Shut-door theology

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Shut-door theology was a belief held by the forerunners of the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1844 to approximately 1854. It held that, since the Sanctuary was cleansed on October 22, 1844, probation was closed for all who had not accepted William Miller's message; thus, there was no further need to proselytize.

The groundwork for the theory came from a William Miller quote published in the December 11, 1844 Advent Herald: "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 just around the corner.

Despite her earlier affirmations, beginning in 1848 Ellen White saw visions which did not fit with the shut-door theory. In November of that year, she had a vision in which she saw the Three Angels' Messages "like streams of light... clear round the world." As the Millerite movement had not been significantly multinational, her vision clearly showed that new converts would be made to the movement.

In a 1849 vision, she saw Christ tell her that the door that had been shut was the door to the Holy Place of the Sanctuary, which meant that the Sabbath message, which had previously been unknown to most Christians, would now be a test of faith. However, at the time, the Adventists were unsure of Ellen White's prophetic status, and did not accept the visions as a signal that the shut-door theory was false.

Gradually over time, individuals who had no prior connection with Adventism converted into the church. This seemed to be a clear violation of the shut door theory. By 1854, religious leaders and most Adventists were ready to accept that the shut-door theory was false.

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[edit] References

Knight, George R. (1999). A Brief History of Seventh-day Adventism. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association. 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 Publishing Association. ISBN 0-8280-1541-4.
Schwarz, Richard W.; Greenleaf, Floyd (1979). Light Bearers: A History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association. ISBN 0-8163-1795-X.