“Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

— Revelation 7:3

“Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

— Genesis 4:15

The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a sign; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

— Exodus 12:13

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

— Ephesians 4:30

For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

— 2 Corinthians 6:2

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and peace from the Lord Savior to you.

In the Old Testament, God occasionally marked people to protect them. God even marked Cain, the first murderer, to protect him from any who might attempt to kill him. God directed the Israelites to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of the Passover lamb as protection when His angel brought death to the firstborn in Egypt. The New Testament speaks of the Holy Spirit sealing believers for the day of redemption. The seal mentioned in Revelation 7 mirrors God’s protection of His faithful ones as described in Ezekiel 9 that God sent one of the seven men to mark the foreheads of the faithful to protect them from God’s judgment.

God is holy. He has been, is and will always intolerant of sin. God has brought times of judgment on earth. God’s righteousness demands a full and final future judgment on earth. Yet God knows who His faithful ones are and He marks them out to protect them from the execution of the judgment in His wrath. Now is still the time of God’s favor. Now is still the day of salvation for all who call on God through His Son, the Lord Jesus. May we help people to receive the salvation!