Set against the backdrop of a prophecy over 100 years old. By Kai Mester

Reading time: 8 minutes

What will happen tomorrow and in the coming weeks, months, and years? This question interests everyone in some way, at least when these events have a direct impact on them.

Through Ellen White, God has given us some prophecies for our time. In her day, some of these prophecies seemed quite vague and not all that exciting. But as the events unfold, they take on great significance.

Her prophecies include very loud music, drumming, and dancing at large Adventist events shortly before the end of the time of grace, as well as predictions of World War I and World War II. In this article, we will examine her statements, which many interpret as a prophecy regarding the terrorist attack in New York. According to this interpretation, what events did she predict for the years that followed?

Significantly, her chapter on the final crisis begins in Volume 9 of her *Testimonies for the Church* on page 11 (“Nine Eleven”) with the introductory words:

“We are living in the last days. The rapid fulfillment of the signs of the times proves that Jesus’ coming is at the door… Disasters on land and sea, the restless state of society, and reports of war herald disaster. The forces of evil are joining their armies and uniting … Soon the world will experience such upheavals that the final events will unfold very rapidly.”

What an apt description of the world we have been living in since these words were written! As you continue reading the introduction, you realize that it also points to the causes of the phenomenon of modern terrorism.

“The daily newspapers are full of references to a terrible conflict in the near future; robberies occur frequently; strikes are the order of the day; theft and murder are widespread; people possessed by demons take the lives of men, women, and children; people have fallen in love with sin; every form of evil prevails …”

At one end of the spectrum, suicide bombers take the lives of men, women, and children because they believe they are thereby doing God a favor in the fight against the immoral West, which, with its soldiers and economic empires, has also gained a foothold in the East. But at the other end of the spectrum as well, statesmen and business leaders make calculated decisions—some of which are also of demonic origin—that lead to the deaths of many people.

“In the big cities, thousands live in poverty … Right next to them, in the same city, live those who have more than one could ever wish for. They live in luxury and spend their money on … the satisfaction of sensual desires … People amass immense wealth through every kind of oppression and extortion.”

The suicide bomber often comes from a poor background and fights for peoples who feel exploited and marginalized by the rich industrialized nations. The statesman or business leader, unfortunately, often stops at nothing—even killing—to achieve his noble or self-serving goals.

World Trade Center

Then Ellen White sees skyscrapers being built in New York. Was it perhaps the World Trade Center? Until 1974, at 417 m, it was the tallest building complex in the world, and until 2014, with its two towers, it was the tallest building that had stood in New York City up to that point! Well, in retrospect, it can be said that this twin-tower complex is indeed well-suited as an illustration of the message in Ellen White’s vision. For the “World Trade Center” was a symbol of the unequal conditions under which nations trade with one another. Even though we cannot, of course, prove it, the vision certainly reads as very relevant in the wake of 9/11. Anyone can easily recall those images today; they have been deeply etched into the soul of the world.

“Once, when I was in New York, … [I saw] buildings rising floor by floor into the sky. These buildings were considered guaranteed to be fireproof and were erected to glorify their owners and builders. The buildings towered higher and higher; the most expensive materials were used in their construction …”

“As these skyscrapers soared upward, the owners rejoiced with bold pride that they had the money to satisfy their desires and arouse the envy of their neighbors.”

Nine Eleven

And now the terrorist attack? For most people, it was just as Ellen White describes it in her vision. It wasn’t the planes that made an impression, but the fire:

“The next scene that passed before me was a fire alarm. People looked up at the tall and supposedly fireproof buildings and said, ‘They are completely safe.’ Yet the buildings were consumed as if they were made of pitch. The fire trucks stood powerless in the face of the destruction; the firefighters could not use their equipment.”

Two years later, in August 1906, she heard “explosion after explosion” in another vision and then saw “huge fireballs. Sparks shot out of them in the shape of arrows, and entire blocks of buildings collapsed. I could clearly hear the screams and groans.” (Manuscript Releases 11, 361) One need only watch a few short videos of the event online. I would have been at a loss for the right words to describe the scenario so aptly.

This scene is thus the focus of Ellen White’s chapter “The Last Crisis,” which begins on page 11 of Volume 9 of her Testimonies for the Church. It therefore seems like a sign to God’s people, as if to say: The time has come! The final crisis has begun. It is therefore fascinating to read how she describes world developments on the following pages.

Financial and Economic Crisis

“Even among educators and statesmen, few understand the causes underlying the present state of society. None of those in power can solve the problems of moral decline, poverty, destitution, and rising crime. Their efforts to put the economy on a more secure footing are in vain …”

September 11, 2001, was followed by two global financial and economic crises. The first was triggered by the 2007 housing crisis in the U.S., which led to the euro crisis in 2009. The second came in 2020 with COVID-19 and continues to affect us to this day. Ellen White’s descriptions fit very well. A new world order is taking shape more and more in the wake of these crises. This is the time in which we are currently living!

Even though there are plenty of people who, for various reasons, cannot or will not see a connection—or at least not a close one—between Ellen White’s visions and these events, I find it encouraging to see that her visions of the future are so relevant and provide such a source of encouragement amid these pivotal world events. This provides guidance, serving as a beacon amid the dark storm of news in recent years. What else does she describe?

AClimateof War

“The world is in a climate of war. The predictions in the 11th chapter of the prophet Daniel have been almost completely fulfilled. Soon the scenes of tribulation spoken of in the prophecies will unfold…”

Food Crisis

“‘The seed has withered beneath the ground; the granaries lie desolate, the barns are falling into ruin; for the grain has perished … The cattle … have no pasture, and the sheep are wasting away.’ ‘Because the vine has withered and the fig tree has dried up; even the pomegranate, palm, and apple trees—yes, all the trees of the field—have withered. Thus the joy of the people has turned to sorrow.”(Joel 1:15–18, 12)«

War

“‘I hear the blast of the trumpet, the clamor of battle; defeat after defeat is reported. For the whole land is laid waste; suddenly my huts and my tents are destroyed… I looked at the land, and behold, it was desolate and barren; and at the sky, and it was dark. I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills were swaying … I looked, and behold, the fertile land was a desert; and all its cities were destroyed.” (Jeremiah 4:19–20, 23–26)

The Time of Tribulation

“Soon the battle will rage fiercely between those who serve God and those who do not serve Him. Soon everything that can be shaken will be shaken, so that only what cannot be shaken will remain … It is impossible to put into words what God’s children will experience on this earth when heavenly glory and a renewal of past persecutions merge. They will walk in the light that emanates from God’s throne. Constant communication will be maintained by angels between heaven and earth …”

The Sabbath Gives Strength

“God’s afflicted and tested children will find strength in the sign described in Exodus 31:12–18 … God’s worshippers will be distinguished especially by their observance of the fourth commandment … The wicked, on the other hand, will distinguish themselves by their efforts to tear down the Creator’s memorial … As a result of the conflict, all of Christendom will be divided into two great classes … The spirit of war is putting the nations from one end of the earth to the other in a warlike mood. But during the coming time of tribulation—a time of distress “such as has not been since any nation came into being” (Daniel 12:1, Elberfelder)—God’s chosen children will stand unshaken. Satan and his army cannot destroy them, for angels of superior strength protect them. God says to His people: “Come out from among them and be separate … and touch nothing unclean, and I will receive you and be your Father, and you shall be My sons and daughters.” (2 Corinthians 6:17–18)”

(From: Ellen White, *Testimonies to the Church*, Mountain View, California, 1909, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Volume 9, pp. 11–18; cf. *Treasury of Testimonies*, Hamburg, Advent-Verlag, Volume 3, pp. 239–246; Testimonies for the Church, 1996, Wegbereiter Verlag, Volume 9, pp. 16–22)

Hope That Sustains Us

Tensions will therefore certainly continue to escalate in some form, and economic problems will also increase dramatically. Soon the turning point will come when God’s people will even become the enemy in the eyes of humanity—the scapegoat for the worsening global crisis. But the darkness will only grow deeper so that the warm light of God’s gentle nature may be seen more clearly by all people. Many will then take the side of God’s anointed Savior: Jesus of Nazareth promised to bring all His “sheep” to safety before people render this planet uninhabitable (John 10 and 14). Later, this planet will also be restored to the ecological paradise it was at the time of its creation. And all the redeemed will be allowed to share in it (Revelation 21).

In this article, we were able to examine only a heavily abridged excerpt from the chapter in question in *Testimonies*, Volume 9. Therefore, it is definitely worth taking the time to read the entire chapter at your leisure.