The Seal of the Living God by Uriah Smith

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 9, 1862

The Seal of the Living God.

By Uriah Smith

In a series of events the chronology of which locates them unmistakably in the present generation, as is elsewhere shown, an angel is seen ascending from the east having the seal of the living God. So important is his work and so imperative his message that the restraining hand of Omnipotence is laid upon the angry and surging nations, till he shall have accomplished his mission. His work has immediate respect to the people of God: "Hurt not!" cries he, "till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." Being thus intimately connected with this work, it is certainly proper for these "servants" to inquire what this seal is with which it is so important that they be sealed, that the events of earth and the nations themselves are held in waiting till it be accomplished.

As the next event after the sealing of the people of God, we behold them before the throne clothed with white robes and palms of victory in their hands. The sealing then is the last work accomplished for them prior to their redemption. In the time of trouble such as never was, the scenes of carnage and confusion which shall close up the drama of earth, the saints will be scattered here and there over the land, but every one will be delivered. Dan. xii, 1. How will they be delivered? If we may reason from God's dealings in the past, they will be provided with some distinguishing characteristic from the wicked who are falling around them. When death was visited upon the first-born of the Egyptians, the Israelites were saved by the blood of the paschal lamb which was struck upon the lintels and door-posts of their dwellings. Seeing this, the destroying angel passed them by.

A similar regulation is brought to view in Eze. ix. We do not here labor to show that this chapter refers to the same time and applies to the same work as Rev. vii, 2-8, though it might be done. A person is here brought to view whose special work it is to go forth and set a mark upon those who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land. These then are the people of God. Immediately after him follow six men with slaughtering weapons in their hands, who slay utterly old and young, all upon whom they do not find the mark. Returning to the sealing angel of Rev. vii, the only conclusion we can draw is that the people of God are not ready for the perils and troubles which he calls upon the four angels to restrain, and that his work is to place upon them a distinguishing mark that will entitle them to exemption when "the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the destruction that wasteth at noon-day" are abroad in the land. Let the reader then note this as

Conclusion 1. The seal of God is some characteristic of his people which distinguishes them from the wicked around them.

Our next inquiry is, What will be the distinguishing mark of God's people at the hour of their

deliverance? We have a view of them again just before this event in Rev. xiv, 9-12. Here are two classes brought to view just before the appearance of the Son of man on the white cloud, namely, the worshippers of the beast and the saints of God. How are they distinguished? The one class have the mark of the beast, the other keep the commandments of God. Who can deny that these are the distinguishing characteristics of the righteous and the wicked. We may then set down the following as

Conclusion 2. The distinguishing mark of God's people in the last days is found in the commandments of God.

From the two conclusions already drawn, we may deduce another, namely, The seal of the living God is found in the commandments of God. We have now only to inquire in which commandment his seal is found, and how it performs that office. This we can determine by inquiring into the nature of a seal, and the purpose for which it is used.

A seal is defined to be an instrument of sealing, that which "is used by individuals, corporate bodies, and States, for making impressions on wax, upon instruments of writing, as an evidence of their authenticity." The original word in Rev. vii, 2, is defined thus: "A seal, i. e., a signet ring; a mark, stamp, badge; a token, a pledge." The same word is used in Rom. iv, 11, which will be noticed again. Among the significations of the verb are the following: "To secure to any one, to make sure; to set a seal or mark upon anything in token of its being genuine or approved; to attest, to confirm, to establish."

It is evident that the seal of any person in authority is what makes valid, or authentic, whatever laws or decrees he may promulgate. The Scriptures present several instances of this: 1 Kings xxi, 8, where Jezebel "wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal." Esth. iii, 12. "In the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring." Also chap. vii, 8. Dan. vi, 17. And any document from any earthly monarch to be valid, must possess his name and title of royalty, by which his subjects will know who it is that demands obedience, and by what right he demands it.

This reasoning we may apply to the law of God. God has given a law to men. In order for it to be valid it must declare who he is, contain his title of royalty, the extent of his dominion, and his right to reign; and whatever portion of the law does this, by a just and appropriate figure may be called "his seal," "the seal of the law." And no one can point to anything which may be called the seal of God, independent of his law.

This leads us to an examination of the ten commandments. Do we find the true God pointed out in those commandments? We do; but it is in the fourth only. The word, God, occurs in the first three, but there is nothing to show who he is. We come to the fourth, and find that we are reading the requirements of Him who made heaven and earth and all things therein. We realize at once that the Maker of heaven and earth, is the Supreme Ruler over all his works; that the extent of his dominion is the extent of his creation; and that he has a right to demand obedience from all his creatures. We see the heavens and earth spread out before us; we know that they have been created; to the being who made all these, we can intelligently direct our worship. This commandment brings to view his title of royalty, the extent of his dominion, and his right to reign. Strike out the fourth commandment from the decalogue, and with the remainder of that law in my hand, I can bow down and worship a wooden idol of my own carving, and no man, however enlightened or christian, can condemn me by it for so-doing. But does it not read, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me?" "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image?" "thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain?" Very well, I can reply, this object which I am worshiping is my God, and these are his requirements.

Confirmatory of this position is the significant fact that whenever the sacred writers would point out the true God in distinction from false gods of every description, an appeal is made to the fourth commandment. See 2 Kings xix, 15; 2 Chron. ii, 12; Neh. ix, 6; Ps. cxv, 15; cxxi, 2; cxxiv, 8; cxxxiv, 3; cxlvi, 6; Isa. xxxvii, 16; xliii, 5; xliv, 24; xlv, 12; Job ix, 8; Isa. li, 13; Jer. x, 10-12; Ps. xcvi, 5; Jer. xxxii, 17; li, 15; Acts iv, 24; xiv, 15; xvii, 23, &c., &c.

With the following questions, this part of the argument is submitted: 1. When we speak of the seal of any one in authority, do we not always understand by it, that which gives authenticity to his enactments? 2. Can we speak of the seal of God in any other sense? 3. Is there any thing which points out the true God, except the fourth commandment, and expressions derived therefrom? 4. Is it not, then, in this sense his signature and seal?

But the Scriptures bear direct testimony on this point. The Sabbath is emphatically called a sign between God and his people. Ex. xxxi, 13. "Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." Eze. xx, 12, 20. Here the very object of their keeping the fourth commandment, and observing the Sabbath, is declared to be that they might know that he was the Lord. But does the word sign here have the same signification as seal? That it does, is proved by the following quotations. Gen. xvii, 11. Circumcision "shall be a token of the covenant between me and you." (Abraham). Rom. iv, 11. "And he (Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of the faith," &c. By these quotations, we see that the words, token, sign, and seal, are all applied to the same thing. The word rendered seal in Rom. iv, 11, as we have before noticed, is the same as in Rev. vii, 2; and the word rendered sign in Ex. xxxi, 13, as we learn by the Septuagint, is the same as that so rendered in Rom. iv, 11. This brings us to

Conclusion 3. The particular commandment in which the seal of God is found, is the fourth.

Another point demands a moment's consideration, and that is the location of the seal. It is placed in the forehead. In Rev. xiv, 1, John has another view of the identical 144,000, said in the seventh chapter to have been sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads. This scene is located at the moment of their redemption, and here they have in their foreheads, the very same place, the Father's name. Is the Father's name the seal of the law, and synonymous with the fourth commandment? Yes; inasmuch as his name is contained in the seal of the law, which is the fourth commandment. Wherever the Lord established his law, there he is said to have placed his name. For proof that this was so regarded, see Deut. xvi, 6: "But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there shall thou sacrifice the passover." &c. What was there where they sacrificed the passover? There was the sanctuary having in its holiest apartment the ark with the ten commandments; and the fourth one of those commandments declared the true God, and contained his name. Wherever this was, there God's name was placed.

Thus we have found,

1. That the seal of God is some distinguishing characteristic of his people.

2. That that distinguishing mark is found in the commandments of God.

3. That, according to Rev. vii, 3, compared with chap. xiv, 1, the Father regards his name as his seal.

4. That in the fourth commandment, and there only, the Father's name is found, so that wherever that commandment is placed, there the Father's name is said to be.

5. That if the observance of the ordinance of circumcision could be a seal of the righteousness of the faith between God and Abraham, the observance of the true Sabbath may be the seal of God in reference to his people.

6. That the Sabbath is explicitly declared by God to be the sign or seal between himself and his people.

The fourth commandment is the only one of the ten on which there is a difference in faith and practice between the people of God and other religious professors; hence no other commandment but this can form the distinguishing characteristic of his true people. The observance of this becomes at once a prominent mark as nearly all the religious world are engaged in the observance of the papal institution of Sunday, instead of the Sabbath of the Lord.

The prophetic command now obligatory upon the true church is, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." Isa. viii, 16. Seal the law: restore to it the seal that has been wrested from it by the Man of Sin. Restore the fourth commandment to its rightful position. Replace upon the law the name, the royal title, the signature of royalty, of the great law-giver, which has been removed therefrom. And to this command the people of God are now rendering a joyful obedience. U. S.