THE SEALING OF THE 1ST COMPANY OF SAINTS

The Sealing of the First Company of Saints

"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."

The Time of This Sealing is Very Clearly Marked for the Interim

The movement of time is difficult to determine in a vision.

It comes between the opening of the 6th and 7th seals. Ordinarily the opening of the seals follow so closely upon each other that no time would intervene. So another great angel, in whose possession is the seal of the living God, ascends out of the East with the command to the four angels to hold their judgment until the work of the sealing is completed. This falls within the first 3 1/2 years.

"Til we have sealed" could express the fact that sealing is going on now. But the angel has not completed the task, so he urges that judgment to the point of annihilation be withheld until the task is finished. Verse 4 would suggest that it is then completed.
"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."

The Scope of This Sealing is Limited to the Servants of Our God

This unquestionably describes a spiritual relationship they bear to God. cf. Rev. 1:1; 22:3.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:"
"And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:"

Physical relationship: They are Israelites. Numerical Limitation: They are 144,000. Name, number, and nature make it almost impossible to confuse them with others.

The Nature of This Sealing is Difficult to Describe

They receive the seal in their foreheads, signifying ownership, and in a conspicuous place.
This sealing is counterfeited by the Antichrist. He has his placed in a conspicuous place (Rev. 13:16).
"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:"

This sealing may be nothing more than clear evidence of relationship to Christ. But it is public (Rev. 14:1 cf. 22:4). Cf. also Eph. 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22. In Ezek. 9:4 it speaks of the sealing performed by an angel with a pen.
"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." "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
"And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof."