What is God’s seal?

Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

Don’t harm the earth, sea or trees until we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads. And I [John] heard the 144,000 that were sealed from every tribe of Israel.

In this portion of John’s vision, he sees God instructing (vs 3) four angels that had been given power to harm the earth. They are made up of equal numbers (12,000) from each of the twelve tribes of Israel (vss 5-8) and appear to be the same “great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (vss 9-10). John sees the same 144,000 later on, “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth” (14:1-3).

Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.

Don’t work for food that perishes, but for the food that lasts eternally, which the Son of Man provides. For on Jesus, God the Father has set His seal.

Jesus has just fed the large crowd (5,000 men) by performing a miracle and departed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee by walking on the water and calming the storm along the way. The next day, the crowd again finds him and a discussion contrasting physical and spiritual food ensues.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

When you [Gentiles] heard the word and believed, you were marked and sealed with the Holy Spirit who had been promised – the believer’s down payment to the eventual inheritance and full redemption.

The opening of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus ends with a long list of spiritual blessings they have in Christ. The culmination of his list of blessings “in Christ” applies to both Jews (vs 12) as well as Gentiles (“you also”).

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

God established a fellowship of the saints through Jesus and sealed it by the Holy Spirit, who was given in our hearts as a down payment.

Actually Paul’s third letter (13:1) to the church at Corinth, writing to them defending his apostleship and also rejoicing in their handling of the some of the issues/sin he dealt with in 1 Corinthians (his second letter).

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,” then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

The offering of Jesus perfected (completed) once and for all making holy [those that believe]. This new covenant is written on their hearts and their sins are remembered no more.

A letter emphasizing Jewish Christians to hold fast in their faith remembering all of the better things through Jesus Christ. The writer here is linking the sacrifice of Christ to the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

He [Abraham] received a seal of circumcision for his faith, all while he was yet uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all that believe without being circumcised so they too would be counted as righteous. This made Abraham the father of the circumcised [Jews] who are not merely circumcised [in the flesh], but who also walk in the same faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Paul’s argument begins back in 2:27-29 – making the point that obedience comes from the heart (inward), not from some outward symbol or act.

But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: The Lord knows those who are his, and, Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.

God’s foundation is immovable and testifies that He knows those that are His and that everyone that calls on the name of the Lord must depart from evil.

In the midst of both warning Timothy about false teaching that was present and instructing him on how to confront (and having him instruct others to do the same), Paul states a foundational reality addressed to the “elect” (vs 9). Regardless of whatever false doctrines or other distractions may occur for the Christian, God knows his own (speaking to His sovereignty) and Christians must continue to walk in righteousness (speaking to their free will).