Based on this text and interpretation as provided by you Mike, God is a respector of persons on the very day when all sin is finally defeated. I do not think Ellen would agree with you about this.

Based on the thread title, it could at most be said that this thread is discussing among else Ellens writings. Neither the testimony of Jesus nor the spirit of prophecy equals nor has ever been equal to neither Ellen as a person or her writings. But you already knew that of course.

Thomas, how do you feel about the fact Peter, James, and John were part of Jesus' inner circle? Was He a respecter of persons because the other disciples were not a part of His inner circle? Also, what about the temple and the 144,000 in the following passage?

EW 18
Mount Zion was just before us, and on the mount was a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies. And I saw the little ones climb, or, if they chose, use their little wings and fly, to the top of the mountains and pluck the never-fading flowers. There were all kinds of trees around the temple to beautify the place: the box, the pine, the fir, the oil, the myrtle, the pomegranate, and the fig tree bowed down with the weight of its timely figs--these made the place all over glorious. And as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus raised His lovely voice and said, "Only the 144,000 enter this place," and we shouted, "Alleluia." {EW 18.2}

Revelation
3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.
21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Jesus was and is a human, and while walking the dusty roads of Israel sertainly had human limitations. Presumably also regarding how many closest friends he could have at a time. The Father, and perhaps Jesus in his glorification, suffer no such limitations.

As for your quotes, I fail to see why they would be a problem. The identification I gave above is not in conflict with them.

TV: Based on this text and interpretation as provided by you Mike, God is a respector of persons on the very day when all sin is finally defeated. I do not think Ellen would agree with you about this.

MM: Arranging the saints around His throne in the order described in the quote I posted does not mean God is a respecter of persons. Nor does giving the 144,000 exclusive access to the temple in the New Earth mean He is a respecter of persons. Sister White agrees.

Considering that the 144000 are not some exclusive group separated from other believers, there is no trouble.

But in the temple they are separated from other saints. Is that a problem?

PS - Did you happen to notice in the quote I posted that the 144,000 and the Great Multitude are not one and the same group?

The saints ARE the temple as we read in the quote from revelation you also supplied. Saints no less than any other humans can be outside of themselves. A saint being outside of the temple is a contradiction in terms.

I noticed and I disagree.

MM, you have separated the 144,000 from the 'group without number', which is readily understood. My point was that they did not precede those who were part of the first resurrection, if the interpretation of the 144,000 is literal as opposed to symbolic. Therein lies a conundrum. A case can be made that possibly the 144,000 are both...symbolic as to application and literal as to disposition.

In regard to the term 'saints', how would you apply it to the writings of Paul where he addresses the members of the churches as 'saints', i.e., Eph. 1:1 says, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:" This is repeated to the church in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi and Colosse. It appears that the followers of Christ are considered 'saints'.

God bless!
Bert

Thomas, you lost me. I'm not sure what you're talking about. What do you agree with and what do you disagree with? Here are the points I have made, with some additional elaboration:

1. The 144,000 is a literal number of Christians who will be numbered and sealed during the investigative judgment of the living.

2. The 12 different tribes or names symbolize 12 different character traits. Christians will be numbered and sealed according to their predominate traits of character. There will be 12,000 in each tribe or trait of character.

3. They will experience Jacob's Time of Trouble during the outpouring of the seven last plagues, and will be translated alive when Jesus arrives.

4. They have exclusive access to the temple in the New Earth. This temple is a literal building located on the summit of Mount Zion, which is somewhere outside the walls of New Jerusalem.

5. The Great Multitude is a different group of people. They will be part of the general first resurrection when Jesus arrives.

And a new point I haven't made yet,

6. A special resurrection will occur after probation closes and before Jesus arrives. It consists of two groups of people. It is described in the following passage.

LDE 271
Graves are opened, and "many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth . . . awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:2). All who have died in the faith of the third angel's message come forth from the tomb glorified to hear God's covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. "They also which pierced Him" (Rev. 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ's dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory, and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.--GC 636, 637 (1911). {LDE 271.2}

Bert,

Do you agree with what I posted above, in my previous post #99430?

Also, yes, the title "saints" is simply a term that denotes born again believers.