4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and oset a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. 7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Eze 9:4–7.
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, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 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 Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Re 7:2–4.
The Seal of God preceding a judgment appears twice in Scripture, one in Ezekiel 9 and the other Revelation 7. It seems there is a pattern we sure need to note. We need to look at the two meanings for the seal of God.
σφραγίς (sphragis), ῖδος (idos), ἡ (hē): n.fem.; ≡ Str 4973; TDNT 7.939—1. LN 6.54 signet (an object that is used with wax to seal a letter) (Rev 7:2); 2. LN 6.62 seal, the wax impressed by the signet (Rev 5:2), for another focus, see next two; 3. LN 33.483 mark (Rev 9:4); 4. LN 33.47 inscription, the mark or impression made by a seal or stamp (2Ti 2:19); 5. LN 73.9 proof of genuineness (1Co 9:2), note: there may be overlap of verses and entries
James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
תָּו tâv, tawv; from 8427; a mark; by impl. a signature:—desire, mark.
James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 123.
In the Greek lends to being a “signet ring” which denotes authority and identity, and in the Hebrew it is a “signature ring” with great characteristics that protected those who had it from the finality of the judgment. The ring denotes who they belong to, whose authority they exercise.
The Mark/Ring sets God’s people apart
When we compare the two Scriptures we see the “marking” or giving of the ring, mark, precede the judgment. In fact a few years ago, 2019, God was talking to me concerning a up and coming conference I was to attend, concerning the next season being one of marking. It is God making a distinction, between those who are His, and those who were destined for judgment. Usually when we are talking of judgment, we are not talking about discipline, it seems to lend to the interpretation of being a life ending judgment in which a person passes through death, and is to await eternal reckoning of what they were doing and saying in life. What I seem to ascertain that after 2020 we went through specific changes globally where it was evident that dark forces were at work. Only now in 2025 we are seeing the extent of corrupt government and many sectors of society were involved in locking down whole populations. The trauma of that experience is still being felt. It was somehow enlightened to me that this was a “marking” season, where if we held onto faith, and seeking God we would receive this mark.
The ring/mark was to signify who BELONGED to the Lord. This indicates that we GIVE ourselves to Him. This also indicates a surrender. In the time of the Captivity it seemed that few understood what God was doing, and what He was warning to those who were covenant breakers. In every judgment God always reserves a remnant which He separates and spares from the destruction of the judgment. The qualification for this “mark” in Ezekiel 9 is:
the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Eze 9:4.
It is interesting the “cry” word in the Hebrew: . אָנַח ʾânach, aw-nakh´; a prim. root; to sigh:—groan, mourn, sigh.
James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 14.
This is a qualification for the mark, those who are zealous for living for God, but moan, sigh, mourn for the condition of the covenant community. This is what sets them apart from the general society who believe it is business as usual. Peter paints Lot in this character, when some have taught that Lot was a man of his natural senses, yet Peter alerts us the “agony” of Lot living in a perverse society, and how God took him out before the judgment. The distinction comes IN THE JUDGMENT, the sealed are spared and the non sealed are doomed. I would seem to ascertain that those who “sigh, mourn” are those who mourn for the Church, covenant company, not the pagans, heathens. It is stated that judgment STARTS in the House of God. So we are not making this judgment worldwide for all men, as Scripture says that “it is appointed for all men to die and appear at judgment.” This judgment is reserved for those who tasted of the Truth but forsook the requirements of it.
Do you belong to the Lord?
To be owned by the Lord means that you have surrendered the right to your own decisions, about daily things, destiny, where you go, where you work etc. To be owned is to have an acute awareness of obedience being paramount in the Christian walk. This sense of belonging to God caused Abram to depart from his land and seek out a community that belonged to the Lord. Hebrews 11:10.
When the delight of belonging to the Lord departs from us, that is when we drift into idolatry and other loves. Like the nation of Judah before the Captivity presumption and apathy had taken over the people, the priests filled the Temple with idols, and God was no longer their love. If you belong to the Lord it means that He is our love and our Lord. This is a sign that we have His “signet ring”. This signet ring is an instrument of decree. It is a manifestation of His Kingly nature. Once we understand the nature and purpose of being marked, we will see God move on our behalf.
God’s Mark and the Mark of the Beast
What we need to know is the agenda of the End Times is not governed by what Satan and his kingdom do, it is governed by the Throne of Jesus Christ. Psalm 2 says the Father set His King on His Holy Hill. This is the start of the end and destruction of the enemy. When we read and discuss the mark of the beast, the 666 number, it is a reaction to the mark of God being placed on God’s people. The devil is not having the initiative in the end days. Once God marks His people, it is evident from the narrative that the devil moves to deceive and mark the nations. It is a mark of ownership as those who take it have the same eternal destiny as the devil. The architecture for this mark is already existent today, the production by elites of chaotic circumstances, pandemics, wars to manipulate the masses to take this Mark.
For God to mark His people, they must already been covenanted to the Lord. There is no fear mongering, no manipulation. There is such a contrast here.
I believe that our “mark” is related to our worship, our walk, and our devotion to His Word. When these manifest in our love relationship we are marked by Him. If we are marked by Him we know judgment shall fall upon the nations. The Mark is a manifestation of Jesus’ Kingship.
Our walk of faith is the school of preparation for His Mark. May He manifest His Kingly nature in the earth.
Maranatha!
Thank you Russell. That is so right on. I needed this reminder of the commitment the Lord expects we make to be a deciple. We have a mutual friend who has been teaching this for over 50 years. I don’t hear much of this teaching in the church today only from the remnant.
Hi Brad. Thanks for your feedback