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The Seal and the Earnest (2)

H A Barnes, Bromborough

THE EPISTLES

Romans

The first mention of the seal in this epistle is in connection with circumcision - "(Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal" (Rom 4.11). The mark of validation and authenticity of Abraham being in the good of the covenant was the sign of circumcision. Secondly we read: "When I have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain" (Rom 15.28). Safe delivery of the proceeds of the collection that Paul had arranged for the poor saints at Jerusalem would prove the authenticity of the ministry, so that it was "signed, sealed and delivered", and thus "Paul was going himself to see that it was placed securely in their hands" (Barnes' New Testament Notes).

1 & 2 Corinthians

The use of the seal in writing to the Corinthian believers concentrated on the idea of authority and authentication, since Paul's apostleship was under question. Hence, the initial thought with respect to sealing is spoken of by him in "the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord" (1 Cor 9.2). God's seal of approval on, and confirmation and proof of, Paul's apostleship was the very existence of these Corinthian (and other Gentile) believers "in the Lord". Their conversion following his preaching accompanied by miracles ("the signs of an apostle", Rom 15.18,19; 2 Cor 12.12), and their gifts conferred through Paul (1 Cor 1.7), all taken together, vouched for the reality of his apostleship. Later, Paul reminded them that "(God) hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (2 Cor 1.22). For Paul, and also Silas and Timothy, God had put His seal of approval on their ministry, guaranteeing its genuineness for all of them. As well as proving their present ministry, He gave them the promise of future blessing in their hearts the very centre of their being.

Paul told the Corinthians that "Godhath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord" (2 Cor 5.5-6). So the Holy Spirit present in them gives the confident assurance of the reality of future blessing, especially of being at home with the Lord in heaven.

Lastly, Paul was keenly aware here (as to the Romans, see above) that the collection that he had organised for the poor saints should be conveyed to Jerusalem free from all suspicion (2 Cor 8.18-23), sealed, that is delivered over safely, and protected on the way either by a literal seal, or more likely, authenticated by Paul's good name.

Ephesians

The Holy Spirit is God's gift to the believer, as clearly stated at least nine times in the New Testament (see Acts 2.38: 5.32; 10.45; 15.8; Rom 5.5; 1 Thess 4.8; 2 Tim 1.14; 1 Jn 3.24; 4.13) as the Lord Jesus promised: "He the Spirit of truth shall be in you" (Jn 14.16-17). The Holy Spirit fulfils a number of functions in us, among them being the earnest and seal, with the former being God's pledge of our future blessing, and the latter being His mark of ownership and authenticity. The Holy Spirit is given to believers now as a first instalment that assures them of their full inheritance to come as sons of God, and so we read they are "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession" (Eph 1.13-14). The Spirit is the pledge of the fulfilment of "all the promises" (2 Cor 1.20). The witnessing to our hearts that we are the children of God, and heirs (Rom 8.16-18), is the Spirit's present testimony, the "earnest of the (coming) inheritance" (Eph 1.11).

Then we read of "the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto (for) the day of redemption" (Eph 4.30, RV). As in Ephesians 1.13, believers are said to be sealed "in Christ", so here they are sealed "in the Holy Spirit" as the element, with the Greek construction used implying that the sealing was done once for all.

2 Timothy

Having just described how some people had gone astray from the truth, Paul assured Timothy that "the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knows those that are his; and, Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity" (2 Tim 2.19, JND). God's firm foundation - true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - carries a seal of authentication. Some have suggested that this can be taken as a reference to a double-sided seal which bore two inscriptions, here used metaphorically of one inscription Godward - "The Lord knows those that are his", and the other man-ward  "Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity". The two taken together give a properly balanced view of authentic Christianity. In a day of mere profession, some would hesitate to judge whether a particular person is really a Christian. However, we have every right to expect a person making such a profession to depart from evil  "by their fruits ye shall know them" (Mt 7.20).

Revelation

The idea of seals or sealing is mentioned 22 times in the book of Revelation! In a book where ownership and authenticity is important, this is hardly surprising.

It has been pointed out that in Roman law all six witnesses had to break their own seals to open a will in order to read it out after the death of the testator who made it, the seal of the testator being the seventh. Another authority has suggested that "a will in Roman law bore the seven seals of the seven witnesses". Whichever way we see it, this is the thought taken up in Revelation 5.1. But this sealed book of doom calls for no witnesses other than God Himself (7.2).

Identification, possession, protection, and security are then in view as John sees "another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads" (Rev 7.2-3). This divine protection is for the 144,000 "of all the tribes of the children of Israel" (Rev 7.4), and when judgment eventually fell it was on "only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads" (Rev 9.4). Later, we read of the successful preservation of the sealed Israelites as they are on the verge of the millennial Kingdom with the Lamb who "stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads" (Rev 14.1), thus making clear what the mark will be. They had God's mark impressed on their foreheads, and therefore they did not have room for the mark of the Beast (13.16; 14.9; 20.4). The forehead was also the place of the name of the great whore (Rev 17.5), while the Lamb's servants will bear His name on their foreheads (22.4).

Conclusion

The metaphorical use of the seal and the earnest are very prominent in the New Testament, with particular reference to the believer and the Holy Spirit, but also with regard to service. In all cases the seal speaks of accreditation, attestation, confirmation, guarantee, identification, possession, protection, security, or validation, while the earnest speaks of the pledge, guarantee, promise, surety, or token whereby good intentions with regard to future promised action are given.

Concluded.

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