The Great Controversy by Ellen White (Unabridged Version)

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were purity of soul--characters cleansed from sin by the atoning blood of Christ. Would that there were still with the professed people of God the same spirit of heart searching, the same earnest, determined faith. Had they continued thus to humble themselves before the Lord and press their petitions at the mercy seat they would be in possession of a far richer experience than they now have. There is too little prayer, too little real conviction of sin, and the lack of living faith leaves many destitute of the grace so richly provided by our Redeemer. God designed to prove His people. His hand covered a mistake in the reckoning of the prophetic periods. Adventists did not discover the error, nor was it discovered by the most learned of their opponents. The latter said: "Your reckoning of the prophetic periods is correct. Some great event is about to take place; but it is not what Mr. Miller predicts; it is the conversion of the world, and not the second advent of Christ." (See Appendix.) The time of expectation passed, and Christ did not appear for the deliverance of His people. Those who with sincere faith and love had looked for their Saviour, experienced a bitter disappointment. Yet the purposes of God were being accomplished; He was testing the hearts of those professed to be waiting for His appearing. There were among them many who had been actuated by no higher motive than fear. Their profession of faith had not affected their hearts or their lives. When the expected event failed to take place, these persons declared that they were not disappointed; they had never believed that Christ would come. They were among the first to ridicule the sorrow of the true believers. But Jesus and all the heavenly host looked with love and sympathy upon the tried and faithful yet disappointed ones. Could the evil separating the visible world have been swept back, angels would have been seen drawing near to these steadfast souls and shielding them from the shafts of Satan. 256
21. A Warning Rejected In preaching the doctrine of the second advent, William Miller and his associates had labored with the sole purpose of arousing men to a preparation for the judgment. They had sought to awaken professors of religion to the true hope of the church and to their need of a deeper Christian experience, and they labored also to awaken the unconverted to the duty of immediate repentance and conversion to God. "They made no attempt to convert men to a sect or party in religion. Hence they labored among all parties and sects, without interfering with their organization or discipline." "In all my labors," said Miller, "I never had the desire or thought to establish any separate interest from that of existing denominations, or to benefit one at the expense of another. I thought to benefit all. Supposing that all Christians would rejoice in the prospect of Christ's coming, and that those who could not see as I did would not love any the less those who should embrace this doctrine, I did not conceive there would ever be any necessity for separate meetings. My whole object was a desire to convert souls to God, to notify the world of a coming judgment, and to induce my fellow men to make that preparation of heart which will enable them to meet their God in peace. The great majority of those who were converted under my labors united with the various existing churches."-Bliss, page 328. As his work tended to build up the churches, it was for a time regarded with favor. But as ministers and religious leaders decided against the advent doctrine and desired to suppress all agitation of the subject, they not only opposed it from the pulpit, but denied their members the privilege of attending preaching upon the second advent, or even of speaking of their hope in the social meetings of the church. Thus the believers found themselves in a position of great trial and perplexity. They loved their churches and were loath to separate from them; but as they saw the testimony of God's word suppressed and their right to investigate the prophecies denied they felt that loyalty to God forbade them to submit. Those who sought to shut out the testimony of God's word they could not regard as constituting the church of Christ, "the pillar and ground of the truth." Hence they felt themselves justified in separating from their former connection. In the summer of 1844 about fifty thousand withdrew from the churches. About this time a marked change was apparent in most of the churches throughout the United States. There had been for many years a gradual but steadily increasing conformity to worldly practices and customs, and a corresponding decline in real spiritual life; but in that year there were evidences of a sudden and marked declension in nearly all the churches of the land. While none seemed able to suggest the cause, the fact itself was widely noted and 257
Page 2 and 3:
Information about this Book Overvie
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Table of Contents Information about
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1. World History Predicted "If thou
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vineyard," He exclaims, "that I hav
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in heaven and earth. The precepts o
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not then fully understood; but thei
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controlled by impulse and blind rag
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Terrible were the calamities that f
Page 18 and 19:
torch between the hinges of the doo
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will come the second time to gather
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thousands. Beneath the hills outsid
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to the Pattern, the other class shu
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How, then, can the gospel be called
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3. An Era of Darkness The apostle P
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sacrilegious work, Rome presumed to
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prepared of God, that they should f
Page 34 and 35:
without his guards, into an outer c
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committing adultery, they break out
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island of Iona, made this the cente
Page 40 and 41:
up to resist her corruptions. While
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otherly love. In times of peace the
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where they would have been spurned
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Saviour's love seemed too much for
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might have taken; it legitimatized
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cause of reform by exposing the ign
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of the nation. And while spending t
Page 54 and 55:
war upon the other, enforcing his d
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was at this time no law in England
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Thus Wycliffe presented to the pope
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as best they could in the humble ho
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At the university, Huss soon distin
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themselves eternal condemnation, an
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as well as the leading propagator o
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and kings."--Jacques Lenfant, Histo
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persecutors vainly imagined that th
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suffering and mental anxiety. Yet h
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The murderers of Huss did not stand
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now, after reigning one year, he di
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practical character of his mind led
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Luther was still a true son of the
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The official appointed to conduct t
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that the gospel of Christ is the mo
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however, who had received from Luth
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truth, his readiness to answer all
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secure this object, and he secretly
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When the papal bull reached Luther,
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8. Tried Before the Council A new e
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there is enough," he declared, to w
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error. I despise them during my lif
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have long consulted on this matter.
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e with him. In anguish of spirit he
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Luther had spoken in German; he was
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His words were not without effect.
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conceal their sympathy with Luther.
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knew not whither he had been conduc
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9. Reform in Switzerland In the cho
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salvation and grace, comforts it in
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understanding by constant and earne
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the subjects upon which he dwelt. "
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Thus Zwingli maintained the battle
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of the Reformation--that the word o
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violence. I will not make use of fo
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the rebellion was the legitimate fr
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upon its subjects an iron yoke whic
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11. Princely Protest One of the nob
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eadily be found for "completing the
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of the emperor and the pope was str
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pressing him to cross the river. Th
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of the empire. Kings and great men
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12. The French Reformation The Prot
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Farel joyfully accepted the truth.
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But as dangers thickened, Berquin's
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As in apostolic days, persecution h
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schoolmen. The minds of men were st
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By some secret hand--whether of ind
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publicly give his sanction to the d
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unfolded to men the statutes and pr
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In this visit Farel recognized the
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For nearly thirty years Calvin labo
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conscience; but without avail. Afte
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to Wittenberg. The scholar of the c
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As the result of this disputation t
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truth. "One holdeth this doctor, an
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In Scotland the seeds of truth scat
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eligious meetings except such as we
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Saviour had done more for them. And
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learned meekness in the school of C
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that a believer is freed from the "
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away His crown; to set light by any
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The periods here mentioned--"forty
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"Who is Jehovah, that I should hear
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But blackest in the black catalogue
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"The fool hath said in his heart, T
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assurance forever." Isaiah 32:17. H
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indolent, frivolous, and sensual mo
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that were thrust into dungeons and
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permitted to work his will. Those w
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16. The Pilgrim Fathers The English
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should reveal anything to you by an
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state and government of the country
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the present, of attempting to build
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17. Heralds of the Morning One of t
Page 206 and 207:
It is then that the peaceful and lo
Page 208 and 209: containing eight or ten thousand in
Page 210 and 211: 53, 54. "In most parts of the count
Page 212 and 213: men that are settled on their lees:
Page 214 and 215: ambitious strife for place and powe
Page 216 and 217: to fail; but they departed from Him
Page 218 and 219: grave. The future was dark and gloo
Page 220 and 221: days perilous times shall come;" an
Page 222 and 223: find the most stupendous event to t
Page 224 and 225: the seventy weeks was seen to have
Page 226 and 227: "And He shall confirm the covenant
Page 228 and 229: And now the duty of making known to
Page 230 and 231: admiration by one class in the comm
Page 232 and 233: Earnest were the efforts put forth
Page 234 and 235: the professed people of God are uni
Page 236 and 237: In view of the testimony of Inspira
Page 238 and 239: manifest. They "inquired and search
Page 240 and 241: of His parables Christ uses the exp
Page 242 and 243: powers, nor things present, nor thi
Page 244 and 245: Yet God accomplished His own benefi
Page 246 and 247: with his caution the whole of the C
Page 248 and 249: creation, and forfeited by him (Gen
Page 250 and 251: Israel, of the tribe of Dan, . . .
Page 252 and 253: As he pursued his investigation of
Page 254 and 255: as they entered the gates of Jerusa
Page 256 and 257: time of Christ's first advent they
Page 260 and 261: commented upon by both the press an
Page 262 and 263: unity of the Spirit in the bond of
Page 264 and 265: maintained despotic sway over the m
Page 266 and 267: Has not the same process been repea
Page 268 and 269: espectability. They are called to s
Page 270 and 271: 22. Prophecies Fulfilled When the t
Page 272 and 273: Spirit, which renders His word a la
Page 274 and 275: movements. . . . Many among us who
Page 276 and 277: In like manner the types which rela
Page 278 and 279: cometh in the name of the Lord!" Ma
Page 280 and 281: The world had been looking on, expe
Page 282 and 283: deceived. Give up your faith, and s
Page 284 and 285: With this reckoning, all was clear
Page 286 and 287: instruments thereof, even so shall
Page 288 and 289: He "shall sit and rule upon His thr
Page 290 and 291: Once a year, on the great Day of At
Page 292 and 293: epentance of sin and faith in Chris
Page 294 and 295: This coming is foretold also by the
Page 296 and 297: Says the prophet: "Who may abide th
Page 298 and 299: Bible for clearer light-these saw t
Page 300 and 301: communion with God. To them the doo
Page 302 and 303: 25. God's Law The temple of God was
Page 304 and 305: 1844 must continue until the cases
Page 306 and 307: upon Christ and His people during t
Page 308 and 309:
hope. Millions have sought its shor
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The wide diversity of belief in the
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called the least in the kingdom of
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In the issue of the contest all Chr
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Isaiah 58:1, 2. Here is brought to
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against the simple, straightforward
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so long delayed and His people shou
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27. Revival Wherever the word of Go
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Notwithstanding the widespread decl
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The law of God, from its very natur
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This work can be accomplished only
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and keepeth not His commandments, i
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The world is given up to self-indul
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"Blessed is the man that walketh no
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a later period. "Judgment must begi
Page 338 and 339:
All who have truly repented of sin,
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not been repented of and forsaken w
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after His resurrection He ascended
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29. Why So Much Suffering? To many
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only aroused a spirit of resistance
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concealed his work under a specious
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for thousands, forgiving iniquity a
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In the final execution of the judgm
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The antagonism that exists between
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which appears like courtesy or refi
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31. Evil Spirits The connection of
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edemption, and Satan determined to
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and half human. He is pleased to he
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ethren are not few, and they are al
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Human knowledge of both material an
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Himself does nothing contrary to th
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them do every duty which has been m
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33. First Great Deception With the
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But after the Fall, Satan bade his
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accept false doctrines because our
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liss of the eternal world. God has
Page 380 and 381:
Could those whose lives have been s
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the lives of the friends whom they
Page 384 and 385:
Before any can enter the mansions o
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34. Can Our Dead Speak to Us? The m
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devilish." James 3:15. This, howeve
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By representing the basest of men a
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sympathies and will work miracles t
Page 394 and 395:
35. Liberty of Conscience Threatene
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of the Catholics. These things shou
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Matthew 11:28. It is Satan's consta
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As the Protestants churches have be
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As the papacy became firmly establi
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A striking illustration of Rome's p
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oath pledging their loyalty to the
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place of Jehovah; while the living
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The iniquity and spiritual darkness
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Satan works through the elements al
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upon their motives. As the Protesta
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midst of heaven, He requires every
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conjugal, or social, the effect is
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emembrance, whatsoever I have said
Page 422 and 423:
38. The Final Warning "I saw anothe
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event so long doubted and disbeliev
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them. They have not consulted their
Page 428 and 429:
therefore, and be converted, that y
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power exercised by holy angels when
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perseverance, are here displayed! H
Page 434 and 435:
Satan leads many to believe that Go
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14:30. Satan could find nothing in
Page 438 and 439:
their destruction, the people of Go
Page 440 and 441:
These plagues are not universal, or
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as guides to benighted travelers. T
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chambers, and shut thy doors about
Page 446 and 447:
It is at midnight that God manifest
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all can read them. Memory is arouse
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stand?" The wicked pray to be burie
Page 452 and 453:
wonderful redemption! long talked o
Page 454 and 455:
edeemed, standing in the Paradise o
Page 456 and 457:
not be fully understood, even when
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The world see the very class whom t
Page 460 and 461:
At the coming of Christ the wicked
Page 462 and 463:
For a thousand years, Satan will wa
Page 464 and 465:
42. Controversy Ended At the close
Page 466 and 467:
Now Christ again appears to the vie
Page 468 and 469:
Amid the ransomed throng are the ap
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ows down and confesses the justice
Page 472 and 473:
Satan's work of ruin is forever end
Page 474 and 475:
precious, even like a jasper stone,
Page 476 and 477:
Appendix General Notes for the Grea
Page 478 and 479:
Page 53. The Sunday Law of Constant
Page 480 and 481:
The "false writings" referred to in
Page 482 and 483:
On the practical outworkings of the
Page 484 and 485:
For a summary of these bulls sent t
Page 486 and 487:
Page 265. Causes of the French Revo
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Page 283. Retribution.--For further
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Eastern Roman Empire. Throughout th
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with presumptuous folly who reveren
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The Great Controversy by Ellen White (Unabridged Version)

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