Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Vision Supports New Sanctuary Teaching

Early in 1846 Ellen Harmon published a vision she had received. This vision supported the main outlines of the new interpretation. She wrote: EGWC 178.1

“In February, 1845, I had a vision of events commencing with the Midnight Cry. I saw a throne and on it sat the Father and the Son.... I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming Charriot go into the Holy of Holies, within the veil, and did sit. There I saw thrones that I had never seen before. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him; and I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after he arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who rose up when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way.—Then He raised His right arm and we heard his lovely voice saying, ‘Wait here—I am going to my Father to receive the Kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to myself.’ And I saw a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, and Angels were all around it as it came where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the Holiest where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, as He was standing before the Father, a great High Priest.”—Broadside, To the Little Remnant Scattered Abroad, Portland, April 6, 1846. Signed, Ellen G. Harmon. ^* EGWC 178.2

Inevitably the new interpretation of the marriage parable provoked much controversy with the main body of Adventists, particularly because of the phrase in the parable, “the door was shut.” It is easy to see why our fathers were early described as the Sabbath and Shut Door people. The critics of Seventh-day Adventism fasten upon the phrase, “shut door,” lift it out of its historical context, and seek to prove thereby that in our early years we were chiefly distinguished by an ardent belief that the door of mercy was closed to all men on October 22, 1844. Our critics might as properly say that for several years after Christ’s ascension the holy apostles were distinguished by a belief that salvation was not only of the Jews but exclusively for the Jews. In both cases the picture is wholly out of focus. EGWC 178.3

We believe that this historical sketch fully supports the declaration that the newly developing Seventh-day Adventist Church set out to emphasize the shut door of the parable, not from a desire to keep anyone out of the kingdom, but from a resolute determination to hold onto the belief that God had raised up the Advent Movement of the early 1840’s in fulfillment of prophecy. This is not said in any attempt to blur the fact that these early Sabbathkeepers believed for a time that probation for sinners had ended, but to place that fact in proper perspective. Certainly they could be best distinguished as the Sabbath and Shut Door people, because they kept the Sabbath, whereas other Adventists kept Sunday; and they believed that the 2300-day prophecy ended in 1844, whereas other Adventists believed that it had not yet ended. EGWC 179.1