📅 February 15 – The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast

Monthly Theme: The Great Controversy – The Conflict Between Good and Evil
Year Theme 2026: “Soon the King Is Coming – Hope Beyond the End”

📖 Central Bible Text of the Day

“And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,
having the seal of the living God;
and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels
to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying:
Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees,
until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
— Revelation 7:2–3

🌅 Devotional of the Day

The climax of the great controversy
will be a tremendous conflict over loyalty and worship.
Who will honor God as the Creator —
and who will follow the system of human authority?
The Bible describes two groups:
those who bear the seal of God,
and those who receive the mark of the beast.

“Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
— Revelation 14:12

These verses reveal the heart of the final test:
obedience motivated by love toward God’s law,
or conformity to human commands out of fear or convenience.

Ellen G. White wrote:

“The seal of God is placed upon the foreheads of those
who love and obey the law of God.
The mark of the beast is given to those
who accept the false Sabbath commandment.”
(The Great Controversy, p. 605)

✨ What is the Seal of God?

A seal confirms authenticity and ownership.
In the Bible, it is the sign of belonging to God.

“You were sealed for the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit.”
— Ephesians 4:30

The seal of God carries the characteristics of His authority —
as with a royal seal:
name, title, and realm of authority.
These three elements are found in the fourth commandment,
the Sabbath commandment:
“The LORD (name), your God (title), who made heaven and earth (domain)” (Exodus 20:11).

Therefore, the Sabbath is the visible sign of loyalty to the Creator.
Whoever keeps it in love testifies:
“You are my God; I belong to You.”

Ellen White wrote:

“The seal of God is given to those
who are established in the truth and sealed through obedience.
It is not a visible mark,
but a decision of the heart
to stand faithfully with God.”
(Maranatha, p. 282)

🌿 The Mark of the Beast

The mark is the counterpart of the seal —
a symbol of rebellion against God’s law.
It represents the acceptance of human authority
in place of the divine command.

“He causes all … to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads.”
— Revelation 13:16

The hand represents actions,
the forehead represents conviction.
This means:
some will accept the false mark by conviction,
others through conformity or fear.

Ellen White explains:

“The mark of the beast is the observance of the Sunday instituted by Rome,
in opposition to God’s holy Sabbath.
When this law is universally enforced,
then loyalty to God will be tested.”
(The Great Controversy, p. 449)

The mark will not be received by accident,
but consciously —
when people reject the light of truth.

🔥 The Seal – A Sign of Faithfulness

God’s seal is placed “on the forehead,”
the seat of consciousness and decision.
It marks those
who are inwardly convinced
that God is just and true.

“And they shall bear His name on their foreheads.”
— Revelation 22:4

The seal shows that the character of Christ
is reflected in the lives of His followers.
It is the seal of sanctification —
not outward, but inward.

Ellen White wrote:

“The seal of the living God is the imprint of His character upon the soul.
It shows that the heart has been brought into harmony with God’s law.”
(Maranatha, p. 240)

🌄 The Time of Decision

The time of sealing is now.
It takes place before probation closes,
when the world makes its final choice.
Then the word will be fulfilled:

“He who is holy, let him be holy still;
and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still.”
— Revelation 22:11

God forces no one.
He invites — gently, yet seriously.
The seal is not a reward,
but the result of a deep relationship with Christ.

Ellen White warns:

“When the sealing begins,
no one will receive the seal
whose hands and hearts are not purified.
Now is the time of preparation.”
(Early Writings, p. 71)

Therefore God calls us today:
“Let yourself be sealed!” —
through faith, obedience, and surrender.

🙏 Prayer

Lord,
impress Your seal upon my heart.

Cleanse my thoughts,
sanctify my hands,
and write Your law within me.

Strengthen me to remain faithful
when the world denies You.

Let me rather suffer than compromise,
rather obey than please others.

Amen.

💭 Thought for the Day

“The seal of God is received through obedience to truth,
the mark of the beast through conformity to falsehood.”
— Ellen G. White, Maranatha, p. 284

💡 Personal Application

1. Read Revelation 7:1–4 and Revelation 13:11–18.
   Ask God to give you spiritual insight about the seal and the mark.

2. Pray: “Lord, establish me in Your truth,
   so that I may stand in the hour of testing.”

3. Practical:
   Intentionally honor the Sabbath as a sign of your loyalty.
   Make it a day of worship, not routine.

🌺 Closing Verse

“And I looked, and behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion,
and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand,
having His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
— Revelation 14:1