The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan

The Great Controversy is a book by Ellen G. White, one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and held in esteem as a prophetess or messenger of God among Seventh-day Adventist members. In it, White describes the "Great Controversy theme" between Jesus Christ and Satan, as played out over the millennia from its start in heaven, to its final end when the remnant who are faithful to God will be taken to heaven at the Second Advent of Christ, and the world is destroyed and recreated. Regarding the reason for writing the book, the author reported, "In this vision at Lovett's Grove (in 1858), most of the matter of the Great Controversy which I had seen ten years before, was repeated, and I was shown that I must write it out."The theme of the original small book, whose focus was on showing how God had led them up to and through the 1844 movement, and preparing them for the End Times, by describing the events that will occur in the Christian churches and in the world before Jesus returns, was expanded first to a four-volume set of books (1870-1884) (see table below), and then to a separate volume in 1888. The current, 1911 edition is also one of the five-volume Conflict of the Ages set. The 1884, 1888, and 1911 books incorporate historical data from other authors. The author herself valued this book "above silver or gold", and recommended it to be circulated to all.