Many people have written about this before me, and the majority of them are far more qualified to argue the point at hand. However, the issue at hand is so crucial for believers to understand that I feel compelled to offer my own understanding. Perhaps I will reach someone who all the others missed? I don’t know, and it is none of my concern, anyway. All I am called to do is witness to what the Scriptures say and pray that those with ears to hear, will hear.
Many people have been fascinated by the mark of the Beast, as mentioned in The Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ:
Revelation 13:16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Many of these people have studied the details of this mark in great detail, in hope that they can identify it and, thus, avoid taking it so that they can escape the consequences of taking the mark of the Beast:
Revelation 14:9-10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Doom for Worshipers of the Beast
9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
But this is a great deal of wasted effort as there is a second mark mentioned in Revelation and, if you are sealed with this mark, you needn’t worry about the mark of the Beast:
Revelation 7:2-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
So, what — exactly — is the seal of God? Well, let’s look to Scripture and Scripture alone to see if we can determine what the Seal of God actually is. Let’s start by taking a look at what a seal actually is.
A seal contains three things. The name of the person to whom it belongs; the title or authority of that person; and the region or realm over which that person’s authority extends. This is a picture of a seal that was found in Jerusalem and which belonged to king Josiah’s aid:
We still use seals to this today. Here is a picture of the Presidential seal of the United States:
In ancient times, a king would affix his seal to a decree as a sign that his word could not be changed by anyone — not even himself:
Daniel 6:15-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” 17 A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel.
So, a seal is a sign that the king’s decree cannot be changed by anyone. This brings us to another key point about a seal. Biblically, a seal is synonymous with a sign:
Romans 4:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
Notice how Paul makes it very clear that the sign was also a seal. They are synonymous with each other. As we will soon see, this is a crucially important point for all who seek to obey YHWH.
Now, here is where things start to get very, very important for the believer. Please, I beg you, pay close attention to what follows.
YHWH commanded us not to have any graven images. Assuming that this same principle applies to the other things of YHWH, we should not expect His seal to be physical — at least, not in the sense that most ancient seals were. So, is there anywhere in Scripture where it talks about a seal that belongs to YHWH? Keeping in mind that a seal is synonymous with a sign, we will find the following:
Ezekiel 20:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
12 Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
20 Sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’
13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
16 So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ 17 It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”
So, the Sabbaths (not only the 7th Day, but also the Feasts of the Lord) is a perpetual sign (i.e. a seal); an everlasting covenant between YHWH and His people. This should not be such a shock to us. The Scriptures are clear on this matter: both here, in the passages I’ve cited, but also in many other places. However, what might not be so clear is that the seal is also in another well known part of Scripture. What’s more, it isn’t physical — at least, not in the sense that it is something we can see on our foreheads. Here, let me just show you:
Exodus 20:2-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. (Commandment #1)
4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. (Commandment #2) 5 You shall not worship them or serve them (Commandment #3); for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (Commandment #4), for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord (His name — YHWH) made (His title: Creator) the heavens and the earth , the sea and all that is in them (His dominion: Heaven and Earth), and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. (Commandment #5)
13 “You shall not murder. (Commandment #6)
14 “You shall not commit adultery. (Commandment #7)
15 “You shall not steal. (Commandment #8)
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Commandment #9)
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house (Commandment #9); you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Commandment #10)
Do you see it? Right in the middle of the Ten Commandments is God’s seal (I highlighted it in red and added explanations in parenthesis to help make it more obvious). Remember, a seal is a sign that the King’s decree cannot be changed. Do you understand now what Yeshua was really saying when He said:
Matthew 5:18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Yeshua was reminding us that God sealed His law and, therefore, it cannot be changed or destroyed. This should cause those of us who believe we are ‘dead to the law‘ to go back and re-examine why they believe this — because it does not mean what so many believe it does — as witnessed by Yeshua, Himself, in the very next line:
Matthew 5:19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
This brings us to the final point I wish to share with whoever is still reading along. Who changed the day of worship from the Sabbath to Sunday — and why?
***PLEASE HEAR ME CLEARLY HERE***
Before I answer this last question, I wish to make it very clear that I am not attacking or judging here. I am simply stating the historic truth by quoting from original sources. I am going to leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions as to what it means, but I would beg the reader to make sure they make sure their judgment in this next matter is based firmly of Scriptural foundations.
OK, so, who changed the Sabbath to Sunday — or, put more accurately — who thought they could change the Sabbath from the 7th Day to Sunday? Well, let’s let that entity tell you, itself:
Catholic Record of London, Ontario — Sept 1, 1923
“Sunday is our mark of Authority… The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of the fact.”
The Catholic Mirror, Official Publication of James Cardinal Gibbons, Sept 23, 1893
“The Catholic Church…by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”
H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons
“Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change [Saturday Sabbath to Sunday] was her act… and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical authority in religious things.”
Cardinal Gibbons, in ‘Faith of Our Fathers,’ 92nd Edition, pg 89
“You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we [the Catholic Church] never sanctify.”
Our Sunday Visitor, Feb 5, 1950
“Protestants do not realize that, by observing Sunday, they accept the authority of the spokesperson of the Church, the Pope.”
I will end here, and simply leave you with this final passage. Use it in helping you come to whatever conclusions you reach from reading this post.
1 John 2:4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
ADDITIONAL READING
There is so very much more to this issue. One can literally write books on it (and I have several that have been). But this link may be of some help to those who seek to investigate this understanding further.
THE SEAL OF GOD AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST
ADDENDUM
This was made by brother Keeley. It contains Yah’s Name, His seal (in purple) the two Lamp Stands (The Houses of Judah and Israel) and the Ten commandments with the sacred Name. See if you can see the seal 😉
ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS 