Is the Seal of God the Holy Spirit or the Law?

by Marcos S.

There is the predominating opinion in the evangelical world that the Seal of God is the Holy Spirit. But is this an accurate assertion? Is the Holy Spirit the actual seal itself that is placed upon us? Or is there something deeper to this picture? While technically error does not need to be recognized in the simple understanding that the Holy Spirit is the Seal, it can be misleading if we are not careful to compare scripture with scripture, and consequentially end up preventing certain individuals from ascertaining a fuller and more complete understanding of what it means to have, particularly the Seal of the Living God, in our foreheads. My prayer is that all will consider the following study very carefully and prayerfully, because once the following information is understood, it causes for a whole new perspective on the significance of Gods Seal for New Testament Christians. There are two principle texts which Christians allude to in order to prove that the Holy Spirit is Gods Seal. They are Ephesians 1:13 and Ephesians 4:30. When most people read these two texts, they initially conclude that the Holy Spirit is the "Seal" itself. Here they are: "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye WERE SEALED WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT of promise." ~ Ephesians 1:13 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." ~ Ephesians 4:30 Contrary to popular opinion, careful analyses of these verses do not actually stress that the Holy Spirit is the Seal itself, although to be fair, I do not find it totally incorrect to say this, because in reality, when we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we are sealed. This is the Gospel Seal. But in digging deeper, let us raise the question: what exactly IS the "Seal of the Living God in Revelation 7:2 and 9:4? A careful evaluation of these passages demonstrates that the Seal of the Living God is juxtaposed, or contrasted rather, to the Mark of the Beast. First, we need to evaluate the Old Testament usage of the word Seal: "Bind up the testimony [the Ten Commandments] SEAL THE LAW among my disciples [followers of Jesus]. ~ Isaiah 8:16 According to Old Testament terminology, the testimony is the Ten Commandments (See Exodus 31:18; 32:15; and 34:29). After careful evaluation and applying the precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little methodology of Isaiah 28:9-13, it begins to appear that the Holy Spirit writes the law in your heart! But is there more? Notice what Paul said in trying to help the Corinthian Church understand the principles of having Gods commandments written in our hearts:
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"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." ~ 2 Corinthians 3:3 Therefore, it becomes evident that when the Holy Spirit SEALS you, it impresses, or writes, the law of God in your heart, and you now keep it by faith and out of true, genuine, repentant love for the Creator of the Universe that you adore so much. This is what it truly means to be born of the Spirit and not of the Letter! (See Galatians 4:29; 2 Corinthians 3:6). When this happens, the New Covenant promise to take those same laws and write them into the hearts of New Testament believers is realized (See Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10; 10:16). In so many words, we could say that the Holy Spirit is the Sealer, while the Law is The Seal! This concept becomes all the more clear in Jeremiah: "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." ~ Jeremiah 31:33 A picture begins to emerge that the writing or sealing of the law is done by the Holy Spirit. So it can be misleading to conclude the Holy Spirit is the Seal itself. Lets not forget Isaiah 8:16 above. In the Old Testament, we see the converting power of Gods immutable law: The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. ~ Psalms 19:7 In the book of Proverbs, we see the importance of having Gods law sealed in our hearts: My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. ~ Proverbs 7:2-3 (See also Proverbs 3:1-5) We find this imagery also portrayed in the New Covenant promise: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. ~ Hebrews 8:10 (See also Hebrews 10:16) Now think about this for a moment. If the Holy Spirit is in your heart, wouldnt the Law of God also be in your heart? It becomes overwhelmingly clear that the Holy Spirit is that Sealing Agent that writes Gods laws in the heart, and therefore will be obeyed out of love, not slavish obedience. Gods character is found in His law, and if we live for God, His character will be manifested in what we do. Obeying His laws bears witness to the fact that we have been transformed by the renewing Spirit of God. It reveals that Gods truth has taken our hearts captive. We are told in Psalms 119:142, Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is
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the truth! Thus we see that Gods law is the truth. In verse 143 we are told that His commandments are to be our delight. Proverbs 12:17 says He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness. With this in mind, let us turn over to Paul and see what he recognized Gods Seal to be in his letter to Timothy concerning the erroneous teachings of Hymanaeus and Philetus on the resurrection: Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this SEAL, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. ~ 2 Timothy 2:18,19 A good question to ask is what is the foundation of God? In Psalms 119:142 quoted above, we see that Gods righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and His law is the truth. In verse 172 we are told that all [His] commandments are righteousness (v172). Psalms 97:2 then tells us that righteousness and justice [or judgment] are the foundation of his throne. We see therefore that the foundation of God is the 10 commandments! And this foundation is the Seal according to 2 Timothy 2:19 above! This makes perfect sense in light of the fact that Gods throne hovers above the Ark of the Covenant that contains the two tables of stone, the two tables of the testimony (Exodus 32:15). Then Revelation 11:19 and 15:5 reveal that the original Ark of the Covenant and the original testimony (for which the earthly was copied from) reside in Gods Temple (or Sanctuary) in heaven! We also see that to have this seal is to depart from iniquity, and iniquity means law breaking. The next question to be asked is, "where in God's Law is His Seal found?" Let's find out, Sherlock Holmes style: A Seal always contains 3 elements. The Name, the Title, and Territory of a ruler, king, or president: 1. Name = George Washington 2. Title = President 3. Territory = United States of America Such a seal would read: "George Washington, President of the United States of America" Richard, King of England" In God's Law, guess where God's Seal is found? There is ONLY ONE commandment where God's Seal is found, and that is the 4th Commandment of the "Tables of the Testimony". "For in six days the LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." ~ Exodus 20:11

Notice the 3 elements found in the 4th commandment (Exodus 20:11) above: Lord. Made. Heaven and Earth. 1. Name = Lord (Jehovah) 2. Title = Made (creator/maker) 3. Territory = Heaven and Earth Clearly, Gods Seal is found in His fourth commandmentHis Sabbath commandment. It a sign that He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth! When the Holy Spirit writes Gods Law in our hearts, that sign acknowledges God as the one and only Supreme Creator of the universewhich is planted directly in our hearts. Therefore, we have no choice but conclude that the Holy Spirit is the "SEALER", not necessarily "The Seal". When you seal something, there is a difference between the "Sealer", and the "Seal". The Holy Spirit is what writes the law in your heart, mind, and soul. When you write a diary, you write "WITH" a pen, but the pen is not the letters. The same is with the Holy Spirit. It writes the letters in your heart. The same analogy can be used with the "Signet Ring". The Holy Spirit is like that "Signet Ring" that places a seal on a letter. The Seal is the Law, and the center of that Seal is the Seventh-Day Sabbath, and the "Sealer" is the Holy Spirit. Did you catch that? Let's continue. When the Holy Spirit is in your heart, the Law of God is written in your heart, and the Holy Spirit is that instrument which does the writing. Now that this is very clear, it is interesting to note that the 4th commandment is right smack dead in the center of the Ten Commandments, and it is also the largest of the commandments. Obviously God meant for this commandment to be importantespecially in light of the fact that the very first word is remember. He obviously knew that many would one day forget. Sadly, many in the Christian world not only have purposely chosen to forget, but they make great efforts to mutilate this commandment, even to go so far as trying to abolish Gods foundation altogether. They wish to think that it is not important, because for some reason they continue to associate the 4th commandment with Colossians 2:16 and Romans 14, even though a careful study of these passages will reveal it is speaking of only the various Jewish and Gentile holidays and feast keeping sabbaths and those Jewish Festival Sabbaths of Tishri, Nisan, and sabbaths of the land, which were completely unaffiliated with Creation Week, and were tied to the book of the law, not the Ten Commandments. The Creation week Sabbath of the fourth commandment pointed "backward" to creation, and not "forward" to Christ's death. Therefore, the Sabbath could not be a shadow pointing forward to Christs death. The Sabbaths in Colossians 2:16 were known as "her Sabbaths", or better translated, Israels Sabbaths" (See Leviticus 26:34,43; 2 Chron 36:21; Hosea 2:11), but the Seventh-Day Sabbath was always known as the "Sabbath of the Lord" (See Ex 20:10; Lev 23:3,38; Deut 5:14), my holy day (Isa 58:13), and the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) . Big difference! These shadow sabbaths were distinct from the 4th commandment, and were a "witness against" the Children of Israel (See Duet 31:25-28; Col 2:14) written by the "hand of Moses" (2 Chron 33:8 ) on paper, and not with the "finger of God" written on Stone (Ex 31:18 ). The Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27), not against man (See Deut 31:25-28; Col 2:14).
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In Colossians 2:16, Paul is practically quoting Hosea 2:11 and Ezekiel 45:17, which were yearly sabbath feast days such as the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Trumpets, etc. etc. These were all known as sabbaths that stood in new moons, meat offerings, drink offerings, feasts, and sacrifices. The 4th commandment was not included among these sabbaths. Colossians 2:17 also finishes off by saying..."sabbaths [Gr: sabbatwn--plural] (verse 16)...WHICH are a shadow of things to come" It qualifies "which" kind of sabbaths--those that were a "shadow". Shadows only pointed forward, not backward. Scriptural passages found in Genesis 2:2 and 3; Mark 2:27,28; Exodus 16:4, 26-30; Isaiah 56; 66:22-23; 58:13,14; Matthew 24:20; Luke 23:56; Acts 13:14, 42-44; 16:13; 17:2;18:4; and Hebrews 4:4-10 all help to validate that the Seventh-Day Sabbath was recognized as important prior to the Old Covenant was ratified by the blood of an ox at Sinai in Exodus 19-24, and also well after the death of Christ and into the New Testament era. There are many that do not realize it, but the Bible, history, and signs of the times reveal that the Sabbath issue is going to be one of the final and hottest controversies that will ever sweep the globe just before Jesus returns. It's going to get very hot, yet many do not fully comprehend all that will be involved. For example, the current Pope today is pressing the European Union to keep Sunday, and their goal is to make the whole world one day worship and rest on Sunday instead of reverencing God's 7th Day Sabbath. There is overwhelming and thorough official documentation to substantiate this. The Sabbath verses Sunday agitation has even lately been controverted and discussed in fairly recent circulating news articles and journals throughout the web. There seems to be increasing knowledge that the Sabbath issue will most likely play a pivotal role in the endtimes, for which we believe will help Christians to face the test of discipleship whether they will render obedience and homage to God and His Holy precepts, or to the commandments of men. I would encourage everyone to carefully and prayerfully study the strong parallels and contrasts between the "Mark of the Beast" and the "Seal of God". Both are put in the forehead. If the center of God's Seal is the Sabbath, then what is the "Mark of the Beast"? Obviously it is Sunday sacredness. It would be the "counterfeit" day of the Beasta counterfeit religion. Straight from the Horses' mouth: "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change (from Saturday to Sunday) was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything in matters spiritual and religious without her, and the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." (Letter from H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons). Quoting Pope Benedict XVI "The Sunday...a time when Christians discover the Eucharistic form which their lives are called to have", the cardinal pointed out that "the way in which we celebrate on Sunday will determine the way we will live the rest of the week ", since it is the MARK of Christian identity." (Article: Cardinal OMalley: Sanctify the Feast, referencing Cardinal Sean Patrick OMalley, the Archbishop of Bostons speech in Milan, June 1st, 2012, and cited on Michael Scheiflers page New Evangelization.)
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"No! Keep the first day of the week, and lo, the entire civilized world bows in reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic church." "It's the MARK of our authority to over-rule God's law." (Father Enright C.S.S.R. of the Redemptoral College, Kansas City, Mo., History of the Sabbath, p. 802). "The church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact" (Catholic Record of London, Ontario Sept 1,1923). Within recent years, Pope Benedict the 16th said: Sunday is an obligation for all the faithful which brings authentic freedom enabling them to live each day, that it is the Lords day, that it is a day to be sanctified, and those who do not keep it suffer the loss of an authentic sense of Christian freedom and the loss of being the children of God, that Sunday is the primordial holy day and is meant to be kept holy, a day of rest from work, which hopefully will also be recognized by civil society by law. (Sacramentum Caritatis: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church's Life and Mission, Given by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, at Saint Peter's, February 22, 2007, the Feast of the Chair of Peter.) The current Pope also said: The RCC makes its contribution (in the ethical and moral sphere) according to the dispositions of international law, helps to define that law, and makes appeal to it, that we live in a time when little groups of independent people threaten the unity of the world, and that the only way to combat this problem is by establishing law and then ordering all of society according to this law, thus promoting peace and good will throughout the earth. (Apostolic Journey to the United States of America and Visit to the United Nations Organization Headquarters, Meeting with the Members of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, Address of Pope Benedict XVI, New York, Friday, April 18, 2008.) Are these little groups of independent people ones who in the end will be Sabbath keeping Christians? Not those who conform to Sunday? In his language, Pope Benedict XVI is indirectly hitting on faithful Sabbath observers. They are the upstarts who are against peace. Yet scripture is clear, And by peace he shall destroy many (Dan. 8:25). This false Sunday Peace is what will cause persecution when the true Sabbath keepers refuse to bow down to the Image and worship the Beast (in observing or complying with Sunday legislation and disregarding the 4th commandment Sabbath). It is interesting how the Sabbath is considered a "SIGN" between Him and the Children of Israel "for ever" (Exodus 31:17). A "Sign and a Seal" are synonymous in scripture (Romans 4:11), and a synonym to sign is mark according to the dictionary (m-w.com). Let's not forget that the Church is now Spiritual Israel when the kingdom was given over to the Gentiles (Matthew 21:43; Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9--letter to the Gentiles), therefore this sign transfers over to the Church, or any believer who accepts Christ as their personal Saviour. In Isaiah 56:2-8, we see that those strangers (or Gentiles) who join themselves to the Lord and keep the Sabbath holy from polluting it receive a blessing. The context of this passage in Isaiah is no doubt pointing forward
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to the gathering of the Gentiles in the New Testament erathe only time this gathering of Gentiles occurred. Although the Papacy calls Sunday transference their Mark, they also call Sunday their "SIGN" of authority: "It is not yet too late for Protestants to redeem themselves. Will they do it?... will they indeed take the written word only, the Scripture alone, as their sole authority and their sole standard? Or will they still hold the indefensible, self contradictory, and suicidal doctrine and practice of following the authority of the Catholic church and wear the SIGN of her authority? Will they keep the Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day, according to Scripture? Or will they keep the Sunday according to the tradition of the Catholic church? ~ Romes Challenge, page 31 Matthew 7:7-9 and 15:3-6 warns us about the dangers of following the "commandments and traditions of men". There is a definite connection here with Daniel 7:25 regarding this "Little Horn" power that grew out of the 4th Beast (Rome): "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time [1260 years, from 538 A.D. to 1798 A.D.]" ~ Daniel 7:25 What does the Papacy claim about their power to change times and laws? "The Pope is of great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws... The Pope can MODIFY divine law, since his power is not of man, But of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth." ~ Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Ribliotheca, "Papa," art. 2, translated. Doesn't this give you goose bumps? Lets continue: "The Pope has the power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ." "The Pope has the authority and often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ." ~ Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. Cap. (The Pope can modify divine law.) Ferraris' Ecclesiastical Dictionary. If that doesn't sound like Daniel 7:25, I do not know what does. The only commandment out of God's Ten Commandments that has to do with "time" is the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue. It is a transfer of Holy Time from Saturday to Sunday. When you "change" something, you leave a Mark. Where do you "Remember" anyway? In your forehead! This is why God said, "Remember the Sabbath Day", because He knew man would forget. This forgetfulness is seen rampant throughout Christianity today. When the Pope outright chooses to change Gods Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday, He is showing that He is usurping Gods authority and sanctifying a day for which God has not sanctified! This is truly the spirit of Antichristacting in place of Christ. In turn, when we observe the day that the Beast
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power has sanctified, we pledge our allegiance to Antichrist, not to Jesus Christ. Says the Catholic Church: It is worth its while to remember that this observance of the [Sunday] Sabbath, in which, after all, the only Protestant worship consists, not only has no foundation in the Bible, but it is in flagrant contradiction with its letter, which commands rest on the [7th day] Sabbath, which is Saturday. It was the Catholic Church which, by the authority of JESUS CHRIST, has transferred this rest to the Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of the Lord. Thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Roman Catholic] Church. ~ Plain Talk About The Protestantism Of Today, from the French of Monsignor Louis Gaston de Segur, Boston: Patrick Donahoe, 1868, Imprimatur Joannes Josephus, Episcopus Boston, pg. 225. Sunday is founded, not of scripture, but on tradition, and is distinctly a Catholic institution. As there is no scripture for the transfer of the day of rest from the last to the first day of the week, Protestants ought to keep their Sabbath on Saturday and thus leave Catholics in full possession of Sunday. (Catholic Record, September 17, 1893) This Mark will be placed in the hands representing our actions (See Exo. 13:9; Ecc. 9:10; Isa. 59:6), and in the foreheads representing our minds (See Deut. 6:6-8; Rom. 7:25; Eze. 3:8-9; Rev. 14:1 & Rev. 17:5). The Apostle Paul declared, So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God (Rom. 7:25). The Forehead and the Hand is a symbol to represent our minds, and our actions, which in turn boils down to the subject of "who we worship." It has nothing to do with a computer chip or National ID card, although these will most likely be used as tools to aid the Mark of the Beast, which will be used to control the buying and selling, and making it so that all those who do not comply with Sunday Legislation will not be able to buy or sellstripping them from all earthly support. Notice that it is the law written in our foreheads (minds) and hands (actions): "And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes." ..."Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes." ~ Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18 "And the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst." ~ Ezekiel 9:3-6 "And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. "So it shall serve as a sign on your hand, and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt ." ~ Exod 13:9, 16 (See also Deut. 6:4-9; Heb. 8:10, Deut. 11:18-22; Ex. 13:9,16; Ex. 12:6-7, 11-13; Ex. 31:13, 1618; Ezek. 9:3-6; Rev. 7:1-3; Ezek. 20:19-20; 20:8-11; Ex. 31:13, 16-18; Rev 14:1,6-7; 9-10; 22:38

4; Rom. 6:16-18; John 14:15; Rev. 13:16-17; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 4:30; 1:13; Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:4-5; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Rom. 4:11; Heb. 4:9,7.) The question is often asked: Can a day be on your hand or on your forehead? How is that possible? Only computer chips or tattoos can be placed there, right? Answer: The Bible teaches that a "day" can be placed on the forehead or on the hand: "And Moses said unto the people, Remember this DAY, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage....IT shall be for a SIGN unto thee upon THINE HAND, and for a memorial between THINE EYES, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt." (Exodus 13:3, 9) This is one of the many secrets the Old Testament lets us in on, in order to help us decode what the "sign" or "mark" is in Revelation 13 and 14 concerning the "Mark of the Beast" in contrast to the Seal of the Living God. It was this day that was the Passover. The Passover for the Jews was a symbol, or a sign, to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. Egypt has been used in scripture as a symbol for sin and bondage. Thus we see that from the Holy Scriptures that the idea of a day being bound to your hand and your forehead is not even close to being unreasonable as many detractors suppose who argue in favor of a literal chipset or tattoo in the hand or forehead on or underneath the skin. Likewise, the Sabbath is also a sign, seal, or mark, and it is part of the law of God for which God promises to write in our minds and in our hearts, so that we may keep it out of true love for God based on genuine faith, and not out of legalism. With the Biblical, historical, and ecclesiastical data thus presented, it would be immature for any Christian to conclude that one would literally write letters on someone's forehead, or that the Mark of the Beast is some computer chipset literally implanted under the skin on the forehead or in the hand. This is symbolic language that is connected to worship. Between our eyes (forehead) = our mind, and on the hand = our actions. While Revelation clearly picks up on this Old Testament imagery, the Christian world continues to falsely and stubbornly literalize this language as a physical mark on the hand or forehead. Brothers and sisters, this is symbolic...the Seal and Mark have to do with the Commandments of God or the Commandments of Men written in our minds, and lived out in our actions. The whole Mark of the Beast vs. the Seal of God issue revolves around God's immutable Law, and who we worship! Now it is true that computer RFID chipsets may play a role in monitoring our freedom, or control our ability to buy or sell. But these chipsets cannot be the mark itself. If anything, they may be used as tools that will help aid the enforcement and legislation of laws that are contrary to Gods Immutable, Ten Commandment Decalogue in heaven! A Sign, Seal, and Mark are synonymous throughout scripture, and the scriptural passages thus presented establish that the issue has to do with God's Law vs. Mans Law. This is spiritual. This is not a physical mark. It has to do with WHO WE WORSHIP! The Sabbath is the sign of which God we worship! The Creator of Heaven and Earth!
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It should be emphasized that no one today has the Mark of the Beast. The receiving of the Mark only occurs when it is enforced by legislation. All those who comply demonstrate they are paying homage to the authority of the Beast. Says an insightful author: But Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment. God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity before Him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome. (The Great Controversy, p. 449) The same author elaborates upon this subject elsewhere: The change of the Sabbath is the sign or mark of the authority of the Romish church. Those who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false sabbath in the place of the true, are thereby paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. The mark of the beast is the papal sabbath, which has been accepted by the world in the place of the day of God's appointment. No one has yet received the mark of the beast. The testing time has not yet come. There are true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned until they have had the light and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment. But when the decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit sabbath, and the loud cry of the third angel shall warn men against the worship of the beast and his image, the line will be clearly drawn between the false and the true. Then those who still continue in transgression will receive the mark of the beast. With rapid steps we are approaching this period. When Protestant churches shall unite with the secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest persecution, then will the papal sabbath be enforced by the combined authority of church and state. There will be a national apostasy, which will end only in national ruin. (Evangelism, pp. 234, 235) Thus it we see how it makes perfect sense that no one today can have the mark of the beast, for if this were true, then those who are keeping Sunday ignorantly would have the Mark of the Beast. The living righteous will receive the seal of God prior to the close of probation.

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The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord's memorial of creation. . . . The mark of the beast is the opposite of this--the observance of the first day of the week. Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth causing men to worship this idol sabbath. The time will come when this day will be the test, but that time has not come yet. If the light of truth has been presented to you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and showing that there is no foundation in the Word of God for Sunday observance, and yet you still cling to the false sabbath, refusing to keep holy the Sabbath which God calls "my holy day," you receive the mark of the beast. When does this take place? When you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God, while you know that there is not a word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the beast, and refuse the seal of God. In a little while every one who is a child of God will have His seal placed upon him. O that it may be placed upon our foreheads! Who can endure the thought of being passed by when the angel goes forth to seal the servants of God in their foreheads? (Maranatha, p. 211) It becomes clear that when Sunday rest is enforced by law, and if we legally comply with this law, we will receive the Mark of the Beastas it will demonstrate the lack of faith in the heart. Those who have truly been imbued by the love of Jesus, and are sealed with the Character of the Living God WILL have the strength to withstand the pressure from the populace, the Beast and his Image to violate God's Holy 4th commandment. Those Sabbath keepers who have not been transformed by the blood of Jesus will not have the strength to stand up for their faith, and will yield to the popular demand. Fear of persecution, fines, imprisonment, and pressure will cause them to compromise their faith, proving that they have not truly and wholly relied on the merits of their Saviour, who is able to work in and through them to stand up for truth despite the opposition. God will use the Sabbath in the last days as a "dividing line" in the sand. It will determine "who is who", because only those who have Jesus in their hearts, and have overcome every sin in their lives, will be able to withstand the immense pressure to violate God's Holy Law. Those false Sabbath keepers, who do not have the love of Jesus, will fail. And those who willfully refuse to keep God's Holy Sabbath, yet pretend to have Jesus in their hearts, will not be sealed, because they think they can be saved by Jesus yet still violate His eternal law and Sign of Sanctification. God has given men the Sabbath as a sign between Him and them as a test of their loyalty. Those who, after the light regarding God's law comes to them, continue to disobey and exalt human laws above the law of God in the great crisis before us, will receive the mark of the beast. The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in
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opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God's law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God. (Last Day Events, p. 225.3} Sabbath keeping is only part of a chain, but it is important because it is a point especially controverted. The man of sin, the papacy, has set up their false Sabbath as their Mark of their Authority. And God knew this. And God set it up as one of the final tests to prove who is loyal to Him and who is not. It is an "acid test" that God has set up, because the enemy of our souls knew that the Sabbath was a SIGN---he was once in heaven, and understood the counsels and principles of God and knew what the Sabbath meant---that it was a sign of His authority, a sign of His power, a symbol of our REST from sin that GOD brings to us. We are living in a time when people are wondering "do I have to keep the Commandments?" The Reformers only went so far in the reformation...they discovered the truths of God's Grace through faith Alone, and not the works of Romanism. But they failed to complete the reformation and restore the breach that has been made---the breach in God's law which is the 4th commandment. God left this for the final Advent movement, to complete the finishing touches that the Reformation failed to complete. In fact, most today are unaware that the reason the reformation lost at the Council of Trent in the 16th century is because the Protestants claimed to go by the scriptures alone, and the Catholic Church pointed their finger at them telling them that they were hypocrites, and that if they truly went by the Scriptures alone, they would keep Saturday instead of Sunday! The Papists reminded the Reformers they still follow a tradition of the Catholic Church! As a result, the Reformation failed to bring reformation to the Catholic Church. On these grounds, the Catholic Church won. May we never forget--it is not the Sabbath keeping itself that saves us. It is Jesus, His blood. But, those who come to Jesus will yearn to please Him and do His will, and even desire to keep His Sabbath Holy. They do not keep it to try to earn brownie points or a ticket to heaven. This would be salvation by workskeeping Gods commandments for the wrong motive. They do not keep it because they believe the Sabbath itself will transform them. They do it because, after all God has done for them, they yearn and long to show Him respect and honor. It is interesting to note that a number of Christian pioneers cracked this code from the Bible back in the later part of the 19th century. This was before ANY of the above quotes from the Papacy (Catholic Leadership) existed. Yet, as we approach the end, we see this prophecy coming into fruition, and the claims of the Papacy are only proving the prophecy correct. The Mark will one day be enforced by legislation when the powers of Protestantism and Government stretch across the abyss and clasp hands with Rome, forming an image to the Beast. The lamb-like beast [Representing the United States] in Revelation 13:11 causes [enforces by Law] everyone to worship the first beast before it. This lamb-like beast sets up the Image to the Beast in allying itself with Rome, which represents the United States spear-headed by the Protestant and Government leaders of this nation.

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Conclusion The Sealer is the Holy Spirit, like a pen that writes letters. It Seals and imprints the letters of Gods law in our hearts. The Seal is the written letters of the Law of God, and the center of that Seal is the fourth commandment, the only commandment that contains God's signature Seal of name, title, and territory, and which is the largest of all ten of the commandments. More than this, it is dead-smack in the center of them. To summarize, the Seventh-Day Sabbath is the Seal or Sign of the Living God. The Seventh-Day is the SIGN that He is God of the Universe, and that we belong to Him. And the Sunday is the Mark or Sign of the Antichrist/Beast power, the Papacy--the one who attempts to attack and usurp on earth the High Priestly position, ministration, and authority of Jesus Christ in Heavens Sanctuary, change Gods set times and laws, arises from within the Church as clearly taught in 1 John 2:19 and Acts 20:29,30, grows as the Little Horn "out" of the Roman Empire according to Daniel 7:8, and seats himself in the Temple of God, which is His Church (See 2 Thess. 2:3,4; 1 Cor. 3:9,16,17; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21,22; Rev. 11:1,2). May the Lord help us to study these matters, and be prepared for what is coming upon this earth! In All Peace that Passes Understanding, Marcos S. Contact: PropheticLandmarks@gmail.com (Scroll down to find an incredible library of videos related to this subject)
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Please take time to watch the following short videos (recommended: in order):
Collection of Great Videos on The Sabbath, Prophecy, and Gods Law:
1. The Sabbath & the Falling Away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAKcai5s7m8 (About 8 minutesconcerning the history of the Sabbath and how Sunday worship crept in) 2. The First Angels Message: The Everlasting Gospel (About 16 minutesdefining what it means to fear God and worship Him) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDl4D0kcoi0 3. The Third Angels Message: The Mark of the Beast (About 10 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbdtcm6jzHA 4. Jesus Second Coming (Animation) (About 7 minutesthis videos gives a computer graphic illustration of what it might be like when Jesus comes its just an idea, not dogmatic.but the main important thing to focus on this video is regarding the powerful principle that the 10 commandments are sitting in the Sanctuary (or Temple) in Heaven! Please note that the speaker got a verse mixed up.he said Revelation 1:7, but he meant Revelation 1:10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S0QMW-cqIY 5. The Mark of the Beast (About 10 min., by Steve Wohlberg) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAPpmOUKnEQ ---------------------------------6. Media Matrix, Pt 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spBqy7cKdoc 7. Media Matrix, Pt 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxxJuThLayE ------------------------------------------------------------------8. Sabbath = Seal of God (About 8 min., by Walter Veith) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hm3jDUAp3k 9. Gods Final Message to this World (About 7 min., by Walter Veith): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDugV4CBM6I ---------------------------------------------------------10. Part 1 - What Law Was Nailed to the Cross??? (Concerning Colossians 2:14-17) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWT3Wf-b6bM 11. Part 2 What Law was Nailed to the Cross??? (Concerning Colossians 2:14-17) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZEt6lt1wL0 ----------------------------------------------12. How the Sabbath was switched to Sunday.STRICTLY HISTORY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH8520YG-gI ----------------------------------------------13. Part 1 The Four Winds, The Seal, and The Creator (7 minutes, 30 seconds) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7E_L-NsU_8 14. Part 2 The Seal of the Living God (9 minutes, 17 seconds) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRNjVohkiYE ------------------------

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------------------------15. Rekindling the Reformation Trailer (3min.) by Prof. Walter Veith, Ph.D.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mouXnLfiqNU --------------------------------------------------16. Sabbath Rest Poem (5min.) by Lee Givhan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuaDvhb5wXg

---------------------The Sabbath, Sunday and the New Covenant by Pastor Doug Batchelor (2 parts in one video, 1 hour each)
17. Part 1 & 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ykgrExczQ8 ---------------------------------------------------

The Seventh Day - narrated by Hal Holbrook

(5 parts, 1hr each)
18. A 5-part Videos series: http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/seventh-day-video-series.aspx ----------------------In addition to all the above, here is a GREAT Sabbath Resource site!: www.SabbathTruth.com

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