Ellen Gould White
What does Ellen White write about...
Ellen Gould White über: "Preparation for a time when buying and selling will no longer be possible"
Answer
Preparation for the time when buying and selling will be prohibited primarily consists of renouncing worldly possessions and investing resources in time for the spread of the Gospel. God calls His people to reduce possessions and store up treasures in heaven before they become useless or lost in the coming tribulation. Instead of stockpiling supplies for physical needs, believers should learn to fully trust God's promise that He will provide them with bread and water during that time.
Do not provide for temporal needs
»The Lord repeatedly showed me that it contradicts the Bible to make preparations for our temporal needs during the tribulation. I saw that if the saints, in the time of tribulation, when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, had stored food with them or in the fields, it would be taken from them by violent hands and foreigners would harvest their fields. Then the time will be for us to fully trust God, and He will preserve us. I saw that our bread and water would be secure at that time and we would not suffer lack or feel hunger; for God was able to set a table for us in the desert.«
Sell possessions before the decree
»We should now heed the admonition of our Savior: “Sell what you have and give alms; make for yourselves bags that do not decay, a treasure in heaven that does not perish.” Now is the time for our brothers to reduce their possessions rather than increase them. ... The time is coming when we will no longer be able to sell at any price. The decree will soon be issued that forbids people to buy or sell, except those who have the mark of the beast.«
The danger of clinging to possessions
»Houses and lands will be of no use to the saints in the time of tribulation, for they will have to flee from angry mobs, and at that time their possessions cannot be sold to advance the work of present truth. I was shown that it is God's will for the saints to detach from every obstacle before the tribulation comes, and through sacrifice make a covenant with God. ... I saw that if someone clung to his possessions and did not ask the Lord for his duty, He would not reveal the duty; they might keep their possessions, and in the time of tribulation it would rise like a mountain before them to crush them, and they would try to sell it but would be unable to do so.«
Preparation through character formation
»I saw that the time when Jesus is in the Most Holy Place is almost finished and this time can only be very brief. The free time we have should be spent exploring the Bible, which will judge us on the last day. ... Now is the time, while the four angels hold back the four winds, to confirm our calling and election.«
Invest resources in God's work
»A time will come when covenant keepers can neither buy nor sell. Hurry to dig up your buried talents. If God has entrusted you with money, prove yourself faithful to your mission; unwind your cloth and bring your talents to the exchangers, so that Christ, at His coming, receives His due with interest. ... Many would sacrifice their possessions as readily as the members of the early church if they only recognized how near the end of all work for the salvation of souls is.«
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.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
