+ The Spirit’s Seal:
The Holy Spirit, which we receive after baptism and the anointment with the holy oil ( mayroun ), is the seal of God in us, and is a certified document that we are His own and His children” But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (1 John 2:20). And this seal can not be erased from our organs, ourselves, or from our souls, for it testifies that we are the children of God and heirs with Christ, as St. John the beloved says” By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit” (1 John 4:13). Also Saint Paul says” And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” ( Galatians 4:6-7). This seal becomes our witness if we walk according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Bible” But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” ( 1 John 2:27), ” that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love” ( Ephesians 3:16-17). For the Holy Spirit means the ” Paraclete “, our defender, otherwise the seal of the Spirit becomes a witness to our judgment if we don not let Him lead us to the way of salvation prepared for us” how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” ( Hebrews 2:3 ). He is the Spirit of truth, who does not deviate from the truth nor favors. He who hates lying, which is against righteousness” However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” ( John 13:16). This is what we saw in the story of Ananias and his wife ” But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things” ( Acts 5:3-5). And this is what happened to his wife Sapphira as well. The seal of the Holy Spirit is the seal of holiness and purity, He does not settle in a heart that is defiled with flesh and world’s lusts, for these things grieve the Spirit. Pride and hatred dims the Spirit. So who would stand on our side on judgment day then?! The seal of the Holy Spirit in us terrifies satan as long as we proclaim Him in his face, for the seal in our lives is a warning force to our consciences against all what’s against God” And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” ( John 16:8). He is also the power of witness to God in us” You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” ( Matthew 10: 18-20). Our role is not to allow dust or anything else to cover the light of this seal in us, for He is the source of light and enlightenment, for we were defeated, let us review ourselves lest we are the reason of hinderance of the King’s seal, which has been given to us. Let everyone examine his heart, do we hide the seal of the Spirit by loving money and possessions more than God?! Do we love the world and what’s in this world more than He who loved us first, He who died for our salvation?! Know my beloved, that the power of the seal of the Holy Spirit, which we have received from God, He who has loved us eternally and offered His only Son for our salvation. And when the Son ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit, sealing us with Him, establishing us with Him and with one another” Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” ( 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). It is the seal that declares infront of the world and the devil, but also infront of the angels and all heavenly our unity with God and with each other. A seal which will confirm and choose those who have been chosen, those who were established in the mystery of salvation in Christ, appearing with Him in glory. They were able – through the seal – to Blanche their clothes in the Lamb’s blood” After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads…After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” ( Revelation 7:2-14). And those without the seal of God will be in eternal distress” Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads” ( Revelation 9:3-4). From all this it becomes clear to us the power of the seal of the Holy Spirit, and it’s great importance for our redemption and salvation from this evil world, which was placed under the leadership of the devil. And also the power of His work in us. Let us hear God’s commandment through the words of Saint Paul” And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” ( Ephesians 4:30).
+ Perdition seal:
Alternatively, the is another seal, the seal of the evil spirit, for satan has an opposing seal to God. Trying to lure people, even those who have been chosen. But God will destroy him” and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” (2Thessalonians 7-10). The worst of it is the mark that satan would give his followers as a seal, which without it would be difficult to deal with the world without clear, public persecution.” He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666″ ( Revelation 13:15-18). The feature of the devil bears his works and attributes. Therefore, whoever does what satan do and accept his ways will have Satan’s seal on his right ( referring to work ) and also on his forehead ( referring to the center of thought). Be ware then, and do not think that we are far from what is written in the Book of Revelation. Although we have received the seal of the Holy Spirit when we were anointed with mayroun on our forehead and our right, but all of our organs, yet we betray The Lord and accept satan and his thoughts in our minds. Here, we hear Paul yelling” Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! ( 1 Corinthians 6:15). As for our thoughts, our foreheads which have been hallowed by mayroun should not accept any thought away from Christ to whom is all the glory. And it is not the sin that satan comes to us with a thought, but it is a sin to accept the thought and turn it to an act, this is sin. The Book warns us” For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). The seriousness of the acceptance of Satan’s seal is in the wrath of God” If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with f ire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” ( Revelation 14:9-10).
O Lord, please grant us your Holy seal until the last breath, and never allow us to follow the cursed devil and all what he offers that keeps us away from You and your salvation, which you have freely offered to us so we can live with Your Holy Spirit in us, rejoicing and overcoming evil, the old man in us and the world which will end one day, joyfully meeting you when You come to be with you in your glory +
Written By: Fr. Antonios Zikry on November, 2014