Study – Grow – Know

Investigative Judgment – What Do We Know?

April 23, 2011 at 12:00 PM 8 comments

Investigative Judgment is a term coined by Ellen G. White and written about in at least one of her books, The Great Controversy.  If a person can be judged solely by the number of books they write, then it is safe to say that White was prolific.

There are a number of claims made by Ellen G. White regarding the Investigative Judgment and it is our intention to highlight those claims and judge them against Scripture.  If she is correct, then there is certainly nothing for those within the Seventh-day Adventist movement to be concerned with; however, should there arise problems from White’s claims regarding Investigative Judgment, then those problems go way beyond this one book (The Great Controversy), and will actually affect White’s character.

A cursory glance through the many postings on the Internet highlight a troubling situation with respect to Investigative Judgment.  There are many who claim that White has twisted and manipulated Scripture to make it say what she wants it to say.  This is not a new claim and in fact, most people who disagree with someone else immediately pull this particular charge from their tool box, so to speak.

I myself have encountered this with respect to my understanding of the PreTrib Rapture.  I’ve been called a heretic and have been told point blank that I’m reading into Scripture, or twisting it altogether to make it say something that it does not say.

So the charge that Ellen G. White has manipulated Scripture is to be expected by those who do not agree with her findings and in effect, do not see it at all in Scripture.  The question we will try to answer is whether or not those claims against Mrs. White’s assertions have merit.

Of course, it is understood at the outset that this blog on Investigative Judgment will likely change no one’s opinion.  If, when all is said and done, it turns out that there is a large question mark over the entire subject of Investigative Judgment, then of course it will be up to each individual to determine for themselves what is the truth of the matter.

The other thing that is easily noticed on the Internet is that for every person who brings charges of heresy against Ellen G. White and at least some of her writings, there is another person who is there to defend her writings.  Debate normally solves nothing.

In fact, how many times have you listened to a Creationist debate an Evolutionist, or an atheist debate a Christian?  In virtually all cases, people attend those debates because it is a form of entertainment.  I have yet to talk with someone who attended a debate with one perspective and left with another.  Certainly it could happen.  I’ve just never personally encountered it.

Debating is fine as far as it goes, but if we look at Scripture, what we clearly see is the fact that Jesus never really debated.  He simply stated.  It was up to each individual to assess Jesus’ words as truth or fiction.  He did not waste time trying to convince people; however, there are many examples of Him (and His apostles) providing additional explanation regarding a matter so that it would become clear to the hearer.

Yet, within Christendom, what do we experience?  We see people not only debating, but arguing, often a great deal over minutiae.  This is not to say that doctrine and theology is not important, but all too often, the term “heretic” is tossed about like popcorn popping in a microwave.

There are a few areas in Scripture where I believe there is absolutely no wiggle room at all.  As stated in previous blogs, one of those areas has to do with salvation.  It is either by grace, through faith, or something else applies to it.  I recall discussing this with a Catholic woman.  She insisted that to properly understand the Bible, it must be considered along with the teachings and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.  If we discussed salvation, her understanding was far different than mine.  For her, there were numerous requirements attached to salvation besides faith.  It was literally faith, plus some sort of work involved on the part of the penitent.  I was unable to help her understand that salvation as a free gift, means that it cannot be earned and it could not be lost.

I realize that people disagree with me and certainly that is their prerogative.  That is also precisely the point.  People believe what makes sense to them.  If we look at the life of Jesus, we could easily begin counting up what we might consider to be failures on His part to convince people that their view was wrong, and His was correct.  However, if we compare Scripture to Scripture, we need only look in places like John 17:12 where He clearly states that Judas was the son of perdition; prophesied in Scripture to betray Christ and even though Judas was one of the apostles, he was never truly part of them.  He was never clean (cf. John 13) as the rest were because Judas had never put his trust in Jesus.

Jesus did not fail where Judas or anyone else is concerned.  He offered truth and these individuals rejected it just as many do today.  Why do some people receive the truth and embrace it?  Because the Father calls them to Himself (cf. John 17).

So with respect to anything I publish here (or in print), please understand that these are my opinions.  I call things as I see them and if I’m right, wonderful.  If I turn out to be wrong, please forgive me ahead of time.

Why is the Investigative Judgment subject so important?  In a nutshell, it is so because of its connection with authentic Christians and authentic salvation.

There is a good deal to White’s book The Great Controversy.  The edition I have was republished in 1998 and is 738 pages in length.  It is not a light read, but complex and involved.  It delves into history (past, from White’s perspective) as well as history future.

I also need to mention up front that there are many who charge that White plagiarized others, yet White herself claimed that she was given a revelation from God regarding the contents of her book.  Who is right and can it be proven beyond doubt?  Again, even if we or someone else can prove anything, the final decision rests with each individual.  Certainly, those within SDA are likely aware of these and other charges against Ellen G. White.  If they know of them, the fact that they are still members of SDA would mean that they have satisfied themselves that the charges are false.  If so, then there is nothing to be said that will convince them and it is not my intent to do so.

So, why am I writing about this at all, if I’m not really interested in convincing anyone?  First, I did not say I was not interested in convincing people.  I am hopeful that if I am imparting truth, that truth will be received by many.  Second, I have explained and fully realize that if I am presenting truth, it will be seen as truth by those who are open to receiving it.  I do not say that to denigrate people (especially those within SDA), or to antagonize.  It is simply a statement of fact.  It all boils down to one word:  IF.  If I am presenting truth, then those who are open to that truth will receive it as truth.

The third reason I am presenting this information is because I love the research involved.  Study of His Word, the study of what others say about His Word, theology, and doctrine related to His Word are all things that I enjoy immensely.  Studying the Investigative Judgment or anything else is a very worthwhile pursuit, especially given the fact that in this situation, the Investigative Judgment subject is specifically unique to the Seventh-day Adventist movement.

One thing you – as the reader – should try to avoid is claiming that since I am not a Seventh-day Adventist, then I really cannot understand what Ellen G. White (or anyone else within SDA) is teaching.  I’m not an idiot.  I have the ability to grasp meaning and I do understand the importance of context, word meaning, and cultural importance.  Though White lived in the 1800s, it is not true to suggest that I cannot understand what she meant because I did not live during her time.  Equally wrong is to suggest that since I did not grow up within the SDA, my understanding is also hampered.  These are bogus charges and most groups make these claims to those outside their movement.  Muslims do it.  Buddhists do it.  Mormons do it.  Jehovah’s Witnesses do it and the list goes on.

It is arrogant and demagoguery to suggest that those outside SDA cannot really grasp Ellen G. White’s meaning.  She has written much and like any author, there are things that she states repeatedly, not merely once.  She takes the time to explain what she meant.

So, without making this any longer than it already is, let me end this particular blog by simply providing a definition of what Mrs. White referred to as Investigative Judgment.  In forthcoming blogs, I will be quoting directly from the a reissue of the 1888 edition of The Great Controversy.  I will do my best to not rip things out of context.  If there are people out there who feel compelled to respond to these blogs of mine, feel free.  However, please note up front that I am not interested in debating you or anyone else.  This is my blog.  I can say what I want to say and I can drone on forever if I want to do so.  Because this is my blog, you cannot do that, so if you have something to say, please make it as brief as possible.  Personal attacks will not be posted at all.  Intelligent discourse/rebuttal is the only thing that will be publicly posted.

Our working definition of Investigative Judgment, as explained by Ellen G. White is the following:  “…teaches that in fulfillment of Old Testament sanctuary typology, Christ entered into the second apartment of the sanctuary in heaven in 1844 in order to begin a work of ‘investigative judgment’ to see who was worthy of eternal life, both of those still living and those dead.” [1]

I can see a few potential problems already, but in fairness to White, without going back into her actual verbiage to find out what she means by “who is worthy,” a judgment on the truthfulness of Investigative Judgment cannot be ascertained.  We will delve into this more next time.

[1] http://www.macgregorministries.org/seventh_day_adventists/investigative_judgment.html

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