Reviewing the Record

What does the historical record reveal? In probing the contemporary sources for an understanding of the term, “shut door,” we will examine, in order, (1) what Millerites believed regarding the shut door before 1844; (2) what they thought after 1844, noting that before another year would pass they would separate into two groups—Open-door Millerites and Shut-door Millerites; (3) the vision-messages of Ellen White as to how she understood the meaning of the shut door, the close of probation, etc., and (4) the thinking of Sabbatarian Adventists prior to 1852.MOL 502.10

Millerites before 1844. Central to Millerite thinking after the 1830s was that the world would end in 1843-1844. The Bridegroom parable (the Matthew 25 parable that included the shut-door concept) was often used in connection with closing events. For all Millerites prior to October 22, 1844, the “shut door” symbolized the close of probation, the sealing of the saints, and immediate judgment by the coming Lord. ^{17See Damsteegt, Foundations, pp. 42-44, 93-98. Damsteegt’s Foundations is recognized as the most complete record of source materials available dealing with Millerite and Adventist thought from 1830-1874.}MOL 502.11

Millerites after 1844. For a time after October 22, Millerites were stunned, disappointed, and confused. ^{18William Miller spoke for most: “We have done our work in warning sinners, and in trying to awake a formal church. God in His providence had shut the door; we can only stir one another up to be patient; and be diligent to make our calling and election sure.” Advent Herald, Dec. 11, 1844, cited in Damsteegt, Foundations, p. 106.} Soon two main groups developed: (1) Open-door Millerites and (2) Shut-door Millerites. Open-door Millerites eventually repudiated the prophetic calculations that led to October 22, 1844, and disavowed any significance to that date. (Some, however, continued to believe that Christ’s coming was imminent and others continued to calculate and proclaim other dates for the visible return of Jesus. ^{19See Leroy Edwin Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4, (Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald, 1954), pp. 838, 839.}) For a time, Shut-door Millerites generally maintained their confidence that both their time calculations and their message of Christ’s return were correct, ^{20Damsteegt, Foundations, pp. 104-115. Many shut-door advocates believed that Christ had indeed come spiritually. One of the first duties of young Ellen Harmon was to correct this error and point believers to the future and responsibilities yet to come.} even though they misunderstood how Christ would return.MOL 502.12

Fanaticism within Shut-door Millerites. The extreme position that probation had closed for everyone on October 22, 1844, soon led many into fanaticism. This extreme group, within which were distinct variations, emphasized that Christ indeed came on October 22, not visually to the world but “spiritually” (that is, experientially) to believing Millerites who maintained their confidence in the validity of October 22. They were labeled “spiritualizers.” ^{21The Albany group of Millerites referred to all who believed that something significant happened on October 22, 1844, as “spiritualizers.” However, early Seventh-day Adventists labeled the extreme shut-door advocates “spiritualizers” because these “spiritualizers” believed that Jesus had indeed come, but only “to the hearts” of true believers.} Believing that probation had closed (thus, fixing characters and destiny forever), some leaders advocated such practices as “no work” (to work would indicate a lack of faith that they were in their millennial rest), “creeping” even on the streets (to show their childlike humility as befitting those who belong to the kingdom of God—Luke 18:19), and eventually “spiritual wifery” (thus fulfilling the Biblical teaching that redeemed people will no longer be married—Mark 12:25). ^{22Damsteegt, Foundations, pp. 114, 120-135; Schwarz, Light Bearers, pp. 55, 56. For example, Samuel Snow eventually thought he was Elijah the prophet (summer 1845). John Pearson, Jr. joined J. V. Himes (Open-door leader), and Enoch Jacobs went into Shakerism by April 1846.}MOL 503.1