BIOGRAPHY
Ballenger, Albion Fox (1861-1921) was born on a farm near Winslow, Illinois. He was the son of John Fox Ballenger, an SDA minister. He was a teacher for four years before he was granted a ministerial license and sent out to preach. He became an effective preacher and writer. After he began preaching, he attended Battle Creek College for parts of two years.
In 1890 he was elected as secretary of the National Religious Liberty Association. Three years later he was invited to serve as assistant editor of the American Sentinel magazine who focused upon religious liberty issues. He resigned his editorial post after about a year to return to preaching. His most memorable sermon was entitled, “Receive Ye the Holy Ghost”. During this time, he wrote the book, Power for Witnessing, which is still in print almost 100 years later.
About the turn of the century, he was invited to do evangelistic work in Great Britain. During this time, he began to re-examine the Seventh-day Adventist denomination’s doctrine of the sanctuary. He came to the conclusion that the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary needed to be revised to conform to the biblical types and the teaching of the book of Hebrews.
Ballenger suggested several revisions of the doctrine regarding the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, stating that the book of Hebrews taught that Christ had entered the Most Holy Place at His ascension rather than 1844. He submitted a document of nine theses which outlined the main points of his views on the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary to a committee at the 1905 General Conference Session and answered their questions. The committee, composed of W.A. Colcord, W.W. Prescott and M.C. Wilcox, rejected Ballenger’s views and warned him not to print the manuscript or promote his views.
Later that same day, Ellen White, whom Seventh-day Adventists consider to be a prophet, issued a letter in which she charged that “Brother Ballenger is presenting theories which can not be substantiated by the Word of God” and “I testify in the name of the Lord that Elder Ballenger is led by satanic agencies and spiritualistic, invisible leaders” (MS 59, 20 May 1905).
Four days later, Ellen White issued another letter in which she said, “Brother Ballenger has been allowing his mind to receive and believe specious error. He has been misinterpreting and misapplying the scriptures upon which he has fastened his mind… I am bidden to say in the name of the Lord that Elder Ballenger is following a false light. The Lord has not given him the message that he is bearing regarding the sanctuary service… I have a warning for those who suppose that they have been given the work of revealing Scripture in a new light. This work means substituting human interpretation for the interpretation that God has given. – Thus did the heavenly messengers pronounce upon the effort into which Brother Ballenger has entered.” (MS 62, 24 May 1905). When he refused to recant his views, he was terminated from denominational employment.
Over the next two years, Ellen White would issue seven more testimonies condemning Ballenger and his views on the sanctuary, making such statements as “the Lord has instructed me that he has misapplied texts of Scripture, and given them a wrong application” (MS 145, 31 October 1905), “I know that the sanctuary question stands in righteousness and truth just as we have held it for so many years” (S50, 30 January 1906), “the correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary, is the foundation of our faith” (T208, 29 June 1906) and “Any man who seeks to present theories which would lead us from the light that has come to us on the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary, should not be accepted as a teacher” (MS 125, 4 July 1907).
In 1909, Ballenger published his views in the book, Cast Out for the Cross of Christ. In 1914, he began publishing a magazine called The Gathering Call to bring his views before the Seventh-day Adventist people.
The central focus of Ballenger’s views, that Christ entered the Most Holy Place at His ascension rather than 1844, has been revived many times since Ballenger’s death in 1921:
- W.W. Fletcher, a prominent administrator and Bible teacher for more than 25 years, was separated from denominational employment over this issue in 1930.
- L.R. Conradi, a prominent evangelist and administrator for 50 years, separated from the Seventh-day Adventist denomination over this issue in 1932.
- W.W. Prescott, veteran educator, president of four Adventist colleges, administrator and editor of the Review and Herald for seven years, had been present at the trials of Ballenger and Conradi. After serving the Adventist denomination for almost 50 years, he was terminated from employment as a Bible teacher at Emmanuel Missionary College in 1934 because of questions about his beliefs on the doctrine of the sanctuary.
- Desmond Ford, veteran Bible teacher at Avondale College and Pacific Union College, was terminated from denominational employment in 1980 because he stated his belief that Christ had entered the Most Holy Place at His ascension rather than 1844.
The problematic content of the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary remains unresolved. There is little reason to believe those problems will be resolved as long as Seventh-day Adventists believe Ellen White to be the most reliable, divinely-inspired interpreter of the Bible.
The majority of Seventh-day Adventists are not aware that Ellen White incorporated large amounts of material from other authors, sometimes including what should have been obvious errors, into her writings. Ellen White’s endorsement of the traditional Adventist doctrine which teaches that Christ did not enter the Most Holy Place until 1844 will remain a stumbling-block against the acceptance of any other viewpoints within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
Ellen White’s condemnation of Ballenger and his views have provided the basis for condemning anyone who raises questions about the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary.
PREFACE
Four years ago the writer was separated from the ministry of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and from fellowship in that body, because of convictions entertained regarding the mediatorial work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.
When asked by the brethren what my future plans would be, I replied that I would go aside and labor with my bands and earn my bread, and that of my family, with the sweat of my face, and see how my convictions would stand the test of stress and storm, of toil and time. I told them that I would not then become aggressive, but as my friends and acquaintances in the denomination should ask the reason of the hope that is within me, I would try to give it in meekness and fear.
Besides, it seemed but fair to give the brethren time to carefully examine my position and refute it from the Word if they were able. This I did in response to their pleas that, while I had given the subject much study, they had not had time to carefully consider it.
I have failed to respond to all the calls of my brethren and sisters for copies of my manuscript, as my time and strength have been largely taken up in providing food, clothing and shelter for my family. When the crisis came, it found me in the position of most of the earlier ministers of the denomination, without means for the care of my family. But this will not excuse my failure to answer the calls for copies of my position. If I had always sought first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, “all these things” would have been added, as in many cases they were: and I hereby testify to the faithfulness of God and the kindness of his children in this matter.
I have felt condemned when friends, anxious to possess copies of the manuscript, have gone to the expense of time and means to make copies for themselves, and it is for this reason that the matter now appears in print.
Yes, dear, reader, it is possible for me to be in error in these things, but it would be feigned humility to appear not to believe them with all my heart; for I do believe them, and have shown my faith by sacrificing for them all that the human heart holds dear, save life itself.
Now let the reader follow the noble Bereans in searching the Scriptures to see whether these things are so, and if they are found to be in harmony with the Word, believe them; if not, reject them, and then like one who is his brother’s keeper, attempt to show the writer where his convictions of truth contradict the plain “thus saith the Lord.”
To the timid soul, whose love of peace and unity leads him to fear the consequences that may follow an investigation of the subject, let me say there is something more blessed than church conformity, and that is the stately, triumphant, onward march of truth; something more to be desired than stagnant peace, and that is a Jerusalem Council, a Diet of Spires, or a Minneapolis Conference, from whose “No small dissentions and disputations,” truth, less shackled, bounds onward toward the perfect day.
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Matt. 10:34,35.
The reader is urged to read the following quotation from the pen of Mrs. E. G. White (Test. 33, pp.234-236), as presenting the writer’s convictions on this important subject.
“Peter exhorts his brethren to ‘grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ When the people of God are growing in grace they will be constantly obtaining a clearer understanding of his Word. They will discern new light and beauty in its sacred truths. This has be true in the history of the church in all ages, and thus it will continue to the end. But as real spiritual life declines, it has ever been the tendency to cease to advance in the knowledge of the truth. Men rest satisfied with the light already received from God’s Word and discourage any further investigation of the scriptures. They become conservative and seek to avoid discussion.
“The fact that there is no controversy or agitation among God’s people, should not be regarded as conclusive evidence that they are holding fast to sound doctrine. There is reason to fear that they may not be clearly discriminating between truth and error. When no new questions are started by investigation, when no difference of opinion arises which will set men to searching the Bible for themselves, to make sure that they have the truth there will be many now, as in ancient times who will hold to tradition and worship they know not what.
“I have been shown that many who profess to have a knowledge of present truth, know not what they believe. They do not understand the evidences of their faith… When the time of trial shall come, there are men now preaching to others, who will find, upon examining the positions they hold, that there are many things for which they can give no satisfactory reason. Until thus tested they know not their great ignorance. And there many in the church who take it for granted that they understand what they believe, but, until controversy arises they do not know their own weakness. When separated from those of like faith, and compelled to stand singly and alone to explain their belief they will be surprised to see how confused are their ideas of what they had accepted as truth. Certain it is that there has been among us a departure from the living God, and a turning to men, putting human in the place of divine wisdom.
“God will arouse his people; if other means fail, heresies will come in among them which will sift them, separating the chaff from the wheat. The Lord calls upon all who believe his word to awake out of sleep. Precious light has come appropriate for this time. This light should lead us to a diligent study of the Scriptures and a most critical examination of the positions which we hold . . . God would have all the bearings and positions of truth thoroughly and perseveringly searched, with prayer and fasting. Believers are not to rest in suppositions and ill defined ideas of what constitutes truth. Their faith must be founded on the Word of God.”
Your brother in Christ,
A.F. BALLENGER.
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