Christianity • Protestantism Shut-door theology was a belief held by the Millerite group from 1844 to approximately 1854, some of whom later formed into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The groundwork for the theory came from a William Miller quote published in the December 11, 1844 Advent Herald: "We have done our work in warning sinners, and in trying to awake a formal church.
In January 1845, editors Apollos Hale of the Advent Herald and Joseph Turner of The Hope of Israel further developed this thought, eventually coming to believe that on October 22, 1844, every man's destiny was forever sealed, using Revelation 22:11,12 as their basis.
Despite her earlier belief, beginning in November 1848, she had a vision in which she saw the Three Angels' Messages "like streams of light... clear round the world."
However, many of the Millerites or Sabbatarian Adventists were just hearing of and unsure of Ellen White's prophetic status, and did not accept the visions as a divinely inspired denouncement of shut-door theory.
Gradually, individuals who had no prior connection with Adventism converted to the church and by 1854, religious leaders and most Adventists were ready to accept that the shut-door theory was not correct understanding.
She denied the latter, writing in 1874: Robert W. Olson's 1982 compilation "The 'Shut Door' Documents" (see below) was a major step, convincing many that Millerites and early Adventists had indeed held this belief.
Olson concluded, "While Ellen White's personal beliefs underwent a gradual modification during this period, I find no evidence that she at any time taught theological error in her shut door writings.