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Ellen G. White and the Shut Door Question - Contents
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    The Vision of the Heavenly Sanctuary—February, 1845

    In mid-February, 1845, a vision was given to Ellen White at Exeter, Maine, to which she refers in her letter to Elder Bates. In this she was directed to events transpiring in heaven. She was shown the entry of Christ into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. An account of what was revealed to her at this time appeared first in print in the Day Star of March 14, 1846, was reprinted by James White in the broadside dated April 6, 1846, and is in Early Writings, 54-56. Here is the account of what she saw, reproduced from the broadside:EGWSDQ 24.1

    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 gazed on Jesus’ countenance and admired his lovely person. The Father’s person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered him. I asked Jesus if his Father had a form like himself. He said he had, but I could not behold it, for said he if you should once behold the glory of his person you would cease to exist. Before the throne I saw the Advent people, the church, and the world. I saw a company, bowed down before the throne, deeply interested, while the most of them stood up disinterested and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus; then he would look to his Father, and appeared to be pleading with Him. A light would come from the Father to the Son, and from the son to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light; many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them; some cherished it, and went and bowed down with the little praying company. This company all received the light, and rejoiced in it, as their countenances shone with its glory. And I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming Chariot 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 to 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. On the hem of His garment was a bell and pomegranate. Then Jesus shew me the difference between faith and feeling. And I saw those who rose up with Jesus send up their faith to Him in the Holiest, and pray—my Father give us thy Spirit. Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In the breath was light, power, and much love, joy and peace. Then I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it.—Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God; I saw them look up to the throne and pray, my Father give us thy Spirit; then Satan would breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived, and to draw back and deceive God’s children. I saw one after another leave the company who were praying to Jesus in the Holiest, and go and join those before the throne, and they at once received the unholy influence of SatanEGWSDQ 24.2

    In her letter to Bates she gives the setting of this vision and tells of its fruitage in establishing confidence in the fulfillment of prophecy on October 22, 1844.EGWSDQ 25.1

    The view about the Bridegroom’s coming I had about the middle of February, 1845.EGWSDQ 25.2

    While in Exeter, Maine, in meeting with Israel Dammon, James, and many others, many of them did not believe in a shut door. I suffered much at the commencement of the meeting. Unbelief seemed to be on every hand.EGWSDQ 25.3

    There was one sister there that was called very spiritual. She had traveled and been a powerful preacher the most of the time for twenty years. She had been truly a mother in Israel. But a division had risen in the band on the shut door. She had great sympathy, and could not believe the door was shut. (I had known nothing of their differences.) Sister Durben [Dearborn?] got up to talk. I felt very, very sad.EGWSDQ 25.4

    At length my soul seemed to be in an agony, and while she was talking I fell from my chair to the floor. It was then I had a view of Jesus rising from His mediatorial throne and going to the holiest as Bridegroom to receive His kingdom. They were all deeply interested in the view. They all said it was entirely new to them. The Lord worked in mighty power setting the truth home to their hearts....EGWSDQ 25.5

    Most of them received the vision, and were settled upon the shut door. Previous to this I had no light on the coming of the Bridegroom, but had expected Him to this earth to deliver His people on the tenth day of the seventh month. I did not hear a lecture or a word in any way relating to the Bridegroom’s going to the holiest.—Letter 3, 1847, to Joseph Bates. (July 13, 1847) (See Exhibit 3 for the letter.)EGWSDQ 25.6

    The term “shut door” is not used in any published account of this vision, but Ellen White in 1847, as just seen in her letter to Bates, connected this vision given in mid-February, 1845, to the “shut door.” And in 1874 in her letter answering a question raised by Elder Loughborough she explained:EGWSDQ 25.7

    It was on my first journey east to relate my visions that the precious light in regard to the heavenly sanctuary was opened before me and I was shown the open and shut door. We believed that the Lord was soon to come in the clouds of heaven. I was shown that there was a great work to be done in the world for those who had not had the light and rejected it. Our brethren could not understand this with our faith in the immediate appearing of Christ. Some accused me of saying that my Lord delayeth His coming, especially the fanatical ones.—Letter 2, 1874, in Selected Messages 1:74.EGWSDQ 25.8

    The pioneers held that a shut door and an open door were factors in the vision. J. N. Loughborough states that “This vision was repeated again and directs attention to the account of what was shown to her March 24, 1849, published under the title of ‘The Open and the Shut Door.’” In Early Writings, 42-45. (See Exhibit 4.)EGWSDQ 26.1

    It is clear that this vision of mid-February, 1845, given only four months after the disappointment, regarding events which took place on October 22, 1844, confirmed the believers in the integrity of the October 22 fulfillment of prophecy, and in so doing, Ellen White tells us, it confirmed them in the “shut door.” But, we may ask, what did the term used in this connection mean? The vision had in it the seeds which would lead to an understanding that probation for the world generally had not closed and yet at the same time what was shown did not destroy confidence in the fulfillment of prophecy on October 22. Ellen White so saw it and the record sustains this.EGWSDQ 26.2

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