own soul and bringing a reproach upon His cause. I was shown that you have
been retrograding rather than advancing and growing in grace and the
knowledge of truth.[40]
In many cases, the messages were more specific. Secret sins were revealed
by
God and communicated by the prophet to the person or persons involved.
Undoubtedly, God's purpose in revealing these circumstances was to give
the
individuals an opportunity to repent, to change their ways, and through
the
grace of God, begin a new spiritual life.
But there was an additional reason for revealing and communicating the
secret problems of individuals-to serve as advice and admonition to others
involved in the same circumstances. Paul declares that many of these
revelations are "for our admonition" (1 Corinthians 10:11). Ellen White
corroborates the biblical exhortation, stating:
If one is reproved for a special wrong, brethren
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and sisters should carefully examine themselves to see wherein they have
failed and wherein they have been guilty of the same sin. . . . Many are
dealing falsely with their own souls and are in a great deception in
regard
to their true condition before God. He employs ways and means to best
serve
His purpose and to prove what is in the hearts of His professed followers.
He makes plain the wrongs of some that others may thus be warned and fear
and shun those errors. . . .
In a view given me about twenty years ago, I was then directed to bring
out
general principles, in speaking and in writing, and at the same time
specify
the dangers, errors, and sins of some individuals, that all might be
warned,
reproved, and counseled. I saw that all should search their own hearts and
lives closely to see if they had not made the same mistakes for which
others
were corrected and if the warnings given for others did not apply to their
own cases. If so, they should feel that the counsel and reproofs were
given
especially for them and should make as practical an application of them as
though they were especially addressed to themselves.[41]
As the apostle declares, the messages of divine origin are given "for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy
3:16). Although accepting that correction is not an easy decision, those
who
do accept it receive the blessing of being guided directly by the Lord by
means of His prophetic word. What an extraordinary reason to be grateful!
Just think: the Lord is so concerned for a single
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soul that He takes the time to send special revelations to His servants to
liberate them from going down the road toward perdition! To think that He
has done it to prevent me from going down that road and to admonish me,
personally!
Conclusion
The divine Presence with the prophet is manifested not only when the
visions
are accompanied by extraordinary or supernatural phenomena. Neither is an
angelic or divine appearance necessary to confirm the origin of the
messages. The sincere and humble believer will accept the messages
themselves as the strongest evidence of divine love for the human race and
of the extraordinary effort that God makes so that all men may be saved
and
come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).
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