What Does it Mean to Have the Seal of God on My Forehead?
- Clarence L. Haynes Jr. Contributing Writer
- Updated Jan 15, 2021
Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. – Revelation 7:3
In Revelation 7, in the middle of John revealing what will happen at the end of the age, God puts a seal on 144,000 people:12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. There is some debate in Christian circles as to whether that is a literal or figurative number. Regardless, those that are sealed go into the world and are witnesses for Christ during this period known as the great tribulation.
As important as it is to understand what this means for these 144,000, what about you? Has God put his seal on you? If he has, then what does it mean to have the seal of God on your forehead? There is great importance to being sealed by God so let’s discover what it means.
What Is the Purpose of a Seal?
There are a few different definitions for the word ‘seal.’ I want to focus on three. A seal:
- Guarantees safety
- Is a mark of ownership
- Certifies that something is real or authentic
In biblical times, as well as today, when a seal was attached to a document, it gave that document legitimacy. If you want an example of the power of a seal, I encourage you to read the story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38. (By the way, you will discover that scandalous things happened even in scripture.) In the story, Tamar uses the seal as evidence to save her life. (That’s all I am telling you. If you want the full details, you have to read it.)
Another example can be found in Nehemiah 2 when Nehemiah requested that letters be sent to the governors of Trans-Euphrates guaranteeing safe passage. A second letter was sent to Asaph to provide timber for him.
The Bible doesn’t mention the seal, but those letters would have no value unless the king’s seal was on them. Understanding this, let’s apply this to your life so you will know what it means to have the seal of God on your forehead.
What Is the Seal of God?
The seal of God is God’s mark of identification or ownership. It guarantees your eternal safety and certifies that your relationship with God is real.
The same way the 144,000 in Revelation were marked and identified, you too are marked. However, your seal, which is not visible on your forehead, at least physically, carries with it some great authority.
What Is the Power of the Seal of God?
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. – Ephesians 1:13-14
What you notice from this verse in Ephesians is that you are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Please do not underestimate the power of those words. You are marked by God the Holy Spirit.
To make the language even clearer, when you give your life to Christ, God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your heart. Please let that soak into your heart for a moment. Because understanding that one truth can literally transform your life. Let me repeat it again for purpose:
You are marked and sealed by God the Holy Spirit.
When you think of what it means to have the seal of God on your forehead, take it a step further and ask what does it mean to have God the Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart? This is the power of the seal you are marked with.
What Is the Provision of the Seal of God?
There are three things the seal of God provides you, and we will identify them from this passage in Ephesians 1:13-14:
1. Inclusion – You are included in Christ. This means that because you belong to him, then what he has belongs to you. For example, because you are in Christ, his righteousness becomes your righteousness. Notice this verse:
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:21
You can also apply this same principle to his strength, his grace, his love, his compassion, his provision, his power. Because you are included with Christ, his ability works in you and through you because of the Holy Spirit that lives inside you.
2. Identity – Because you are sealed, your identity is found in Christ. This means when God sees you, he identifies you as one of his very own, because you have been sealed. It also means that Satan recognizes you as belonging to God as well.
I want to divert for a moment and recognize that Satan is the great copycat. Notice that God sealed the 144,000 with a mark on their forehead identifying them as his very own. Notice what Satan does with the mark of the beast in Revelation 13:15-17. He creates a way of sealing or identifying those that are his own. Like I said, the great copycat.
3. Inheritance – The third thing we see from Ephesians is that this seal, the promised Holy Spirit, guarantees your inheritance. This is so important because one of the definitions of a seal we mentioned earlier is that it certifies that something is real or authentic.
You can walk with confidence today, because of the Holy Spirit within you, knowing that your salvation is real. The forgiveness of all your sins is real. Your eternity in heaven with Jesus is real. Your hope in Christ is real. Even though it has not been revealed yet, you can be confident it will happen because you have a seal or mark that God will honor.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
What Does the Seal of God Mean for Living in the Last Days?
As you begin to look at the signs, it feels more and more evident that the return of Christ is drawing closer.
With this being so, then is there another answer to the question what does it mean to have the seal of God on my forehead? I believe the answer is: it identifies what you should be doing, very similarly to the 144,000 in Revelation. You need to be his witnesses.
Consider what happens after the 144,000 are sealed in Revelation 7:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. – Revelation 7:9-14
Why is this scene so important?
There are some who believe that this multitude of those clothed in white represents those who receive Christ because of the efforts and witness of the 144,000. If this is true, then there is a great lesson for us who are marked by the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t want us to sit idly by waiting for our inheritance to be revealed. God wants you and me to be active participants in sharing the gospel and hopefully winning more people for the kingdom.
In other words, your sealing or marking comes with a purpose, which grows more urgent and necessary as we see the day approaching.
Conclusion
You are marked. You are sealed. You belong to God. Your eternity is secured. Your sins are forgiven. The hope of heaven is yours. I encourage you as you are marked and empowered by God the Holy Spirit, to allow God to use you to be his witness in the earth.
It was the last thing Jesus told his disciples before he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:8) and it should be the top priority for you and me until he comes again.
Recommended for You:
What Happens after the Tribulation?
Who Are the 144,000 of Revelation?
Who Is Tamar in the Bible and Why Is She Important?
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ismagilov
This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library. Learn more about the rapture, the anti-christ, bible prophecy and the tribulation with articles that explain Biblical truths. You do not need to fear or worry about the future!
Battle of Armageddon
Tribulation
Signs of the End Times
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Seventh Seal Opened
What Is the Death Angel?
