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Here is an interesting question and observation about the human mind, as it relates to sacred things: How many studies do you suppose there have been over the years about the Mark of The Beast? There have probably been more than we could reasonably count, even if we could obtain some kind of a list.
On the other hand, how many studies have there been about the Seal of Yahweh? I’m sure there have been a lot of those as well, but certainly not as many as about the Mark. Humanity, it seems, is more interested in avoiding judgment than pleasing the Creator. And I am not saying that the Mark should not be discussed; it comes at the very end of the Everlasting Gospel presented in Revelation 14. It outlines the final test for the Churches of the world before Christ comes, and the angel that bears information about the Mark is the one that gathers Yahweh’s people into a single, harmonious unit in the closing moments of probation.
But for today’s study I would like to talk about the Seal of Yahweh, because this is the thing that identifies us as sanctified children of the Most High. This is what reveals our connection to the divine Father and Son, and silences the accusations of the enemy in that judgment that the religious world is so eager to escape. The Seal of Yahweh is the testimony to the universe that the Law of Yahweh is both reasonable and inviolable – it cannot be violated without deadly consequences. It is a testimony of Yahweh’s love and His forgiveness, for all who bear that Seal were once sinners, worthy of death, but through the grace and mercy of the Creator, they will live forever. Who can see that, who can understand that, and not worship the Almighty?
And the more deeply we understand sin, its consequences, and how it corrodes the soul, the more deeply we comprehend the depth of our Father’s love, for saving us out of that sin, and the more we prize that seal that the angel places on our forehead. Let’s read that passage: “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, ‘Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” (Rev 7:1 – 4)
As an Adventist, who has heard so much about prophecy over the years, it is hard for me to imagine what it must have been like to read John’s book for the first time. The Mark of The Beast is not mentioned until Revelation 13, but here in chapter seven we find that there is a Seal of Yahweh, a mark of approval, that is given to the Church to keep them from wrath, and to signify that they have been redeemed to their Maker.
Even the Book of Revelation, for all that it has been misunderstood, is a book of Good News. Despite the darkness of the last generation, and its deep and subtle deceptions, there are a people who honor the Father and Son, and whom They approve for everlasting life.
As we know, there has always been a lot of speculation about what the Mark of The Beast is. There are new theories added every year by those in Babylon, who are genuinely confused about their duty to Yahweh. They run to and fro looking for knowledge, and they listen to teachers who provide them with pleasing doctrines. But the truth is, until they are genuinely born again, until they have ceased from sin and committed themselves to righteousness at any cost, they have not even begun to understand the judgment in which they are called to stand.
Just as the First Angel must come first – people must awaken from sin before they can begin to learn of purity and unity – so John saw the Seal of Yahweh before he saw anything about the Mark of The Beast. The Mark can only be understood in the context of the worship of Yahweh, which is what that Seal of approval signifies. It is a commandment-keeping people – a Sabbath-keeping people who have the Faith of Yahshua –who can understand the Mark and warn people about it accurately. And when seen that way, the Mark actually becomes quite simple; there is no mystery about it, when it is understood to be a contrast to the Seal of Yahweh, something that was set up by the Enemy to be a counterfeit.
The Seal of Yahweh involves faithful obedience, and a true experience of conversion, which results in the born-again believer having the “mind of Christ.” This is why the Seal is placed in the forehead, and nowhere else. It is a conscious, loving agreement with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
The Mark of the Beast is of a similar nature, but the opposite character. It is character that distinguishes them; it is character that is the true test, regardless of how similar the words and works may appear to be between those who have the Seal, and those who have the Mark.
To be a counterfeit, something must look as much like the genuine article as possible. If you were trying to counterfeit money, you couldn’t use the wrong images, or the wrong colors… it would have to be as nearly identical as possible. Similarly, the Mark is for religious people; it is not for the world, and we know that there are many who think that the imposition of the Mark is going to be some media-saturating, world-affecting event, but the reality is that the Book of Revelation was written for a Church that was small when it is written, and that is small now, when it is relevant. And so the Mark needs to look like a good thing, like a virtuous and spiritual decision… it will affect the entire world, in that it signifies the close of global probation, but the world will not recognize it.
The Scriptures say regarding those in the world, “For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1Th 5:2) I have spoken before about my experience with that phrase “thief in the night,” and how it was taught in the SDA Church that the judgment of the living just comes upon people and passes them by… and they do not know until they stand before the Throne whether they are saved or condemned. You see, neither the Gospel nor the judgment makes any sense without the message of righteousness by faith. Because we have faith, we have righteousness. Because we believe, we are transformed… and it is not our belief that transforms us, but Yahweh who transforms us because we believe. He longs to have everyone saved. He awaits the appearance of faith, eagerly, so that He may immediately transform us. Those who say that victory does not come until the end, they do not see the love of Yahweh that hovers over the world, seeking those who will serve Him. They are caught by a clever counterfeit.
Because the fallen Churches do not have the Seal of Yahweh, they do not experience victory over sin. Because they do not experience it, they do not expect it, nor do they teach others to expect it. Thus, salvation becomes invisible, unknowable, and the rest of that passage in 1 Thessalonians is ignored. But we do not ignore it; we can keep reading. “For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety’ then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1Th 5:2-6)
Notice how clearly the distinction is made between the world and the Christian. They say “peace and safety.” Sudden destruction comes upon them. But as for us, as for “you,” the day does not come on us like a thief. Those who think that the “thief in the night” verse applies to them, and not the world, reject their place among God’s children in the very doing of it. The world does not know what Yahweh is doing. Nominal Christians, and those who are not standing in the judgment, are under the same conditions.
Paul says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Yahshua the Messiah is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2Cor 13:5) This is a question that everyone who claims to be Christ’s must face. We cannot know the state, or the level, of our sanctification… but we know that we have justification, that we are justified. We know that “Yahshua the Messiah is in” us. Paul asks, essentially, “How can you not know, unless you’re already cast away, and therefore have no discernment at all?” But we know it. We believe it, we have claimed it, and we behold its power in our lives. We bear witness to our own conversion, and it is this that becomes our testimony. We say, “Come and see,” not “Go and see,” because Christ is here, with us, within us, both individually and as a united people.
This is what it means to receive the Seal of Yahweh… to be approved. Paul uses that word “reprobates” to indicate those who do not know that Christ is in them. Either they know He is not, or they don’t know if He is… in either case, the word he uses means “rejected,” which is the opposite of the approval signified by the Seal. Those who are sealed testify that they are Christ’s people, with assurance, with perfect confidence… and the world condemns them for their testimony because they see it as prideful. It is not prideful for the strong man to say, “I am strong,” or the rich man to say, “I am rich.” The only way that would be prideful is if the one saying, “I am strong,” was actually weak (which would make him a liar) or if he was not sure that he was strong (which would make him a presumptuous doubter).
But it is time for the 144,000 to give their testimony to the world, and that involves talking about the Seal of Yahweh. That involves them knowing, and teaching others to expect to know, that they have been approved by our Father in Heaven. Sinners know that they sin. They know it intellectually, and they feel it in their spirits. When they do the right thing – when they act with courage, or compassion, or mercy, they know that too. If we were to accept the teaching of the world, when one becomes a saint, he somehow loses the ability to tell whether or not he is doing the right thing. He is afraid to claim righteousness, even the righteousness of Christ that has been given to him as a gift, because “the pride involved in claiming righteousness proves that there was no righteousness to claim.”
You see how the Enemy has the intellect tied up in knots, when it comes to spiritual things. This is why it is not wise to argue with Satan, or to try to answer the flesh; we simply say, “I believe in the promises.” Christ tells me He has saved me from sin, so my only reasonable response is to say, “Amen,” and go about the rest of my life accepting the reality of that. Christ tells me He has given me the glory that He has shared with the Father from the beginning. It would be prideful to say to the Savior of the world, “No you didn’t,” or “So you say, but how can I be sure?” Who would say such words to even a human king, that we doubt his word or his authority, much less the King of Kings?
It will be quite a shock to many, who will realize that they were so humble (according to the world’s humility) that they doubted the Word of Yahweh. But the 144,000 testify to the truth of Yahweh’s Word, both here in this life, and in the life to come. They say, “I do not deserve it. I could do nothing to earn it, but because of His love for me, my Father has approved me.”
And this is the test – the only true test of a Prophet, or an Apostle, of a teacher… of every Christian. What is your testimony? What is your character? What are the words you say about yourself, remembering that, because Christ is in you, what you say about yourself you also say about the Savior? The character of Christ does not entertain negative thoughts, or accusations of the enemy, against Christ in them. This is the true “self-esteem” of righteousness, because we esteem the “self” of Christ, that is, Christ Himself, and not the old, dead self of the carnal man.
Here is something that may be new. Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with Adventist history, and so we know that years ago there was a man named Kellogg who taught a faulty idea about the nature of God. He put forward an idea that because God is invisible, and a spirit, He is in everything. A part of God is in every object and living creature, he concluded, and this concept is known as Pantheism. Under inspiration, Ellen White corrected Kellogg, and said that this teaching was contrary to the personality of God, that for any who accepted this teaching, it would be as if God himself were “destroyed.” [Letter 18, 1903]
Most Adventists who read those documents accept it, and they say, “Well, okay, Pantheism is wrong,” and they don’t give it much further thought. But why was it wrong? And why was it so dangerous that it would “destroy” a proper understanding of Yahweh? It was never really explained why those specific words were used, but we need to understand them.
Pantheism teaches that God is in everything, and everyone. He is in the rocks, and the trees, and the adulterer down the street, and the murderer behind bars… in other words, in all these things, twisted by sin and suffering from its effects, God is in there. That doesn’t make the presence of God very special, does it? In fact, it dilutes to nothingness the sacredness of what it means to be in God’s presence. God is aware of everything, of course, but there is a distinction between His general omni-presence and His actual, sacred, burning presence before which sin cannot stand.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no man see Me, and live.” (Exo 33:20) If God was fully everywhere in this abiding sense, that statement would be untrue. Yahweh has a place where He is, and that place is necessarily holy… unlike the rest of the creation, which is groaning for the presence of the Creator.
With the Seal of Yahweh comes the presence of Yahweh – the personal, glorious, sin-destroying presence, and not just a general “awareness.” With the Seal of Yahweh comes the in-dwelling glory of the Father and Son and that… that is a very unique and supremely privileged experience. Christ and His Father dwell in you. That makes you special – that makes you holy, because Yahweh is special, and holy. And for those who say, “You cannot say you are holy,” we read, “If any man defile the Temple of Yahweh, him shall Yahweh destroy; for the Temple of Yahweh is holy, which temple ye are.” (1Cor 3:17) Last week we spoke about The True Vine, of which it is said, “if the root be holy, so are the branches.” (Rom 11:16)
To be holy means to be set apart, appointed for divine purpose. Christianity would not be much of a religion if its people were not set apart for divine purpose… but some are afraid to claim the things that God has given to them. And yes, there are people who believe in a false Gospel, who say, “I am sinless, I am holy,” believing that they are beyond temptation, and can do no wrong. This isn’t about that – this is about acknowledging that God has chosen us, even though there may be faults – sins remaining for us to discover and put away. But He is teaching us to please Him in all that we do.
Christ is in us. That is not something that should ever be considered common or ordinary. I have said in the past that we ought to expect miracles, that we should not be surprised by great works being done for us, and by us… and that is true. But those things are ordinary to us because we are already in an extra-ordinary experience, and it is one that Pantheism would sterilize, would make entirely mundane. That is why it is so dangerous. God is not in everything, or everything would be holy, and nothing would be actually holy – set apart from the ordinary. Here are a few verses that tell us the truth about this matter:
“Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1Cor 3:16)
“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (1John 4:12)
“Whosoever shall confess that Yahshua is the Son of Yahweh, Yahweh dwelleth in him, and he in Yahweh. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. Yahweh is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in Yah, and Yah in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1John 4:15 – 17)
We receive the Seal, and therefore have “boldness in the Day of Judgment.” And don’t miss this: “herein” is our love made perfect. In this, because of this, that God dwells in His people, our love is made perfect. This is what it means to have the Seal of Yahweh; because He dwells in us, our love is made perfect. We do not understand that perfection immediately; we must learn more and more clearly what love is as we mature in Christ, as we develop that Christian character. But that love is fully in us; nobody has a quarter-Christ, or half-a-Messiah. He is a whole Person, and all of who He is dwells within us by His Spirit and, as John says, “herein,” or “because of this” is our love made perfect. The 144,000 speak of these things, give this testimony, because they know that Character is the only true test… and that only Christ can provide the divine character to sinners in need of help.
They know that men will not be saved by surprise. They will walk with the Savior into the Heavenly City, and so they must claim that salvation, that victory, while there is time yet to do so. They will say to the fearful, “Come and see, because there is healing to give you courage.” They will say to the sorrowful, “Come and see, because there is healing to give you joy.” They will say to the distressed, “Come and see, because there is healing to give you peace.” They will say to the sinner, “Come and see, because there is healing to give you life.”
Yahweh watches, eager, to see who will receive His Seal of Approval. He does not delay, nor does He wish mankind to delay. Such is the love, the sacred condescension, with which He watches for His children to come home. Christ said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Mat 23:37) This is a snapshot, an image, of Christ’s character as it pertains to the world. Despite its abuse, and assaults, and accusations, the Savior loves humanity, and His desire is a perfect representation of the Father’s mind. Shall we not cooperate with this desire, and this mind? Shall we not cast aside any hesitation to take up the Seal of Yahweh, and testify of it to others?
There is a calling here, associated with the Seal of Yahweh. It is a call to drink deeply of the Water of Life, to receive all we can of the things Yahweh teaches us about His character, to cast aside any doubt, every temptation, and to acknowledge that, unworthy as we are, unable to earn any merit, Yahweh has called us to do a great work. Let us therefore be about that work, eagerly, unwaveringly, so that the character of Christ will be among mankind, being the test that they so desperately need, drawing their attention to the Cross, and turning the hearts of sinners back to their Father in Heaven.
David.