A Seal of the Living God

A SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD:

What is it? Answer, one of the most sacred truths that God ever gave in keeping to man, viz: “the Sabbath of the Lord our God.” As Moses gives the order of things, man was created the sixth day, and the next thing in order was the Sabbath. Then it was the first truth which man ever received from the mouth of God, in immediate connection with his existence. Jesus says, “the Sabbath was made for man;” then while man exists both in this mortal and after that, in the immortal state, this same Sabbath will be his to keep; see Isaiah 66:23. “From one Sabbath to another shall ALL FLESH come to worship before me saith the Lord.” Here then is a time when the Sabbath of the Lord our God will be kept by every living being. What say you that oppose and trample down God’s holy Sabbath, and say it’s abolished, or it’s changed, or to use a more modern phrase, it’s “RELAXED;” will you keep it here? your practice says no! Does it look like being kept where the time of trouble is in Europe? No, no! Where then? Answer, in the New Jerusalem, the Paradise of God, where it was first made for man, where all the Sabbath keepers and believers of this holy law will be assembled, the hundred and forty-four thousand who are now living on the earth. There is not one sentence from Gen. to Rev. to show that the seventh day Sabbath, was ever “changed”, “ABOLISHED,” or “RELAXED,” since God first made it for man. SLG 17.4

We have God’s word for it that it never will be; hear him: “my covenant will I not BREAK, nor ALTER the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:34. Again, “ye shall not ADD unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye DIMINISH aught from it that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God.” - Deuteronomy 4:2. SLG 18.1

Does not God’s covenant, his 10th commandment to us include the Sabbath. Is there any wise men in the land that can point to the chapter and verse in the whole word of God, and say here is where he has forfeited his word, and broke, and altered, or diminished his commandments. If the men are to be found, the chapter and verse is not. I suppose some will rise up and quote 2:14-17. Look ye, does not the 17th verse say these are shadows that are abolished? yes! Well, does not Isaiah show you as above stated, that there is no end to the Sabbath? yes! Well, did you ever see, or hear of a shadow to that which has no end? just as readily find a shadow to space! eternity! or to God!! Will you now come again with the 14th: of 2nd of 2 Corinthians 3: chapter, or Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Then you will only expose your own folly, for Paul has not furnished you with one argument to abolish God’s holy Sabbath. I tell you it’s beyond the reach of men. Has not Jesus said also, that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the least sentence or particle of the law to fail? It’s from everlasting to everlasting throughout the boundless ages of eternity; one eternal, unchanging, weekly Sabbath, forever, even forever and ever. Seeing then that this Sabbath began with man’s existence, and runs on through the age of this world, and still continues on co-oval and co-extensive with and for immortal man, and its holy author the living God; and this being the only great truth from the beginning, why should it not be called the seal of the living God. SLG 18.2

Living God: is first used by Moses in Deuteronomy 5:26, “For who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived.” Nehemiah also refers to this, showing that it was the time the awful scene when God came down to give them true laws, “and makest known to them his holy Sabbath,” 9:13, 14. Joshua next uses the expression “living God,” when he describes the power of his commandments in rolling back the downward stream of the river Jordan, etc. John in vision replies to it in the same sense, or meaning, “sees a remnant of the seed of the woman (last end,) persecuted for keeping “the commandments of God and testimony of Jesus Christ.” - Revelation 12:17. Again, he sees them under the third messenger’s message, Revelation 14:9, after having passed through the two preceding ones in 6-8 verses, keeping the commandments of God, etc., 12th verse, and shows us how they came to understand their duty, and the time when to begin to keep them, viz: “And the temple of God was open in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament, and there were lightnings and voices,” etc., 11:19. This Ark containing the ten commandments was seen by whom? Answer, those that cried with voices at the same time. Who were these? Answer, the wise virgins at the close of a cry at midnight, when the seventh day Sabbath question arose and went through the land in 1844 and ‘45. A little further: how came this door to be open in the temple in heaven then? Answer, Jesus had now finished his 1810 years ministration or work for the world, then the door was opened for the first time, (according to the type and this revelation,) to introduce our Great High Priest and King to his bride, and for him to present at the Father’s throne the whole Israel of God on his “breast plate of judgment,” for remission, or blotting out of all their sins: but this cannot be accomplished until he has tried them, and humbled them, to prove them, to know what is in their hearts, whether they will keep his commandments or no. - Deuteronomy 8:2. This was his manner with the first church, so with the last, see the example, 1st 1 Corinthians 10:5, 6, 11. At this time then God’s children by faith and examination of his word, in their peculiar state and connection with their great high priest,” in the house of God,” saw the commandments of God, and especially the clear light on the fourth, his holy Sabbath. And four years past history show their keeping it. - Revelation 11:19. Now here Jesus (as in the type,) stands beside the mercy seat, which is the cover to the ten commandments, waiting to blot out the sins of all the Israel of God when they are sealed with the seal of the living God, as they are presented in order on the “breast plate of judgment,” even the twelve tribes of Israel. - Exodus 28:29, 30, and 21. Compare this type with the sealing message. - Revelation 7:5-8. SLG 19.1

Now if you see the figure, the scene is in the inner temple in the third heavens. 1st. The Ark with the commandments, over it is the mercy seat, God’s throne; Angels looking into it; God in glorious majesty seated in his great white throne right over it; the living waters of life gushing out from under it creating a river that could not be passed over. - Ezekiel 42. “Wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.” - Isaiah 33:20, 21. Beside it stands our great high priest crowned and clothed in royal majesty, presenting on his breast plate the hundred and forty-four thousand now to be sealed with the seal of the living God. This is and has been the present truth for God’s Israel ever since the vail of the inner temple has been raised, or door open, i.e. since October 1844. And it is to be understood in a few simple words, viz: the Sabbath of the Lord our God, and shut door. Ezekiel shows the pastors and the company pushing against it with side and shoulders, and treading it under their feet, fouling the residue of the waters. God says his flock eat and drink it, it’s their life; yes, yes; it’s the meat in due season, the present truth. God further says these sheep are men, they shall be mine and I will be their God: Ezekiel 34. This settles the question, the sheep are scattered having been deserted by their shepherds. These are the people which John sees keeping the commandments of God, particularly the seventh day Sabbath; for this, and this only is the great objection. What follows? why now they are to be sealed with this truth! where do we find this? why in Revelation 7:2-4, it’s called a seal of the living God. After this, it is seen that the temple in heaven is open again, 15:5. What for? answer, Jesus has finished his work there, the saints are all sealed. Now Michael stands up to reign, the sealed messengers go forth---------------By and by he sees sealed ones entering the holy city, 22:11; who? answer, those that do, or keep God’s commandments. Surely the Sabbath is included here, and it’s the one hundred and forty-four thousand only that is seen entering the city. These are those which are living when Christ comes. The dead saints are not now keeping the commandments, they are separately represented, Revelation 7:9-15. SLG 20.1

Paul’s Testimony; He was caught up to the third heavens! did he see the ten commandments there? He does not say he did: but hear him reason about it! “Because that which may be known of God is manifest for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, so that we are without excuse.” - Romans 1:19, 20. What is this? let Paul explain it further! “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle: for see, (saith he) that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” - Hebrews 8:5. “It is therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, [blood of beasts,] but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” 9:23. Now by turning to Exodus 25: we can read what the patterns are. The 40: chapter shows that the Tabernacle was made for to put the ark in, 3rd and 21st verses. Here then are perfect patterns not only of the house not made with hands, but every article of furniture it contains, and especially the Ark with the ten commandments. Here then it will plainly appear that the patterns of these things were given for the instruction and government of man in this mortal state; but the substance, the original, particularly the ten commandments, are, and were made by God for all the redeemed in immortality. Now if the commandments remain perfect in heaven, how can they become imperfect on earth. Again we are told that the change of the Sabbath took place at the resurrection of Jesus, while others say it was abolished at his death. This they say was about A.D. 33. Now the date of Paul’s letters from which we quoted, are twenty-seven years this side of their position-------------------are not worth a straw, and the perfectness of these things here, and the condemnation for not believing what is seen, is for us; or there is not one particle of his teaching for us, who will take a stand like this? This then makes it a sealing truth. God says his Sabbath is a perpetual one, to be observed by the children of Israel forever. Jesus says, “the Sabbath was made for man.” Then it will be his always, whether in this mortal or immortal state; therefore it’s an everlasting truth. SLG 21.1

Among the many sins committed by prophets, priests, and people, the most prominent has been the polluting God’s holy Sabbath. “They have profaned my holy Sabbaths, they put no difference between the holy and profane.” - Ezekiel 22:8, 26; 23:38. Therefore God’s wrath was poured upon them, and they were sent into captivity. The opposite: “Thus saith the Lord, blessed is the man (not the natural Jew only,) that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it; also the sons of the stranger (the gentile,) that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, even them (or such of them,) will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” - Isaiah 56:2, 6, 7. This certainly extends to the reign of Christ here. Again: “those who would cease from their own pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable, and shall honor him not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” 58:13, 14. - These two verses show us how to keep the Sabbath holy and honor God, and positively carry the keepers of the Sabbath to their promised inheritance. The 12th verse shows the restoring of the Sabbath. When this earth shall have performed six thousand revolutions around the sun, man will have had 313,071 holy days, or 857 years of holy days set apart and sanctified by God for his special benefit. This brings us to the sign of the Sabbath. SLG 22.1