November 2000

[Part Forty-two]

“SEALS OF GOD”

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SEAL- from Gk 4972 “To stamp with a signet or private mark for security or for preservation; to keep secret; to attest; set a seal upon; seal up, or stop.” From 4973 “A signet (as fencing in or protecting from misappropriation; the stamp impressed (a mark of privacy or genuineness).” And from 5420 “To fence or enclose; to block up; to stop; and to silence!” From 5424 “To rein in or curb.”

In official transactions, a government or royal seal is often affixed to documents by making a deep impression with some metal signet engraved with a unique design to establish authentication, ownership or authorization. Seals may also be large stones to enclose, fence, or block hostile intent (such a sealing a well, or sealing a tomb) to provide protection or preservation. An invisible seal of restraint may also be used to assure security or privacy such as keeping a thing secret by curbing, stopping, or reining in the human tongue- thus imposing silence!!
                When God “sets His Seal” on anything, He indeed creates a deep impression on it with the royal insignia of His wonderful Name to establish Sole Proprietorship. But He also seals with a Great Stone that “shuts so no man can open”! (Rev 3:7) Finally, there is a Seal of Silence that is imposed upon the hearts and minds and lips of men to prevent them from prematurely revealing the “Secrets of the Lord”! Jesus often told certain people to whom He had revealed Himself, not to tell what He had done, for it was yet to remain secret between God and themselves.

“Secret Things belong to the Lord; but those things that are revealed
belong forever to US and our children so we may fulfill and perform
all the Words of this Law- which is His Royal Law of Love!” (Dt 29:29)

                Only those things of infinite importance would require and receive God’s Sovereign Seal! Let us learn of these Seals. First, Christ (typified by the King) says of His Church, “She is My sister, an enclosed, secret garden; and My bride (the virgin with oil in her lamp; Mt 25:1) a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed!” (Ca 4:12) This speaks of all who have come to know and love their beloved Bridegroom, although they have not yet seen Him face to face. But at last, the hour is come, we are now being drawn into our Wedding Chamber to begin eternal intercourse with our true Husband!
                We see this same relationship in the story of Esther (lit. “star”- typifying the Church) queen of Ahasuerus (lit. “Prince, head or chief”) who was raised up to rule over the house of wicked Haman who had conspired to kill Mordecai the spokesman (typifying the Holy Spirit) for her Jewish people- but instead was hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai! Then the king issued a proclamation that all Jews should gather together and defend themselves against, and reap the spoils of any hostile force that tried to assault them; and that order was “Sealed with the king’s signet”!! (Es 8:10) Just as this seal upon Esther’s people could not be reversed by any man (v.8), neither may any successful assault be launched against those who are protected by the sacred “Seal of God”!!
                God has sealed a people from the foundation of the world that are in His protective custody, and cannot be harmed without dire consequences. As it is clearly shown in the account of Haman, it is not by the hand of God’s chosen ones that painful or mortal repercussions come to those who “touch God’s Anointed”, but it is by their own hand! It is called the divine Law of reciprocity that ‘Those who sow to the flesh, reap to themselves corruption (death)”!! (Gal 6:8)

[TO BE CONTINUED]