This is saying that there is Scripture that can only be understood by means of the SOP? I don't think we believe, as a church, believe this to be the case. That is, I believe that we explicitly teach the converse, that's it's not necessary to believe in the SOP to understand the Bible. EGW herself wrote that God, in His mercy, gave a prophet because the Bible was not being read and studied as it ought, and that if it had been, her office would not have been necessary. That, in itself, implies that it's possible to understand the Bible without her writings.

Tom,

That is true. However, having ordained Ellen White as a prophet, don't you think that God would share with us additional truths through her that were not otherwise possible for us to understand in the Bible? I agree that Ellen White helps us understand the Bible. I just think that she also gives us some extra-biblical truths of special interest to us in these last days. Of special note, many of her messages relating to health fall into this category.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

I've been wondering about the final week of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 for a quarter century - does it have an end-time application? Is this the final invitation that the Jews rejected going to be given to the world in 1260 days. The language is similar to the Day of Atonement - atone for iniquity, bring an end to sins, bring in everlasting righteousness. If there's no thread on that topic, maybe we should open one.

That comment seems off topic, but Ico's parallels to the 1260 day ministry of Christ and the 3.5 years +- of Millerite revival stimilated my thinking regarding Daniel 9.

Students of Prophecy
“Whatever may be man’s intellectual advancement, let him not for a moment think that there is no need of thorough and continuous searching of the Scriptures for greater light. As a people we are called individually to be students of prophecy.” Testimonies, volume 5, 708.

What is one of the ways the Lord has defined Prophecy?

“Historical events, showing the direct fulfillment of prophecy, were set before the people, and the prophecy was seen to be a figurative delineation of events leading down to the close of this earth’s history.” Selected Messages, book 2, 101–102.


Waymarks

“God speaks in his word, and fulfills this word in the world. We need now to seek to understand the movements of God’s providence. Said Paul, ‘Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night nor of darkness.’ God’s people are not left to depend on man’s wisdom. With prophetic guideposts God has marked out the way he wishes them to take. These great waymarks show us that the path of obedience is the only path we can follow with certainty. Men break their word, and prove themselves untrustworthy, but God changes not. His word will abide the same forever.” Review and Herald, February 6, 1900.


“Today Satan is seeking opportunities to tear down the waymarks of truth,—the monuments that have been raised up along the way; and we need the experience of the aged workers who have built their house upon the solid rock, who through evil report as well as good report have been steadfast to the truth.” Gospel Workers, 104.


“Our faith in reference to the messages of the first, second, and third angels was correct. The great waymarks we have passed are immovable. Although the hosts of hell may try to tear them from their foundation, and triumph in the thought that they have succeeded, yet they do not succeed. These pillars of truth stand firm as the eternal hills, unmoved by all the efforts of men combined with those of Satan and his host. We can learn much, and should be constantly searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so.” Evangelism, 223.


“The great waymarks of truth, showing us our bearings in prophetic history, are to be carefully guarded, lest they be torn down, and replaced with theories that would bring confusion rather than genuine light.” Selected Messages, book 2, 101–102.

“At this time many efforts will be made to unsettle our faith in the sanctuary question; but we must not waver. Not a pin is to be moved from the foundations of our faith. Truth is still truth. Those who become uncertain will drift into erroneous theories, and will finally find themselves infidel in regard to the past evidence we have had of what is truth. The old waymarks must be preserved, that we lose not our bearings.” Manuscript Releases, volume 1, 55.

“Messages of every order and kind have been urged upon Seventh-day Adventists, to take the place of the truth which, point by point, has been sought out by prayerful study, and testified to by the miracle-working power of the Lord. But the waymarks which have made us what we are, are to be preserved, and they will be preserved, as God has signified through His word and the testimony of His Spirit. He calls upon us to hold firmly, with the grip of faith, to the fundamental principles that are based upon unquestionable authority.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 52.


“We should study the great waymarks that point out the times in which we are living.” Last Day Events, 14.


“Brethren and sisters, my faith is as strong as ever that the things of this world are about to close. It is stronger than when I saw you last. We can see the waymarks that are all along the way. When we are traveling along a road alone, and see a guide board; if we can read we know that we are at such a place; so it is if our minds are active and so consecrated to God that we can understand His workings, we can know just where we are in this world’s history. Things we spoke of 25 years ago are just working up. The powers of darkness are working with an intensity from within, but God has been working for us, and He will work for us that Christ shall not have died in vain, that we may have of the life that runs parallel with the life of Jehovah. It is this little, little atom of a world that is absorbing all our force.
“Is there not something that will have a reviving influence on [our] lives? Should we not study the Word of God, and when duty is made known, meet every objection to it with a ‘thus saith the Lord’? Should we not search out the truths that are clustered about the truths of God? We have no time to fold our hands, brethren; the Lord is soon coming, and we have heard the note of warning till we have consoled ourselves and a sleep has taken hold of us, of the life and the character. There is nothing about us to show the world that we have the most sacred truth that has ever been given to man.
“We want to know where we are in history.” Sermons and Talks, 48, 49.
Past History to be Brought Before the People
“The dealings of God with His people should be often repeated. How frequently were the waymarks set up by the Lord in His dealings with ancient Israel! Lest they should forget the history of the past, He commanded Moses to frame these events into song, that parents might teach them to their children. They were to gather up memorials and to lay them up in sight. Special pains were taken to preserve them, that when the children should inquire concerning these things, the whole story might be repeated. Thus the providential dealings and the marked goodness and mercy of God in His care and deliverance of His people were kept in mind. We are exhorted to ‘call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.’ Hebrews 10:32. For His people in this generation the Lord has wrought as a wonder-working God. The past history of the cause of God needs to be often brought before the people, young and old. We need often to recount God’s goodness and to praise Him for His wonderful works.” Testimonies, volume 6, 364, 365.

So why is it so important to study the past histories in the bible? What is it in these prophetic lines that satan is trying to prevent us from learning? Bible quote:

Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

SOP quote:

The work of God in the earth presents, from age to age, a striking similarity in every great reformation or religious movement. The principles of God's dealing with men are ever the same. The important movements of the present have their parallel in those of the past, and the experience of the church in former ages has lessons of great value for our own time. {GC88 343.1}

Could it be possible that if we delineate past reformatory movements placing them line upon line, waymarks along a line, that we can learn that "God's dealing with men are ever the same? Is this really possible?

When the Angel (Christ) of Revelation 10 tells John, to take the little book and eat it, what book is He referring to? Isn't the little book the same book of Revelation 5 which He that sat at the Throne had in His right hand and no one could open? Yet there was One who prevailed to open the little book, yes, The Lion of the tribe of Juda, was able to remove the seven seals and when He, The Lion of the tribe of Juda removed the seals, seven thunders were uttered.

But again, why is it the little book? Brothers and sisters, it is the little book, because once you understand that the seven thunders are a delineation of events and those events are God's dealing with men and God's dealing with me are ever the same, then you see what God is trying to teach us here at the end is that all the accumulated light of ages past He has given us are going to shine now with such an incredible brightness that the incredible darkness that surronds us will not prevail. The bible turns into a little book that can be more easily understood, the book of Daniel has been unsealed, the seven thunders have been unsealed.

This is a test. It was a test to our founding fathers and it a test for us. Will we listen to The Lion?

If you break that down or simplify it a little, Bible quote:

John 16:7 ¶ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

SOP quote:

The Holy Spirit has so shaped matters, both in the giving of the prophecy and in the events portrayed, as to teach that the human agent is to be kept out of sight, hid in Christ, and that the Lord God of heaven and His law are to be exalted.” Testimonies to Ministers, 112

But remember, Bible quote:

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

So before this period of Sin, Righteousness and Judgement (or reformatory movement) begins, the Lord will let us know that the time has arrived by fulfilling a prophecy. God is good.