The Lord has ever existed in perfection from all eternity. He has been ever what He now is, “I am that I am;“The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity.” [Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 57:15.] This is His title. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2. “I am the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3:6. With Him is no variableness or shadow of turning. {Ms180-1897.2}
There are many Scriptures and quotations of Ellen White that strongly affirm the eternal existence of Christ.You will find many of them on this page. I believe the evidence for His eternal existence is compelling.
This eternal existence precludes Christ being birthed at any time in the far distant past! If He has always existed, when could a birth have taken place?
Some of the quotes will seem to be repeated. This is due to their being published in various denominational periodicals and books, at different times, and sometimes with slight variations. Including them allows you to see continuing confirmation of Christ's eternal existence throughout the writings of Ellen White.
At the bottom of the page I list possible words and phrases on the topic in quotations marks to allow you to study the subject for yourself if you so wish.
Yes! There are many Scriptures that establish his eternal existence, a life that stretches back to all eternity, and has no ending in the future. Christ is truly from "everlasting to everlasting"! There are many quotations of Ellen White that concur.
This Bible Study first looks at the relevant Scriptures. After that an exhaustive group of Ellen White quotes on the eternal existence of Christ are listed.
John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”
John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Psalms 90:1-2 “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Colossians 1:17 “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
Hebrews 7:1-3 “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.”
Hebrews 7:15-16 “And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
1 John 1:2 “For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;”
Revelation 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 21:6-7 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
Revelation 22:12-13 “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
From eternity Christ has been man’s Redeemer. Ever since the Fall there has come to those uniting with Him in His great work the word: “Be not weary in well-doing.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13. Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58. {9T 220.2}
But because men did not like to be told of their sins; because they did not wish to be reproved or corrected, they determined to resist Him. Jesus saw that which those who were blinded by the enemy could not see. He tried to convince them that everything opposed to the principles He was teaching was a delusion and a falsehood. “Every one that is of the truth,” He said, “heareth My voice.” He was the embodiment of truth and holiness. He who had stood in the councils of God; He who had dwelt in the innermost sanctuary of the eternal, was speaking that whereof He knew. He was presenting to them truth of the highest order, revealing to men the mind of the Infinite. But the men who claimed to stand high in knowledge and spiritual understanding, failed to comprehend His meaning; and that which had been evolved from eternity by the Father and the Son, they in their ignorance stood as critics to condemn. {BEcho February 20, 1899, par. 9}
“We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,” the apostle Paul declared. It is beyond the power of human wisdom to discover the things of God, but to those who keep the way of the Lord there are revealed hidden treasures of wisdom. Christ longs to bestow upon his chosen people in this world a foretaste of the glory in which his faithful ones are to share. From eternity it has been his purpose to imbue with wisdom believers in his Word, that they may be raised to sit with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Wonderful is the light that opens to those who in faith press on, ever on, heeding not hindrance nor difficulty, but keeping the eyes fixed on the glory that Christ reveals. {SSW June 1, 1909, par. 2}
The love of God was Christ’s theme when speaking of his mission and his work. “Therefore doth my Father love me,” he says, “because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” My Father loves you with a love so unbounded that he loves me the more because I have given my life to redeem you. He loves you, and he loves me more because I love you, and give my life for you. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” Well did the disciples understand this love as they saw their Saviour enduring shame, reproach, doubt, and betrayal, as they saw his agony in the garden, and his death on Calvary’s cross. This is a love the depth of which no sounding can ever fathom. As the disciples comprehended it, as their perception took hold of God’s divine compassion, they realized that there is a sense in which the sufferings of the Son were the sufferings of the Father. From eternity there was a complete unity between the Father and the Son. They were two, yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit, and heart, and character. {YI December 16, 1897, par. 5}
But because men did not like to be told of their sins, because they did not wish to be reproved or corrected, they determined to resist him. Jesus saw that which those who were blinded by the enemy could not see. He tried to convince them that everything opposed to the principles he was teaching was a delusion and a falsehood. “Every one that is of the truth,” he said, “heareth my voice.” He was the embodiment of truth and holiness. He who had stood in the councils of God, who had dwelt in the innermost sanctuary of the Eternal, was speaking that whereof he knew. He was presenting truth of the highest order, revealing to men the mind of the Infinite. But the men who claimed to stand high in knowledge and spiritual understanding failed to comprehend his meaning; and that which had been evolved from eternity by the Father and Son, they in their ignorance stood as critics to condemn. {YI September 22, 1898, par. 9}
That which in the councils of heaven the Father and the Son deemed essential for the salvation of man was defined from eternity by infinite truths which finite beings cannot fail to comprehend. Revelations have been made for their instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may glorify his own life and the lives of his fellow men, not only by the possession of truth, but by communicating it. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. I charge you therefore before the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word; be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.” [2 Timothy 3:16-4:3.] {Ms8-1896.10}
When man’s redemption was to be worked out, God gave the commandment that the sword should awake against His only begotten Son, who had been one with Him from eternity. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.” [Isaiah 53:5.] Think of the Father subjecting Himself to sorrow, sparing not His own Son, but freely delivering Him up for us all. God had to do a strange work; for He says, Fury is not in Me. O that we had a better understanding of His love! — Ellen White {Ms76-1903.25}
From eternity Christ has been man’s Redeemer. Ever since the fall there has come to those uniting with Him in His great work the word, “Be not weary in well doing.” [2 Thessalonians 3:13.] “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” [1 Corinthians 15:58.] {Ms77-1903.22}
From eternity Christ has been man’s Redeemer. Ever since the fall, there has come to those uniting with Him in His great work the word, “Be not weary in well doing.” “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” [2 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Corinthians 15:58.] {Ms107-1908.39}
"Who can estimate the value of a soul? Go to Gethsemane, and there watch with Jesus through those long hours of anguish when he sweat as it were great drops of blood; look upon the Saviour uplifted on the cross; hear that despairing cry, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Look upon that wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet. Remember that Christ risked all; “tempted like as we are,” he staked even his own eternal existence upon the issue of the conflict. Heaven itself was imperiled for our redemption. At the foot of the cross, remembering that for one sinner Jesus would have yielded up his life, we may estimate the value of a soul." {GCB December 1, 1895, Art. B, par. 23}
These are probably the strongest quotes in the quotes that speak of Christ's eternal existence.
Christ’s ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to wait before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people. {AA 38.3}
From all eternity Christ was united with the Father, and when He took upon Himself human nature, He was still one with God. He is the link that unites God with humanity. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same” (Hebrews 2:14). Only through Him can we become children of God. To all who believe on Him, He gives power to become the sons of God. Thus the heart becomes the temple of the living God. It is because Christ took human nature that men and women become partakers of the divine nature. He brings life and immortality to light through the gospel. {1SM 228.4}
The world was made by him, “and without him was not anything made that was made.” If Christ made all things, he existed before all things. The words spoken in regard to this are so decisive that no one need be left in doubt. Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 6}
The terms of this oneness between God and man in the great covenant of redemption were arranged with Christ from all eternity. The covenant of grace was revealed to the patriarchs. The covenant made with Abraham four hundred and thirty years before the law was spoken on Sinai was a covenant confirmed by God in Christ, the very same gospel which is preached to us. “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant. The plan of redemption was not conceived after the fall of man to cure the dreadful evil; the apostle Paul speaks of the gospel, the preaching of Jesus Christ, as “the revelation of the mystery, which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” (Revised Version.) {ST August 24, 1891, par. 10}
When Christ entered within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned, amid the songs of millions of angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon His followers in rich currents according to Christ’s promise, and they were no more orphans. How quickly Christ fulfilled His promise, and sent from the heavenly courts the guarantee of His love! After His inauguration, the Spirit came and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had from all eternity with the Father. During His humiliation upon this earth, the Spirit had not descended with all its efficacy; and Christ declared that if He went not away, it would not come, but that if He went away, He would send it. It was a representation of Himself, and after He was glorified it was manifest. {ST May 17, 1899, par. 3}
From all eternity Christ was united with the Father, and when He took upon Himself human nature, He was still one with God. He is the link that unites God with humanity. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” Only through Him can we become children of God. To all who believe on Him, He gives power to become the sons of God. Thus the heart becomes the temple of the living God. It is because Christ took human nature that men and women become partakers of the divine nature. He brings life and immortality to light through the Gospel. {ST August 2, 1905, par. 10}
Christ is declared in the Scriptures to be the Son of God. From all eternity He has sustained this relation to Jehovah. Before the foundations of the world were laid, He, the only begotten Son of God, pledged Himself to become the Redeemer of the human race should men sin. Adam fell, and He, who was partaker of the Father’s glory before the world was, laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown and stepped down from His high authority to become a babe in Bethlehem, that He might redeem fallen human beings by passing over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell. He subjected Himself to the temptations that Satan brings against men and women, and not all the assaults of the enemy could make Him swerve from His loyalty to the Father. By a sinless life, He testified that every son and daughter of Adam can resist the temptations of the one who first brought sin into the world. {Ms22-1905.4}
From all eternity Christ was united with the Father, and when He took upon Himself human nature, He was still one with God. He is the link that unites God with humanity. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same.” [Hebrews 2:14.] Only through Him can we become children of God. To all who believe on Him, He gives power to become the sons of God. Thus, in a scripture sense, the heart becomes the temple of the living God. It is because Christ took human nature that men and women can become partakers of the divine nature. In Him all our hopes of eternal life are centered. {Ms22-1905.13}
I say in the name of the Lord, Give your attention to this Word. The Lord has ever existed in perfection from all eternity. He has been ever what He now is, “I am that I am;” “The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity.” [Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 57:15.] This is His title. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2. “I am the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3:6. With Him is no variableness or shadow of turning. {Ms180-1897.2}
The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by him as his right. This was no robbery of God. “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way,” he declares, “before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth.” {RH April 5, 1906, par. 7}
“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for He was before me.” [John 1:14, 15.] Yes, He was before John. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, He led the children of Israel through the wilderness. “And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” [Verse 16.] John was a burning and a shining light, but he was not That Light which was to lighten the whole world with the brightness of redeeming love. He was before John; for He existed from eternity with the Father. {Ms187-1903.13}
[In the first quotation that consists of two paragraphs from the Signs of the Times of 1914, we find the following phrases look back to all eternity: “from eternal ages,” “through times eternal,” and “existed from all eternity.” In the paragraphs that follow, we find the same wording is applied to Christ.]
But known unto God are all His works, and from eternal ages the covenant of grace (unmerited favor) existed in the mind of God. It is called the everlasting covenant; for the plan of salvation was not conceived after the fall of man, but it was that which was “kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” Romans 16:25, 26, A. R. V. {ST December 15, 1914, par. 2} The purpose and plan of grace existed from all eternity. Before the foundation of the world it was according to the determinate counsel of God that man should be created and endowed with power to do the divine will. The fall of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent. Redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam, but an eternal purpose, suffered to be wrought out for the blessing not only of this atom of a world, but for the good of all the worlds that God had created. {ST December 15, 1914, par. 3.}
Christ should be uplifted as the first Great Teacher, the only begotten Son of God, who was with the Father from eternal ages. {Lt67, 1895.4.}
The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of “the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.” Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. {DA 22.2.}
In these words [“Lo, I come....” Heb. 10:5-7] is announced the fulfillment of the purpose that had been hidden from eternal ages. Christ was about to visit our world, and to become incarnate. He says, “A body hast Thou prepared Me.” {DA 23.1}
Christ should be uplifted as the first great teacher, the only begotten Son of God, who was with the Father from eternal ages. Special Testimonies On Education, 230.1.
This additional power and efficiency [because He suffered for sin and died as our sacrifice] Christ’s disciples have in lifting up a crucified Redeemer before a fallen race, and pointing them to heaven to declare him at the right hand of God. These are the greater things upon which the mind lays hold, the mystery hidden from eternal ages. {RH October 3, 1899, par. 6.}
But known unto God are all his works, and from eternal ages the covenant of grace (unmerited favor) existed in the mind of God. It is called the everlasting covenant; for the plan of salvation was not conceived after the fall of man, but it was that which was “kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested and by the Scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” {ST February 13, 1893, par. 2.}
The terms of this oneness between God and man in the great covenant of redemption were arranged with Christ from all eternity. The covenant of grace was revealed to the patriarchs. The covenant made with Abraham four hundred and thirty years before the law was spoken on Sinai was a covenant confirmed by God in Christ, the very same gospel which is preached to us. “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant. The plan of redemption was not conceived after the fall of man to cure the dreadful evil; the apostle Paul speaks of the gospel, the preaching of Jesus Christ, as “the revelation of the mystery, which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” (Revised Version.) {ST August 24, 1891, par. 10} Christ should be uplifted as the first Great Teacher, the only begotten Son of God, who was with the Father from eternal ages. The Son of God was the Great Teacher sent into the world as the Light of the world. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” [John 1:14.] {LT 67, 1895.4.}
"Christ came into the world to represent the Father to man; for Satan had presented him before the world in a false light. Because God is a God of justice, of terrible majesty, who has power to destroy as well as to preserve man, Satan caused men to regard him with fear, to look upon him as a tyrant. Jesus had been with the Father from the everlasting ages, before the creation of man, and he came to reveal the Father, declaring “God is love.” Jesus represented God as a kind Father, who careth for the subjects of his kingdom. He declared that not a sparrow falls to the ground without the notice of the Father, and that the children of men are of more value in his sight than many sparrows, that the very hairs of their head are all numbered." {ST June 27, 1892, par. 1}
"Debating ministers are the most unreliable among us, because they cannot be depended upon when the work goes hard. Bring them into a place where there is but little interest, and they manifest a want of courage, zeal, and real interest. They depend as much upon being enlivened and invigorated by the excitement created by debate or opposition, as does the inebriate upon his dram. These ministers need to be converted anew. They need to drink deep of the unceasing streams which proceed from the eternal Rock." {GW92 186.1}
When men who have indulged in wrong habits and sinful practices yield to the power of divine truth, the application of that truth to the heart revives the moral powers, which had seemed to be paralyzed. The receiver possesses stronger, clearer understanding than before he riveted his soul to the eternal Rock. Even his physical health improves by the realization of his security in Christ. The special blessing of God resting upon the receiver is of itself health and strength. {CTBH 13.4}
Upon this living stone, Jews and Gentiles alike may build. This is the only foundation upon which we may securely build. It is broad enough for all, and strong enough to sustain the weight and burden of the whole world. And by connection with Christ, the living stone, all who build upon this foundation become living stones. Many persons are by their own endeavors hewn, polished, and beautified; but they cannot become “living stones,” because they are not connected with Christ. Without this connection, no man can be saved. Without the life of Christ in us, we cannot withstand the storms of temptation. Our eternal safety depends upon our building upon the sure foundation. Multitudes are today building upon foundations that have not been tested. When the rain falls, and the tempest rages, and the floods come, their house will fall, because it is not founded upon the eternal Rock, the chief cornerstone Christ Jesus. {DA 599.4}
My dear children: God knows all about you. He will hear your prayers. He will regard your repentant cries to Him. Take hold of God, both of you, and rest not till you have the evidence that God is yours and you are His. I beg of you, my children, to rivet your souls to the Eternal Rock, Christ Jesus. Let your past life of folly suffice, and now live a new life. Live to God, not self. {Lt66-1874.23}
The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of “the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.” Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. {DA 22.2}
“And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” Whom did He address?—The Lord Jesus Christ, who declares Himself to have been with the Father from the beginning. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. ... And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 1:26, 27, 31; 2:1-3.] {Ms43-1906.6}
Now, just now, is our day for repentance; now is our time to put away sin. He who was with the Father from the beginning, the only begotten Son of God, has paid the redemption price for the ransom of a sinful world. The value that Christ places on the human soul is unlimited. His infinite love embraces the whole human family. If they will receive Him, and practice the virtues of His character, men and women may become the sons and daughters of God. If they refuse to receive Christ, instead of becoming God’s heritage, they become Satan’s heritage. {Lt38-1907.14}
In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him. {ST August 29, 1900, par. 15}
What a Saviour we have! It was He that revealed Himself to John on the Isle of Patmos, and proclaimed, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” [Revelation 1:8.] None butjust such an ever living, mighty God, could pay the ransom to save sinners from going down into the pit of death. {Ms64-1895.5}
Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. {DA 469.5}
Christ was using the great name of God that was given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence. Isaiah also saw Christ, and his words are full of significance. He says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” {PrT May 30, 1895, par. 3}
Christ was using the great name of God that was given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence. Isaiah also saw Christ, and his prophetic words are full of significance. He says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” [Isaiah 9:6.] Speaking through him, the Lord says, “I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel; thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: Therefore I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; even everyone that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. {Lt119-1895.13}
“When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son.” Man’s terrible necessity demanded help without delay. Who met this necessity?—An illustrious Teacher, the Son of God. The eternal Word came to our world to win the confidence of humanity. The Prophet that had been revealed to Moses, like unto His brethren, whom they should hear in all things, came as man’s Redeemer. Hear, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth; for the appointed Instructor of man was no less a personage than the Son of God! {BEcho March 8, 1897, par. 4}
Wondrous combination of man and God! He might have helped his human nature to withstand the inroads of disease by pouring from his divine nature vitality and undecaying vigor to the human. But he humbled himself to man’s nature. He did this that the Scripture might be fulfilled; and the plan was entered into by the Son of God, knowing all the steps in his humiliation, that he must descend to make an expiation for the sins of a condemned, groaning world. What humility was this! It amazed angels. The tongue can never describe it; the imagination cannot take it in. The eternal Word consented to be made flesh! God became man! It was a wonderful humility! — Ellen White, {RH July 5, 1887, par. 6}
To the present time, men insist on being saved in some way by which they may perform some important work. If they see there is no way in which to weave self into the work, they reject the salvation provided. They trample under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified as an unholy thing. Jesus could give alone security to God; for he was equal with God. He alone could be a mediator between God and man; for he possessed divinity and humanity. Jesus could thus give security to both parties for the fulfillment of the prescribed conditions. As the Son of God he gives security to God in our behalf, and as the eternal Word, as one equal with the Father, he assures us of the Father’s love to usward who believe his pledged word. When God would assure us of his immutable counsel of peace, he gives his only begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain his human nature as a pledge that God will fulfill his word. {RH April 3, 1894, par. 13}
This living witness greatly disturbed those who had rejected Jesus. Kings and rulers could not bear to hear this name; for they deemed Christ a rival. The mention of his name, the incidents of his life, his death, and his resurrection, kindled their furious jealousy. They saw John the aged, honored and beloved, constantly referring to Jesus as the eternal Word, giving to him a power exceeding their power. His testimony was always the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. And notwithstanding his age, his venerable appearance, his white locks, in their envy and jealousy they condemned the faithful apostle to what was then thought to be the most severe of all punishments. He was separated from his beloved people, and banished to Patmos. “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” {RH May 16, 1899, par. 8}
Wondrous combination of man and God! He might have helped his human nature to withstand the inroads of disease by pouring from his divine nature vitality and undecaying vigor to the human. But he humbled himself to man’s nature. He did this that the Scripture might be fulfilled; and the plan was entered into by the Son of God, knowing all the steps in his humiliation, that he must descend to make an expiation for the sins of a condemned, groaning world. What humility was this! It amazed angels. The tongue can never describe it; the imagination can not take it in. The eternal Word consented to be made flesh! God became man! It was a wonderful humility. — Ellen White, {RH September 4, 1900, par. 6}
“When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son.” Man’s terrible necessity demanded help without delay. Who met this necessity?—An illustrious teacher, the Son of God. The eternal Word came to our world to win the confidence of humanity. The prophet that had been revealed to Moses, like unto his brethren, whom they should hear in all things, came as man’s Redeemer. Hear, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth; for the appointed instructor of man was no less a personage than the Son of God! {ST April 15, 1897, par. 4}
It is possible for us to be one with Christ, even as He is one with the Father. If we are grafted into the living vine, if we draw our nourishment from Christ, there will be unity in diversity. Those only who derive nourishment from the Eternal Word, the Son of God, are branches of the True Vine. If we are truly united to Christ, the fruits of His Spirit will be seen in our lives; and tho there may be many branches, each branch will bear the fruit of the True Vine. {ST March 3, 1898, par. 11}
What humility was this! It amazed angels. The tongue can never describe it; the imagination cannot take it in. The Eternal Word consented to be made flesh. God became man. It was a wonderful humility. But He stepped still lower. The Man must humble Himself as a man to bear insult, reproach, shameful accusations, and abuse. There seemed to be no safe place for Him in His own territory. He had to flee from place to place for His life. He was betrayed by one of His disciples. He was denied by one of His most zealous followers. He was mocked; He was crowned with a crown of thorns; He was scourged; He was forced to bear the burden of the cross. He was not insensible to this contempt and ignominy. He submitted; but oh, He felt its bitterness as no other being could feel it. He was pure, holy, undefiled, yet arraigned as a criminal. The adorable Redeemer stepped down from the highest exaltation. Step by step He humbled Himself to die; but what a death it was!—the most shameful, the most cruel, the death upon the cross as a malefactor. He did not die as a hero in the eyes of the world, loaded with honors as men in battle; but He died as a condemned criminal, suspended between the heavens and the earth to die a lingering death of shame, exposed to the tauntings and revilings of a debased, crime-loaded, profligate multitude. “All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head.” Psalm 22:7. He was numbered with the transgressors; He expired amid the derision; and His kinsmen according to the flesh disowned Him. His mother beheld His humiliation, and He was forced to see the sword pierce her heart. He endured the cross, despised the shame. He made it of small account, in consideration of the results that He was working out in behalf of not only the inhabitants of this speck of a world, but the whole universe—every world which God had created. {Lt11-1887.18}
He is predicted as the Messenger of the Covenant who was to be revealed, and the Sun of Righteousness, who was to arise and shed forth His beams throughout the world. “Hear, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth!” When the fulness of the time had come, and the promised One came to our world, it was no less a personage than the only begotten Son of God, the Eternal Word. It was a surprise of grace to all the heavenly host. Mercy and benevolence came to dwell upon the earth to subdue the stubborn, obdurate heart, and to win the heart and mind of man by revealing God in human flesh. (Ms72-1896.10}
The whole agency of evil is working to oppose God. The spirit that led to the apostasy in heaven is in unceasing activity in all parts of the world. Satan flatters his subjects with the assurance that their forces will be sure to conquer. Before the first coming of Christ, it seemed as if the world were wholly given into the control of the enemy. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, ... to redeem them which were under the law, that they might receive the adoption of sons.” [Galatians 4:4, 5.] All heaven was interested in this great event. At the appointed time the Instructor appeared. Who was He? The Son of God Himself, the eternal Word. He came to give the world an evidence of the love of God by dying for the fallen race. He gathered to His own pure, sinless soul the penalty resting upon the sinful race and offered Himself as a sacrifice. {Ms96-1904.5}
By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan’s purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.” John 3:16. He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This is the pledge that God will fulfill His word. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder.” God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the “Son of man” who shares the throne of the universe. It is the “Son of man” whose name shall be called, “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6. The I AM is the Daysman between God and humanity, laying His hand upon both. He who is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” is not ashamed to call us brethren. Hebrews 7:26; 2:11. In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love. {DA 25.3}
However much a shepherd may love his sheep, he loves his sons and daughters more. Jesus is not only our shepherd; He is our “everlasting Father.” And He says, “I know Mine own, and Mine own know Me, even as the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father.” John 10:14, 15, R. V. What a statement is this!—the only-begotten Son, He who is in the bosom of the Father, He whom God has declared to be “the Man that is My fellow” (Zechariah 13:7),—the communion between Him and the eternal God is taken to represent the communion between Christ and His children on the earth! {DA 483.2}
The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father—one in nature, in character, in purpose—the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6. His “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2. And the Son of God declares concerning Himself: “The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting.... When He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” Proverbs 8:22-30. {PP 34.1}
The ministers of Christ, who bear the message of truth to men, will never become self-sufficient or self-exalted if they have correct views of the character and work of Christ, the author of man’s salvation. The unworthiness, weakness, and inefficiency of their own efforts in contrast with those of the eternal Son of God, will render them humble, distrustful of self, and will lead them to rely upon Christ for strength and efficiency in their work. Habitually dwelling upon Christ, his exalted character, and the all-sufficient merits of his sacrifice, increases the faith, sharpens the imaginative power, strengthens the longing desire to be like him, and creates holy earnestness in prayer, that makes it efficacious. {RH August 8, 1878, Art. A, par. 4}
What a truth is presented as we gaze upon Jesus in connection with the cross of Calvary, as we see this Wonderful, this Counselor, this mysterious victim, stooping beneath the amazing burden of our race! That the transgressor might have another trial, that men might be brought into favor with God the Father, the eternal Son of God interposed himself to bear the punishment of transgression. One clothed with humanity, who was yet one with the Deity, was our ransom. The very earth shook and reeled at the spectacle of God’s dear Son suffering the wrath of God for man’s transgression. The heavens were clothed in sackcloth to hide the sight of the divine sufferer. {RH February 8, 1898, par. 2}
But while God’s Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding his pre-existence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with his Father. From everlasting he was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted him, were to be blessed. “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God, and was God. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 5}
This injunction is from the eternal Son of God. Neglect of the study of God’s word leads many to neglect the great salvation, and proves the ruin of thousands. When this command was given, reference was had to the Old-Testament Scriptures only, but we now have the New-Testament Scriptures besides. If God has done for us the utmost that Deity could do; if all the divine attributes, unlimited as they are, have combined and even exhausted themselves in the great plan of redemption, then every child and youth should make the Scriptures their study, that they may not be ignorant of this wonderful scheme. You should open the Scriptures with a solemn interest to hear what the voice of God bids you do and be in order to be saved. {YI August 31, 1887, par. 1}
We must make it true as it is in Jesus. We exalt the cross to the view of all. We entreat you to go to Mount Calvary and see upon the cruel cross Him who thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Look upon the Victim hanging there in humiliation as a criminal. Intense must have been the work of execution, done so thoroughly, showing that when God takes in His hand the sword of justice, He makes thorough work. His hatred of sin is so great that before the transgressor could be received into favor, the eternal Son of God interposed Himself and bore the bolts of the Father’s wrath deserved by the sinner. {Lt6-1880.64}
Oh, it was poverty indeed apportioned to the Son of God that He should be moving upon a province of His own empire and yet not to be recognized or confessed by the nation He came to bless and to save. It was poverty that when He walked among men, scattering blessing as He trod, the anthem of praise floated not around Him, but the air was often freighted with curses and blasphemy. It was poverty that, as He passed to and fro among the subjects He came to save, scarcely a solitary voice called Him blessed. Scarcely a solitary hand was stretched out in friendship, and scarcely a solitary roof proffered Him shelter. Then look beneath the disguise, and whom do we see?—Divinity, the eternal Son of God, just as mighty, just as infinitely gifted with all the resources of power, and He was found in fashion as a man. {Lt37-1887.22}
That the transgressor might have another trial, that man might be brought into favor with the Father, the eternal Son of God interposed Himself to bear the Father’s punishment of transgression. But in the place of the great Sacrifice abating one jot or one tittle of the Father’s law, this very fact exalts the law, elevates it, and proclaims to the worlds unfallen and to the fallen race that God’s law, the transcript of His character, is changeless, and that He will maintain His authority and sustain His law. It is Satan, the first great rebel, who has accomplished this work of deception. {Ms58-1897.5}
What a truth is presented as we gaze upon Jesus in connection with the cross of Calvary, as we see this Wonderful, Counsellor, this mysterious victim, stooping beneath the amazing burden of our race! That the transgressor might have another trial, that men might be brought into favor with God the Father, the eternal Son of God interposed Himself to bear the punishment of transgression. One clothed with humanity, yet one with the Deity, was our ransom. The very earth shook and reeled at the spectacle of God’s dear Son suffering the wrath of God for man’s transgression. The heavens were clothed in sackcloth to hide the sight of the divine sufferer. {Ms99-1897.2}
Even the birthplace of the Messiah was foretold: “Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2. {AA 223.4}
But while God’s Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding his pre-existence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with his Father. From everlasting he was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted him, were to be blessed. “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God, and was God. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 5}
God and Christ knew from the beginning, of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. “A body,” said Christ, “hast thou prepared me.” But he did not come in human form until the fulness of time had expired. Then he came to our world, a babe in Bethlehem. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 13}
Through Solomon Christ declared: “The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.... When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment; when He appointed the foundations of the earth; then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” {ST August 29, 1900, par. 14} In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him. {ST August 29, 1900, par. 15}
“The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.’ [John 1:1, 2.] Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father—one in nature, in character, in purpose, the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. ‘His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace.’ [Isaiah 9:6.] His ‘goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ [Micah 5:2.] And the Son of God declares concerning Himself: ‘The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before the works of old. I was set up from everlasting. ... When He appointed the foundations of the earth, then was I with Him, as one brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.’ [Proverbs 8:22, 23, 29, 30.] {Lt256-1906.8}
There are light and glory in the truth that Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. This truth, infinitely mysterious in itself, explains other mysterious and otherwise unexplainable truths, while it is enshrined in light, unapproachable and incomprehensible. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 8} “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” Here the pre-existence of Christ and the purpose of his manifestation to our world are presented as living beams of light from the eternal throne. “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” “We preach Christ crucified,” declares Paul, “unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” {RH April 5, 1906, par. 9}
Christ is from everlasting to everlasting, a present help to all who seek Him diligently. And those who seek Him diligently will find Him. I am so thankful that the Lord is ours. I want to serve Him and glorify Him. {2SAT 339.1}
Christ is from everlasting to everlasting, a present help to all who seek Him diligently. And those who seek Him diligently will find Him. I am so thankful that the Lord is ours. I want to serve Him and glorify Him. {Ms20-1913.10}
God and Christ knew from the beginning, of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. “A body,” said Christ, “hast thou prepared me.” But he did not come in human form until the fulness of time had expired. Then he came to our world, a babe in Bethlehem. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 13}
Here Christ shows them that, altho they might reckon His life to be less than fifty years, yet His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures. {ST May 3, 1899, par. 4}
Taking humanity upon Him, Christ came to be one with humanity, and at the same time to reveal our heavenly Father to sinful human beings. He who had been in the presence of the Father from the beginning, He who was the express image of the invisible God, was alone able to reveal the character of the Deity to mankind. He was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of men; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was a stranger and sojourner on the earth—in the world, but not of the world; tempted and tried as men and women today are tempted and tried, yet living a life free from sin. Tender, compassionate, sympathetic, ever considerate of others, He represented the character of God, and was constantly engaged in service for God and man. {MH 422.2}
Christ alone was able to represent the Deity. He who had been in the presence of the Father from the beginning, he who was the express image of the invisible God, was alone sufficient to accomplish this work. No verbal description could reveal God to the world. Through a life of purity, a life of perfect trust and submission to the will of God, a life of humiliation such as even the highest seraph in heaven would have shrunk from, God himself must be revealed to humanity. In order to do this, our Saviour clothed his divinity with humanity. He employed the human faculties, for only adopting these could he be comprehended by humanity. Only humanity could reach humanity. He lived out the character of God through the human body which God had prepared for him. He blessed the world by living out in human flesh the life of God, thus showing that he had the power to unite humanity to divinity. {RH June 25, 1895, par. 3} Also {Ms44-1895.3}
The divine mind and hand have preserved through the ages the record of creation in its purity. It is the word of God alone that gives to us an authentic account of the creation of our world. This word is to be the chief study in our schools. In it we may learn what our redemption has cost Him who from the beginning was equal with the Father, and who sacrificed His life that a people might stand before Him redeemed from everything earthly, renewed in the image of God. {CT 13.2}
“What is your life? It is even vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” But Christ’s life is not a vapor; it is never-ending, a life existing before the worlds were made. {ST June 17, 1897, par. 3}
In this age, as then, there are lost sheep to be sought and saved. There are many who need personal labour. No prophet, like John the Baptist, has cried out the message of warning to them. No one has pointed them to “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” But this is not because the Lord has no interest in these souls who are ready to perish, represented as lost sheep. The Lord is not chargeable with neglect. Look to Calvary and answer decidedly, No, no. The Lord has made every provision to save men in giving His Son. Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God, for in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. When He claimed the highest prerogatives, He did not make an empty boast. Yet when He was among men, He did not call together a concourse of people, and sound a trumpet before Him, and command attention. The great Teacher came in simplicity, though He was the light of the world. He taught the people in plain, simple words, which all could understand. He said, “As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father.... My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” “All things that the Father hath are Mine.” With the familiarity and ease of eternal habitude, Jesus lays His hand on the throne of God. {BEcho April 30, 1894, par. 3}
In this age, as then, there are lost sheep to be sought and saved. There are many who need personal labor. No prophet, like John the Baptist, has cried out the message of warning to them. No one has pointed them to “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” But this is not because the Lord has no interest in these souls who are ready to perish, represented as lost sheep. But the Lord is not chargeable with any neglect on his part. Look to Calvary and answer decidedly, No, no. The Lord has made every provision to save men in giving his Son. Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily. When he claimed the highest prerogatives, he did not make an empty boast. Yet when he was among men, he did not call together a concourse of people, and sound a trumpet before him, and command attention. The great Teacher came in simplicity, though he was the light of the world. He taught the people in plain, simple words, which all could understand. He said, “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father.... My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” “All things that the Father hath are mine.” With the familiarity and ease of eternal habitude, Jesus lays his hand on the throne of God. {ST January 1, 1894, par. 3}
Jesus has made an infinite sacrifice in behalf of the race. He stepped down from the eternal throne, laid aside his robes of royalty, clothed his divinity with humanity, and came to a world all seared and marred by the curse, that the lost race might one day be restored to their glorious Eden home. He has become the representative and surety for the race. He has brought the treasures of heaven within our reach, and it remains for us to say whether or not we will avail ourselves of them. It is only by the light reflected from the cross of Calvary that we can know the value of the human soul, or the depth of degradation from which man was rescued. It was to restore man to the perfection in which he was first created that this great sacrifice was made. With his human arm Jesus encircles the race, while with his divine arm he grasps the throne of the Infinite, thus uniting finite man with the infinite God and connecting earth with heaven. How can we neglect so great salvation? It is natural for man to cling to life. Some live through years of intense suffering, and still desire to have their lives prolonged. But when Jesus offers us life, immortal life in the mansions he has prepared for us, why do we turn from it and devote our time and energy to securing earthly treasures? {RH December 1, 1885, par. 10}
The Lord Jesus described the difficulties they [would] meet. Having called their minds to rise to an eminence, He bids them look and behold the vast confederacy of evil arrayed against God, against Christ, against all who unite with these holy powers. Christ tells them they were to fight in fellowship with all the children of light; that satanic agencies would combine their forces to extinguish the light of the life of Christ out of their ranks. But they were not left to fight the battles in their own human strength; that the angelic host coming as ministers of God would be in that battle, and also there would be the eternal heavenly dignitaries—God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit—arming them with more than mortal energy, and [who] would advance with them to the work, and convince the world of sin. {Ms130-1901.52}
He is the faithful and true Witness, “the beginning of the creation of God,” whose throne is of old, from everlasting. [Revelation 3:14.] Behold Him, the mighty, uncreated Lord,the all-glorious Redeemer. Behold Him! waiting for your answer! Will you let Him in? Father, mother, children, God calls for your whole family. He wants you all. He cannot spare one of you. Will you listen to His pleading voice? He asks you, “Will you give me your hearts?” “Ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price.” [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.] And what a price! “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.” [Isaiah 53:5.] Will you open the door and let Jesus in? He wants the heart, the soul, the service of father, mother, children united. “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.” [Hebrews 12:25.] {Lt185-1901.9}
I say in the name of the Lord, Give your attention to this Word. The Lord has ever existed in perfection from all eternity. He has been ever what He now is, “I am that I am;” “The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity.” [Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 57:15.] This is His title. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2. “I am the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3:6. With Him is no variableness or shadow of turning. {Ms180-1897.2}
Ellen White used the following words and phrases — "from all eternity," “from eternity,” “existed from eternity,” “from eternal ages,” “from the beginning,” “never was a time,” “everliving,” “Eternal Presence,” “Eternal Word,” “Everlasting Father,” “Eternal Son of God,” “Eternal Godhead,” “Eternal Wisdom,” “eternal throne,” “everlasting throne,” “from everlasting,” “from everlasting to everlasting,” "from the everlasting ages," “set up from everlasting,” “A life unreckoned by human computation or measured by figures,” “in the presence of the Father from the beginning,” "eternal existence," “who from the beginning was equal with the Father,” “Never-ending life that existed before the worlds were made,” “familiarity and ease of eternal habitude,” "eternal Rock," “One of the eternal dignitaries” and “uncreated Lord” — to establish the “everlasting to everlasting” limitless duration of Christ’s existence.
To use them with the egwwritings.org database, enter the individual phrases as they appear in quotation marks, and you will get a list of the various quotations in which they appear.