Shut-door theology

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Shut-door theology was a belief held by the

beliefs today.

History

After the

held a Conference in 1845 in Albany, attended by 61 delegates, to determine the future course and meaning of the Millerite movement. Following this meeting, the "Millerites" then became known as "Adventists" or "Second Adventists". Four groups emerged from the conference: The Evangelical Adventists, The Life and Advent Union, the Advent Christian Church, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The largest group organized as the American Millennial Association, a portion of which was later known as the Evangelical Adventist Church. Unique among the Adventists, they believed in an eternal hell and consciousness in death. The Life and Advent Union was founded by George Storrs in the year of 1863. He had established The Bible Examiner in 1842. The Advent Christian Church officially formed in 1861. The Seventh-day Adventist Church officially formed in 1863, so they still were known as

or as "Adventists" or "Second Adventists" till they organized.

When Jesus did not arrive the

believing in the Shut door theory did not believe it necessary or possible to reach out to the lost, who had rejected Miller's final call. Salvation was only open to those who had accepted the message of William Miller.

The groundwork for the theory came from a William Miller quote published in the December 11, 1844

: "We have done our work in warning sinners, and in trying to awake a formal church. God, in his providence has shut the door; and we can only stir one another up to be patient; and be diligent to make our calling and election sure."

In January 1845, editors Apollos Hale of the Advent Herald and Joseph Turner of The Hope of Israel further developed this thought, eventually coming to believe that on October 22, 1844, every man's destiny was forever sealed, using Revelation 22:11,12 as their basis. The term "shut door" came from Jesus' parable of the Bridegroom and the Virgins: "and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut." (Matthew 25:10) The Adventists believed that Jesus' return was imminent.

An early title the

or Sabbatarian Adventists (who would become the Seventh-day Adventist Church) used for themselves was the "Sabbath and Shut Door Adventists".

Ellen White early on in her ministry supported the belief in the Shut door as most

movement had not been significantly multinational, her vision clearly showed that new converts could be made to the movement.

In an 1849 vision, White heard Christ tell her that the door that had been shut was the door to the Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary. However, many of the

, and did not accept the visions as a divinely inspired denouncement of shut-door theory.

Gradually, individuals who had no prior connection with Adventism converted to the church and by 1854, religious leaders and most Adventists were ready to accept that the shut-door theory was not correct understanding.

Later and recent commentary

Ellen White was later questioned over her beliefs, and whether she had received them in vision. She denied the latter, writing in 1874:

"With my brethren and sisters, after the time passed in forty-four I did believe no more sinners would be converted. But I never had a vision that no more sinners would be converted."^[1]

Graeme Bradford defends, "Some would argue that this teaching is an embarrassment to the Seventh-day Adventist Church today. Those who use such an argument should be reminded of the fact that a similar 'Shut Door teaching' was applied by early Christians (including Peter) for the first 10 years of the existence of the newly formed Christian Church. For the first 10 years they only preached to the Jews as being worthy of God's grace. That is the purpose of the vision given by God to Peter in Acts 10:9–34. All movements raised up by God still have the imperfections common to humanity."^[4]

See also

• Adventism
• History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Inspiration of Ellen White
• Seventh-day Adventist theology

References

• ISBN 0-8280-1430-2
  .
• Knight, George R. (2000). A Search for Identity: The Development of Seventh-day Adventist Beliefs. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald.
  ISBN 0-8280-1541-4
  .
• Schwarz, Richard W.; Greenleaf, Floyd (1979). Light Bearers: A History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nampa, ID:
  ISBN 0-8163-1795-X
  .; p53–54

External links

Ellen G. White Estate website:

• "Open and Shut Door" from the
  Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia
  , second revised edition, 11:249–252
• "The 'Shut Door' Documents" compiled by Robert W. Olson, 1982
• Unusual statements of Ellen White
• Advent Experience by
  Review and Herald
  articles
• "The Shut Door—A Case Study", chapter 44 in Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass
• F. D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics: chapter 13, "A Sketch of Early Adventist History"; chapter 14, "The Shut-Door Charge Examined"; chapter 15, "Mrs. White Taught That Probation Still Lingers". See also "Appendix H: From Shut Door to Open Door"; and "Section 10: The Open and the Shut Door
  " from "Appendix J: Deleted Passages Examined"