Ellen G. White’s Visions and Doctrinal Authority in Seventh-day Adventism

Abstract

This review article examines the role and authority attributed to Ellen G. White’s private visions in the development and maintenance of distinctive Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) doctrines, using the church’s interpretation of Revelation 13:16-18 (the number 666 and the mark of the beast) as a case study. Drawing on primary sources including White’s writings, early SDA publications, General Conference resolutions from 1883 and 1887, and contemporary worship materials, the study traces how visions reported in 1847 and 1850 informed the identification of the papacy as the agent responsible for changing the Sabbath and of Sunday observance as the mark of the beast. The analysis documents institutional statements that closely associate doctrinal interpretation with White’s visionary authority, as well as White’s own descriptions of her writings as divinely derived. To assess contemporary reception, the study also examines a widely circulated 2021 Swahili SDA hymn and a sample of associated online responses, indicating the continued transmission of this interpretive framework within popular Adventist worship and discourse. Finally, the article evaluates the claim that the papal title Vicarius Filii Dei corresponds to the number 666, assessing it against linguistic, historical, and exegetical considerations. The findings suggest that this identification encounters significant methodological challenges when examined in light of the original language and historical context of Revelation. The study concludes by highlighting the implications of prophetic authority for doctrinal formation and biblical interpretation within Seventh-day Adventism.