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The Great Controversy is a work by Ellen G. White (nee Harmon) (1827-1915). It is a work of fiction presented as a vision from God and published 1858.

From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Controversy_(book)

The Great Controversy is a book written by Ellen G. White, one of the lay persons of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It describes the "Great Controversy theme" between Jesus and Satan, as played out over the millennia from its start in heaven, to its final end when 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."

Ellen G. Harmon was baptized (aged 12) and became a member of the Methodist Church in Casco Bay, Portland in 1842. She was influenced by the views of William Miller who erroneously predicted the return of Christ in 1844 (a non-event known as the Great Disappointment). She married an Adventist preacher, James White in 1846. She was one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventists (1863). Seventh-day Adventists observe the Jewish Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, notwithstanding Paul’s teaching to the contrary:

Galatians 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge (condemn) you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

In Seventh-day Adventist doctrine the Great Controversy is fundamental belief no.8—‘Humanity is involved in a "great controversy" between Jesus Christ and Satan’.
From here: http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html

This is an elaboration on the common fanciful Christian theory that evil began in heaven when an angelic being (Lucifer) rebelled against the Law of God’.

The theory is without doubt unmitigated nonsense. The promise to those in Christ is that they will be made ‘equal to the angels’:

Luke 20:36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

If angels can rebel, the redeemed will be no better off than they are now and the prayer in Matthew 6:10 ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven’ becomes meaningless.

Lucifer in Scripture is the name given to the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:12.

Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

This is easily seen by reference to v4.

Isaiah 14:4... take up this proverb against the king of Babylon...

Being a proverb or parable it is couched in symbolic language which when taken literally and embroidered, results in false doctrine no 8 as above.

Ellen G. White was just another in the long line of false prophets claiming revelations which have no basis in scripture. Like Joseph Smith’s, it is all fictitious drivel and best avoided. In my opinion your time would be more profitably spent reading the Bible.

If you are unsure of the part played by the ‘devil’ please read ‘Do You Believe in a Devil?’  

I hope you have found this helpful.

May God bless you,

Glenn.