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© P. Gerard Damsteegt
Adventists Affirm, vol. 8, no. 3, Year-end 1994
Deep in the Adventist theology of last-day happenings is apredicted development which portends the destiny of all livingpersons. We have heard it preached from pulpits foryears&emdash;people will receive either the mark of the beast or theseal of God. This is the outcome of the third angels message, thegreat showdown of the great controversy.
The subject of the sealing foreseen in Revelation 7 caught theattention of Adventists in the middle of the nineteenth century whenthey discovered that Jesus had begun the final preparation for Hisreturn. They saw clearly in the Bible that Christ's sanctuaryministry entails much more than His "cleansing" work in heaven.Simultaneously with His heavenly work He is "cleansing" a people,preparing them to meet Him at the second advent. (See P. GerardDamsteegt, "The Sanctuary and Adventist Experience," Ministry,October 1994, pp. 34-38).
Intensive study of Christ's ministry in the most holy place shednew light on God's "testimony," His ten commandments (Rev :9; Ex25:6, 22). This study brought to the fore the role of the decalogueas the unchanging standard of conduct by which people will be judged.In the process, it opened their eyes to the permanent validity of thefourth commandment, with its seventh-day Sabbath.
One of the most significant new insights gained from Bible studywas the discovery that the Sabbath is intimately linked to the sealof God. In this article I would like us to look at some questions asanswered in the writings of Ellen G. White, questions such as theseand others: What is the seal of God? Is ordinary Sabbath keeping theseal described in Revelation 7? What is the relationship between theend-time sealing work and the sealing work in Ezekiel 9? Whatpreparation is required for being sealed?
What is the Seal of God?
Today, although ministers preach about the mark of the beast,relatively little attention seems to be paid to the question, "Whatis the seal of God? As life continues on as usual from day to day,scarcely any attention is paid to the seal of God. By contrast,nearly one hundred years ago Ellen G. White called special attentionto its importance. "The time has come," she wrote, "when all who havean interest in their soul's salvation should earnestly and solemnlyinquire, What is the seal of God? (Signs of the Times, Nov.1,1899).
A century ago early believers felt that understanding the seal ofGod was a matter of life and death. They realized that only thosereceiving the seal of the living God will pass through the time oftrouble and the seven last plagues successfully. Only the sealed oneswill stand in the Day of the Lord. To understand this subject was atop priority.
The Seal of God as the Sabbath.
The first time that Ellen G. White associated the seal of God withthe Sabbath was in 1848. A few months later, in January 1849, JosephBates, the pioneer Sabbath theologian, published the first Adventistbook on the subject and called it, A Seal of the Living God. One ofEllen White's arguments that the seal of God is the Sabbath was thatthe Sabbath commandment contains the characteristics of a seal. Aseal, she observed in our early days and reiterated many years later,is attached to a law to show the name, title, and authority of thelawgiver. The Sabbath commandment can therefore be considered a sealbecause it "is the only one of all the ten in which are found boththe name and the title of the Lawgiver. It is the only one that showsby whose authority the law is given. Thus it contains the seal ofGod, affixed to His law as evidence of its authenticity and bindingforce" (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 307).
The Sabbath helps to give the ten commandments their uniquesignificance. "The Sabbath was placed in the decalogue as the seal ofthe living God, pointing out the Law-giver, and making known hisright to rule." Thus the Sabbath is the sign of a relationshipbetween God and His people, serving as "a test of their loyalty toHim" (Signs of the Times, May 3, 1886). The mission of Seventh-dayAdventists can be described as "presenting the law of God as a testof character and as the seal of the living God" (Testimonies for theChurch, 2:468). This reasoning seems to make good sense. However,there is more to the sealing message.
The Seal of God in the Forehead.
lf the Sabbath is the seal of the living God, what is the sealthat the angel will place in the forehead (see Rev 7:2-3)? The sealto be placed in the forehead is "a mark which angels, but nothuman eyes, can read; for the destroying angel must see this markof redemption. The intelligent mind has seen the sign of the cross ofCalvary in the Lord's adopted sons and daughters" (7BC 968, myitalics). (In this article, references to Ellen G. White comments inthe Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary are indicated bythe ab breviation BC, with the volume number preceding it.)
Described in greater detail, "The seal given in the forehead isGod, New Jerusalem. will write upon him the name of My God, and thename of the city of My God, (Rev 3:2)" (Manuscript Releases15:225).
This seal is to be given to those only who make the necessarypreparation. In His mercy, God has commissioned four angels to holdthe winds of strife so that His people may have time to make thispreparation for receiving the seal in their foreheads (EarlyWritings, 38).
A distinction, evidently, was to be made between mere outwardobservance of the Sabbath and the true Sabbath observance which wouldinvolve intense spiritual preparation. Unfortunately, many Adventistsdid not take advantage of the "wind-holding" delay when they firstlearned about it. After more than 40 years, Ellen White exclaimed infrustration, "Brethren, how long before you will be ready for theseal of God?' (Review and Herald, June 7, 1887).
What is the Necessary Preparation?
The vast majority of Ellen G. White's comments about the seal ofGod deal with the preparation needed to receive it. For instance, "agreat work" must be accomplished "to prepare a people to be sealedwith the seal of the living God" (Selected Messages, 2:73).
A qualification found among the earliest of Ellen White's writingsis that believers "must reflect the image of Jesus fully" (EarlyWritings, p. 7). We ask what this appealing concept means inpractical terms and learn that it means to have "victory over everybesetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over everywrong word and action" (ibid.). Those who "overcome the world, theflesh, and the devil, will be the favored ones who shall receive theseal of the living God" (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 445).
In order to "bear a likeness to Christ in character" (7BC 970), weare exhorted to study "more earnestly the character of our Saviour.""We should imitate the lovely Pattern that God has given us, Weshould dwell upon the matchless charms of Jesus until there will benothing satisfying in this perishing world. We should desire toreflect his image in kindness, in courtesy, in gentleness, and love,then 'when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall seehim as he is'" (Review and Herald, May 28, 1889).
Such a focus involves the exciting prospect of becoming more andmore like Jesus. "The more we study the life of Christ with a heartto learn, the more Christlike we become" (Sons and Daughters ofGod, p. 342). The promised outcome is beyond our highestexpectations: "holiness of character" (Testimonies to Ministers, p.446). Indeed, the cleansing of the "soul temple of every defilement,"will produce characters without "one spot or stain" (Sons andDaughters of God, p. 342; Testimonies, 5:214).
Keeping God's Commandments and the Faith of Jesus.
Those who receive God's seal upon their foreheads are "God'scommandment-keeping people." "Here is the patience of the saints:here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith ofJesus" (Rev 14:12; Testimonies, 6:15). Their sins removed,"they have on the wedding garment, and are obedient and faithful toall God's commands" (7BC 968).
To have the law of God written in heart and mind, so as to surviveduring the difficult times ahead, means to fill our minds with the"present truth" and love of the Bible, and to have as our greatestdesire to set our eyes on Jesus at His return. "There is no place inour foreheads for the seal of the living God" if it is filled withthe cares and pleasures of this world (Broadside, Jan. 3,1849).
It is of paramount importance to manifest the works of faith. Manywho teach the truth will not receive the seal of God, because eventhough "they had the light of truth, they knew their Master's will,they understood every point of our faith,... they had notcorresponding works" (Testimonies, 5:214). "Many will notreceive the seal of God because they do not keep His commandrnents orbear the fruits of righteousness" (Maranatha, p. 24 l). Howserious is our behavior! "Our own course of action will determinewhether we shall receive the seal of the living God or be cut down bythe destroying weapons" (Testimonies, 5:212).
Keeping the Sabbath Holy.
Even though mere outward Sabbath keeping is not worthy of theseal, all who receive God's seal will nonetheless be committed toobeying the Word of God "with exactitude" (The Faith I LiveBy, p. 288). They carefúlly observe all ten commandments,including "the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. This is whatdistinguishes them from the disloyal, who have accepted a man-madeinstitution in the place of the true Sabbath" (7BC 970, 981). Theseal of God, therefore, can only be bestowed upon Sabbath- keepers.
God is very particular with His requirements. When the Israeliteswere about to depart from Egypt, God directed them to bring theirchildren indoors, strike the door posts with blood, and allow no oneto go outside until after midnight. When the destroying angel passedover, all who faithfully followed God's counsels enjoyed divineprotection. But the first-born died in every home that neglected eventhe least of God's instructions (7BC 981).
The destroying angel is soon to pass agam over the world. Thosewho faithfully obey all God's commandments will be protected. Theirunique mark will be the true, Christ-like observance of the Sabbath.Despite world-wide opposition, they choose to remain loyal, and thusthey enjoy divine protection from the angel of death. They stand outamong the multitude because they have a mark placed upon them, and"that mark is the keeping of His holy Sabbath." But those who are notcareful in Sabbath observance will be destroyed along with the restof the world (7BC 981).
It is no surprise that much of what Ellen G. White wrote about theSabbath has to do with its proper observance. Believers are in dangerof "doing their own pleasure on the Sabbath day" and hence are in nocondition to receive the seal of the living God. "We have not, as apeople, given the law of God the preeminence as we should"(Selected Messages, 3:258).
Sanctification plays a crucial role in preparation for the seal ofGod. There is a great need that Adventists should be "sanctifiedthrough the truth, acting upon high and holy principles, showing in ahigh, elevated sense, the line of demarcation between those who keepthe coramandraents of God, and those who trample them under theirfeet." It is "the sanctification of the Spirit" that "signalizes thedifference between those who have the seal of God, and those who keepa spurious rest-day" (7BC 980).
Those who fully submit themselves to the sanctifying power of theSpirit are the ones who can effectively warn the world. TheirChrist-like sanctified Sabbath observance will be a crucial factor inpersuading the honest in heart to accept the last message of merey.In vain have these people looked for the image of Christ in theirchurches (The Great Controversy, p. 390). Now, at last, theysee it fully reflected in the remnant, who manifest their supremelove for the Lord of the S abbath by keeping His Sabbath holy in thefinest Christlike sense.
The issue is far more than the day of worship. The day symbolizesthe experience and commitment of God's true people; and even morethan this, it becomes an ultimate vindication of God's character andHis law, showing that what God asks is not impossible, with Hispower.
Experiencing Trials and Tribulations.
In addition to other factors, tribulation too is part ofpreparation for the seal. All who receive the seal described inRevelation 7 will suffer severe tests. "Close and unexpected tests"will be brought upon believers "to see who are worthy to receive theseal of the living God" (Testimonies, 5:382).
Even the crisis over worshiping the image of the beast (Rev 3:47)will begin before the seal is applied (see 7BC 976). But "all whoprove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing toaccept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord GodJehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God." Those who giveup the truth will receive the mark of the beast (ibid).
Thus no one will receive the seal of God without knowing what itis to suffer for Christ's sake. Believers will "have trials to passthrough" that are "keen and cutting, in order that they may bepurified and fitted through suffering to receive the seal of theliving God" (Early Writings, p. 67).
Believers will suffer not only from. persecution but also from awrenching sense of the shortcomings of other professed Christians.
In Ezekiel's time it was the believers who sighed and cried overthe abominations they observed who received the mark of deliverance.Just before the seven last plagues fall, it will be those only whoare agonizing over modern abominations who will receive the "mark ofdeliverance," the seal of God (Great Controversy p. 656;Testimonies, 5:212).
Their agonizing has two distinct aspects: mourning their own pastfailures and mourning the current failures of others. "The class whodo not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension or mourn overthe sins of others, will be left without the seal of God"(Testimonies, 5:21l).
Is Receiving the Seal Impossible?
Reflection on the qualifications that God requires of those whomHe will seal makes some people throw up their hands, exclaiming thatthey can never be good enough. Frustration, despondency, and evendesperation are natural for all who look critically at their ownaccomplishments.
But Ellen White's earliest comment on how to achieve the loftyspiritual preparation required was simple and straightforward: Draw"nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking thatpreparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the dayof the Lord" (Early Writings, p. 71).
On second thought, are God's requirements today really differentfrom the commitment He has called for throughout the ages? Has He notalways required complete repentance and unwavering faith?
When our surrender is complete and we call on Him with implicitfaith to give us grace sufficient to walk with Him victoriously, arewe not doing what Enoch did before the flood? Indeed, Enoch is oftencited by Ellen G. White as an example of those who will be alive andtranslated at the second coming (see, e.g., Testimonies,2:122; Christ's Object Lessons, p. 332).
All credit goes to the Savior, for it is the "mind of Christ" thatresides in the believers. They "have been crucified with Christ" andso earnestly cry out, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ wholives in me" (see Gal 2:20). Though they work out their own salvation"with fear and trembling," "it is God" who works in them "both towill and to do of His good pleasure" (see Phil 2:12-13).
The mind of Christ was characterized by deep humility, acharacteristic greatly needed by believers today. "Those who aredistrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God andpurifying their souls by obeying the truth&emdash;these are receivingthe heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in theirforeheads" (Testimonies, 5:216).
"Everyone must now search the Bible for himself upon his kneesbefore God, with the humble, teachable heart of a child, if he wouldknow what the Lord requires of him" (Ibid., 214).
By walking closely and humbly with Jesus, earnestly studying HisWord, in Christ-like sincerity observing His Sabbath under the mostexhausting opposition, and seeking through His grace to bear witnessto the goodness of God's character and law&emdash;in these ways God'speople on earth cooperate with their High Priest in heaven as Heseeks to cleanse not only the sanctuary but also those who worship atthe sanctuary.
In moving language, John describes the behavior of the faithfulones, the living righteous, who will have received God's end-timeseal just before the close of probation. "These are they that standupon Mount Zion with the Lamb, having the Father's name written intheir foreheads. They sing the new song before the throne, that songwhich no man can leam save the hundred and forty and four thousandwhich were redeemed from the earth. 'These are they which follow theLamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men,being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouthwas found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne ofGod.' Revelation l4:4-5" (Prophets and Kings, p. 591).
This article has been based on insights that have come to usthrough the testimony of Jesus," which is the Spirit of prophecy. TheLord is gracious in granting us His special light so we can make useof the time left to us to cooperate with His grace in preparing forthe seal of God.
