Ever since I first become a Seventh-day Adventist forty-five years ago, I have been intrigued with the steady fulfilment of prophecy over those years. A major statement from the book The Great Controversy, that has detailed events fulfilled during this time frame, tells us:
Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul, and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of Spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of Spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience [##1|Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 588.##].
We have seen how the Protestants of America have reached their hand across the gulf and made major steps in reuniting with Rome [2]. We have also seen, recently, American Protestants embrace the reuniting of the church with the state [3]. All is well on the way except for one missing ingredient. The statement above is repeated in a slightly different form here:
As Spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted, after the modern order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency of Spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power [##4|White, The Great Controversy, p. 588.##].
The Undeniable Part
The Pentecostal churches have had immense growth in recent years [5], based on their claims of miracles. But Ellen White uses the phrase “undeniable wonders.” I believe those undeniable wonders are the key to the future “conversion” of the world. It would explain how, particularly in countries like New Zealand, where the majority profess atheism [6], that popular support could easily build for a false religious revival.
In Ellen White’s words:
The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet's words: "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17 [##7|White, The Great Controversy, p. 592.##].
My observation is that currently, the alleged miracles happening in the Pentecostal Churches are not sufficiently undeniable to convince the atheists of the world to abandon their existing “faith” that God and supernatural forces do not exist.
An analysis of the claims of miracles in the Pentecostal churches does not give us a clear picture of undeniable miracles, but rather, a “muddy” picture of possible supernatural events, mixed with various psychological phenomena and the occasional outright fraud. The secular explanation for these reported miracles is that they are some sort of psychological effect, or just outright fraud [8].
Certainly, there have been many testimonies but very little “hard” evidence that would be accepted by the scientific/atheist community.
The Anecdotal Evidence for Miracles
Examining video evidence of a Kenneth Hagin meeting [9] there is anecdotal evidence of supernatural phenomena. The video would suggest, to us, that we are witnessing some form of demon possession. However, many secular people view what we are seeing here as various psychological phenomena [10]. I would, examining the video, personally opt for demon possession. However, my skeptical friends, examining the same video, would most likely opt for psychological phenomena. My observation is based on the sudden shaking body movements of some in the congregation. However, there are secular explanations of the same phenomena, suggesting it is some form of mass hypnotism [11].
Ellen White makes reference to much the same thing in her day.
I saw that soon it would be considered blasphemy to speak against the rapping, and that it would spread more and more, that Satan's power would increase and some of his devoted followers would have power to work miracles and even to bring down fire from heaven in the sight of men. I was shown that by the rapping and mesmerism these modern magicians would yet account for all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, and that many would believe that all the mighty works of the Son of God when on earth were accomplished by this same power [##12|White, Early Writings, p. 59.##}
That is, that the “miracles” of the occult involve mesmerism (hypnotism). So, while none the less, we understand much of the charismatic/Pentecostal phenomena to be Satanic. Sceptical, secular society understands these phenomena to be natural in cause. As far as they are concerned, the jury is still out. They will only be convinced when the scientists give up on offering any other explanations. It would appear from the following Ellen White quote that a time will come when secular explanations will not be considered but only spiritual ones.
It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday-sabbath, that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced, and that those who present the claims of the fourth commandment, thus destroying reverence for Sunday, are troublers of the people, preventing their restoration to divine favor and temporal prosperity. {##13|——The Great Controversy, p. 590.##}
You will note that society says the calamities are judgements from an offended God, not from natural causes eg global warming. This would suggest that something has displaced the secular mindset by then. The only thing that I can think of that would do that is very public and undeniable miracles.
The Timing of These Miracles
Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. And the end is very near. We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise [##14|——Bible Training School, Feb. 1, 1903.##].
Ellen White indicates that at the end of time, the National Sunday Law in the United States will come as an overwhelming surprise. This would suggest that, currently, Satan’s hand is being stayed from doing undeniable miracles in public. Since God releasing Satan’s hand to do these miracles is the result of a decision by God and not by earthly politics or sources, then they will commence, virtually, at the throwing of a switch. This indicates to us that our preparation for these events should be the same as our preparation for our death. No man knows the day or the hour when this switch will be thrown, just as no man knows the day or hour when they will die.
We should always be in a ready state in our relationship with God. I have often heard, from lapsed Adventists I have met through the years, the claim that when the Sunday Law comes in, they will return to the church. Alas, the very final events are not something than can be suddenly prepared for when they happen. (One thinks of those in Noah’s day who thought to get on board the ark as soon as the rain started.) We had best be in a constant state of readiness now.
REFERENCES
1. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 588.
2. https://cogwriter.com/BNPJuly-Sept_2016.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
3. https://ijae.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41257-023-00101-3?utm_source=chatgpt.com
4. White, The Great Controversy, p. 588.
5. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2006/10/05/spirit-and-power/
6. https://figure.nz/chart/RfmHYb2IsMMrn9OC&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=168502829&gbraid=0AAAAADo3elt3sjs1VSo6cq-ws3iVrdfA8&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoZDJBhC0ARIsAERP-F-9RMtyGFUW3FjBt5iAyiQZ5HHdiegpfh_VJxOZ493bPfCOSErUIgkaAthYEALw_wcB
7. White, The Great Controversy, p. 592.
8. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67944614
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slain_in_the_Spirit?utm_source=chatgpt.com
10. https://api.unil.ch/iris/server/api/core/bitstreams/bae03c80-0611-48d0-9f3d-fedf818887fc/content
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autosuggestion
12. White, Early Writings, p. 59.
13. ----The Great Controversy, p. 590.
14. ----Bible Training School, February 1, 1903.
Tony Rigden, a former atheist/deist, came into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1980 as the result of a miraculous conversion and the reading of the book The Great Controversy by Ellen G White. He has since been a regular Sabbath School teacher, very part-time lay preacher, elder and briefly head elder. Formerly an electronics technician and computer programmer, Tony is currently still part-time programming but mostly retired. Former hobbies included diving and private flying. Currently he is a volunteer guard (train conductor) for one of New Zealand's leading vintage railways.