Open and Shut Door
[From the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, Second Revised Edition,
Commentary Reference Series vol. 11 (Hagerstown, Maryland: Review and Herald
Publishing Association, 1996), pp. 249-252.]
OPEN AND SHUT DOOR. An expression derived from Rev. 3:7, 8, where Christ is
described as the one "that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and
no man openeth" (an allusion to Isa. 22:22), and as the one who says to the
Philadelphia church, "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no
man can shut it." Seventh-day Adventists have applied these texts to the
closing of the first phase and the opening of the second and final phase of
Christ's ministry in heaven, where He has been the Christian's high priest
since His sacrifice on the cross (see Sanctuary). Christ's dual ministry was
prefigured by the service of the ancient high priest, who served "unto the
example and shadow of heavenly things" (Heb. 8:5). In the earthly sanctuary
he served daily in the holy place, the first apartment of the sanctuary, and
once a year in the Most Holy Place, the inner shrine where was the golden
ark in which were the tables of the Ten Commandments and over which appeared
the visible glory of God. This entering into the Holy of Holies took place
on the Day of Atonement in the ceremony of the cleansing of the sanctuary
(Lev. 16). ...

Evidences That Ellen G. White Was Used by God
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Section Titles
The Timeliness of the Messages
The Practical Nature of the Messages

"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the
feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none
render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both
among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In
every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all
things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1
Thess. 5:14-24).

Snares of Satan
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The great controversy between Christ and Satan, that has been carried
forward for nearly six thousand years, is soon to close; and the wicked one
redoubles his efforts to defeat the work of Christ in man's behalf and to
fasten souls in his snares. To hold the people in darkness and impenitence
till the Saviour's mediation is ended, and there is no longer a sacrifice
for sin, is the object which he seeks to accomplish.

When there is no special effort made to resist his power, when indifference
prevails in the church and the world, Satan is not concerned; for he is in
no danger of losing those whom he is leading captive at his will. But when
the attention is called to eternal things, and souls are inquiring, "What
must I do to be saved?" he is on the ground, seeking to match his power
against the power of Christ and to counteract the influence of the Holy
Spirit.

Agency of Evil Spirits
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The connection of the visible with the invisible world, the ministration of
angels of God, and the agency of evil spirits, are plainly revealed in the
Scriptures, and inseparably interwoven with human history. There is a
growing tendency to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits, while the
holy angels that "minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation"
(Hebrews 1:14) are regarded by many as spirits of the dead. But the
Scriptures not only teach the existence of angels, both good and evil, but
present unquestionable proof that these are not disembodied spirits of dead
men.

The Quranic Muhammad
In Sura 18:110, and elsewhere, Muhammad is commanded by Allah:

"Say, I am but a man like yourselves."

Nowhere in the Quran is Muhammad said to be sinless. Instead, Allah tells
Muhammad that he is no different than any other man.

Those Muslims who claim that Muhammad was sinless have failed to note Sura
40:55, where Allah told Muhammad to repent of his sins!

Muhammad Pickthal translates Sura 40:55 as saying:

"Ask forgiveness of thy sin".

The only way out of this passage is to state that Allah was wrong to ask
Muhammad to ask for forgiveness because he had nothing to forgive!

Pickthal's translation of Sura 48:1, 2 states:

"Lo! We have given thee,
(O Muhammad), signal victory,
that Allah may forgive thee
of past and that which is to
come, and may perfect His
favor unto thee, and guide
thee on a right path"

Open Letter to Our Muslim Friends:

I know many, if not most of you share the shock and horror at the actions of
the few in the atrocity of September 11th. and I strongly suspect that many
of you are as deeply embarrassed-as Muslims-over the actions of these
Islamic extremists, as I am-as a Christian-over the atrocities done in
history "in the name of Christ" in the Spanish Inquisition, or other
insanities.

I know many of you to be peace-loving people, who struggle daily with the
uneasy tension between the demands of your human heart for peace and trust ,
and the demands of your faith for victory and "no compromise"-at whatever
cost to you and others. Where the "comfortable" Christian or "official"
Christian is often weak and superficial in his commitment to his Lord Jesus,
many of you are strong in your zeal for your Prophet and his Book.

We Christians are embarrassed over our acts of violence, as you are often
embarrassed over Islamic violence such as this week's.

There is a very fundamental difference between these two, though, and it
reveals the heart of the deep differences of our faith and our founders.

Open Letter to Our Muslim Friends:

I know many, if not most of you share the shock and horror at the actions of
the few in the atrocity of September 11th. and I strongly suspect that many
of you are as deeply embarrassed-as Muslims-over the actions of these
Islamic extremists, as I am-as a Christian-over the atrocities done in
history "in the name of Christ" in the Spanish Inquisition, or other
insanities.

I know many of you to be peace-loving people, who struggle daily with the
uneasy tension between the demands of your human heart for peace and trust ,
and the demands of your faith for victory and "no compromise"-at whatever
cost to you and others. Where the "comfortable" Christian or "official"
Christian is often weak and superficial in his commitment to his Lord Jesus,
many of you are strong in your zeal for your Prophet and his Book.

We Christians are embarrassed over our acts of violence, as you are often
embarrassed over Islamic violence such as this week's.

There is a very fundamental difference between these two, though, and it
reveals the heart of the deep differences of our faith and our founders.

Faith and Acceptance
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As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen
something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look
upon it with abhorrence. You feel that sin has separated you from God, that
you are in bondage to the power of evil. The more you struggle to escape,
the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart
is unclean. You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin.
You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God,
likeness to Him--what can you do to obtain it?

God's promise is, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for
Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13.

The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought
in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By nature we are
alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as
these: "Dead in trespasses and sins;" "the whole head is sick, and the whole
heart faint;" "no soundness in it." We are held fast in the snare of Satan,
"taken captive by him at his will." Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 2 Timothy
2:26. God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an
entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield
ourselves wholly to Him.

The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The
yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle;
but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness.

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and
forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13.
The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable.
The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may
have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome
pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of
heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh
his sin shall have mercy.

The apostle says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who
only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given
offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and
it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness
of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in
injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer. The case is
brought before the only true Mediator, our great High Priest, who "was in
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," and who is "touched
with the feeling of our infirmities," and is able to cleanse from every
stain of iniquity. Hebrews 4:15.