Yes, Ellen White wrote on several occasions that Jerusalem and its temple would have stood forever as a sign of God's favor if the people of Israel had remained obedient to Him. Here are some of those statements: * "Had her people given heed to Christ's teaching, and received Him as the Saviour, Jerusalem would have “stood forever.”" (SJ 86.4) * "If Israel remained faithful and true to God, this glorious building was to stand forever, as a perpetual sign of God's especial favor to his chosen people." (4aSG 99.2) * "God promised Solomon, if he would remain faithful, and his people would obey all his commandments, that that glorious temple should stand forever in all its splendor, as an evidence of the prosperity and exalted blessings resting upon Israel for their obedience." (4aSG 114.3) * "Had Israel remained true to God, this glorious building would have stood forever, a perpetual sign of God's especial favor to His chosen people." (PK 46.1) * In a passage quoting the prophet Jeremiah, she reinforces this promise: "'If ye diligently hearken unto Me,' the Lord declared, and 'hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain forever.'" (PK 411.2)

Yes, Ellen White addressed this topic. She drew a parallel between ancient Israel's delay in entering the promised land and the delay of Christ's second coming. She wrote: "It was not the will of God that Israel should wander forty years in the wilderness; he desired to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there, a holy, happy people. But 'they could not enter in because of unbelief.' Hebrews 3:19. Because of their backsliding and apostasy, they perished in the desert, and others were raised up to enter the promised land. **In like manner, it was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be so long delayed, and his people should remain so many years in this world of sin and sorrow. But unbelief separated them from God. As they refused to do the work which he had appointed them, others were raised up to proclaim the message.** In mercy to the world, Jesus delays his coming, that sinners may have an opportunity to hear the warning, and find in him a shelter before the wrath of God shall be poured out." (GC 458.1)

Based on her writings, Ellen White described the believers who labored in the 1844 movement as a group that was initially sincere and earnest, but which experienced a great shaking and division after the disappointment. Here is a summary of her descriptions of them: ### Their Earnestness Before the Disappointment She described the believers as deeply sincere in their preparation for Christ's expected return. * "With carefulness and trembling we approached the time when our Saviour was expected to appear. With solemn earnestness we sought, as a people, to purify our lives, that we might be ready to meet Him at His coming. Meetings were still held at private houses in different parts of the city, with the best results. Believers were encouraged to work for their friends and relatives, and conversions were multiplying day by day." (LS 54) ### The Division After the Disappointment After October 22, 1844, the believers were divided. Some lost their faith entirely, while others held fast and sought to understand what had happened. * **Those Who Lost Faith:** Many who had been active participants came to view the entire experience as a mistake. * "Many pronounced their experience in the movement of 1844 a delusion. It was hard to reach this class... A number who had been active preachers and exhorters in 1844, now seemed to have lost their moorings and did not know where we were in prophetic time; they were fast uniting with the spirit of the world." (LS 78) * **Those Who Remained Faithful:** A smaller group continued to believe that God had led them. They faced opposition from the established churches. * "The believers in this message were oppressed in the churches... They wished to silence the testimony which the believers felt compelled to bear, that the prophetic periods extended to 1844... Those who dared not withhold from others the light God had given them, were shut out of the churches; but Jesus was with them, and they were joyful in the light of his countenance. They were prepared to received the message of the second angel." (1SG 139.2) ### The Challenge of Fanaticism In the wake of the disappointment, the faithful believers also had to contend with various forms of extremism and false teachings. * "After the passing of the time in 1844, we had fanaticism of every kind to meet. Testimonies of reproof were given me to bear to some holding spiritualistic theories." (8T 292) In summary, Ellen White portrayed the 1844 believers as a group that went through a severe test. While many fell away, a faithful remnant emerged who, despite persecution and the challenge of fanaticism, became the foundation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Yes, Ellen White stated that if the Advent believers had remained faithful and continued to advance in the light they received after the 1844 disappointment, Jesus would have returned long before. She wrote: * "Had the people of God gone on from the light that was given them in 1844, and perfected a character in harmony with their faith, Jesus would have come ere this, and would have taken them to himself." (LS 298.2) She also explained that the same issues that kept ancient Israel wandering in the wilderness—unbelief, murmuring, and worldliness—were responsible for delaying the entrance of "modern Israel" into the heavenly Canaan: * "For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years." (Ev 696.2)