Early Writings
by Ellen G. White
God's Love for His People
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I have seen the tender love that God has for His people, and
it is very great. I saw angels over the saints with their wings spread about
them. Each saint had an attending angel. If the saints wept through
discouragement, or were in danger, the angels that ever attended them would fly
quickly upward to carry the tidings, and the angels in the city would cease to
sing. Then Jesus would commission another angel to descend to encourage, watch
over, and try to keep them from going out of the narrow path; but if they did
not take heed to the watchful care of these angels, and would not be comforted
by them, but continued to go astray, the angels would look sad and weep. They
would bear the tidings upward, and all the angels in the city would weep, and
then with a loud voice say, "Amen." But if the saints fixed their eyes
upon the prize before them and glorified God by praising Him, then the angels
would bear the glad tidings to the city, and the angels in the city would touch
their golden harps and sing with a loud voice, "Alleluia!" and the
heavenly arches would ring with their lovely songs. {EW 39.1}
There is perfect order and harmony in the Holy City. All the
angels that are commissioned to visit the earth hold a golden card, which they
present to the angels at the gates of the city as they pass in and out. Heaven
is a good place. I long to be there and behold my lovely Jesus, who gave His
life for me, and be changed into His glorious image. Oh, for language to
express the glory of the bright world to come! I thirst for the living streams
that make glad the city of our God. {EW 39.2}
The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were
given me, and an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and
glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there [40]
warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were
noble, majestic, and lovely. They bore the express image of Jesus, and their
countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of
the place. I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on
the earth. The reply was, "We have lived in strict obedience to the
commandments of God, and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the
earth." Then I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the
city. The fruit of both looked beautiful, but of one they could not eat. They
had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one. Then my attending
angel said to me, "None in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree;
but if they should eat, they would fall." Then I was taken to a world
which had seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. On
his right arm he bore a glorious palm, and on each leaf was written
"Victory." Around his head was a dazzling white wreath, and leaves on
the wreath, and in the middle of each leaf was written "Purity," and
around the wreath were stones of various colors, that shone brighter than the
stars, and cast a reflection upon the letters and magnified them. On the back
part of his head was a bow that confined the wreath, and upon the bow was
written "Holiness." Above the wreath was a lovely crown that shone
brighter than the sun. I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from
the earth. He said, "It is not; the city is my home, and I have come to
visit this place." He moved about the place as if perfectly at home. I
begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear
the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said,
"You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall
have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of
God." {EW 39.3}
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