Very valid question for consideration. I tried to find the source of this for a long time, finally I found it. Thanks for bringing it out. She copied it form William Miller’s sermon. Miller called it a small bright cloud, Ellen White, a black cloud, just to show that she was original! Compare the following accounts:
As reported by Burlington Free press, Vermont, Friday February 17, 1843: “His (William Miller (1872-1849) last fancy sketch will confirm his followers and amuse the curious. It seems the person is gradually edging off his followers from indulging too high expectations of the month of April.*
During his first lecture he [William Miller] gave substantially the following description of the MANNER of the Second Advent. A small bright spot will appear in the east, which will gradually expand as it approaches the earth. Bye and bye, a small cloud will appear before the luminous ball, and between it and the earth. On the cloud will be seen the Son of Man, standing erect, his figure plainly visible to the spectators on the earth. At the sound of a trumpet (or some other signal,) the bright spot having gradually illuminated the whole heavens, the righteous dead shall rise from their resting places – and the risen and the living saints shall together be caught up and meet the Saviour in he air, when they will instantly be changed and clothed with immortality. The saviour then will present them to the father, whose presence is denoted by this luminous mass, perfect without spot or wrinkle. The Father will then give the saints, by marriage covenant, as a bride to the Son of God. They will then be constituted the New Jerusalem, and, together with the saviour, will descend to the earth, which during their absence has been purified by fire, and the wicked burned up, where the saints will dwell with Christ forever” (Reported by Burlington Free press, Vermont, Friday February 17, 1843).*
Ellen White: “Soon our eyes were drawn to the East, for a small black cloud had appeared about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the Sign of the Son of Man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer, lighter, and brighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud… And on it sat the Son of Man…And the angels struck a note higher and sung again while the cloud drew still nearer the earth. Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, (this was copied from Apocrypha) as he descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised his eyes and hands to heaven and cried out, Awake! Awake! Awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise. Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality… and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air” (To the Little Remnant Scattered Abroad, April 6, 1846).
Ellen White: “And fire was breathed from God upon them and consumed them… The same fire from God that consumed the wicked purified the whole earth… Then we inherited the whole earth made new” (Ms 14, 1850.15).