Two Types of Sealing in the New Testament
Eph 1:13 … ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
promise.
There are two types of sealing mentioned in
the New Testament: sealing to make us saints and the final sealing of the
saints. In today’s verse, Eph 1:13 ‘… ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
promise’, the Greek word here is ‘sphragizo’ meaning to stamp (with a
signet or private mark) for security
or preservation.
In Ephesians 1:13
and 4:30 and in 2 Corinthians 1:22 , this first meaning
(Security) is intended. This is written in the past tense
Many years ago I worked for a company with
the menial task of tying parcels for posting. Each parcel was sealed with a
strip of adhesive tape. The purpose of the tape was to stop the parcel from
falling apart. When we are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, it helps to
prevent us from falling apart!
The second meaning (Preservation) is found
in verses such as Revelation 7:3-8 which uses the Greek ‘achri sphragizo’ (A terminal or final sealing)
-- Lionel Hartley, The Blessings of
Ephesians One (booklet), Philadelphia Press, 1989
