Would you be surprised to learn that God has a special sign, seal, or mark that He places upon His people?
Would you be startled to learn that unless a person bears this mark at Jesus’ return, he cannot enter God’s kingdom?Would you be shocked to discover that most people are totally unaware of God’s mark, and thus ignore it?
Would you be amazed to suddenly realize that God is much displeased that men are ignoring His carefully selected mark?
Would you be dumbfounded to find out that one great prime purpose of Revelation is to identify and restore God’s mark to His people.
Well, incredible as it may seem, the above live statements are true. Few things are as important to God as His mark. And, tragically, when God looks at most of His people today, He can only shake His head and sadly say: “The mark is missing.” It would be difficult to find a more important topic for study. Please pray much as you consider this most crucial matter.

GOD’s SEAL OF PROTECTION

1. Let’s move at once into the heart of the subject by reading Revelation 7:1-3. Notice that a mighty angel has commanded that the final winds of war and destruction not unleash their fury upon the earth and sea until something very important has been completed. What is that important something?

Ans: “Hurt not the earth … till we have _______________ the _______________ of _________ in their ___________________.”

NOTE: The angel is saying that God will not permit destruction to come upon the earth until His people have all received His seal or mark. With God, the marking of His people is an extremely imperative priority matter. Remember that in symbolic language, winds represent war, strife and destruction. See Exhibit #1, Lesson 1.

2. How widely will the serious messages of Revelation, including the truth about God’s seal, sign, or mark be presented? Revelation 14:6

Ans: “To every ___________ and ___________ and _________ and __________”.

NOTE: Seal, sign and mark are used interchangeably in Scripture. Romans 4:11, Ezekiel 9:4, Revelation 7:2-3.

3. What is a seal? How is it sometimes used in a figurative manner? Romans 4:11, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30

Ans: “A ____________ of Righteousness of the faith …” Grieve not the ________________ of God, whereby ye are _____________ _____________________”.

NOTE: In the Bible two figurative uses of the seal are made.

a. A seal may stand for a truth or requirement of God.
b. A seal may indicate God’s ownership and approval.

4. What three things does a government seal contain?

Ans: Government seals are used to officially identify national laws and authorize legal documents. Such a seal must give the law-giver’s a. Name, b. Title, and c. Territory over which he rules and has authority.

5. What is God’s seal in His Holy Law, the Ten Commandments? Exodus 20:8-11

Ans: “The ______________ day is the ________________ of the ____________ thy God … For in six days the Lord _____________________ heaven and earth”.

NOTE: The fourth commandment is the seal of God’s Ten Commandment Law because it states a. God’s Name (“The Lord thy God), b. His title or office as Creator (“Made”), and c. His dominion (“Heaven and Earth”). Thus, the fourth commandment sets forth in unmistakable language, the authority that is back of the Ten Commandments – the authority of our Creator and the Government of God.

6. Revelation is clear: we worship God because He is our Creator, Revelation 4:10-11, and REDEEMER, Revelation 5:9. What has God provided for His people as a sign, seal, or mark of His CREATING and REDEEMING power? Exodus 31:16-17, Ezekiel 20:12

Ans: ____________________________________________________________

NOTE: God, Himself, made the Sabbath a sign of His creating, redeeming power. When I keep it holy I demonstrate my acceptance of Him as my Creator and Saviour.

7. Where does the great angel of Revelation 7 say this sign or seal of God will be placed on a person? Revelation 7:3

Ans:  In their _______________________________________________”.

NOTE: The forehead represents the mind. We serve the Lord with our minds, Romans 7:25. So when we consent to keep God’s Sabbath we are marked, or signed, in our minds, which are represented by the forehead. Just think of it! Angels are holding back the fury of Satan until God’s people everywhere have accepted His sign.

 GOD’s HOLY SABBATH

8. When did God make the Sabbath? Genesis 2:1-4

Ans: When … the Lord God made the _____________________________ and the ________________________________”.

NOTE: After the six days of creation, God made the Sabbath on the seventh day.

9. From what did God make the Sabbath? Exodus 20:10

Ans: “The seventh ___________________________ is the Sabbath”.

NOTE: God made the Sabbath from a 24-hour day – the seventh day. It is made of time, and time is what it takes to develop a warm friendship with the Lord. He offers me 24 hours a week of His priceless time so He and I can become warm, close friends. A marriage cannot succeed unless the partners spend time together. Neither will my love relationship with the Lord succeed unless we are together. If the leader of my country offered to spend one day with med, how honored I would be! I would allow nothing to interfere with that appointment. But the King of the Universe, has planned into His incredibly important schedule an appointment to meet me one day a week. How can I ignore such an offer?

10. That three things did God do at creation that made the seventh day special? Genesis 2:2-3

Ans: And He _____________on the seventh day … and God ______________ the seventh day and ________________________ it”.

NOTE: “Sanctify” means to set aside for a sacred use. As the Bible is different from any other book, and our national flag is different from any other piece of cloth, so the Sabbath is totally different from any other day. The literal 24-hour period was made holy by God.

11. When God blesses something, for how long is it blessed? 1 Chronicles 17:27

Ans: “Thou blesses, O Lord, and it shall be blest _______________________ ”.

12. For whom did God make the Sabbath? Mark 2:27-28

Ans: “The Sabbath was made for __________________________________”.

NOTE: Some say that the Sabbath was made for the Jews only, and not for Gentiles. But Jesus says it was made for all men or people everywhere.

13. Read the Sabbath commandment, Exodus 20:8-11. What specific command is given here regarding the Sabbath?

Ans: “_____________ the ____________ day to ________________ it holy”.

NOTE: This command is so clear that a person would have to try hard to misunderstand it. It is the only command of the ten beginning with the word “Remember”. God saw that men would forget.

THE NEW TESTAMENT SABBATH

14. Have the ten commandments, which mandate Sabbath-keeping, ever been repealed? Luke 16:17

Ans: “It is easier for ________ and _________ to ______________ than for one ___________ of the _______________ to ____________________”.

NOTE: God’s law and His commandments are the same thing, Matthew 5:17-19, Romans 13:8-10.

 15. Which day did Jesus and Paul keep Holy? Luke 4:16, Acts 17:2

Ans: ______________________________________________ “.

16. How should it affect me, personally, to learn that Jesus kept the Sabbath? 1 Peter 2:21

Ans: Christ is my example. I should ___________________ in His steps.

NOTE: Since Jesus set an example for me in Sabbath-keeping, surely, I will want to follow Him in keeping it.

17. Did Christian Gentiles keep the Sabbath? Acts 13:42

Ans: __________________________________________________

NOTE: Verse 43 points out that these Sabbath-keeping Gentiles were also living under grace.

18. What did Jesus say that lets us know that He did not plan to change the Sabbath at the time of His resurrection? Matthew 24:20

Ans: Jesus said they should pray that they would not have to flee in winter or on the ______________ when Jerusalem fell.

NOTE: When Jesus made this statement, He knew that Jerusalem would be destroyed almost forty years in the future. But He said, “Pray that you won’t have to flee on the Sabbath”, because He expected them to be keeping the Sabbath forty years after His ascension.

GOD’s PEOPLE IDENTIFIED

19. How does Revelation refer to the people who will be saved in God’s Kingdom? Revelation 14:12, Revelation 12:17

Ans: As the people who “______________ the _____________”.

NOTE: This includes Sabbath-keeping, since it is the fourth commandment, Exodus 20:8-11.

20. Why is breaking God’s commandments, or law, so serious? 1 John 3:4

Ans: Because breaking God’s law is _______________, and the wages of sin is ____________. Romans 6:23

21. In Isaiah 58:1, God says, “cry aloud” and show “my people” their sin. What sin is He specifically referring to in verse 13?

 Ans: He said they were trampling upon His __________________

NOTE: In Isaiah’s day they were trampling upon God’s Sabbath seal. Men, today, are doing the same serious thing. God says that His own dear people, who love Him, are trampling His Sabbath under foot. His command is to “cry aloud” and explain the Sabbath to them, because His loving sheep will gladly follow Him in Sabbath-keeping when they understand. They long to please. That is why He claims them as His sheep.

22. What day will the saints keep in the New Earth? Isaiah 66:22-23

Ans: ________________________________________

23. What should be my motivation for obedience to God’s commands? John 14:15

Ans: Love of _______________________________________

24. How does Revelation show that a special message about the Sabbath sign or Seal will go to the world just before Jesus comes? Revelation 14:6-7,12,14

Ans: “Worship ____________ that ___________ ______________ and __________ “ “they that ___________ the _________________ of God, and the ____________ of Jesus”.

NOTE: This final presentation of the gospel calls the inhabitants of earth back to the worship of the Creator and actually quotes part of the 4th commandment, “Worship Him that “made heaven, and earth, and the sea” “. The recognition of God as our Creator becomes automatic when we recognize and observe His Sabbath. Also, it continually reminds us of our Roots as children of the Great Creator, God. The result of these final Three Angels’ Messages, Revelation 14:6-12, is to gather together and prepare a special people who will be loyally obedient to the commandments of God and be ready when Jesus returns. These are the people who will have God’s sign or seal (His Sabbath) in their foreheads.

25. What does God say, in the ten commandments, that I must do to demonstrate that I worship the creator? Exodus 20:8,11

Ans: “____________ the _____________ day to ____________ it ___________ … _________ in six days the ______________ __________ and ________________”.

NOTE: God commands that I keep the Sabbath holy as proof that I accept and worship Him as Creator. The importance of this commandment cannot be over-emphasized. If people had kept this commandment through the centuries, there would not be one single evolutionist, idolater, or pagan, today. No wonder God is calling people back to Sabbath-keeping at this time in history.

26. Why should Sabbath-keeping be especially exciting to a follower of the Lord Jesus? Mark 2:28

Ans: Because the Sabbath is the ________________ day.

NOTE: Remember! Jesus created everything in cooperation with His Father, John 1:1-3, 10:14, Hebrews 1:1-2, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:13-17. This, of course, includes the Sabbath. The Sabbath is thrilling and exciting to Christians because it centers in Jesus. It is HIS day. It represents: HIS power to create, HIS love, HIS power to save from sin and HIS miracles. And, most exciting of all, Jesus set this wonderful day aside to be with us and to help us become like Him. Jesus, at Eden, gave people two wonderful institutions to make them supremely happy: marriage and the Sabbath. He must often weep that so many people today ignore these two loving gifts, and thus end up with lives of misery and woe.

 

27. Isaiah 58:13-14 and other Bible passages point out that Sabbath keeping brings to a person blessings that are unbelievably rewarding. Would you like to begin receiving these blessings by sharing Jesus’ special day with Him?

 Ans: ______________________________