FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

other angels, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond servants of our God on their foreheads” (Reve- lation 7:3 , emphasis added). The word used in the original language for sealed is sphra- gizo , which means “to set a mark upon to confirm and authen- ticate something or someone.” It’s the same word John used in his gospel when writing, “For on Him (Jesus) the Father, God, has set His seal” (John 6:27). Keep in mind, the major thrust behind the tribulation, especially the second half, is God pouring out His wrath on the lost.Thankfully, though those “marked” aren’t exempt from unholy persecution, they will be shielded from God’s wrath. Whether or not such identification is literal or symbolic remains unclear. Actually, it’s not important, for at least two reasons. 1) God knows his children, whether or not they are marked. 2) The key is having Jesus living in your heart through the presence of the Holy Spirit and not written on your fore- head. It’s what Paul meant by penning, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed (sphragizo) in Him with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13, emphasis added). The art of sculpting proliferated in ancient Rome, with nearly every building decorated with the statue of some sort of god. Unfortunately, quality declined as sculptors flooded the market. To correct shoddy work, poor craftsmen concealed their errors with wax. Frequently, customers failed to notice the flaws.To compensate for this deception, authentic crafts- men labeled their work sine cere , meaning “without wax.” We use the same term today, frequently to end letters— sincerely . 32 If you’ve been saved, you’re sealed, authenticated as a sincere child of God. You see your flaws, those around you see your flaws, yet God doesn’t because He views you through

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