Ellen Gould White
What does Ellen White write about...
Ellen Gould White über: "I am looking for all passages where EGW refers to the parable of the wicked vineyard workers."
Answer
Ellen G. White refers to the parable of the wicked vineyard workers in several places. The most extensive treatment is found in "Prophets and Kings" (chapter 58), where she recounts the entire parable and applies it to the religious leaders of Israel. In "The Desire of Ages" she offers a detailed exposition of the individual elements of the parable – vineyard, fence, tower, and vineyard workers – and shows how the priests and elders recognized their own behavior and impending judgment therein. In "The Great Controversy" the parable is mentioned in the context of the final judgment, when those who rejected Christ recognize their own condemnation.
The present documents thus show three major works in which EGW addresses this parable.
The Parable of the Vineyard in Prophets and Kings
»In the parable of the vineyard, Christ, toward the end of His earthly ministry, drew the Jewish teachers' attention to the abundant blessings that had been bestowed upon Israel, and thereby demonstrated God's claim to their obedience. He plainly presented to them the glory of God's purpose, which they could have fulfilled through obedience. He revealed the future and showed how, by failing to fulfill His purpose, the entire nation forfeited His blessing and brought about its own ruin.«
The Application of the Parable to the Jewish Leaders
»The entire life of Jesus of Nazareth among the Jewish people was a rebuke of their selfishness, as manifested in their refusal to acknowledge the rightful claims of the owner of the vineyard, over which they had been placed as vineyard workers. They despised His example of truthfulness and piety; and when the final test came, which meant obedience leading to eternal life or disobedience leading to eternal death, they rejected the Holy Israel and became responsible for His crucifixion on the Calvary.«
The Narrative of the Parable – The Owner and His Son
»And as the time of the fruit approached," Christ continued, "the owner of the vineyard sent his servants to the vineyard workers so that they might receive the fruit. But the vineyard workers seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they treated them the same way. Finally he sent his son to them and said: They will honor my son. But when the vineyard workers saw the son, they said among themselves: This is the heir; come, let us kill him and take his inheritance for ourselves! And they seized him, threw him out into the vineyard, and killed him.«
The Priests' Self-judgment
»After Christ had shown the priests their crowning act of wickedness, He now posed the question to them: "When the lord of the vineyard comes, what will He do to those vineyard workers?" The priests had followed the narrative with deep interest; and without considering how the subject related to themselves, they joined the crowd and answered: "He will miserably kill those wicked men and lease his vineyard to other vineyard workers who will give Him the fruit in its season.«
The Interpretation of the Parable in The Desire of Ages
»In the parable, the housefather represents God, the vineyard the Jewish nation, and the fence the divine law that protected it. The tower was a symbol of the temple. The lord of the vineyard had done everything necessary for its flourishing. Thus God's tireless care for Israel was depicted. And just as the vineyard workers were to give the lord an appropriate share of the vineyard's fruit, God's people were to honor Him through a life that corresponded to their holy privileges. But just as the vineyard workers had killed the servants that the master sent for the sake of the fruit, the Jews had killed the prophets that God sent to call them to repentance. In the beloved son, whom the lord of the vineyard finally sent to his disobedient servants and whom they seized and killed, the priests and elders saw a clear picture of Jesus and His impending fate.«
The Parable in the Final Judgment
»They vividly recall the Savior's parable of the vineyard workers who refused to give their lord the fruit of the vineyard, who mistreated his servants and killed his son. They also recall the judgment they themselves pronounced: The lord of the vineyard will miserably kill those wicked men. In the sin and punishment of those unfaithful men the priests and elders see their own path and their own just ruin.«
- Vineyard workers parable Israel prophets
- Matthew 21 vineyard Ellen White
- Jesus parables interpretation Desire of Ages
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
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