Not by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It could not be, they said, that God passed them by. To communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles, they determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so, and they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis. From this point, their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Savior. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves. We're talking about the close of probation, and it's clear that the door is a symbol of that. That was Isaiah pages 62 and 63, and this is from Signs of the Times, December 20, 1877. And remember, the days of Noah are as our day. The Spirit of God continued to strive with rebellious man until the time of God had specified had nearly expired. When Noah and his family entered the ark and the hand of God closed the door of the ark, mercy had stepped from the golden throne no longer to intercede for man. Closing of the ark door symbolized the end of mercy for a guilty world. Review and Herald, March 26, 1889. Now this phrase that she starts with, quoting, you can find in the Bible prophet speaking of the prophets speaking to ancient Israel, and you can see Jesus using the same phraseology to speak of the scribes and Pharisees of his day, and you can see Sister White using it to speak about us. So this is a place where there's a parable just in this phraseology that will be very familiar to you when you hear it. You may have ears and not hear. You may have eyes and not see the light nor receive the illumination that God has provided for you. You may close the door to light as effectually as the Pharisee closed the door to Christ when he taught among them. The way was open, but by their own course of action they closed the door and severed their connection with Christ. We may do the same thing by rejecting light and truth. Amen.