"God's greatest gift was bestowed to meet man's greatest need. The Light appeared when the world's darkness was deepest. Through false teaching the minds of men had long been turned away from God. In the prevailing systems of education, human philosophy had taken the place of divine revelation. Instead of the heaven-given standard of truth, men had accepted a standard of their own devising. From the Light of life they had turned aside to walk in the sparks of the fire which they had kindled. Ed 74.1"
"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
Both passages contrast light and darkness, with the light representing God's truth and the darkness representing the world's ignorance and false teachings.
"Having separated from God, their only dependence being the power of humanity, their strength was but weakness. Even the standard set up by themselves they were incapable of reaching. The want of true excellence was supplied by appearance and profession. Semblance took the place of reality. Ed 74.2"
"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
Both passages describe the consequences of turning away from God and relying on human efforts, resulting in weakness and a lack of true fulfillment. Jeremiah 2:13 provides a strong parallel to the idea of forsaking the true source of life and relying on inadequate substitutes.
"From time to time, teachers arose who pointed men to the Source of truth. Right principles were enunciated, and human lives witnessed to their power. But these efforts made no lasting impression. There was a brief check in the current of evil, but its downward course was not stayed. The reformers were as lights that shone in the darkness; but they could not dispel it. The world “loved darkness rather than light.” John 3:19 . Ed 74.3"
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Ellen White directly references John 3:19 in this passage.
"When Christ came to the earth, humanity seemed to be fast reaching its lowest point. The very foundations of society were undermined. Life had become false and artificial. The Jews, destitute of the power of God's word, gave to the world mind-benumbing, soul-deadening traditions and speculations. The worship of God “in Spirit and in truth” had been supplanted by the glorification of men in an endless round of man-made ceremonies. Throughout the world all systems of religion were losing their hold on mind and soul. Disgusted with fable and falsehood, seeking to drown thought, men turned to infidelity and materialism. Leaving eternity out of their reckoning, they lived for the present. Ed 74.4"
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
The EGW passage directly echoes the sentiment of Matthew 15:9, condemning the substitution of human traditions for genuine worship of God. The phrase "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" is directly reflected in EGW's description of "mind-benumbing, soul-deadening traditions and speculations" replacing worship "in Spirit and in truth."