A Response to the Video:
Seventh-day Adventism, the Spirit Behind the Church

by Bob Pickle

Answers to Questions Raised by:
Mark Martin, Sydney Cleveland
Dale Ratzlaff, The White Lie
. . . and Others

Discern Fact from Fiction

The Investigative Judgment and Shut Door, and Their Ramifications

#51: "Her first vision contained a fearful judgment on Adventists who had given up the 1844 message called the midnight cry. She said they had fallen off the path to heaven. 'It was just as impossible for them to get on the path again and go to the city as all the wicked world which God had rejected...' The Day-Star January 24, 1846."—Dale Ratzlaff.

#51: Her first vision taught the shut-door-of-mercy doctrine. This is not true.

The first published account of her vision in the January 24, 1846, issue of The Day-Star is taken from a letter written by Mrs. White to Eli Curtis, the editor of that journal. The last sentence of her letter says, "This was not written for publication; but for the encouragement of all who may see it, and be encouraged by it." We may therefore expect that the wording is not perfect. [p. 45]

Mrs. White testified:

These two classes are brought to view in the vision—those who declared the light which they had followed a delusion, and the wicked of the world who, having rejected the light, had been rejected of God. No reference is made to those who had not seen the light, and therefore were not guilty of its rejection.—Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 64.

Therefore, her first vision was not teaching that there was no more mercy for sinners. The statement in question is only dealing with those who had rejected light, not those who had never yet seen the light. This thought is also expressed in the quote about her February 1845 vision cited under #50.

To the contrary, her first vision taught that there was still mercy for sinners. In that vision she saw "the living saints, 144,000 in number," who were alive at the second coming. The 144,000 are mentioned a total of six times, yet there were only 50,000 Millerites in 1844, and her vision pictured many of these falling off the path. Obviously, since there would have to be a lot of evangelism to get the number up to a literal 144,000, the door of mercy could not yet be shut.

The Jewish leaders of Jesus's day rejected light and hardened their hearts to the point that they could no longer be reached with the gospel. Likewise, those who rejected the light to that point in 1844, the light regarding Christ's coming being literal and soon, could no longer be reached.

Like this book? Save your printer and your ink! Buy the entire 160-page book for just $9.95 + S/H. Automatic discounts start at 5 copies. Quantity: