Ellen White’s Teachings About Heaven

Ellen White wrote often about heaven, where believers will finally be able to commune with God face to face. She describes the sights and sounds of Paradise as one who had seen and heard them firsthand.

Heaven, as the Bible describes it, is a paradise of eternal peace and endless love—a place where our grandest dreams and ambitions will be realized.

If you’re wanting to know what Ellen White said about heaven in her writings, or which of her visions had do with heaven, this collection of information should be helpful.

This post will cover:

• Ellen White’s visions of heaven
• What she wrote about heaven
• Her contribution to the understanding of Heaven in the early SDA church
• Ellen White’s writings gives us a more complete picture of heaven

Her descriptions are quite beautiful, and they align with what is revealed to us about heaven in Scripture.

Ellen White’s Visions of Heaven

Right at the beginning of her ministry, Ellen White received visions about heaven and the New Earth, which are recorded in her book, Early Writings.

In these visions she was shown many of heaven’s delights, and the eternal inheritance of God’s children. The descriptions seamlessly align with the picture of heaven given in the Bible.

Here are 2 of her most famous visions of heaven and the New Earth:

The 1844 vision of heaven

Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.

While praying with four other women, God gave Ellen White a vision. In it, she was among believers who experienced the Second Coming and went to heaven.

It took seven days to ascend to the sea of glass described in Revelation 15, where the saints (the believers) were standing in a perfect square. They had crowns on their heads and all wore white robes.

Then Jesus placed crowns on the heads of Ellen and her companions. He also gave them harps of gold and palm branches as a symbol of victory.

With angels escorting them, Jesus opened the gates and said:

“You have washed your robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth; enter in.”¹

Inside, she saw the tree of life and the throne of God.

Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life (Revelation 22:2).

This tree was special because, as she described it:

“On one side of the river was a trunk of a tree, and a trunk on the other side of the river, both of pure, transparent gold. At first I thought I saw two trees. I looked again, and saw that they were united at the top in one tree. So it was the tree of life on either side of the river of life. Its branches bowed to the place where we stood, and the fruit was glorious; it looked like gold mixed with silver.”²

 

They sat under the tree and met fellow believers who had died earlier. When asked of their experiences, they could remember their difficulties. They could only acknowledge that whatever it took, “heaven [was] cheap enough!”³

Then she came out of vision, and everything around her seemed changed.

“Oh, how dark this world looked to me!” she lamented. She felt so homesick for heaven because she had seen a better world.

The 1845 vision of the New Earth

One year after the first vision about heaven, Ellen White saw another vision on the New Earth. It was like a continuation of the vision of heaven.

After 1000 years in heaven, Jesus led them back to this earth and landed on a mountain, which split in two and became a wide plain (Zechariah 14:4).

Then the “glorious city” (New Jerusalem) descended after them and settled on the plain (Revelation 21:10-27).

Outside the city, they saw beautiful houses that were to be inhabited by the saints.

The houses had the appearance of silver, supported by four pillars decorated with shining pearls.

In each house there was a golden shelf. The saints placed their crowns on them before going out into the field.

All had a halo of light shining around their heads.

There were fields with all kinds of never-fading flowers, with tall vibrant-green grass, and a reflection of silver and gold.

Then there was a field full of all kinds of animals—wild and tame, ferocious and harmless— all living together in perfect peace (Isaiah 11:6-9).

There were forests, flooded with light, with branches waving to and fro.

They got to Mount Zion where there was the Temple made with pillars of transparent gold and decorated with pearls.

Then Jesus ushered them to the city.

There was a table of pure silver. It was many miles in length, but their eyes could see the whole length of it. On it was set the fruit of the tree of life, the manna, almonds, figs, pomegranates, grapes, and many other kinds of fruit.

Jesus said she couldn’t eat the fruits yet, but she will if she remains faithful (Revelation 2:7).

But at that time, she was to go back to earth again, and tell others what she’d seen.

Then an angel carried her gently down to this “dark world.”

In relating the experience, she says:

“The wonderful things I saw there, I cannot describe. Oh, that I could talk in the language of Canaan, then could I tell a little of the glory of the better world.”⁴

And so, to fulfill the commission to tell others about these “wonderful things,” she began to write and speak about the inconceivable joy of heaven.

Through the years, Adventists have set these bright glimpses into music, making songs from her words. Some of the most loved are “I wanna go to Heaven” and “Language of Canaan.”

Ellen White’s writings about heaven

Photo by Atlantic Ambience

With inspiration from her visions and what she read about heaven in the Bible, she wrote extensively about the excitement of heaven.

In many cases, it was in the context of explaining other truths (like Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, the Second Coming, and other end time events). She also wrote in answer to people’s questions, or correcting common misbeliefs that were not aligned with Bible truth about heaven.

She expounded on different aspects of heaven, such as social life, manner of doing things, etc. Here are some of the things she addressed.

Social life in heaven

We humans were created as relational beings, and we’ll continue in that manner when in heaven and in the New Earth. Ellen White saw a vibrant social life in heaven, with everyone cleansed from selfishness. Love and perfect harmony will be the atmosphere there, with everyone living in perfect order and equality.

We’ll know each other. Able to identify those we love.⁵ Though people may look different when clothed in immortal bodies, family members will be able to recognize each other. And those long separated by death or distance will be reunited (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Children who died as infants will be handed to their parents at the resurrection. And those whose parents won’t be there will be cared for by angels.⁶

But she also corrected those who believed in marriages in heaven. She clarified that there’ll be no marriages there, and no children will be born in the New earth (Matthew 22:30). The relationships we’ll have will be so deep and satisfying, it may be that marriage just won’t be needed anymore.

We’ll get to meet with Bible characters who were faithful to the end. Like David, Daniel and Noah. Even Adam himself will be there.

We’ll have time to talk to our guardian angels who walked with us all our lives. And they’ll help us see the most perfect and beautiful harmony where we previously only saw confusion and broken promises (Romans 8:28).⁷

We’ll also see the full impact of every good word and action, as it produced eternal effects for the salvation of souls.⁸

Also the garden of Eden will be there, but there will be no more sin or even the temptation to sin.

The saints will dwell in perfect joy as one happy family.

There will be music and singing. Such music and song as no one living has ever heard or even imagined (Psalm 87:7).

And there’ll be no more tears, no funerals or mourning. No more death, sorrow, sickness or crying (Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 33:24).

To sum up the rich social experience of the redeemed in heaven, Ellen White writes:

“There the redeemed shall know, even as also they are known. The loves and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul shall there find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind together ‘the whole family in heaven and earth’ (Ephesians 3:15).⁹

We’ll be forever learning in heaven

Ellen White shows how heaven will be a place of endless learning and discovery.

There’ll always be something new to learn about God’s universe and the mysteries of His grace toward us.

With new and perfect vision, we’ll discover new beauties in what we can only now see glimpses of through the microscope and telescope. All this will be open for our study!¹⁰

With the eternal, past, present and future of mankind laid before us, we’ll have an infinite scope of history to explore.

Speaking of the great things that lie ahead, she says:

“There every power will be developed, every capability increased. The grandest enterprises will be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations will be reached, the highest ambitions realized. And still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of body and mind and soul.”¹¹

From this, you can see that heaven will not be a place of inactivity or idleness. Yet we’ll feel no need to rest from exhaustion.

We’ll see Jesus face to face

Ellen White points to the fact that the believers will have the great privilege of open communion with God (1 Corinthians 13:12).

She refers to Revelation 22:5, that the glory of God and Jesus will be our light, and there will be no night there.

Also, there’ll be no temple in the New Earth because God Himself and Jesus will be its temple as God will dwell with His people (Revelation 21:3, 22).

We’ll ever be with Jesus, worshiping Him and basking in His love.

He’ll retain His human body and ever have the scars from the crucifixion on His hands, feet, and side.¹²

Her contribution to the understanding of heaven in the early SDA church

Ellen White’s writings served to anchor the early Adventist believers’ understanding of heaven in Scripture.

From their background as Millerites, who had expected Jesus’ return in 1844, Adventists generally had a deep interest in heaven. It’s the place where they expected Jesus to take them when He came for them.

So they had studied the Scriptures and knew that Heaven was a literal place, where they would go immediately after the Second Coming and live with Jesus (John 14:1-3).

But there were also other common beliefs about the details of what life in heaven would be like that were vague or slightly off.

Here are 2 examples:

The richness and material comforts of heaven

Ellen saw that many in her time did not acknowledge the rich and grand splendor of heaven as described in the Bible. This is because they feared that thinking of the streets of gold or the beautiful, comfortable mansions would taint their hope of heaven with streaks of materialism (Revelation 21:21).

But Ellen White made it clear that looking forward to heaven’s unmatched beauty and material comforts are some of the things which lead us to treasure it as our future home.

And that as the Bible promises, it’s true that Christ is preparing mansions for us. In fact, we read that “no eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV).

Through this, she unapologetically emphasizes the beauty and euphoria of the things we’ll experience in the Paradise of God.¹³

The saints would have access to other worlds

Photo by Yihan Wang from Pexels

Ellen White also observed that many seemed to think that the joys of eternity will only be limited to the heavenly mansions and the new earth.

But she showed that the redeemed saints will have access to other planets and galaxies in our universe. God made everything in existence, and He longs to share it all with us.

She also noted that there are other intelligent beings in these vast frontiers of the universe who never experienced sin. And throughout eternity, they’ll search and learn deeper truths about the mysteries of redemption.¹⁴

We’ll get to share the treasures of wisdom gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God’s work as the years of eternity roll.

Ellen White’s writings gives us a more complete picture of heaven

Everything Ellen White proclaimed lined up with what we can read in the Bible. Her purpose was to shine light on the truth of heaven, reminding fellow Christians what a awesome experience it will be.

In some places, she zoomed in on details that brought out the beauty of heaven in its completeness. And in other places, she expanded on broad facts to illuminate the scenes and bring out the feelings, textures, smells, and future endeavors that await us.

While it’s true that someone can fully understand the majesty of Heaven just by reading the Bible, it’s also true that looking into Ellen White’s insights will enrich your study and spur your imagination to the realities of heaven.

To learn more about heaven,

1. Ellen G. White, Early Writings, (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1882), p. 16. [↵]
2. Ibid. p. 17 [↵]
3. Ibid. [↵]
4. Ibid. p. 19 [↵]
5. White, Desire of Ages, p. 804. [↵]
6. White, 2 Selected Messages p. 260. [↵]
7. White Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, p. 286. [↵]
8. Wite, Education, p. 305 [↵]
9. White, The Great Controversy, p. 677 [↵]
10. White, Education, p. 305. [↵]
11. White, Heaven, 186. [↵]
12. White, The Great Controversy. pp. 674-676. [↵]
13. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 674. [↵]
14. White, Review and Herald, March 9,1886.[↵]

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