The Seal of God
"The angel with the writer's ink horn is to place a mark upon
the foreheads of all who are separated from sin and sinners,
and the destroying angel follows this angel (Letter 12, 1886). {4BC 1161.5} Click to go to our Home Page
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"He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that
have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying
weapon in his hand." {5T 207.2}
And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by
his side; 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. And to
the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and
smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and
young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man
upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the
ancient men which were before the house." {5T 207.3}
Jesus is about to leave the mercy seat of the heavenly
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sanctuary to put on garments of vengeance and pour out His
wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given
them. "Because
sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of
the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Instead of being softened by the patience and long
forbearance that the Lord has exercised toward them, those who fear not God and
love not the truth strengthen their hearts in their evil course. But there are
limits even to the forbearance of God, and many are exceeding these boundaries.
They have overrun the limits of grace, and therefore God must interfere and
vindicate His own honor.
{5T
207.4}
Of the Amorites the Lord said: "In the
fourth generation
they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet
full." Although this nation was conspicuous because of its idolatry and
corruption, it had not yet filled up the cup of its iniquity, and God would not
give command for its utter destruction. The people were to see the divine power
manifested in a marked manner, that they might be left
without excuse. The compassionate Creator was willing to bear with their
iniquity until the fourth generation. Then, if no change was seen for the
better, His judgments were to fall upon them. {5T 208.1}
With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all
nations. While His mercy is tendered with calls to repentance, this account
will remain open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has
fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed. Divine
patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf. {5T 208.2}
The prophet, looking down the ages, had this time presented before his vision.
The nations of this age have been the recipients of unprecedented mercies. The
choicest of heaven's blessings have been given them, but increased pride,
covetousness, idolatry, contempt of God, and base ingratitude are written
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against them. They are fast closing up their account with God.
{5T 208.3}
But that which
causes me to tremble is the fact that those
who have had the greatest light and privileges have become contaminated by the
prevailing iniquity.
Influenced by the
unrighteous around them, many, even of those who profess the truth, have grown cold and are borne
down by the strong current of evil. The universal scorn thrown upon true piety and holiness
leads those who do not connect closely with God to lose their reverence for His
law. If they were following the light and obeying the truth from the heart,
this holy law would seem even more precious to them when thus despised and set
aside. As the disrespect for God's law becomes more manifest, the line of
demarcation between its observers and the world becomes more distinct. Love for
the divine precepts increases with one class according as contempt for them
increases with another class. {5T 209.1}
The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time
for God's visitation has about come. Although loath to punish, nevertheless He will punish,
and that speedily.
Those who walk in the light will see signs of the approaching peril; but they are not to sit in quiet,
unconcerned expectancy of the ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that
God will shelter His people in the day of visitation. Far
from it. They should realize that it is their duty to labor diligently to save others, looking with strong faith
to God for help. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much." {5T 209.2}
The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its power. At the time when the
danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in
the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the
land. But more especially will their prayers arise in behalf
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of the church because its members are doing after the manner
of the world. {5T 209.3}
The earnest prayers of this faithful few will not be in vain. When the Lord
comes forth as an avenger, He will also come as a protector of all those who have
preserved the faith in its purity and kept themselves unspotted from the world. It is at this time that God has
promised to avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear
long with them. {5T 210.1}
God Departs
The command is: "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." These sighing, crying ones had been
holding forth the words of life; they had reproved, counseled,
and entreated. Some
who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled
their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from
Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and
presence were lacking. {5T 210.2}
In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted
followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which is
expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over
the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those
who have a zeal for God's honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace
to obtain favor of any. Their righteous souls are
vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous.
They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are
filled with grief and alarm. They mourn before God to see religion despised in the
very homes of those who have had great light. They
lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and
deception of almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit
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of God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot, while the servants of
Satan triumph. God is dishonored, the truth made of none effect. {5T 210.3}
The class who do not feel grieved over
their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left
without the seal of God. The Lord commissions His messengers, the men with slaughtering weapons
in their hands: "Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your
eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and
little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark;
and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the
ancient men which were before the house." {5T 211.1}
Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was
the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had
given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of
the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need
not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former
days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say:
The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He
is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus "Peace and
safety" is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like
a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob
their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just
vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish
together. {5T 211.2}
The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all
that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the
worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were
unrevealed. The
great Searcher of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by the workers
of iniquity. These persons come to feel secure in their deceptions and, because
of His long-suffering, say that the Lord
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seeth not, and then act as though He had forsaken the earth.
But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which
they were so careful to hide. {5T
211.3}
No superiority of rank, dignity, or
worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from
sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous
prove to be ring-leaders in apostasy and
examples in indifference and in the abuse of God's mercies. Their wicked course He will tolerate no longer, and in
His wrath He deals with them without mercy. {5T 212.1}
God
Withdraws
It is with reluctance
that the Lord withdraws His presence from those who have been blessed
with great light and who have felt the power of the word in ministering to
others. They
were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they
departed from Him and led others into error, and therefore are brought under the divine
displeasure. {5T 212.2}
The day of God's vengeance is just upon us. The seal of God will be placed upon
the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the
land. Those who link
in sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the drunken and will
surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity. "The eyes of the Lord are over the
righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord
is against them that do evil." {5T 212.3}
Our own course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of
the living God or be cut down by the destroying weapons. Already a few drops of
God's wrath have fallen upon the earth; but when the seven last plagues shall
be poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, then it will be forever too late to repent and find shelter.
No atoning blood will then wash away the stains of sin. {5T 212.4}
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
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which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall
be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that
same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall
be found written in the book." When this time of trouble comes, every case
is decided; there is no longer probation, no longer mercy for the impenitent.
The seal of the living God is upon His people. This small remnant, unable to defend themselves in the
deadly conflict with the powers of earth that are marshaled by the dragon host,
make God their defense. The decree has been passed by the
highest earthly authority that they shall worship the beast and receive his
mark under pain of persecution and death. May God help His people now, for what
can they then do in such a fearful conflict without
His assistance! {5T 212.5}
Courage, fortitude,
faith, and implicit trust in God's power to save do not come in a moment. These heavenly graces are acquired by the experience of
years. By a life of
holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right the
children of God were sealing their destiny. Beset with temptations without
number, they knew they must resist firmly or be conquered. They felt that they
had a great work to do, and at any hour they might be called to lay off their armor; and should they come to the close of life with their
work undone, it would be an eternal loss. They eagerly accepted the light from
heaven, as did the first disciples from the lips of Jesus. When those early
Christians were exiled to mountains and deserts, when left in dungeons to die
with hunger, cold, and torture, when martyrdom seemed the only way out of their
distress, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ, who
was crucified for them. Their
worthy example will be a comfort and encouragement to the people of God who
will be brought into the time of trouble such as never was. {5T 213.1}
Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed.
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There are many even among
those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their
foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master's will, they
understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with
prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith. They
should have commanded their households after them, that by a well-ordered
family they might present to the world the influence of the truth upon the
human heart. {5T 213.2}
Effect of Wrong Influence
By their lack of devotion and piety, and their
failure to reach a high religious standard, they make other souls contented
with their position. Men of finite judgment cannot see that in patterning after
these men who have so often opened to them the treasures of God's word, they
will surely endanger their souls. Jesus is the only true pattern. Everyone must now search
the Bible for himself upon his knees before God, with the humble, teachable
heart of a child, if he would know what the Lord requires of him. However high any minister may have stood
in the favor of God, if he neglects to follow out the
light given him of God, if he refuses to be taught as a little child, he will
go into darkness and satanic delusions and will lead others in the same path. {5T 214.1}
Not one of us will
ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon
them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse
the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter
rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of
Pentecost. {5T 214.2}
We are too easily satisfied with our attainments. We feel rich and increased
with goods and know not that we are "wretched, and miserable, and poor,
and blind, and naked." Now is the time to heed the admonition of the True
Witness: "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried
in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be
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clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." {5T 214.3}
In this life we must meet fiery trials and make costly sacrifices, but the
peace of Christ is the reward. There has been so little self-denial, so little
suffering for Christ's sake, that the cross is almost entirely forgotten. We must be partakers with Christ of His
sufferings if we would sit down in triumph with Him on His throne. So long as
we choose the easy path of self-indulgence and are frightened at self-denial,
our faith will never become firm, and we cannot know the peace of Jesus nor the
joy that comes through conscious victory. The most exalted of the redeemed host that stand before
the throne of God and the Lamb, clad in white, know the conflict of overcoming,
for they have come up through great tribulation. Those who have yielded to circumstances
rather than engage in this conflict will not know how to stand in that day when
anguish will be upon every soul, when, though Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the
land, they could save neither son nor daughter, for everyone must deliver his
soul by his own righteousness. {5T 215.1}
No one need say that his case is hopeless, that he cannot live the life of a
Christian. Ample provision is made by the death of Christ for every soul. Jesus
is our ever-present help in time of need. Only call upon Him in faith, and He
has promised to hear and answer your petitions. {5T 215.2}
Oh, for a living, active faith! We need it; we must have it, or we shall faint
and fail in the day of trial. The darkness that will then rest upon our path
must not discourage us or drive us to despair. It is the veil with which God
covers His glory when He comes to impart rich blessings. We should know this by
our past experience. In that day when God has a controversy with His people
this experience will be a source of comfort and hope. {5T 215.3}
It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the
world. It is now that we must wash our robes
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of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It
is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is
now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character.
"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." We are in
a most trying position, waiting, watching for our Lord's appearing. The world
is in darkness. "But ye, brethren," says Paul, "are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." It is ever God's
purpose to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and rest out of
weariness for the waiting, longing soul. {5T 215.4}
What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are
receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark
of the beast. Those
who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and
purifying their souls by obeying the truth these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads.
When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will
remain pure and spotless for eternity. {5T 216.1}
Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the
forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead
of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the
forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive
the seal must be without spot before God--candidates for heaven. Go forward, my
brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time,
merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the
Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the
present hour. {5T 216.2}