EGW → Biblical Foundation
Select an Ellen White book from the sidebar to see each passage mapped to the Bible verses it amplifies, cites, or echoes.
Scripture Index
Ellen White & Bible Cross-Reference
Luke 13:1-5
"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
“The shock” of the earthquake “was instantly followed by the fall of every church and convent, almost all the large public buildings, and more than one fourth of the houses. In about two hours after the shock, fires broke out in different quarters, and raged with such violence for the space of nearly three days, that the city was completely desolated. The earthquake happened on a holyday, when the churches and convents were full of people, very few of whom escaped.”— Encyclopedia Americana, art. “Lisbon,” note (ed. 1831). “The terror of the people was beyond description. Nobody wept; it was beyond tears. They ran hither and thither, delirious with horror and astonishment, beating their faces and breasts, crying, ‘Misericordia! the world's at an end!’ Mothers forgot their children, and ran about loaded with crucifixed images. Unfortunately, many ran to the churches for protection; but in vain was the sacrament exposed; in vain did the poor creatures embrace the altars; images, priests, …
Both passages address the question of whether those who suffer in disasters are necessarily greater sinners than others. Jesus' response in Luke 13:1-5 directly refutes this idea, and the EGW passage, by describing the Lisbon earthquake, implicitly raises the same question, even though it doesn't explicitly answer it. The people's cries of 'Misericordia! the world's at an end!' also reflect a sense of divine judgment, which is a thematic link.
Luke 13:2
"And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?"
Turning to the multitude, the Saviour said, “Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” These startling calamities were designed to lead them to humble their hearts, and to repent of their sins. The storm of vengeance was gathering, which was soon to burst upon all who had not found a refuge in Christ. COL 213.2 As Jesus talked with the disciples and the multitude, He looked forward with prophetic glance and saw Jerusalem besieged with armies. He heard the tramp of the aliens marching against the chosen city and saw the thousands upon thousands perishing in the siege. Many of the Jews were, like those Galileans, slain in the temple courts, in the very act of offering sacrifice. The calamities that had fallen upon individuals were warnings from God to a nation equally guilty. “Except ye repent,” said Jesus, “ye shall all likewise perish.” For a little time…
The EGW passage directly quotes and expands upon Luke 13:2, making it a clear explicit allusion.
Luke 13:6
"He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none."
"“A certain man,” He continued, “had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” COL 214.1"
The EGW passage directly quotes Luke 13:6, establishing a clear explicit allusion.
Luke 13:6-9
"He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
"“A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” Luke 13:6-9 . 7T 200.3"
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:6-9 in this passage.
"There are some who come here merely to secure financial benefit. This class are a heavy burden to the church. They are cumberers of the ground, their unproductive boughs shutting from other trees the glory of heaven's sunlight. 5T 185.2"
EGW's description of unproductive members as 'cumberers of the ground' directly echoes the parable of the barren fig tree in Luke 13:6-9.
"The parable of the fig tree, spoken before Christ's visit to Jerusalem, had a direct connection with the lesson He taught in cursing the fruitless tree. For the barren tree of the parable the gardener pleaded, Let it alone this year, until I shall dig about it and dress it; and if it bear fruit, well; but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Increased care was to be given the unfruitful tree. It was to have every advantage. But if it remained fruitless, nothing could save it from destruction. In the parable the result of the gardener's work was not foretold. It depended upon that people to whom Christ's words were spoken. They were represented by the fruitless tree, and it rested with them to decide their own destiny. Every advantage that Heaven could bestow was given them, but they did not profit by their increased blessings. By Christ's act in cursing the barren fig tree, the result was shown. They had determined their own destruction. DA 584.2"
EGW explicitly refers to and interprets the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13:6-9, drawing a direct connection between the parable and the cursing of the fig tree. She explains how the parable relates to the Jewish people and their destiny.
"God has in a wonderful manner endowed man with reasoning powers. He who fitted the tree to bear its burden of goodly fruit has made man capable of bearing the precious fruits of righteousness. He has planted man in His garden and tenderly cared for him, and He expects him to bear fruit. In the parable of the fig tree Christ says: “Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit.” For more than two years has the Owner looked for the fruit that He has a right to expect from these conferences, but how has His search been rewarded? How anxiously we watch a favorite tree or plant, expecting it to reward our care by producing buds, blossoms, and fruit; and how disappointed we are to find upon it nothing but leaves. With how much more anxiety and tender interest does the heavenly Father watch the spiritual growth of those whom He has made in His own image and for whom He condescended to give His Son that they may be elevated, ennobled, and glorified. 5T 250.2"
EGW directly references and expands upon the parable of the fig tree in Luke, drawing parallels between the owner's expectation of fruit from the tree and God's expectation of righteousness from humanity.
"One class were registered as cumberers of the ground. As the piercing eye of the Judge rested upon these, their sins of neglect were distinctly revealed. With pale, quivering lips they acknowledged that they had been traitors to their holy trust. They had had warnings and privileges, but they had not heeded nor improved upon them. They could now see that they had presumed too much upon the mercy of God.… LS 242.2"
Both passages deal with the idea of individuals being judged for their lack of fruitfulness or productivity. The EGW passage speaks of 'cumberers of the ground' who neglected their holy trust, while the Luke passage uses the parable of the fig tree to illustrate the same principle. The connection is thematic and meaningful.
Luke 13:7
"Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?"
"The heart that does not respond to divine agencies becomes hardened until it is no longer susceptible to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Then it is that the word is spoken, “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” COL 218.3"
The EGW passage directly quotes Luke 13:7, making it an explicit allusion.
For nearly forty years after the doom of Jerusalem had been pronounced by Christ Himself, the Lord delayed His judgments upon the city and the nation. Wonderful was the long-suffering of God toward the rejectors of His gospel and the murderers of His Son. The parable of the unfruitful tree represented God's dealings with the Jewish nation. The command had gone forth, “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” ( Luke 13:7 ) but divine mercy had spared it yet a little longer. There were still many among the Jews who were ignorant of the character and the work of Christ. And the children had not enjoyed the opportunities or received the light which their parents had spurned. Through the preaching of the apostles and their associates, God would cause light to shine upon them; they would be permitted to see how prophecy had been fulfilled, not only in the birth and life of Christ, but in His death and resurrection. The children were not condemned for the sins of the parents; but when, with…
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:7 in this passage.
"The barren tree receives the rain and the sunshine and the gardener's care. It draws nourishment from the soil. But its unproductive boughs only darken the ground, so that fruit-bearing plants cannot flourish in its shadow. So God's gifts, lavished on you, convey no blessing to the world. You are robbing others of privileges that, but for you, might be theirs. COL 217.1"
Both passages use the imagery of a barren tree to represent unproductivity and the consequences thereof. The EGW passage expands on the idea of the tree hindering the growth of other plants, which is not explicitly in Luke 13:7 but aligns with the overall theme of fruitfulness.
"The warning sounds down along the line to us in this generation. Are you, O careless heart, a fruitless tree in the Lord's vineyard? Shall the words of doom erelong be spoken of you? How long have you received His gifts? How long has He watched and waited for a return of love? Planted in His vineyard, under the watchful care of the gardener, what privileges are yours! How often has the tender gospel message thrilled your heart! You have taken the name of Christ, you are outwardly a member of the church which is His body, and yet you are conscious of no living connection with the great heart of love. The tide of His life does not flow through you. The sweet graces of His character, “the fruits of the Spirit,” are not seen in your life. COL 216.3"
Both passages discuss the parable of the unfruitful tree in the vineyard and the consequences of not bearing fruit. EGW's passage directly applies the parable to the reader, urging self-reflection on their spiritual fruitfulness, echoing the warning in Luke.
"God in His Son had been seeking fruit, and had found none. Israel was a cumberer of the ground. Its very existence was a curse; for it filled the place in the vineyard that a fruitful tree might fill. It robbed the world of the blessings that God designed to give. The Israelites had misrepresented God among the nations. They were not merely useless, but a decided hindrance. To a great degree their religion was misleading, and wrought ruin instead of salvation. COL 215.2"
EGW's statement about Israel being a 'cumberer of the ground' directly relates to the parable in Luke 13:7, where the owner of the vineyard wants to cut down the fruitless fig tree because it 'cumbereth the ground.'
Luke 13:8
"And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:"
"In the parable the dresser of the vineyard does not question the sentence that the tree, if it remained fruitless, should be cut down; but he knows and shares the owner's interest in that barren tree. Nothing could give him greater joy than to see its growth and fruitfulness. He responds to the desire of the owner, saying, “Let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it; and if it bear fruit, well.” COL 215.3"
EGW directly quotes Luke 13:8.
"You realize, though it may be but dimly, that you are a cumberer of the ground. Yet in His great mercy God has not cut you down. He does not look coldly upon you. He does not turn away with indifference, or leave you to destruction. Looking upon you He cries, as He cried so many centuries ago concerning Israel, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? ... I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man.” Hosea 11:8, 9 . The pitying Saviour is saying concerning you, Spare it this year also, till I shall dig about it and dress it. COL 217.2"
The EGW passage directly quotes Hosea 11:8,9 and alludes to Luke 13:8, connecting the themes of God's mercy and the opportunity for repentance before judgment. The reference to 'Spare it this year also, till I shall dig about it and dress it' is a clear allusion.
Luke 13:9
"And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
"“If it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that”— COL 218.2"
This is a direct quote from Luke 13:9, making it an explicit allusion.
Luke 13:24
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
"“Strive to enter in at the strait gate.”— Luke 13:24 . The belated traveler, hurrying to reach the city gate by the going down of the sun, could not turn aside for any attractions by the way. His whole mind was bent on the one purpose of entering the gate. The same intensity of purpose, said Jesus, is required in the Christian life. I have opened to you the glory of character, which is the true glory of My kingdom. It offers you no promise of earthly dominion; yet it is worthy of your supreme desire and effort. I do not call you to battle for the supremacy of the world's great empire, but do not therefore conclude that there is no battle to be fought nor victories to be won. I bid you strive, agonize, to enter into My spiritual kingdom. MB 141"
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:24 in this passage.
"Man is allotted a part in this great struggle for everlasting life; he must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, and the Spirit works in him to accomplish this. But man is no passive being, to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to strain every muscle and exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality; yet it is God that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence. The Lord bids us: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Luke 13:24 ; Matthew 7:13, 14 . 8T 65.1"
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:24 in this passage.
"To man is allotted a part in this great struggle for everlasting life—he must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, and the Spirit works in him to accomplish this. But man is no passive being, to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to strain every muscle and exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality, yet it is God that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence. The Lord bids us, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:24 . “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14 . CT 366.1"
The EGW passage directly quotes Luke 13:24 and references Matthew 7:13-14, making the connection explicit.
Many seem to have no true sense of their responsibility before God. They are required to strive to enter in at the strait gate, because many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able. Heaven requires them to try to induce others also to strive to enter in at the strait gate. A work is before young and old to labor earnestly to save not only their own souls, but the souls of others. There are none who have reasoning faculties who have not some influence. By their indifference they use that influence to hinder souls from striving to enter in at the strait gate, or by their earnest, persevering, untiring efforts they urge upon them the necessity of striving diligently to enter there. No one occupies a neutral position, doing nothing to encourage others and doing nothing to hinder them. Says Christ: They that gather not with Me scatter abroad. Take heed, old and young; you are either doing the work of Christ, to save souls, or the work of Satan, to lead them to perdition. “Let your ligh…
The EGW passage directly quotes and expands upon Luke 13:24, making a clear and explicit allusion.
Luke 13:25
"When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:"
"Here is the greatest deception that can affect the human mind; these persons believe that they are right when they are wrong. They think that they are doing a great work in their religious life, but Jesus finally tears off their self-righteous covering and vividly presents before them the true picture of themselves in all their wrongs and deformity of religious character. They are found wanting when it is forever too late to have their wants supplied. God has provided means to correct the erring: yet if those who err, choose to follow their own judgment, and despise the means which He has ordained to correct them and unite them upon the truth, they will be brought into the position described by the words of our Lord quoted above. 1T 417.1"
Both passages address the theme of being shut out from God's presence despite a late attempt to gain entry. The EGW passage speaks of being "found wanting when it is forever too late," while Luke 13:25 describes the master shutting the door. The connection is in the finality of the rejection.
Luke 13:26
"Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets."
"At the final day, many will claim admission to Christ's kingdom, saying, “We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets.” “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?” But the answer is, “I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me.” Luke 13:26 ; Matthew 7:22 ; Luke 13:27 . In this life they have not entered into fellowship with Christ; therefore they know not the language of heaven, they are strangers to its joy. “What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11 . COL 412.3"
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:26 in this passage.
Luke 13:27
"But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."
"At the final day, many will claim admission to Christ's kingdom, saying, “We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets.” “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?” But the answer is, “I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me.” Luke 13:26 ; Matthew 7:22 ; Luke 13:27 . In this life they have not entered into fellowship with Christ; therefore they know not the language of heaven, they are strangers to its joy. “What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11 . COL 412.3"
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:27 in this passage.
Divine love has been stirred to its unfathomable depths for the sake of men, and angels marvel to behold in the recipients of so great love a mere surface gratitude. Angels marvel at man's shallow appreciation of the love of God. Heaven stands indignant at the neglect shown to the souls of men. Would we know how Christ regards it? How would a father and mother feel, did they know that their child, lost in the cold and the snow, had been passed by, and left to perish, by those who might have saved it? Would they not be terribly grieved, wildly indignant? Would they not denounce those murderers with wrath hot as their tears, intense as their love? The sufferings of every man are the sufferings of God's child, and those who reach out no helping hand to their perishing fellow beings provoke His righteous anger. This is the wrath of the Lamb. To those who claim fellowship with Christ, yet have been indifferent to the needs of their fellow men, He will declare in the great Judgment day, “I k…
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:27 in this passage.
Luke 13:35
"Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
Oh, how Christ longed to open to Israel the precious treasures of the truth! But such was their spiritual blindness that it was impossible to reveal to them the truths relating to His kingdom. They clung to their creed and their useless ceremonies when the truth of Heaven awaited their acceptance. They spent their money for chaff and husks, when the bread of life was within their reach. Why did they not go to the word of God, and search diligently to know whether they were in error? The Old Testament Scriptures stated plainly every detail of Christ's ministry, and again and again He quoted from the prophets, and declared, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” If they had honestly searched the Scriptures, bringing their theories to the test of God's word, Jesus need not have wept over their impenitence. He need not have declared, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Luke 13:35 . They might have been acquainted with the evidence of His Messiahship, and the calam…
Ellen White directly references Luke 13:35 in this passage.