PURPOSE: To Reveal some of the standards that are required to qualify for the seal and book a place among the 144 000.
INTRODUCTION:
From the 10 Lessons covered so far, we have seen that the sealing of the 144 000 takes place in the SDA Church before the blowing of the 4 winds (mark of the Beast), before the slaughter of Ezekiel 9, before the Loud Cry. The church is the first to be judged among the living on earth, then afterward judgment goes on to the world. The 144 000 SDAs are the First fruits of this first harvest. Then they shall preach the Sabbath (3rd Angel’s message in the Loud Cry phase) to harvest or gather the Great Multitude from the world. At that time the nations of the world will have to choose either Sabbath or mark of the Beast – Sunday.
1. WHAT IS THE SEAL OF THE 144 000?
Rev 7:1-4 /Ezek. 9:1-6.
TM 445 “This sealing of the servants of God is the same that was shown to Ezekiel in vision.” TM 445. Letter 126, 1898 “It is a mark which angels, but not human eyes can read, for the destroying angel must see this mark of redemption.”
Manuscript 173, 1902 “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 truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved.”
3T. 267 “Mark this point with care: those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by the man in linen, are those ‘that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done’ in the church.”
RH volume 1 No. 3, August 1849.” The Lord has shown me that precious souls are starving and dying for
want of the present truth, sealing truth, the meat in due season.”
Therefore, the seal is an ID which the sealing Angel of God puts on the foreheads of those who accept the Present Truth of their time, and conform to the preparatory standards (Revival and Reformation) required.
EW 63 “There are many precious truths contained in the word of God, but it is ‘present truth’ that the flock needs now.”
2. WILL THE WHOLE SDA CHURCH BE SEALED?
1SM 121-122 “Are we awake to the work that is going on in the heavenly sanctuary, or are we waiting for some compelling power to come upon the church before we shall arouse? Are we hoping to see the whole church revived? That time will never come. There are persons in the church who are not converted, and who will not unite in earnest, prevailing prayer. We must enter upon the work individually.”
5T. 213 – 214 “Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. 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.”
3. THE QUALIFICATIONS
5T.214, 216 “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. 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…..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. 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.”
EW 270 “I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth.”
5T. 211 “The class who do not feel grieved over their spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God.”
Letter 12, 1886 / 4BC 1161. “The angel with a 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.”
This seal is not the Sabbath (3rd Angel’s message) because those receiving this seal are already Sabbath keepers, already accepted the Third Angel’s Message. Moreover, not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed! Only a small portion – the 144 000!
This seal is given only to those who accept the message of Reform – the sealing message of the 144 000 = the 4th Angel’s message. Then they sigh and cry.
To “sigh” = “feel grieved over their spiritual declension” 5T. 211.” to exalt the standard” EW 270. I.e., to revive and reform.
To “Cry” = “mourn over the sins of others” 5T. 211.
“Pour forth the straight truth.” EW 270.i.e. to be revived by, and teach others the reformatory message – the 4th Angel’s message or judgment of the living message, which is the only one announcing the sealing and slaughter.”
The seal is a heavenly identity (mark) given to believers of Present Truth, the 4th Angel’s message, the extra oil. It is the wedding garment, the Righteousness of Christ. Then these sealed ones are given angelic guards to protect them up to the 2nd coming, without dying. These living saints to be translated are the numbered 144 000.
The qualification to receive the seal is to reform and teach reformation in the SDA church, no matter how much you are evangelizing in the world!
4. WHAT MAKES ONE ELIGIBLE? (1TG 7: 3-12)
A number of brethren have written to me from time to time, wanting to know what makes them eligible to receive the Seal of God. Some want to know whether they will be sealed by doing this or by doing that. Others want to know whether they will be left without the seal by not doing this or not doing the other.
The questions are indeed very timely and commendable. Such vital questions deserve answers as concrete as are the questions themselves. And who can give a more concrete answer than those who have gone before us, those whose duties were similar to ours, those who were passing through a similar experience, those who traveled the same road that we are traveling, those who were preparing themselves for the Kingdom as are we.
In whom do we find such a parallel? — In no others than those who left Egypt and started for the Promised Land. No, in none others. They are our only type. Says Inspiration: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Cor. 10:11.) Their duties, therefore, are our duties, and their failures should be our stepping stones to success. Thus it is that the deeds of those who entered into the promised land must be our deeds, and if we are to be sealed, then the deeds of those who failed to enter therein, we must shun as completely and as quickly as we would shun a lion’s den….And you remember what took place the night of the Passover, the night before they left Egypt: Moses had proclaimed throughout the land that in every dwelling where no blood was found on the doorpost, that very night the firstborn in each such dwelling would die.
Those who disobeyed the Divine injunction, were, on the day following busily moaning and burying their dead, while those who obeyed the command were joyously and orderly marching out of the cities. Yes, only those who were able to take orders were made free from slavery. It is, therefore, prerequisite that we learn to take orders if we are to receive the seal of God in our foreheads….. Israel’s real danger, we now see, was not in what Moses did, but in their unbelief of God’s having the reins in His hands, in not knowing that His ways are beyond finding out — contrary to ours. They failed to see that God could again and again perform miracle after miracle to deliver them from their enemy’s hand, that He could dry the ocean as easily as He could flood the earth.
Having their failures before us, we should make them our stepping stones to success. Let us therefore wholeheartedly believe that God is in charge of our salvation, of our lives and of our death, too. That He is able to take us to safety even if the earth should drop out of space, that we cannot die if He wants us alive, and that we cannot live if He wants us dead. Let us ever bear in mind that we of ourselves know nothing about God’s plans except as told through His appointed servants, the prophets, and as we witness them day by day. If we daily walk with God, if we commit all to Him, then the responsibility is all His…. Who went into the Promised Land? — All but the murmurers. Do you suppose that you can entertain the same spirit of murmuring and complaining, and in spite of it receive the seal? — How absurd the very thought! How unfair it would be for a just God to destroy the disobedient of that day, but to save the disobedient of this day.
What made one group eligible to cross the Jordan? — It was their trust in God, knowing that He was their Chief Leader. They recognized Moses and Joshua as the ones through whom God was communicating with them. They did not look upon them as being anyone other than who they actually were. They were satisfied with their lot. They took orders as the orders were given. So it was that they were the only ones who entered into the land.
Having these ensamples before us, this picture to go by, I can confidently tell whether I am headed for the Kingdom or whether I am headed for the bowels of the earth (Rev. 12:16). And I am sure that you, too, can tell which way you are headed. The Lord does not require more or less of us than He required of our types. There is therefore no mystery as to what we must do, and what we must not do to receive the seal of God….Only when we have done all we can to comply with the requirements of the message for today, not of yesterday, shall we be sealed and stand with the Lamb on Mt. Zion.”
5. WHAT ARE THE ABOMINATIONS TO SIGH & CRY FOR?
There are so many. Here are some of the them:
1. Rejecting Elijah’s message (4th Angel’s message) RH May 27 1890 /TM 475.
2. Rejecting the Spirit of Prophecy – 5T.217, 680.
3. Rejecting – Health Reform, Dress Reform, Sabbath Reform,… Counsels on Diet /Ministry of Healing / 5T. 356 -360, 378
4. Lukewarmness and refuse personal investigation of unfolding truth. Counsels to Writers and Editors (CWE) 33 – 36 /TM 70, 106 – 107, 300 / Rev. 3:14-17 2SM 66 5T. 708 – 709 /3T. 252 – 253.
5. Use of un-inspired Literature and traditions of men (CWE 33-34, 5T. 681 /TM 70-71) to refute the 4th Angel’s message.
6. Irreverence in the House of God Eva. 641 – 642, 147 / TM 142 – 143 / and improper attitude in prayer e.g. standing in prayer (IISM 312 – 314) and Merchandise in the House of God; i.e. building promotions, fund raising, sales promotions on the Sabbath day (Isa 56:71 /IT. 471 – 472 / 8T. 250 / Counsels on Sabbath School Work 129 – 130, 3T. 411 – 412.
7. There are other deeper abominations that provoke “the Lord Jesus shall rise up from His mediatorial work in the heavenly sanctuary and shall cloth Himself with the garment of vengeance and surprise them at their unholy feast…” 5T. 690. This is during the half hour (7 days) silence in the Heavenly Sanctuary – time of Ezek.9 slaughter. The deeper abominations include: Rejection of the 3rd Angel’s message, etc. due to ecumenical agreements – to suit other churches (See CWE 26-27/IT. 578 /Mal 3:5 /Ezek. 8:3-16 /GC 234 – 235 /EW 123 /EW 258 – 259 /2SM 384 –385).
DRESS REFORM
MH 289-292 “But our clothing, while modest and simple, should be of good quality, of becoming colors, and suited for service. It should be chosen for durability rather than display. It should provide warmth and proper protection…. It was the adversary of all good who instigated the invention of the ever-changing fashions. He desires nothing so much as to bring grief and dishonor to God by working the misery and ruin of human beings. One of the means by which he most effectually accomplishes this is the devices of fashion that weaken the body as well as enfeeble the mind and belittle the soul…..Another serious evil is the wearing of skirts so that their weight must be sustained by the hips. This heavy weight, pressing upon the internal organs, drags them downward and causes weakness of the stomach and a feeling of lassitude, inclining the wearer to stoop, which further cramps the lungs, making correct breathing more difficult…..By this practice, women and young girls are doing themselves untold harm. It is essential to health that the chest have room to expand to its fullest extent in order that the lungs may be enabled to take full inspiration. When the lungs are restricted, the quantity of oxygen received into them is lessened. The blood is not properly vitalized, and the waste, poisonous matter which should be thrown off through the lungs is retained. In addition to this the circulation is hindered, and the internal organs are so cramped and crowded out of place that they cannot perform their work properly.”
HEALTH REFORM
“It was at the home of Brother A. Hilliard, at Otsego, Michigan, June 6, 1863, that the great subject of health reform was opened before me in vision” (CD481).
Nine years later the vision was repeated with an addition that “Health reform…..is part of the third angel’s message, and is just as closely connected with it as are the arm and hand with the human body” (IT.486-487 /CD33).
Fried foods (CD 320 /323)-all becomes grease, has formed benzopropynes a cancer carcinogen. Eating between meals (CD 179) – indigestion, fermentation, constipation etc.Drinking Tea/Coffee CD 420 – All have nicotine, theobromine – a poisonous stimulants. Would cause habitual fatigue and mental problems.Drinking water at meals (CD 420) – arrests digestion, causes constipation, fermentation, etc.Late heavy suppers (CD 173) /Overeating (CD 131) – all cause fermentation, constipation, toxemia, etc.Same food daily (CD 112, 113) – Malnutrition, allergies, etc.Bad cooking a sin (CD 251-256).God’s people will be vegetarians by the 2nd coming –Isa9:6-7 (CD 382-384).
Health Reform to prepare God’s people: “For the Loud Cry of the third angel” (CD 33), for “the refreshing or power of God” (CD 33), for the Latter Rain (CD33).“To discern sacred truth….and fitted for immortality “(3T161-162) (CD69). To purify the church (CD33), to prepare the church for 2nd Coming and translation (CD 380-382).
Counsels for the Church 101-102 – ““Satan gathered the fallen angels together to devise some way of doing the most possible evil to the human family. One proposition after another was made, till finally Satan himself thought of a plan. He would take the fruit of the vine, also wheat, and other things given by God as food, and would convert them into poisons, which would ruin man’s physical, mental, and moral powers, and so overcome the senses that Satan should have full control.”
TM 473 ““As the people of God approach the perils of the last days, Satan holds earnest consultation with his angels as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their faith. He sees that the popular churches are already lulled to sleep by his deceptive power. By pleasing sophistry and lying wonders he can continue to hold them under his control. Therefore he directs his angels to lay their snares especially for those who are looking for the second advent of Christ and endeavoring to keep all the commandments of God…..“Says the great deceiver: “We must watch those who are calling the attention of the people to the Sabbath of Jehovah; they will lead many to see the claims of the law of God… “The Sabbath is the great question which is to decide the destiny of souls. We must exalt the sabbath of our creating. We have caused it to be accepted by both worldlings and church members; now the church must be led to unite with the world in its support….”I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of their hearers from the commandments of God. That which the Scriptures declare to be a perfect law of liberty shall be represented as a yoke of bondage. The people accept their minister’s explanations of Scripture and do not investigate for themselves. Therefore, by working through the ministers, I can control the people according to my will….”But our principal concern is to silence this sect of Sabbath keepers. We must excite popular indignation against them…”But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must exert all our wisdom and subtlety to deceive and ensnare those who honor the true Sabbath. We can separate many from Christ by worldliness, lust, and pride. They may think themselves safe because they believe the truth, but indulgence of appetite or the lower passions, which will confuse judgment and destroy discrimination, will cause their fall.”
SUMMARY
5T 211 “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 soul anguish, which is expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others try to throw the cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God’s honor and 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 great light. They lament afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit of God, which prompts to reproof is trampled underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph. God is dishonored the truth made of none effect…..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 a holy God, were unrevealed.”
2Ans. 32-33: Question 22: “If the sealing message of the 144,000 has been going to the church since 1929, are part (or all) of the 144,000 already sealed? Also if none can be sealed save they be free from sin and if some are now being sealed, then have they passed beyond sinning?
Answer: “If the sealing is not in progress now, then the sealing message which we have borne since 1929 would no more be present truth now than would the proclamation of the Judgment of the dead have been present truth from 1844 to 1929, had not the dead been judged during that period. Definitely, then the message of the sealing and the sealing itself go hand in hand the same as the needle and the shuttle travel together until the seam is completed…. And as reformation never takes place without a revelation of some new truth, then this “closing work for the church” must be accompanied by a message (Testimonies, Vol. 3,
p. 266), and must be proclaimed to all. And he who does not reform at the moment he is convinced of the Truth, will not reform later. Therefore, as the sealing message makes its way through the church, only those who awake and reform (sigh) and endeavor to share with others (cry) the light that is shining upon them, receive the seal. They are then accounted sinless through the perfection of Christ imparted in their behalf until they are given the “new heart” promised in Ezekiel 36:26, after which they will be forever sinless– forever without cause to repent….”(2Ans. 32-33).
Today is our day of choosing as to which side we should belong to hereafter: Those sighing and crying or those who are rejecting the call and deliberately choose to remain without the seal.