Walter Veith Cannot Answer: Ellen White's Moses Resurrection Contradiction

"Grab Hold of the Truth and Never Let It Go"

In early 2022, I wrote to Professor Walter Veith about my conversion from atheism and Freemasonry to the Seventh-day Adventist faith. He responded warmly — welcomed me into the vineyard, called me brother, and told me to "grab hold of the truth and never let it go."

I took his advice. And the truth led me out of his denomination.

On August 4, 2023, I sent Professor Veith an email laying out a contradiction I had found in Ellen G. White's writings — one that directly contradicts the New Testament he claims to believe. I had bcc'd my friend brother James and two other brothers on the exchange.

What follows is that email exchange, reproduced in full.

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My Email to Professor Veith

August 4, 2023

Dear Professor Veith,

I pray this email finds you well.

I am writing you because I have stumbled across something in the writings of Ellen G. White that directly contradicts the Scriptures.

This combined with the recent WUP episodes on the Apocrypha and the dangers of truth mixed with error have my mind spinning to say the least.

I would love to get your opinion on this.

In the Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 1 p. 342, EGW states the following:

"Michael, or Christ, with the angels that buried Moses, came down from Heaven, after he had remained in the grave a short time, and resurrected him, and took him to Heaven."

This claim directly contradicts the Scriptures:

And from JC, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead. — Revelation 1:5

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? — Proverbs 30:4

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. — John 3:13

Now obviously Enoch and Elijah must be reconciled here because the Bible does not contradict itself. But Enoch and Elijah did not die so Revelation 1:5 is consistent. They were "translated."

The distinction here seems to be the difference between "translated" and "ascended." Ascended seems to require the first death, which would reconcile Enoch and Elijah with John 3:13 and Proverbs 30:4.

So what about Jude 1:9 then? The Scriptures can't conflict so how can we read this verse in a way that doesn't contradict John 3:13, Revelation 1:5 and Proverbs 30:4?

What if this dispute was about keeping the body of Moses hidden to prevent future idol worship? EGW herself says that this is precisely why his body was hidden and that angels took his body to hide it.

So it seems that this hiding of Moses' body is when the dispute referenced in Jude 1:9 took place. Also see Deuteronomy 34:6 ("no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day").

Spirit of Prophecy Volume 1 p. 341:

"Angels took his body and buried it in the valley. The Israelites could never find the place where he was buried. His secret burial was to prevent the people from sinning against God by committing idolatry over his body."

EGW then continues on to claim that had it not been for Moses' transgression of not attributing the miracle of striking the rock and water coming out in Numbers 20:10-12 that Moses' life would have been perfect.

Spirit of Prophecy Volume 1 p. 342:

"If [Moses] had continued faithful, and his life had not been marred with that one transgression, in failing to give to God the glory of bringing water from the rock, he would have entered the promised land, and would have been translated to Heaven without seeing death ... For this transgression, Moses came under the dominion of death."

What about Exodus 2:12? The Ten Commandments hadn't been given to Moses yet and I know God winks at a time of ignorance but even if we ignore the murder in Exodus 2:12, this statement still directly contradicts Exodus 4:24.

Moses had clearly not circumcised his son on the 8th day as per the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-12) and it is clearly a sin to not obey the word of God (Genesis 17:14).

EGW makes this point herself on p. 175:

"While Moses was living in neglect of one of God's positive commands, his life would not be secure; for God's angels could not protect him while in disobedience."

How then can EGW claim that Moses' sole transgression was usurping God's glory at the rock? This is another statement that directly contradicts the Scriptures.

And while I understand that this might be jarring, it simply cannot be ignored (1 John 4:1). If these books are spurious, then we must leave them alone.

As you yourself stated last week, "It is fine to pay attention to what people say but if it is not in harmony with the good book, then put it where it belongs ... the garbage can!"

EGW also concedes this point:

"I then saw the Word of God, pure and unadulterated, and that we must answer for the way we received the truth proclaimed from that Word ... I saw that the Bible was the standard book, that will judge us in the last day ... I heard an angel say, think ye God will place His seal where there is an idol? No, no."

If EGW's writings are not in harmony with the Scriptures but we hold them up to be on equal footing with the Scriptures, would this not be the exact definition of an idol?

All of this then begs the question that if Seventh Day Adventism is just another deception of Satan, what is he hiding here?

And this, by definition, would place her in the category of a false prophet.

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Bless you!

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Professor Veith's Response

August 4, 2023

Dear Mehran

There is no contradiction here. Moses could not have appeared with Elijah on the mount of transfiguration if he had not been resurrected and Jude confirms the dispute over the body of Moses. Moreover, Rom 5:14 says that death reigned from Adam to Moses so Moses must have been resurrected and taken to heaven because death held no dominion over him after his resurrection.

Hope this helps

Many blessings

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My Reply

August 4, 2023

Dear Professor Veith,

Thank you so much for getting back to me and you raise two interesting points.

Putting the mount of transfiguration and Romans 5:14 aside for a moment, how can we say there is no contradiction?

EGW claims that Moses was resurrected shortly after his death ("after he had remained in the grave a short time").

This would have been before JC's resurrection correct?

Notice that if your interpretation of Moses' appearance on the mount of transfiguration is correct, that would also confirm that Moses would have to have been raised before the resurrection of Christ.

But Revelation 1:5 clearly tells us that JC is "the first begotten of the dead."

Both of these statements cannot be true.

This is, by definition, a contradiction no?

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The Silence

That was the last I heard from Professor Veith on this matter.

Brother James — who had been bcc'd on the entire exchange — said it best: "Checkmate; under normal circumstances. But I sense pride and arrogance."

Nearly two years later, on April 21, 2025, I sent Veith one final message:

He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? — Psalms 94:9

No response.

What This Exchange Reveals

The contradiction is simple. Ellen G. White claimed Moses was resurrected "a short time" after his death — over a thousand years before JC. The New Testament says JC was "the first begotten of the dead." Both of these statements cannot be true.

Professor Veith responded with two arguments — the mount of transfiguration and Romans 5:14. Neither of them addresses the contradiction. The mount of transfiguration, if anything, confirms that Moses would have been raised before JC — which makes the contradiction worse, not better. And Romans 5:14 says nothing about resurrection.

When pressed directly — "This is, by definition, a contradiction no?" — he went silent.

There are many accusations that Walter Veith himself is a Freemason — and that Ellen G. White, the prophet he follows, had deep connections to Freemasonry. It is possible he sees exactly what I have shown him but his delusion lies elsewhere — not in ignorance, but in allegiance. We will discuss this at length in a future post.

But here is what matters: AO's own word settles the question entirely. The first begotten of the dead is neither Moses nor JC. It is David:

20 I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him.

26 He shall cry unto Me, "You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation."

27 Also I will make him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. — Psalms 89:20, 26–27

Ellen White's false prophecy contradicts the New Testament. The New Testament contradicts the Word of God. And the Word of God says David.

1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder,

2 And the sign or the wonder comes to pass... you shall not hearken to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.

3 For AO your God proves you, to know whether you love AO your God with all your heart and with all your soul. — Deuteronomy 13:1–3

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This post is part of the Strong Delusion series. Read Part 1: The Strong Delusion for the testimony of how YirmeAO came out of the New Testament. Read Part 2: David or Jesus? for the five prophets who name the true Messiah. Read Part 3: Who Rose First from the Dead? for the full breakdown of EGW, the NT, and AO's answer.

Start with Welcome to the Torah of AO or read the Resurrection of King David for the Scriptural proof that David is the true Messiah.