Ezekiel 9.4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Most bible believing Christians are aware of the mark of the beast in the book of Revelation. That mark signifies those who have bowed their souls to the will of the antichrist. But here in Ezekiel 9, a horrible judgment is about to take place. The majority of the nation of Israel have fallen into idolatry and other abominable practices. Before the judgment begins, Ezekiel hears instructions about marking those who are grieved over the sinful condition that is all around them.
This mark of God would be equivalent to the seal of The Spirit that we read about in Ephesians 1.13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. This sealing is also referred to in 2 Corinthians 1:22 where we read that God hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. This seal is a seal of divine ownership and protection. It identifies us as adopted children of The Living God. It is the mark, or seal that is placed upon the 144,000 before the time of the Great tribulation period. 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, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
The Christian life is in many ways a life of contrasting and often conflicting emotions of joy and mourning. While we possess a joy unspeakable in The Lord Jesus, we also find ourselves grieving over sin and the consequences of sin both in our personal lives and in the world. What we see in this verse is the fact that not only does God know those Who are His. Evidently, those who know The Lord and walk with Him are obvious to others as well, for they are able to identify those who mourn for the consequences of sin and how it dishonors God. Jesus said, blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Those who mourn for sin are those who receive the comfort of God. The reason for all of the evils and ills in this life stem from the deadly poison of sin. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that a person can receive forgiveness for the debt of sin, and the power to resist it’s rule in our lives.
Until we get to heaven, this “war” with sin and against sin will never end. It’s ugly consequences will continue as long as we are on this present, fallen world. Sin, tears and sorrow are a part of our human existence. But look to the cross of Jesus Christ this morning, beloved. Weeping may indeed endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. May the joy of the victory, love and grace of Jesus be your strength this morning and throughout your day beloved.
