What was said above about the
log-jam in Doug Batchelor's eyes also applies to William Johnsson, Editor of the
Adventist Review. Johnsson agrees with Newsweek that there were places that did
not agree with the Gospel account, and then points to the Gospels, "to interpret
Jesus suffering and death for him." And then on another page he promotes EGW's
fictional book, The Passion of Love to the public and says,
"Desire of Ages is a vibrant and
biblically
faithful commentary detailing the last hours of Jesus Christ's life."
Samuele Bacchiocchi, in his infamous "Endtime Issues Newsletter" (#112),
writes:
Therefore, since Adventist leaders suddenly seem to have acquired a great
interest in stories about Jesus matching the Biblical record with exactness, we
decided to compare their prophet's writings about Jesus with the Bible to see if
Ellen White can meet the same standard held out for Mel Gibson.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 686) - "His form swayed as if He were about to fall.
Upon reaching the garden, the disciples looked anxiously for His usual place
of retirement, that their Master might rest. Every step that He now took was
with labored effort. He groaned aloud, as if suffering under the pressure
of a terrible burden. Twice His companions supported Him, or He would have
fallen to the earth."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about Jesus staggering and groaning as He
walked through Gethsemane or needing the disciples to prop Him up.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 694) - "The sleeping disciples had been suddenly awakened
by the light surrounding the Saviour. They saw the angel bending over their
prostrate Master. They saw him lift the Saviour's head upon his bosom, and
point toward heaven. They heard his voice, like sweetest music, speaking
words of comfort and hope."
BIBLE: The Bible says an angel strengthened Jesus (Luke 22:43), but says
nothing about the angel holding Christ upon his bosom, or the disciples
hearing him speak.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 694) - "No traces of His recent agony were visible as
Jesus stepped forth to meet His betrayer. Standing in advance of His disciples
He said, "Whom seek ye?" They answered, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus replied, "I
am He." As these words were spoken, the angel who had lately ministered to
Jesus moved between Him and the mob. A divine light illuminated the Saviour's
face, and a dovelike form overshadowed Him. In the presence of this divine
glory, the murderous throng could not stand for a moment. They staggered back.
Priests, elders, soldiers, and even Judas, fell as dead men to the ground. The
angel withdrew, and the light faded away."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about a supernatural intervention by an
angel, a divine light, or a dovelike form. The Bible merely says, "As soon
then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the
ground." (John 18:6)
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 704) - "But as Caiaphas now looked upon the prisoner, he
was struck with admiration for His noble and dignified bearing. A
conviction came over him that this Man was akin to God. The next instant
he scornfully banished the thought."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about Caiaphas admiring Jesus or being
convicted.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 708) - "The words of Christ startled the high priest. The
thought that there was to be a resurrection of the dead, when all would stand
at the bar of God, to be rewarded according to their works, was a thought of
terror to Caiaphas. He did not wish to believe that in future he would receive
sentence according to his works. There rushed before his mind as a panorama
the scenes of the final judgment. For a moment he saw the fearful
spectacle of the graves giving up their dead, with the secrets he had hoped
were forever hidden. For a moment he felt as if standing before the eternal
Judge, whose eye, which sees all things, was reading his soul, bringing to
light mysteries supposed to be hidden with the dead.
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about Caiaphas being startled or having a
vision of the future judgment.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 711) - "The disciple John, upon entering the judgment
hall, did not try to conceal the fact that he was a follower of Jesus."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about whether or not John tried to conceal
himself.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 713) - "On the very spot where Jesus had poured out
His soul in agony to His Father, Peter fell upon his face, and wished that he
might die."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about Peter weeping on the exact same spot
where Jesus had wept.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 722) - "Eagerly grasping the robe of Caiaphas, he
[Judas] implored him to release Jesus, declaring that He had done nothing
worthy of death."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about Judas grabbing the robe of Caiaphas and
begging for Jesus' life.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 722) - "Judas now cast himself at the feet of Jesus,
acknowledging Him to be the Son of God, and entreating Him to deliver Himself.
The Saviour did not reproach His betrayer. He knew that Judas did not repent;
his confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of
condemnation and a looking for of judgment, but he felt no deep, heartbreaking
grief that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God, and denied the Holy One of
Israel. Yet Jesus spoke no word of condemnation. He looked pityingly upon
Judas, and said, For this hour came I into the world. A murmur of surprise
ran through the assembly. With amazement they beheld the forbearance of Christ
toward His betrayer. Again there swept over them the conviction that this Man
was more than mortal. But if He was the Son of God, they questioned, why did
He not free Himself from His bonds and triumph over His accusers? Judas saw
that his entreaties were in vain, and he rushed from the hall exclaiming,
It is too late! It is too late!"
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing of such an encounter between Judas and Christ
in the judgment hall. There is no mention of them having any contact or any
conversation, nor is there any record of Judas running from the hall yelling.
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 732) - "In answer to Christ's prayer, the wife of Pilate
had been visited by an angel from heaven, and in a dream she had
beheld the Saviour and conversed with Him. Pilate's wife was not a Jew,
but as she looked upon Jesus in her dream, she had no doubt of His character
or mission. She knew Him to be the Prince of God. She saw Him on trial in the
judgment hall. She saw the hands tightly bound as the hands of a criminal. She
saw Herod and his soldiers doing their dreadful work. She heard the priests
and rulers, filled with envy and malice, madly accusing. She heard the words,
"We have a law, and by our law He ought to die." She saw Pilate give Jesus to
the scourging, after he had declared, "I find no fault in Him." She heard the
condemnation pronounced by Pilate, and saw him give Christ up to His
murderers. She saw the cross uplifted on Calvary. She saw the earth wrapped in
darkness, and heard the mysterious cry, "It is finished." Still another scene
met her gaze. She saw Christ seated upon the great white cloud, while
the earth reeled in space, and His murderers fled from the presence of His
glory. With a cry of horror she awoke, and at once wrote to Pilate words of
warning."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing of an angel visiting Pilate's wife. Nor does
it say she conversed with Christ in her dream, nor does it say she saw a
vision of the cross or the Second Coming of Christ. The Bible only says that
she "suffered many things this day in a dream because of him." (Matt. 27:19)
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 739) - "Looking upon the smitten Lamb of God, the Jews had
cried, 'His blood be on us, and on our children.' That awful cry ascended to
the throne of God. That sentence, pronounced upon themselves, was written
in heaven. That prayer was heard. The blood of the Son of God was upon their
children and their children's children, a perpetual curse."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about the Jews being cursed for their sin. In
fact, Christ later prayed upon the cross, "Father forgive them, for they know
not what they do."
ELLEN WHITE: (DA 748) - "And Satan with his angels, in human form, was
present at the cross. The archfiend and his hosts were co-operating with
the priests and rulers."
BIBLE: The Bible says nothing about Satan and his angels taking human form
and being present at the cross.
We have seen numerous examples of how Ellen White's version of the Passion
adds to what the Bible says. So where did Ellen White get her version of the
Passion? From heavenly visions? No, not exactly. SDA researcher Dr. Fred Veltman
determined that Ellen White used 23 books, including works of fiction, when
writing Desire of Ages.