Section
9
The Sabbath
Chapter
98.
The Seal of
God and
the Mark of Apostasy
1. WHAT does the Bible present as the object of a sign,
or seal?
"Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not
changed." Dan. 6:8.
NOTE.-That is, affix the signature of royalty, that it may have the
proper authority, and thus be of force. Anciently it was customary for
kings to use a ring, containing their name, initials, or monogram, for
this purpose. Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, "wrote letters in Ahab's name,
and sealed them with his seal." 1 Kings 21:8. Of the decree issued
under Ahasuerus for the slaying of all the Jews throughout the Persian
Empire it is said that "in the name of King Ahasuerus was it written,
and sealed with the king's ring." Esther 3:12.
2. What are the three essentials to an official seal?
To be complete, an official seal must show three things: (1) The name
of the lawgiver; (2) his official position, title, or authority, and so
his right to rule; and (3) his kingdom, or the extent of his dominion
and jurisdiction. Thus: "Woodrow Wilson, President of the United
States," "George IV, King of Great Britain," "Nicholas II, Czar of
Russia."
3. With what is God's seal connected?
"Bind up the testimony, seal THE LAW among My disciples." Isa. 8:16.
4. Does the first commandment show who the author of the law is?
"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Ex. 20:3.
NOTE.-Who the "me"
here spoken of is, the commandment itself does not state. Such a
prohibition might come from any source. Any heathen could claim it as a
command from his god, and, so far as the commandment itself goes, no one
could disprove his claim.
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5. Does the second, third, fifth, sixth,
seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth commandment indicate the author of the
decalogue?
No; none of them.
NOTE.-The second
commandment forbids the making of and bowing down to images, but does
not in itself reveal who the true God is. The third commandment says,
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," but it
likewise fails to reveal the true God and giver of the law. A worshiper
of the sun might say he kept this commandment so far as it itself
reveals what god is meant. So of the other commandments here referred
to. In the last five commandments the name of God is not even mentioned.
6. Which commandment alone of the decalogue
reveals the true God and Author of the law?
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt
thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of
the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle,
nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and
hallowed it." Verses 8-11.
NOTE.-The fourth
commandment alone reveals the name, authority, and dominion
of the Author of this law. In six days, (1) the Lord (name); (2)
made (office, Creator); (3) heaven and earth (dominion).
This commandment alone, therefore, contains "the seal of the living
God." By what is revealed in this commandment is shown what God is
referred to in the other commandments. By the great truth revealed here
all other gods are shown to be false gods. The Sabbath commandment,
therefore, contains the seal of God; and the Sabbath itself, the
observance of which is enjoined by the commandment, is inseparably
connected with this seal; it is to be kept in in memory of the fact that
God is the Creator of all things; and it is itself called a "sign" of
the knowledge of this great truth. Ex. 31:17; Eze. 20:20.
7. What reason does God give for the Sabbath
being an everlasting sign between Him and His people?
"It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel
forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the
seventh day He rested, and was refreshed." Ex. 31:17.
NOTE.-The Sabbath is
the sign, or mark, or seal, of the true God, the Creator.
8. Of what does God say the keeping or
hallowing of the Sabbath is a sign?
"And hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign
between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God."
Eze. 20:20.
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9. Of what besides a knowledge of God as Creator, is the Sabbath a sign?
"Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that
doth SANCTIFY you." Ex. 31:13.
NOTE.-The Sabbath is the great sign of God's creative power wherever
and however manifested, whether in creation or redemption; for redemption is creation- re-creation. It requires the same power to redeem that it does to create. "Create in me a clean heart." Ps. 51:10.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,"
Eph, 2:10. At each recurrence of the Sabbath, God designs that it shall
call Him to mind as the One who created us, and whose grace and
sanctifying power are working in us to fit us for His eternal kingdom.
10. What scripture shows that a special sealing work is to take place
just before the letting loose of the winds of destruction upon the
earth?
"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners
of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should
not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw
another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living
God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was
given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither
the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in
their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and
there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the
tribes of the children of Israel." Rev. 7:1-4. See Eze. 9:1-6.
11. Where did the apostle see this same company a little later, and what
did they have in their foreheads?
"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him
an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written
in their foreheads." Rev. 14:1.
NOTE.-The seal of God and the
Father's name must refer to the same thing. The seal is the sign or stamp of perfection and God's name
stands for His character, which is perfection. And the Sabbath of God,
kept as
God ordained it to be kept, holy, and in holiness, is a sign of this
same thing- perfection of character. When this seal is finally placed
upon God's people, it will be an evidence that His grace and His
sanctifying power have done their work, and fitted them for heaven. In
the world to come, all will keep the Sabbath, and will therefore have
this seal or mark of sanctification, holiness, and perfection of
character. Isa. 66:22,23.
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12. What is said of the character
of these sealed ones?
"And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without
fault before the throne of God." Verse 5.
13. How is the remnant church described?
"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that
keep
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Verse 12.
14. Against what three things does the third angel of Revelation 14
warn men?
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,
If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in
his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the
wrath of God." Verses 9,10.
NOTE.-The beast represents the Papacy; the image to the beast represents
another ecclesiastical body dominating civil power. See readings in
Chapters 60. and 61. of this book. And over against the seal of God stands the mark of the
beast, the mark of apostasy. Against this false and idolatrous worship
and the reception of this mark, God sends this solemn warning.
15. What power mentioned in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation is to
enforce this mark?
"And he [the two-horned beast] causeth all, both small and great, rich
and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in
their foreheads." Rev. 13:16.
NOTE.-The two-horned beast is understood to represent the United
States of America. See reading in Chapter 61. of this book. As this nation repudiates
her principles of civil and religious liberty, and becomes a persecuting
power, other nations will follow her example in oppressing those who
refuse to yield their allegiance to God.
16. What does the Papacy set forth as the mark, or sign, of its power
and authority?
"Question.-How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts
and holy days?
"Answer.-By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which
Protestants allow of."-
"Abridgment of Christian Doctrine," by Rev.
Henry Tuberville, D. D., page 58.
NOTES.-In a letter written in November, 1895, Mr. H. F. Thomas,
chancellor to Cardinal Gibbons, replying to an inquiry as to whether the
Catholic Church claims to have changed the Sabbath, said: "Of course the
Catholic Church claims that the change was her act, . . . and the act
is a mark of her ecclesiastical authority in religious things."
See readings in Chapters 97. and 102. of this book.
The true Sabbath being a sign of loyalty to the true God, it is but
natural that the false sabbath should be regarded as a sign of
allegiance to apostasy. And such we find to be the case.
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17. What do papal authorities say of the observance
of Sunday by
Protestants?
"The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in
spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] church."-
"Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today," by Monsignor Segur,
page 213.
NOTE.-The statement here made is true, and a full realization of the
fact will lead those who honestly, but ignorantly, have heretofore been
observing Sunday as the Sabbath, to refuse longer to pay homage to apostasy and return to the observance of that which is the sign of loyalty
to heaven,- the only weekly day of rest which God, in His Word, has commanded men to keep holy, the seventh day.
18. What will be the dragon's attitude toward the remnant people who
keep the commandments of God?
"And the dragon was wroth, with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17.
19. How strongly will this false worship and
the enforcement of this
mark be urged?
"That the image of the beast should both speak, and cause [decree]
that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be
killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free
and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark."
Rev. 13:15-17. See note under question 19 in Chapter 52. of this
book.
20. Over what do the people of God finally gain the victory?
"And I saw
as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and
them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and
over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of
glass, having the harps of God." Rev. 15:2.
THE God that made the earth,
And all the worlds on high,
Who gave all
creatures birth,
In earth, and sea, and sky,
After six days in work employed,
Upon the seventh a rest enjoyed.
The Sabbath day was blessed,
Hallowed, and sanctified;
It was
Jehovah's rest,
And so it must abide;
'Twas set apart before the fall,
'Twas made for man, 'twas made for all.
R. F. COTTRELL.
