Sola Scriptura? Then How Did We Get Here?

With books written like, 1844 Made Simple, you would think that holding the view of a Temple in heaven that directly replicates the temple on earth is simple to understand….but it is the exact opposite.

Before entering exile and joining those outside Seventh-day Adventism, I was a Chaplain, Bible Teacher, Pastor, Student, and ardent member of the church. From birth through undergraduate. Through it all is the Sanctuary message. To simplify the Sanctuary message it is as follows. In 1844 there was a group of people following William Miller and his prophecy of Daniel 8:14, “And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.“ Miller said that the second coming was going to happen on several dates, which it didn’t. He kept moving the date until October 22, 1844. Also known as the Great Disappointment. When Jesus did not show up, the followers of Miller splintered into sects, cults, atheists, spiritualists, and repentance. The founders of the Seventh-Day Adventist denomination all gathered and argued over why. A small group surrounding Ellen White clung to the belief that 1844 meant something beyond a great heretical error. There summary was that the Sanctuary mentioned in Daniel 8:14 was in fact a heavenly Sanctuary inside a heavenly temple.

Most Seventh-day Adventists do not know that Ellen White merely had ‘visions’ that confirmed ideas and arguments that people surrounding her. The Sanctuary message that Seventh-Day Adventist hold today was developed by O.R.L. Crosier, which Ellen White stated in A Word to the Little Flock,

“The Lord showed me in vision, more than one year ago, that Brother Crosier had the true light on the cleansing of the sanctuary, et cetera, and that it was His will that Brother Crosier should write out the view which he gave us in the Day-Star Extra, February 7, 1846. I feel fully authorized by the Lord to recommend that Extra to every saint (A Word to the Little Flock, pg. 12).”

A Word to the Little Flock, is perhaps the least studied and most important publication for Seventh-day Adventists. Most do not even realize it or have ever actually read it.

Let’s dive in to the first ‘vision’ of Ellen White in A Word to the Little Flock,

“The Lord has shown me in vision, that Jesus rose up, and shut the door, and entered that Holy of Holies, at the seventh month [of] 1844; but Michael’s standing up to deliver his people, is in the future( A Word to the Little Flock, pg. 12)..”

Here we have Ellen White saying she believes in the heretical belief that salvation was closed in 1844, allowing for no more people to be saved, known as the Shut Door Theology.

Later in 1874, Ellen White writes…

Battle Creek, Michigan

August 24, 1874

Dear Brother Loughborough:

I hereby testify in the fear of God that the charges of Miles Grant, of 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 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.

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. I saw that in ‘44 God had opened a door and no man could shut it, and shut a door and no man could open it. Those who rejected the light which was brought to the world by the message of the second angel went into darkness, and how great was that darkness.

I never have stated or written that the world was doomed or damned. I never have under any circumstances used this language to anyone, however sinful. I have ever had messages of reproof for those who used these harsh expressions.—Letter 2, 1874.

However, in July 1847, Ellen White wrote a letter addressed to Joseph Bates discussing the second coming of Christ and fighting against those who opposed the shut door, not as she later changed her theology, but the shut door pertaining to the closing of salvation to the world.

Dear Brother Bates:

As James is at work and sisters are from home thought I would employ myself in writing a line to you. My health is quite good for me. My faith is still strong that that very same Jesus that ascended up into heaven will so come in like manner as He went up, and that very, very soon. I have had many trials of late; discouragement at times has laid so fast hold upon me it seemed impossible to shake it off. But thank God, Satan has not got the victory over me yet, and by the grace of God he never shall. I know and feel my weakness, but I have laid hold upon the strong arm of Jehovah, and I can say today I know that my Redeemer liveth, and if He lives I shall live also. Oh how good it would be to meet with a few of like precious faith to exhort and comfort one another with words of holy cheer from the word of God. The sheep are now scattered, but thank God, they are about to be gathered to a good pasture.

Oh how sweet it will be to meet all the blood-washed throng in the city of our God. 'Tis then we'll sing the song of Moses and the Lamb as we march through the gates into the city, bearing the palms of victory and wearing the crowns of glory.

Brother Bates, you write in a letter to James something about the Bridegroom's coming, as stated in the first published visions. By the letter you would like to know whether I had light on the Bridegroom's coming before I saw it in vision. I can readily answer, No. The Lord showed me the travail of the Advent band and midnight cry in December, but He did not show me the Bridegroom's coming until February following. Perhaps you would like to have me give a statement in relation to both visions. At the time I had the vision of the midnight cry I had given it up in the past and thought it future, as also most of the band had. I know not what time J. Turner got out his paper. I knew he had one out and one was in the house, but I knew not what was in it, for I did not read a word in it. I had been, and still was very sick, I took no interest in reading, for it injured my head and made me nervous. After I had the vision and God gave me light, He bade me deliver it to the band, but I shrank from it. I was young, and I thought they would not receive it from me. I disobeyed the Lord, and instead of remaining at home, where the meeting was to be that night, I got in a sleigh in the morning and rode three or four miles and there I found J. T. He merely inquired how I was and if I was in the way of my duty. I said nothing, for I knew I was not. I passed up chamber and did not see him again for two hours, when he came up, asked if I was to be at meeting that night. I told him, No. He said he wanted to hear my vision and thought it duty for me to go home. I told him I should not. He said no more, but went away. I thought, and told those around me, if I went I should have to come out against his views, thinking he believed with the rest. I had not told any of them what God had shown me, and I did not tell them in what I should cut across his track.

All that day I suffered much in body and mind. It seemed that God had forsaken me entirely. I prayed the Lord if he would give me strength to ride home that night, the first opportunity I would deliver the message He had given me. He did give me strength and I rode home that night. Meeting had been done some time, and not a word was said by any of the family about the meeting.

Very early next morning J. T. called, said he was in haste going out of the city in a short time, and wanted I should tell him all that God had shown me in vision. It was with fear and trembling I told him all. After I had got through he said he had told out the same last evening. I was rejoiced, for I expected he was coming out against me, for all the while I had not heard any one say what he believed. He said the Lord had sent him to hear me talk the evening before, but as I would not, he meant his children should have the light in some way, so he took him. There were but few out when he talked, so the next meeting I told my vision, and the band, believing my visions from God, received what God bade me to deliver to them.

The view about the Bridegroom's coming I had about the middle of February, 1845.

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. 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 got up to talk. I felt very, very sad. 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. Sister Durben knew what the power of the Lord was, for she had felt it many times; and a short time after I fell she was struck down, and fell to the floor, crying to God to have mercy on her. When I came out of vision, my ears were saluted with Sister Durben's singing and shouting with a loud voice. 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.

I had but very few privileges in 1842, 3 & 4. My sisters both went to the camp meetings in New Hampshire and Maine, while my health prevented me from going to but one, in Maine. I know the light I received came from God, it was not taught me by man. I knew not how to write so that others could read it till God gave me my visions. I went to school but very little on account of my health. I do not think I went to school a day after I was twelve years old, and did not go then but a few days at a time, when sickness would cause me to take my bed for weeks and sometimes for months. The first I wrote anything that could be called writing was after I had been sick the prayer of faith was put up for me, and healing [here the sheet ends, and the reminder of the letter is gone.] —E. G. White, Letter 3, 1847, Manuscript Release.

This letter in July 1847, proceeds the publishing of the “Word to the Little Flock.” To say that what is stated in the publication differs from that Shut Door than what is contained and intended in Ellen White’s letter to Joseph Bates is fairly ignorant and impossible. What makes it even more complicated is that she claims to have been shown in vision, thus making it authoritative.

So the complicated Shut Door belief then was that Christ moving from the Holy Place to the Most Holy place caused the end of salvation for those who did not belong to Christ in 1844.

Then, as was discussed in the previous blog post, the sanctuary in heaven is in the New Jerusalem, even though Scripture states in Revelation 21:22, that Christ is their Temple.

Well things get more complicated.

“As we were traveling along, we met a company who also were gazing at the glories of the place. I noticed red as a border on their garments; their crowns were brilliant; their robes were pure white. As we greeted them, I asked Jesus who they were. He said they were martyrs that had been slain for Him. With them was an innumerable company of little ones; they also had a hem of red on their garments. Mount Zion was just before us, and on the mount was a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies. And I saw the little ones climb, or, if they chose, use their little wings and fly, to the top of the mountains and pluck the never-fading flowers. There were all kinds of trees around the temple to beautify the place: the box, the pine, the fir, the oil, the myrtle, the pomegranate, and the fig tree bowed down with the weight of its timely figs—these made the place all over glorious. And as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus raised His lovely voice and said, "Only the 144,000 enter this place," and we shouted, "Alleluia."

This temple was supported by seven pillars, all of transparent gold, set with pearls most glorious. The wonderful things I there saw I cannot describe. Oh, that I could talk in the language of Canaan, then could I tell a little of the glory of the better world. I saw there tables of stone in which the names of the 144,000 were engraved in letters of gold. After we beheld the glory of the temple, we went out, and Jesus left us and went to the city. Soon we heard His lovely voice again, saying, "Come, My people, you have come out of great tribulation, and done My will; suffered for Me; come in to supper, for I will gird Myself, and serve you." We shouted, "Alleluia! glory!" and entered into the city (A Word to the Little Flock, pg. 17).”

So in the same ‘vision,’ Ellen White quotes directly from the Apocryphal book 2 Esdras, and then states that the temple in the New Jerusalem is actually outside the city and home to a very literal 144,000, and no one else can enter.

What is the significant problem?

• Is the temple inside or outside the New Jerusalem?

• Is the purpose of the temple to house the 144,000 or for the ministration of Christ on our behalf?

• Since the visions of Ellen White are accepted as inspired and authoritative, then why has the church changed the Sanctuary message from describing exactly what Ellen White states God showed her that message was?

In the same document, things regarding the Sanctuary message get even more complicated. “Therefore, it is clear that Old Jerusalem, its Temple, and the furniture of that Temple, have distinct antitypes in Paradise. That Paradise was taken up from the earth after the fall of man is plain…(A Word to the Little Flock, pg. 23),”

and

“The Temple, or Sanctuary of New Jerusalem, of which Christ is a minister, the Lord pitched and not man, purposely for the New Covenant worship. Therefore, when Christ has finished his ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary, and has redeemed his people, there will be no more use for the New Jerusalem Temple, than there was for a Temple at Old Jerusalem (A Word to the Little Flock, pg. 23).”

So the Seventh-Day Adventist Sanctuary Message is…that Christ built the heavenly Sanctuary at some time in the far distant past, then gave the designs to Moses. Christ then ascended into heaven after the crucifixion, entered into the Holy Place, then on October 22, 1844, entered into the Most Holy Place to atone for our sins with his blood, to begin closing probation in ‘shutting the door’ for salvation as well as overseeing the investigation of going through the book of life to seal the righteous, and then will return to earth once that is complete. Christ then will turn the Temple into a home for the 144,000 once the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven.

1844 was far from simple.