October 12, 2022
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:15-17
Chapter seven is the answer to the question: who is able to stand when Jesus returns? The short answer is: those who have the seal of God. But it is crucial to understand what the seal is, what it means, and where it is placed. Revelation is a prophetic record of history beginning just after the risen Savior returned to heaven as our Advocate/Intercessor in the heavenly sanctuary and continues until His return to earth to get His people. The Gospel message, depicted as the white horse and its rider (6:2) rode out at the beginning of church history and is still riding over the earth today.
The seal of God is a designation for His faithful people. The Lord recognizes His own and seals them with His Holy Spirit. The sealing of God’s people has been taking place all along. A seal is a representation of someone’s power and authority over a specified area. God placed His seal in the heart of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:11 contains His name, the LORD (Yahweh), His title as Creator is implied in that He made… And what did He make?: the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. That’s quite a territory!
God’s gift of free will is respected by Him and considered sacred. When His seal is placed, our part is to protect and guard that seal that it will not be broken. Not even Satan can break it, but he works diligently to tempt each of us to break it!* This is why we are counseled to hold fast to Jesus and to grow in our relationship with Him, who even now intercedes for us in heaven.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
Grieve is a ‘love word’ that implies separation. If I ignore the Holy Spirit’s leading in order to do ‘my own thing,’ then I am pushing Him away. He is a ‘gentleman’ whose presence protects my spiritual well-being, but will not stay where He is not wanted. To push Him away means that I willingly forfeit His spiritual protection from the sophistries of Satan.
Another role of the Holy Spirit is to guide us in our understanding of His word. It must be correctly understood! Paul warns about those who receive the truth and then stray from it: “…their message will spread like cancer . . . and overthrow the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:17a,18b)
Be certain to investigate what you hear from people for yourself (Acts 17:11), as a wrong turn in your beliefs can cause you to reject subsequent truths that you encounter.
Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19 (*see also Peter’s counsel in 2 Peter 3:14-18)