200 prophets with EGW

[ClubV12]

I've been wondering why Ellen White did not call herself a prophetess but instead preferred the title "messenger". Now there is no doubt in mind, or the sanctioned SDA church, that EGW was indeed a prophetess. So, why didn't she claim the title?

We so often hear it said, "Well, she never claimed to be a prophet." I'm not sure what people mean when they say that, but it generally carries a negative feeling with it. A certain doubt is raised concerning her work. Along with other comments like, "She never claimed she didn't make mistakes." Which carries an obvious negative vibe. Well, she was human after all, as were ALL the prophets, who without a doubt, made some mistakes as they grew in the Lord and in their experience.

The bible is filled with stories of great men and women, people clearly of and for God, who made mistakes. Some, tragically, leading to their eternal doom. But they were STILL "men of God" at some point in their life.

Turns out there were about 200 people in her time who made the claim they were prophet's or prophetess'. Some even acknowledged their error and repented when it was pointed out to them by EGW (though they may be sincere, they were mistaken).

Shortly after EGW died there were many who claimed to "take her place". In the early 1900's this led to several different groups that were formed as churchs, but not as SDA's. Branch Davidians were one such group in our more modern time.

I'm thinking EGW didn't use the title "prophet" because of the large number of other's laying claim to that title in her time! And in the time to come.

[Kevin H]

Yes indeed ClubV12 that is ONE of the reasons.Some of by writings of Ellen White classes or Bible and Archaoly classes have pointed this and the following information that I've found useful out. I have not studied all the different roles of prophets in the ancient world, the prophessors tended to focus on 3 aspects, Cannonal prophets (Bible writers), local prophets, and The Lord's Messenger.

From these A second reason for Mrs. White to avoid the term Prophet is that too many who claim to be prophets tend to make their writings equal to or above the Bible and a lot of people tend to automatically equate Prophet with Bible, while there is a whole series of prophetic ministries with only a few who had a message that had such a universal message and tied to the current empire that people were living under for their writings to be cannonical (and that was even just a small part of their prophetic ministry). While Mrs. White saw herself in more the role that archaeologists call "Local Prophets" who were fully inspiried, vision recieving, in the full authority of the office of prophet as the Cannonical prophets were, however instead of adding to the Bible, they were making local applications of the principles of the prophets who wrote the Bible and calling people to neglected truths from the Bible prophets. These would included some of the prophets mentioned in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments who's only mentioned in passing and who's writings did not become part of the Bible.

Also, another prophetic office is what was called "The Lord's Messenger" where a prophet (can be a local prophet) is allowed into the heavenly counsl.

At AUC it was pointed out that Mrs. White would avoid the term prophet because she was more of what archaeologists would later discover and term local prophets and Lord's Messenger, rather than Cannonical, and she lived before these discoveries and in a world that tended to equate Prophet with Connonical.

[ClubV12]

Thanks Kevin, that brings some real nice clairity and additional information to this issue I've been contemplating.