Bible Truth Versus Adventist Truth The Seal of God

Adventist Truth about the Seal of God In the Book of Revelation there is no direct connection between the Seal of God and the Sabbath. Seventh-day Adventists make the connection by piecing together various verses from the Bible. Here are the three main points Adventists use to prove the Sabbath is the Seal of God: 1. The Sabbath was a "sign" between God and the Israelites. (Ex. 31:13, Eze. 20:12,20) Since Adventists believe the Sabbath is still binding upon Christians, they claim that it is still a sign, or identifying mark, of God's true people. 2. Isaiah 8:16 reads: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." This verse is used to support the idea that the Seal of God is found inside the "law", which according to Adventists, is the 10 Commandments. 3. According to SDA pioneer Uriah Smith (and Revelation Seminars), ancient seals contained the name/title of the ruler, the extent of his dominion, and his right to rule. These elements are all found in the fourth commandment (Ex. 20:8-11). Therefore, the Sabbath is the Seal of God. The lack of direct Bible evidence linking the Seal of God to Sabbath-keeping is supplied by Adventist prophet Ellen G. White: "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."1 According to Ellen White, the Sabbath is what marked the difference between those loyal to God and those disloyal: "The Sabbath is the great test question. It is the line of demarkation between the loyal and true and the disloyal and transgressor. ... It is the seal of the living God."2 "Thus the distinction is drawn between the loyal and the disloyal. Those who desire to have the seal of God in their foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Thus they are distinguished from the disloyal, who have accepted a manmade institution in place of the true Sabbath. The observance of God's rest day is a mark of distinction between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not."3

Problems with Adventist Truth about the Seal of God 1. Is the Sabbath still a "sign" between God and His People? Under the Old Covenant, or agreement, that God made with Abraham and the Israelites, several practices were instituted by God as signs of obedience which the Israelites were expected to follow for all their generations. Among these were Circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14).... And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This [is] my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.....and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you...and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.... ...and the Passover (Ex. 12:13-14).... And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. ...and Sabbath observance (Ex. 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. Notice that the "signs" of Circumcision and the Passover were to be practiced by God's special people forever. If Seventh-day Adventists are "spiritual Israel", then why do they not also practice these "eternal signs" of obedience between Israel and God? The truth is that the Old Covenant signs of obedience, such as Sabbath-keeping, Circumcision, and Feast Days are never described in the New Testament as signs for Christians living under the New Covenant. There is no statement in the New Testament calling the Sabbath a sign of any sort between God and Christians. 2. Isaiah 8:6 reads: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." Some Adventists teach the word "law" refers to the Ten Commandments. In reality, the word "law" means the Torah, which refers to the first five books of the Bible, said to be written by Moses. In the Torah there are 613 laws which the Israelites were expected to follow. Christians are not required to keep the laws of the Torah. This verse has nothing to do with the Seal of God in Revelation. 3. Just because a Bible verse mentions the name, title and dominion of God does not mean that verse is desribing Revelation's "Seal of God". For example, using SDA logic, one could argue that the Torah is the "Seal of God" because it contains this verse: Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens [is] the LORD'S thy God, the earth [also], with all that therein [is]. (Deut. 10:14) Or one could claim that the prophetic writings are the "Seal of God" using SDA logic: O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest [between] the cherubims, thou [art] the God, [even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. (Isa. 37:16) Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee. (Jer. 32:17) In addition to the 10 Commandments, look at all of the other Bible verses that mention God's name (God), His title (Lord), and His dominion (heaven and earth): Gen. 14:22, Gen. 24:3, Deut. 3:24, Deut. 4:39, Deut. 10:14, Jos. 2:11, 1 Ki. 8:23, 2 Ki. 9:15, 2 Chr. 2:12, 2 Chr. 6:14, Isa. 37:16, Jer. 32:17, Acts 4:24, Acts 17:24 It should now be evident that just because God's name, title, and dominion appear within a Bible verse does not prove that verse has any particular connection with Revelation's "Seal of God".

Bible Truth about the Seal of God 1. In the Bible, what is the purpose of a seal? Est 8:8 - Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal [it] with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse. The purpose of a seal is to prevent the contents of the object being sealed from being changed. A law that was sealed by the king's ring could never be changed. When Daniel was thrown in the Lion's Den, the entrance was "sealed" indicating the king's will could not be undone (Dan. 6:17). The tomb of Christ was "sealed" by Pilate to prevent anyone from touching its contents (Matt. 27:66). 2. What do we know about those who are sealed? The Book of Revelation does not give us many details about what the seal of god is, nor does it tell us much about those who are sealed. Revelation says those sealed are the "servants of our God" (Rev. 7:3), and they are 144,000 in number (Rev. 7:4), and they are from the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4). In Rev. 14:1 we find the 144,000 have the "Father's name written in their foreheads." In ancient seals, the king's name was usually found on the seal. We also know the 144,000 "were redeemed from the earth" (Rev. 14:3), "they are virgins" (Rev. 14:4), they "follow the Lamb" (Rev. 14:4), their speech was pure (Rev. 14:5), and they were "without fault" (Rev. 14:5). Please note: There is nothing in the description of the 144,000 about Sabbath-keeping. If Sabbath-keeping is indeed the most important and prominent sign that separates true Christians from false ones, then why didn't John at least mention it? 3. What is the Seal of God? Revelation does not tell us in precise detail what the seal is or how it is administered, so we must assume it was a well-known concept in the early church. As a matter of fact, the word "seal" appears many times in the New Testament. From studying these verses we can get a good understanding of how the church of the apostle John's day understood the meaning and significance of the "seal". The Apostle John4 wrote of Jesus: ....him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27) Just as ancient kings sealed objects to make them unchangeable, the King of the Universe sealed Jesus Christ so that evil could not destroy, change, or alter who He was. How was Jesus sealed? John wrote of Jesus.... ...for God gives the Spirit without limit. (John 3:34, NIV) Paul repeatedly talk about the Holy Spirit's presence being the seal of Christianity: 2Cr 1:22 - Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Eph 1:13 - 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. Eph 4:30 - And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 make it abundantly clear that God seals us to keep us until the "day of redemption". The Holy Spirit is given to us so that evil can not destroy, alter, or change us. Conclusion Not once in the New Testament is the Sabbath ever referred to as a sign or a seal for Christians. Just as the Lord's supper celebration replaced the Jewish Passover celebration, so has the Holy Spirit replaced the Sabbath as the "sign" or evidence that a person is one of God's people. Consider this carefully. What is the best way to tell whether or not a person is a true Christian? Is it by what day they go to church on? Even Adventists will tell you that going to church on Saturday does not make someone a Christian. There are some people who go to church on Saturday while they deny their Christian faith by their actions. Their hearts are filled with perversion, hatred, adultery, and idolatry. So what is the best way to tell if a person is a true Christian? By their spirit! If they have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, they will manifest the fruits of the Spirit in their lives: "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." These fruits of the indwelling Holy Spirit will be evident to all. These fruits are the true sign of a believer. The Sabbath is not the sign of a true Christian. It never has been. It never will be.

Your Questions about the Seal of God QUESTION: Exodus 31:17 says the Sabbath is to be a sign forever. My SDA Pastor told me that is proof that the Sabbath is still a sign between God and His people today. Is that true? ANSWER: Just because a sign is called "everlasting" in the Bible does not mean that it was meant to last forever, nor does that sign apply to those living under different covenants. Here are some examples of everlasting things God gave to the Israelites that did not last forever: 1. Possession of Palestine was lost to Babylon, and later Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and British empires: Gen 13:15 - For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. Gen. 17:8 - And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. Gen. 48:4 - And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee [for] an everlasting possession. Ex. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it] for ever. 2. The various feast days were said to last forever: Ex. 12:14 - And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Ex. 12:17 - And ye shall observe [the feast of] unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. Ex. 12:24 - And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. Lev 23:41 - And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. [It shall be] a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 3. The Israelite priesthood ended nearly 2,000 years ago: Ex. 40:15 - And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. Lev 7:34 - For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel. Num 25:13 - And he shall have it, and his seed after him, [even] the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. Deu 18:5 - For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever. 4. The annual Atonement service ended 2,000 years ago: Lev 16:31 - It [shall be] a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. Lev 16:34 - And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses. 5. The Sanctuary services ended nearly 2,000 years ago: Lev 24:3 - Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: [it shall be] a statute for ever in your generations. Lev 24:8 - Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. 6. Kingdom of David ended thousands of years ago: 2Sa 7:13 - He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 2Sa 7:16 - And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 1Ki 2:45 - And king Solomon [shall be] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. 1Ch 17:12 - He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. 1Ch 17:14 - But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. 2Ch 13:5 - Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 7. Kingdom of Solomon ended thousands of years ago: 1Ki 9:5 - Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. 8. Temple of God was destroyed in 70 A.D.: 2Ch 6:2 - But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. 2Ch 7:16 - For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. Just as Circumcision, the Levitcal Priesthood, the Temple, the land of Palestine, the Kingdom of David, and the Feast Days are no longer signs of God's true people, the Sabbath is no longer an identifying mark of God's true people. This is why Paul let Christians know that Christianity is not about following rules of diet, or keeping holy days, but about being in Christ: Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Col. 2:16,17 RSV) Conclusion: If no one is to pass judgment on you regarding the keeping of the Sabbath, then how can it be the great dividing issue that separates true believers in Christ from false believers?

Links for Deeper Study about the Seal of God Ellen White and the Seal of God by Brother Anderson. A history of how the Seal of God teaching developed in the SDA Church. Seal of God by Pastor Dale Ratzlaff What is the Seal of God? by Robert Sanders

 

1. Ellen White, Present Truth, Jan. 31, 1849.

2. Ellen White, Selected Messages Book 3, p. 423.

3. Ellen White, Review & Herald, April 23, 1901. Mrs. White also wrote the following: "The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord's memorial of creation" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 117). Also: "...Too late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the seal of the living God" (The Great Controversy, p. 640).

4. It is believed by many Christians that the same John who wrote the Revelation was also the author or origniator of the the gospel of John.