Ellen G. White and Her Critics

A Prophetic Forecast

Commenting on the prophetic passage: “Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it,” he observes: EGWC 197.4

“Nothing can be plainer than that man, or a set of men, would, near the close of the history of the church, war against the truth of God in reference to the shut and open door. EGWC 197.5

“And to this day those who retain the spirit of war upon those who keep the commandments of God, make the belief in the shut and open door odious, and charge it all upon Seventh-day Adventists. Many of them are not unaware of the injustice of this. Some of this people did believe in the shut door, in common with the Adventists generally, soon after the passing of the time. Some of us held fast this position longer than those did who gave up their advent experience, and drew back in the direction of perdition. And God be thanked that we did hold fast to the position till the matter was explained by light from the heavenly sanctuary. EGWC 197.6

“And it may be worthy of notice that although the belief in, and abandonment of, the shut-door position has been general; there have been two distinct and opposite ways of getting out of it. One class did this by casting away their confidence in the advent movement, by confessions to those who had opposed and had scoffed at them, and by ascribing the powerful work of the Holy Spirit, which they had felt, to human or satanic influence. These get out of the position on the side of perdition.”—The Review and Herald, May 5, 1868, p. 330. EGWC 197.7