ADVENTIST PERPLEXITIES ANSWERED!!
Updated 05/02/2008
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From: Truth of Adventism
Defended Yahoogroups Forum
THE SHUT DOOR! |
THE SHUT DOOR!
The following is a post from another forum illustrating some very startling facts about Adventism. This is regarding the visions Ellen White had which is ridiculed by so many religionists today: THE SHUT DOOR. During the 1830s and 40s the Millerites, the forerunner movement for the Seventh-day Adventist Movement, through the study of prophecy had concluded that Christ was coming in October of 1844. As that time swiftly arrived, Ellen G. White, considered to be a prophet for the movement, received visions which told her that the door of mercy was shut for those who had rejected this Millerite message.
PROBLEM:
Their message: that Christ was coming back in 1844, proved to be incorrect. She and all the other Adventists assumed that the visions were stating that the whole world was coming to an end, and that the door of mercy will be shut TO ALL HUMANITY. How therefore can people be lost for rejecting that message when it was obvious that the actual message was not correct? That is the seemingly unanswerable problem that we are facing today and which are included in most every attack against Adventism. But, before we get into the perplexities of this issue, let's first hear what Ellen White had to say about the visions she has had supporting the SHUT DOOR doctrine:
"I hereby testify in the fear of God that the charges of Miles Grant, or Mrs. Burdick, and others published in the Crisis are not true. The statements in reference to my course in forty-four are false... 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. And am clear and free to state that no one has ever heard me say or has read from my pen statements which will justify them in the charges they have made against me upon this point....I never have stated or written that the world was doomed or damned. I never have under any circumstances used this language to any one, however sinful. I have ever had messages of reproof for those who used these harsh expressions." Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 74.
Was what Ellen White said here true? How can we tell? Let us examine the evidence.
DEAR FRIENDS:
ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a group of Christians who delighted to study the word of God. After a while, they stumbled upon some very important revelations in the prophecies. They soon saw that there was something portentous in the prophecies. They therefore shared what they had found.
There was another group of Christians who didn't want to hear what the prophecies said. These kept quoting to those who loved the message in the prophecies: "But of that day or hour knoweth no man." Those who loved the prophecies understood that at the time those words were stated and that scripture was written, no man knew. They however felt that something very crucial was "UNSEALED" in the prophecies of Daniel. Remember that Daniel, when receiving the prophecies, asked for the meaning, but was told that it would not be revealed to him nor to anyone else till the time of the end (Dan. 12:8, 9, 13). The Millerites therefore continued to present what they had learned and welcomed all others to educate them or else show them if and where they had erred.
The side which didn't want to hear what they were saying about the idea that Christ was coming back to destroy sinners and receive the righteous, refused to even go into the studies with the Millerites to prove that they were wrong. They just covered their ears and said, "But of that day or hour knoweth no man." They therefore told the world, "Don't study that stuff!!" This therefore became the first SCRIPTURAL ERROR of the other churches. As you can see, their message was far more than, "Of that day or hour knoweth no man." They also then began to teach the world that the book of Revelation is an "incomprehensible mystery."
It was probably about a couple of months ago [in about 1998] when it was surprisingly discovered that the other churches actually made a much more terrible mistake during the 1840s than did the Millerites. The Millerite Movement opened up a great rush of interest in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. It just so happened that at that time, the other churches were determined to squash that interest. They began teaching that the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation were incomprehensible mysteries. By doing this, the other churches made a mistake LIGHT-YEARS worse than did the Millerites.
There were two scriptures given in particular to show what were the consequences of this action. The first was Revelation 1:1-3:
1
The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants
things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant John:
2 Who
bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of
all things that he saw.
3 BLESSED
IS HE THAT READETH, AND THEY THAT HEAR THE WORDS OF THIS PROPHECY, and keep
those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
This is used by Adventists, and it is even found in the Great Controversy to disprove the idea that the other churches rejected the Millerite message because of their conscientious determination to abide by the Word of God which says, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." - Matt. 24:36. The wording at the beginning of the Revelation is clear and to the point. In order to do everything possible to banish the idea that Christ was coming again, the other churches disregarded this scripture in order to stop anyone from looking into the prophecies.
Yet the second scripture is the most awesome. It is awesome and fearful exceedingly. It states the following:
21
And
the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And
let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely.
18 For
I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book,
If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that
are written in this book:
19 AND
IF ANY MAN SHALL TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY, GOD
SHALL TAKE AWAY HIS PART OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, AND OUT OF THE HOLY CITY,
AND FROM THE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK.
20 He
which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come,
Lord Jesus.
21 The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. --
Rev 22:17-21
That's why to this day, a movement which formerly opened up the study of Daniel and the Revelation shows its divine calling by producing the very best most incontestable interpretation of the books of Daniel and the Revelation. The commentaries of these prophetic works through Adventist sources DRAMATICALLY differ from the commentaries of the other churches and even the Catholic Church. Just check out the commentaries of the Revelation and then compare those commentaries with Adventist commentaries and interpretation. You will then find that there is no comparison, and those who outwardly show antagonism to this statement will be found doing all in their power to make sure that the world does not check out for themselves the Adventist interpretation of the Revelation; for if they did, opponents to Adventism will know exactly what will happen.
By stating that the book of Revelation was an incomprehensible mystery, the other churches actually fulfilled the awesome description of those who have taken away from the words of the book of Revelation. Do you think the Lord knew in advance that the book of Revelation, containing the worst divine threat to mortals in chapter 14, would be directly disregarded someday? The message is CRYSTAL CLEAR. Yet, do you know that there was a vision Ellen White received which actually confirmed this word and was a message from heaven to confirm these warning words? Can you guess what vision that was? That vision was called:
THE SHUT DOOR!
| THE SECRET RAPTURE THEORY... First generated by the Jesuit Francisco Ribera, (1537-1591) then accepted by John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) and then popularized through Cyrus Scoffield, (1843-1921) who put his notes in the Scoffield Reference Bible: Darbyism taught Pre-tribulationism, or that Christ will come before the expected Great Tribulation to secretly rapture His people from the earth. They therefore taught that it is not necessary to study or understand the last 18 chapters of the book of Revelation because the "Church" will not be here during its fulfillment. When the "Church" disappears, then the tribulation of seven years begins. |
Yes that door still swings today and is shutting faster than the doors of the womens toilets all over the world. It can be seen as many tell us that we must not study the prophecy of the Revelation, because since the life and death of Christ, no other revelation is necessary. These words were actually stated by one of those attacking Adventism on that other email conference.
There are others who are telling us they are bringing the true Gospel, but that the Three Angels Messages are closed up. Are the Three Angels Messages in the book of Revelation? Actually the warning applies to all of inspiration. No human being has the authority to tell others to ignore scripture, and use the holy name of Christ in deceptive fondness as the medium to ignore His very instructions.
What therefore happened was that William Miller stumbled upon some great prophetic discoveries in the book of Daniel. He began to present his findings. Officials from the other churches then brought Matt. 24:36 to him in order to destroy his findings. The argument from Matt. 24:36 seemed conclusive. But then something strange happened. The Millerites asked, "But what about these prophetic scriptures over here." The reply was the following:
Let it go! Leave it alone! Forget it!
Better yet and more truthful: PLEASE BURN IT!
Do these words sound familiar? Many are bringing us strange gospels or are telling us that we must submit to the Gospel ONLY, or the "pure Gospel," but in their plans they are telling us we don't know the Gospel, because we give regard to distinctive doctrines and end-time messages of warning and events. Again I ask, do these words sound familiar? Will you then regard such condemned by the last warning of Revelation to teach you the Gospel? Yes, these are common words on the forums today as prophesied by the scriptures:
"Let
no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come
a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;
so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
- 2 Thess. 2:3, 4
"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." - 2 Tim. 3:13
That is why THE SHUT DOOR still swings today, and so will all those who think themselves higher than the Almighty.
END