What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "The yoke as a symbol for law or doctrine"
Answer
The yoke as a symbol of submission to God's will
»The yoke and the cross are symbols that represent the same thing – the surrender of the will to God. Bearing the yoke unites the finite human with the dearly beloved Son of God. Lifting the cross cuts the self away from the soul and moves the person to where he learns how to bear Christ's burdens. We cannot follow Christ without bearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and carrying it to Him.«
The yoke of the law in the Jewish tradition
»One of the most common figurative expressions of the time was that of the yoke, to indicate submission to an activity or obligation. Thus we read not only of the yoke of the law, but also of that concerning secular governments... Placing the yoke upon oneself meant submitting to it of one's own free choice and conscious decision. [...] Yet in practice the yoke of the empire was nothing other than that of the law and the commandments; one of arduous efforts and impossible self‑justification.«
The law as a yoke of bondage
»Because reason prefers the righteousness of the law to the righteousness of faith, Paul calls the law a yoke, a yoke of bondage. Peter also calls it a yoke. “What are you now trying to do to God by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we could bear?” In this passage Paul again rejects the corrupt notion that the law could make a person righteous before God.«
Warning against the yoke of human tradition
»It is more pleasant for human nature to do penance than to renounce sin. It is easier to chastise the flesh with sackcloth and thorns and tormenting chains than to crucify fleshly desires. The yoke that the fleshly heart is ready to bear is heavier than bowing to the yoke of Christ. [...] The Jews burdened the law with demands and traditions that made obedience painful and burdensome.«
The misrepresentation of God's law as a yoke
»The shepherds who lead the sheep onto false paths will hear the accusation against them: “It was you who despised the truth. It was you who told us that God's law had been abolished, that it was a yoke of bondage. It was you who uttered false teachings, when I was convinced that these Seventh‑Day Adventists had the truth.”«
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.
