A study related to the SDA
Sabbath School Lesson for 2021, 2nd Quarter
The Promise: God’s Everlasting Covenant
Week 9
by Mary Zebrowski
Edited by Trent Wilde
This week’s lesson is entitled, “Covenant Sign” and deals with the Sabbath, which we know is the seal of God.
But is the Sabbath the entire seal?
To answer this question, let’s take a look at the example of the sealing of the people of God in Ezekiel 9, and some things Ellen White said concerning it.
Ezekiel 9:1-4 reads,
1Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
So, here we see that that there are 6 men involved in this interaction between God and His people. All six have battle axes, but one additionally has a writer’s inkhorn at his side. As they report for duty, God instructs the man with the inkhorn to go through and place a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and cry over all the abominations done within the city of Jerusalem.
Ellen White said this prophecy in Ezekiel 9 relates to God’s denominated people today. In Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, Ellen said,
“The true people of God, who have the spirit of the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at heart, will ever view sin in its real, sinful character. They will always be on the side of faithful and plain dealing with sins which easily beset the people of God. Especially in the closing work for the church, in the sealing time of the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are to stand without fault before the throne of God, will they feel most deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people. This is forcibly set forth by the prophet’s illustration of the last work under the figure of the men each having a slaughter weapon in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen, with a 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.'” Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, p. 266
So, here Ellen White connects this seal given here in Ezekiel with the seal that the 144,000 are to receive. This prophecy in Ezekiel 9 forcibly sets forth the truth that only some of the SDAs will be among the 144,000 because only some in Ezekiel 9 get the seal – the ones who sigh and cry for all the abominations done in the church.
This prophecy is again shown to apply to the SDA church in Testimonies for the Church Volume 5, in the chapter entitled “The Seal of God.” After quoting Ezekiel 9:3-4, Ellen says,
“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 against them. They are fast closing up their account with God.
But that which causes me to tremble is the fact that those who have had the greatest light and privileges [SDAs] 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 crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has about come. …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 of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world. …Here [in Ezekiel 9] we see that the church—the Lord’s sanctuary—was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God.” Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 207-211
So, if all SDAs accept the Sabbath, and only a “little company” of SDAs receive the seal of God, it seems clear that the seal that the 144,000 are to be sealed with must involve more than simply keeping the Sabbath.
And this is exactly what Ellen White relates to us from one of her visions concerning the 144,000. Ellen White said,
“The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name.” Ellen White, Early Writings, p. 15
In this vision, Ellen sees that there is a collection of aspects to the seal that will be written on the foreheads of the 144,000. Jesus writes on their foreheads three parts of a seal: God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name.
The “GOD” part seems easy enough to understand since we all know that the “seal of GOD” is the Sabbath. But what are these other aspects of the seal? Clearly, there is more. There is no question that this is very alarming, and of course, it should be! It is intended to stir our hearts out of its slumber, out of the idea that we are rich and have need of nothing – nothing more to search for in regard to present truth, no more new light to investigate – and to get us to wake up to the fact that there is more to the seal of God than just keeping the Sabbath. If you yourself are keeping the Sabbath, but still find that you continue to struggle with iniquity, with sin in your heart, then it should come as a welcome relief to know that you have more to learn, more to settle into.
Ellen White said,
“Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already.” Ellen White, Last Day Events, p. 219
Be encouraged, you have more truth to settle into! As Ellen says here, we need to settle into these sealing truths first intellectually, so that we can mentally grasp and understand them, and then spiritually, which is taking the truth beyond a theory of the mind and into a practical living experience in our lives. We need to understand the truth then live the truth. But here is the key…in order to know the truth and be set free from sin in your life, you must seek in order to find!
Ellen White said,
“Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” Ellen White, The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905
So, if you don’t understand all the aspects of the three-fold seal that will be written on the 144,000’s foreheads so you can settle into them intellectually and spiritually, we suggest you start searching!
What if these additional truths with which we need to be sealed have already been revealed and you just haven’t found them yet? We actually believe they have been revealed and we invite you to investigate them.
Further study: “Jesus’ New Name and Why We Need to Know It!” and “Do you know about the Judgment of the Living?“
