The Seal of God
A seal is used to authenticate, ratify, or secure a document or decree. In ancient times, kings utilized seals to confirm ownership and authority. Government seals typically contain three key elements:
- The ruler’s name
- The ruler’s title
- The territory over which he ruled
This pattern is evident in Scripture. For example, Daniel 1:1 states, “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” This verse identifies the ruler by name, provides his official title, and specifies the territory of his authority.
The Bible applies this same concept to the commandments of God. Among the Ten Commandments, only one contains these three seal components, making it unique and significant.
The Sabbath Commandment Contains God’s Seal
The fourth commandment declares: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11). This commandment is not merely a directive; it is a profound declaration of God’s creative authority.
Within this commandment are the three elements of a seal:
Name: “The Lord”
Title: Creator
Territory: Heavens, earth, sea, and everything in them
This means the Sabbath commandment uniquely identifies the authority of the Lawgiver. It reveals who God is, the office He holds, and the domain over which He rules. This identification is crucial for understanding the relationship between God and humanity.
The Sabbath as God’s Sign
Scripture repeatedly refers to the Sabbath as a sign or seal between God and His people:
“The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath… as a perpetual covenant” (Exodus 31:16)
“Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you” (Ezekiel 20:20)
“I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them” (Ezekiel 20:12)
Nowhere does Scripture designate the Sabbath as the sign of the Jews only. It was instituted over 2,000 years before the Jewish nation existed (Genesis 2:2-3). God refers to it as:
“My holy day” (Isaiah 58:13)
“The Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:10)
The Sabbath reveals God as Creator, and observing it acknowledges His authority. This acknowledgment is essential for believers as it reinforces their identity as God’s chosen people.
Why God Blessed the Sabbath
Genesis explains the purpose of the Sabbath: “And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested” (Genesis 2:2-3). This blessing signifies the importance of rest and reflection in the life of a believer.
The Sabbath fosters a relationship of love and trust. God set aside this day for rest, worship, and renewal. Observing it allows believers to set aside their own works and focus on God’s grace (Hebrews 4; Revelation 14:12). This day serves as a reminder of God’s creative power and His redemptive work.
Through the Sabbath, God’s people acknowledge Him as Creator and Redeemer. It is a day that invites all to experience His presence and grace.
Did Jesus Change the Sabbath?
The New Testament contains no record of Jesus changing or abolishing the Sabbath. On the contrary, Christ said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law… Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law” (Matthew 5:17-18). This statement underscores the permanence of God’s law, including the Sabbath commandment.
Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16) and declared Himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). The early disciples also observed the seventh day (Acts 13:14, 42-44; Acts 15:21; Acts 16:13; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4). This continuity of practice among Jesus and His followers emphasizes the importance of the Sabbath in the Christian faith.
The change to Sunday observance did not originate from Christ or the apostles. Instead, it arose from human decisions, leading to confusion about the true meaning of the Sabbath.
The Change From Sabbath to Sunday
Historical evidence indicates that the Roman Church gradually shifted from seventh-day Sabbath observance to Sunday during the fourth century. This was a human change, not a biblical one. The motivations behind this shift were complex, involving cultural and political factors that influenced the early church.
The Catholic Church openly acknowledges this historical shift. Sunday observance was instituted by church authority, not by Scripture. This directly contradicts the commandment of God (Exodus 20:8-11). The implications of this change are significant for understanding the nature of authority in worship.
The Final Crisis in Revelation
Revelation describes a future conflict involving loyalty, worship, and obedience. God seals His faithful people before the final judgments: “I saw another angel ascending… having the seal of the living God” (Revelation 7:2). This sealing is a mark of divine protection and belonging.
Just as seals in ancient times indicated ownership, God’s seal signifies who belongs to Him. This sealing prepares God’s people to stand during earth’s last events, reinforcing their identity as His chosen ones.
The Issue of Worship
Revelation identifies a global crisis involving laws, worship, and obedience:
A symbolic Babylon unites with civil power (Revelation 13:12-14)
Sunday observance is enforced by law (often referred to as “Blue Laws”)
Penalties are imposed on those who refuse (Revelation 13:15-17)
While most Christians accept nine of the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath commandment has been widely neglected. In the last days, it becomes the focal issue of obedience. This neglect raises questions about the authenticity of worship and the authority behind it.
God’s Faithful People
Revelation identifies God’s end-time people: “They keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17)
“Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). These verses highlight the characteristics of those who remain faithful to God.
Those who remain faithful receive God’s seal. During the final plagues, they are protected (Revelation 7:1-4). This protection is a promise of God’s faithfulness to His people in times of trial.
The Seal of God vs. Human Authority
The great controversy in Revelation is between God’s authority and human authority. The Sabbath stands as God’s appointed sign, while Sunday observance-established by human powers-becomes the opposing sign. This conflict is not merely about a day of worship but about whom one acknowledges as having ultimate authority: God or human institutions.
The Sabbath is God’s seal because:
- It identifies Him as Creator
- It affirms His authority over all creation
- It sets apart His people as loyal to Him
- It distinguishes true worship from false worship
Those who stand with God embrace His commandments, including the Sabbath. They refuse to substitute human tradition for divine instruction, recognizing the importance of adhering to God’s original design for worship.
Conclusion
The Bible teaches that God’s seal is found within the Sabbath commandment. It identifies who God is, the office He holds, and the realm over which He rules. The seventh-day Sabbath is God’s sign of creation, redemption, and sanctification. This understanding is vital for believers seeking to align their lives with God’s will.
Human tradition changed the Sabbath to Sunday, but this change has no biblical authority. Revelation reveals that the Sabbath question will become central in the final conflict over worship, loyalty, and obedience. This conflict will test the faith of believers and their commitment to God’s commandments.
God’s end-time people will stand firm, keeping His commandments and receiving His seal of protection. They trust in Him as Creator and Redeemer and honor the day He set apart at creation. This commitment is a testament to their faith and relationship with God.
For more on the Sabbath, check (Lessons 91-102) of the Bible Lessons.
The Bible says that a sign can be a seal:
KJV Romans 4:11
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised...
And the Sabbath is a sign within the decalogue, therefore a seal:
KJV Exodus 31:17
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
The Bible says the law must be sealed according to this verse:
KJV Isaiah 8:16
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
Remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy demonstrates our faith in God, especially during persecution.
We may also read in Ezekiel 8 & 9 that God's mark is placed in the forehead like how the seal of God is placed in the forehead:
KJV Ezekiel 8:16
And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
KJV Ezekiel 9:4
And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
In those chapters, God's mark was placed in the foreheads of those who afflicted their souls because of the abomination of sun worship (which is done on sunday, the day of the sun). In other words, God's mark went in the foreheads of those who remembered the holy 7th day Sabbath, while other Israelites were worshipping on sunday.
Ellen G. White Denies the Holy Spirit's Seal and Replaces it With the Jewish Sabbath
EGW: In these things I saw great danger; for if the mind is filled with other things, present truth is shut out, and there is no place in our foreheads for the seal of the living God. This seal is the Sabbath. To Those who are receiving the seal of the living God. —January 31, 1849, paragraph 11.
EGW: “To the church of God who keeps the Sabbath—the seal of the living God.” [Used as a closing sentence.] —Ms 3, 1849, p. 2. (To Brethren and Sisters, January 18, 1849.) {5MR 200.1}
EGW: "Those who would have the seal of God in their foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment." —7BC 970 (1899).
EGW: "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." —8T 117 (1904)
EGW: “In Revelation 13 this subject is plainly presented. [Rev. 13:11-17 quoted]. This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who prove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin, and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast. What need will there be of the solemn warning not to receive the mark of the beast, when all the saints of God are sealed and ticketed for the New Jerusalem? "O consistency, thou art a jewel!" —Letter 11, 1890 - MR. 1140, 15.3.
God puts his "seal of ownership" on Christians who believe in Christ and the Holy Spirit. God DOES NOT SAY keep the Sabbath and I will seal you.
2 Cor. 1:21, 22 (NIV): Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Eph. 1:13,14 (NIV): And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Eph: 4:30 (NIV): And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Please note that Sabbath is NEVER called a SEAL, either in the Old Covenant or in the New Covenant. Sabbath keeping will never entitle anyone to receive the SEAL OF GOD.
Revelation tells us about another sealed group called the 144,000. They are from the twelve tribes of Israel. This means that no Seventh-day Adventists will be sealed and be among the 144,000, because they never belonged to any tribe of Israel.
Rev. 7:2-4 (NIV): Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
The Seal is the Son and the Father's name written in the forehead of the 144,000 and not the Sabbath!
Rev 14:1 (NIV) Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Mark 2:27 says the Sabbath was made for man. What then makes it the "Jewish Sabbath"?
KJV Romans 3:19
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Romans says that the law of 10 Commandments makes all the world guilty, not only the Jews.
People are not justified by keeping the 10 Commandments, but they are separated from God by breaking them.