Dale Ratzlaff

The following links on this page are answers to Dale Ratzlaff’s criticisms of Ellen White. Mr. Ratzlaff is “an evangelical Christian known for his departure from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and subsequent criticism of the church and its beliefs.” He is at the heart of a major campaign against Seventh-day Adventism and argues that its teachings are cultic and Ellen White is a false prophet. Because this website focuses on the prophetic ministry of Ellen White, Mr. Ratzlaff’s arguments against Adventist theology in general are not addressed.  For answers to his criticisms of the Sabbath, covenants, and sanctuary judgement, go here. The links on this page are not a personal attack on Mr. Ratzlaff, his sincerity, or his Christian experience. I am interested only in the soundness of his arguments, whether or not his premises are true. Has he made the case that Ellen White was a fraud? Examine the evidence for yourself.

Many of Mr. Ratzlaff’s criticisms of Ellen White are found in his book, The Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists. As such, this book will be the focus of the links below.

“The Gift of Prophecy”
This link goes to Chapter 7 of Clifford Goldstein’s, Graffiti in the Holy of Holies, a very helpful general response to Mr. Ratzlaff’s charges against Ellen White in The Cultic Doctrine.

Response to Dale Ratzlaff’s “Open Letter”; Specific Response to Dale Ratzlaff’s 14 Questions
In November of 2006, Mr. Ratzlaff wrote an “Open Letter” responding to my presentation at the Ellen White Summit, November 2005. These links are my response to him in two parts. My answers to his 14 questions had to be concise in order to keep the document from being too lengthy. The forthcoming links below will provide me with the opportunity to enlarge and expand these answers.

Ellen White and Miller’s Proofs
In the Cultic Doctrine Mr. Ratzlaff argues that Ellen White endorsed all of William Miller’s 15 proofs that Christ would come in 1843. This article provides evidence that she did not.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church and The Clear Word
In his autobiographical book, Truth Led Me Out, Mr. Ratzlaff explains how his first encounter with The Clear Word Bible impelled him to write The Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists. I noted with interest that Jack Blanco’s paraphrase was first presented to him as an “accurate Bible translation” (TLMO 136). This mistaken understanding on the part of the couple Mr. Ratzlaff was studying with left a significant impression on him. In spite of Blanco’s Preface declaring that The Clear Word is not a translation or study Bible, and other evidence to the contrary, Mr. Ratzlaff continues to treat the paraphrase as a “Bible” endorsed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The above link provides eight lines of evidence that The Clear Word is not the official (or unofficial) Bible of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.