It is no mystery what it means to seal something in a purely physical sense. We seal envelopes before they are posted with a strong adhesive to prevent unauthorized entry; a broken seal on an envelope informs us that the privacy of the contents has been violated. On cartons we go to greater effort and use strong tape and twine to seal the carton from unauthorized entry and to secure the contents from spilling out and being damaged. Safes and vaults are so securely sealed that air cannot penetrate and if someone were to be locked inside, they would expire in a very short time.

Other aspects of sealing are just as obvious. At one time in our nation's history when good morals were a preferred way of life, a legally binding contract was literally sealed with a handshake. In the more distant past, Kings and Emperors made national decrees that affected the course of history. These decrees, or proclamations, when written down were generally sealed with the King's signet in soft wax. Not only did this guarantee it was authentic and came from the Monarch, but also it signified that it had not been entered and tampered with after it left the king or emperor. Nothing could be added or deleted without breaking this seal, rendering it impossible to alter the decree. The book of Esther provides a Biblical example: "Write you also for the Jews, as it likes you, in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse" (Esther 8:8).

It is necessary to understand what is meant by the term, "the very elect" in order to fully appreciate what God means when He refers to the sealing of the human mind. "For there shall arise false Christ's, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Mat. 24:24). It is important to remember that the phraseology of the early 1600's, when the Authorized King James Version was translated bears sharp distinction from our modern usage. Matthew 24:24 is one of the many instances wherein, if the reader applies modern understanding to the archaic expression, the intended thought is easily lost. Therefore, Matthew 24:24 is incorrectly translated with regard to our understanding today.

When one consults the Greek and the parallel account in Mark 13:22, the Truth is set in sharp contrast to his imaginative doctrine. As an Ambassador College graduate, with vast resources at his disposal today, he should realize his error. This writer has no intention of targeting this particular man, but is using his high profile conjecture to illustrate the Truth regarding the term, "the very Elect." "For false Christ's and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22).

Perhaps the reader is a long time student of Herbert Armstrong and will remember his unique expression regarding the Spirit-born Christian after the first resurrection. He would thunder in his inimitable manner, "We will then be VERY God!" That expression struck me as strange until I came to understand HWA was simply using an expression that was common in his generation, but has fallen out of general use over the years. Most of us grew up in a different generation in which the thought would be expressed as: We will become God, or we will even be God. In today's parlance, HWA might have said: "We will become even God," or "We will even become God." The English "very" in the KJV, is a mistranslation of the Greek kia [Strong's #2532]. This word, kia, is a copulative conjunction [a word that joins words or clauses] that can be translated: and, also, even, but, so, then, too.

"Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary" states: "When 'very' forms part of the translation of numerous other words, there is no separate word in the original. Sometimes it [KJV] translates the conjunction kai, in the sense of 'even'; in Mt. 24:24, KJV, 'very' (RV, 'even')." The Greek expression, kai tous eklektous, are identical in Mat 24:24 and Mark 13:22. The expression, kai tous eklektous, is correctly translated in the following list:

This is conclusive evidence that there is no such thing as "the VERY elect" as imagined by those desirous to segregate God's First Fruits into two categories of "the elect" and "the very elect." It is not possible to deceive God's Elect, His Called Out Ones who have been chosen as part of the First Fruits of His Plan, whose minds have been sealed with God's Holy Spirit in certain circumstances. The impossibility of deceiving of God's Elect may be limited to the "great signs and wonders" performed by lying false prophets, or to the "trunk of tree" Truth of the Scripture. To say with absolute certainty that not one of "the Elect" can be deceived on a single point of doctrine, is reading something into the text that is not intended. It needs to be remembered that ignorance, poor judgment, lack of wisdom or discernment, and the like - afflictions all suffer from on occasion - is NOT what Jesus has reference to in Matthew 24:24! Mr. Armstrong was ignorant of the manner in which the great "falling away from the Truth" was to come about. Understanding the gravity of the errors in the Jewish calendar regarding their "mean" conjunction and the postponement of Holy Time was withheld from him. Matthew 24:24 does not have reference to these kinds of error or deception!

The physical examples mentioned in the beginning merely typify a higher level of "sealing." One of the most awesome truths in the Bible is the sealing of the human mind. The sealing of the human mind by God's Holy Spirit is a critical aspect in the process of conversion! The reason why God seals the human mind has been hidden - sealed in the pages of the Bible - from the most brilliant scholars. Isaiah was inspired to write, "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my pisciples" (Isa 8:16). The law is sealed in my mind.

Daniel wrote of our time, "Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy " (Dan. 9:24). Again Daniel speaks of sealing, "But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. And he said, Go your way Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Dan.12:4,9). God is referring to the lack of spiritual understanding - which occurs in the mind - that is so completely sealed that it is impenetrable!

The Apostle John mentions the same power in action. "And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon" (Rev. 5:1-4). What is the point? What God has sealed - is sealed! It is impervious to penetration!

Mr. Armstrong taught the Church of God on many occasions that the physical experience of marriage between a man and a woman and the resulting family is a type of the Spiritual. God is a Family; God is creating His Family through the Church. He likened the developing baby in the womb to the growing and developing Christian in the Church. Both must remain in their protective environment until they are capable of sustaining life apart from the womb.

The physical father's sperm impregnates the egg and a child is begotten. When this takes place in the physical realm, the impregnated egg instantly is sealed! An invisible shield envelopes the egg preventing any further penetration by the millions of sperm cells desperately trying to do that which is already done. This is a type of the spiritual impregnation that takes place when we are granted repentance, baptized and have an authorized representative lay hands on and petition the Father for His Holy Spirit.

Once the Father spiritually impregnates a human mind, that mind is sealed against Diabolical deception. Satan's deceptive intrigues are no longer able to penetrate the begotten Christian's mind as long as God's Spirit remains active in that individual; he has been "sealed." "Blessed be the God and FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us AGAIN unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, Who are kept by the power of God [the Holy Spirit in the mind] through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5).

When our physical father begot us a physical sealing took place that has identical parallel with that which the Apostle mentions here; we are "begotten again." Notice the word "kept" which bears Strong's reference number in the Greek of #5432, phroureo. A literal definition is: to be a watcher in advance, to go in front of and stare at, to mount guard as a sentinel, to post guards at gates. Jerusalem, like most cities in ancient times, was a walled city, with gates at convenient points of entry. At times of threat, these gates were shut and locked to prevent unwanted and dangerous entry. Thus, the citizens were sealed in against the potential harm that threatened them on the outside. With guards posted along the walls and especially at the points of entry who were in front of and staring out at whatever danger that was posing a threat, the townspeople were "kept" from harm's way. So it is with God's Elect who have the Spirit of God to go in front of and perceive any spiritually threatening incursion from Satan.

In Ephesians 5:11-17, we are instructed to put on the entire spiritual armor of God in order that we stand a semblance of hope against Satan's stealth and subterfuge. Notice verse 17: "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." God tells us to put on a "spiritual" helmet for the same reason one would use a physical helmet. The simple definition of the Greek here translated, helmet, is Strong's #4030 perikephalaia; encirclement of the head, i.e. a helmet. It is the mind, which is in the brain, which is in the head that needs spiritual protection, since Satan does not direct his deception towards our feet or stomach. It is in the mind that we are to assimilate and utilize the Word of God, which is unadulterated Truth. The Truth of God implanted in the mind - by the Spirit of Truth - is what seals us and protects us from Satan's deception. Take away the impregnating Spirit of Truth, and we are as vulnerable to Satan's deception as any other caught up in his system and cut off from God.

The English, "sperm" is a transliteration of this Greek word. As a penguin rooster knows without hesitation which of the scores of thousands of identical chicks is his, The Father knows whom He has begotten and sealed with His Divine Sperma among the billions on Earth. Simon Petros [Peter] confirms this, "Being begotten [Greek, gennao; a father can only beget, not give birth] AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible [seed]" (1 Peter 1:23).

"Whosoever is born [gennao] of God does not commit sin; for His seed [sperma] remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born [gennao] of God." We were taught in the Worldwide Church that the Greek "gennao," which can carry the meaning of either "begotten" or "born," is correctly translated in this verse as "born." The reasoning was: Since the only beings that can not sin are members of the God Family this is a correct translation for gennao in this verse. However, the BEINGS referenced here are flesh and blood Christians prior to their new birth at the first resurrection! The context of verses 1-8 make it clear that there has been a misunderstanding regarding the previous instruction about verse nine. If God Beings are meant in verse 9, the entire point of verses 4-8 regarding Christians who do sin is lost. The error was a result of improper translation of the Greek. The Greek translated "commit" is Strong's #4160, poieo, which means: 1] to make or do; produce, form, fashion; 2] continued action; what one does repeatedly, habitually; to practice, abide in, continue in. In this verse, poieo is in the present tense indicative mood; contemporaneous action being accomplished by the subject of the verb. This means that the person who is "gennao" of God is not habitually sinning at the time of their physical life when they were begotten and subject to being able to sin; Whosoever - at the time of John's statement! Consider Ferrar Fenton's translation of 1 John 3:7-10: "Dear children, let none deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. Whoever practices sin is from the Devil; ... Every one born from God [gennao, begotten from God is correct since The Father impregnates only] does not practice sin; because His principle of life [sperma] continues in him: and he does not value sinning, because he has been born [gennao, begotten] from God. .... Whosoever does not practice righteousness is not from God..." (1 John 3:7-10).

When God's Holy Spirit impregnates the mind, that person is committed to a way of life that is opposed to regularly and habitually violating God's Laws. He abhors himself and every practice of his carnal nature and is embarked on a program to slowly, but surely, eliminate the lifestyle of practicing sin. The New World translation confirms this is the correct understanding of 1 John 3:9. "Little children, let no one mislead you. He who carries on righteousness is righteous. He who carries on sin originates with the devil... Everyone who has been begotten from God, does not carry on sin, because His reproductive seed remains in such a one."

Satan has successfully inspired many physical Israelites to participate in the unbelievably sick "late term abortions" of their own begotten children in this end time. Ironically, Satan proved that HWA's analogy was indeed correct when he succeeded in causing many of God's people to desert the Truth with which they had been begotten. Because they lack the love for the Truth of God, he has caused many of God's begotten children to be caught in his trap of spiritual late term abortion; 2 Thess. 2:8-12.

What is it about the Elect that makes it impossible for them to be deceived by the Devil's false prophets when the entire system is becoming unglued in the great tribulation and global deception of the greatest degree is taking place? "For false Christ's and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if possible, even the Elect" (Mark 13:22). While that question has been addressed in this article, there is a law of physics which, when applied Spiritually, provides a succinct answer. That law is: No two things can occupy the same space at the same time. Paul makes this statement, "Who has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (2 Cor. 1:22). Paul is telling us two things: The Spirit of God is, 1] that which seals us and 2], the sealing takes place in the mind. Here the Greek kardia, which is translated "heart," is a figure of speech called a "metonymy" in which "heart" is put for "mind."

The Apostle John tells us, "Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads" (Rev. 7:3). The sealing of God's First Fruits - the metaphorical 144,000 - began with Abel and will conclude prior to the return of Christ as testified to by this chronological inset chapter. Since the "will" is centered in the forehead portion of the brain, it is used in reference to the sealing of the mind as though it were the mind.

"Labour not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him has God the Father sealed. ... I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:27, 51). Obviously, this is a word picture that is not to be taken literally but has incredible significance when spiritually understood. According to John 3:34, Jesus had God's Holy Spirit without measure, yet 2 Cor. 1:22 quoted above is clear in that a Christian receives but a "token or down payment" of the Holy Spirit at the Laying on of Hands after baptism. As we mimic the lifestyle of Christ we are symbolically "eating His flesh" which is once again a metonymy for His life, or manner of living! The life is in the blood, not in the flesh. As we PRACTICE Christ's lifestyle, rather than practice the life of sin as before conversion began, we receive more and more of God's Holy Spirit. This continually secures our sealing and guarantees us freedom from Satan's deception, especially as mentioned in Matthew 24:24.

The lukewarm Laodicean attitude is the prevalent attitude in this Laodicean age and it certainly grieves God to see His People, who are in such desperate need of His Holy Spirit, conduct themselves as though they were the source of what they need most and had full compliment of it! If we become lax in our responsibility to stay as close to God as we can, we will little by little grow cooler and cooler until we become lukewarm and invite Satan's deception. If this is allowed to continue, spiritual disaster is inevitable.

"Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thess. 5:19). Even small children understand what happens to a fire when it is quenched; it is PUT OUT. If a Christian willingly extinguishes God's Holy Spirit, our minds "open the gates" to permit entry of Satan's life-stealing deception. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift [God's Divine Sperma] and were made partakers of the Holy spirit, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away [apostatize from God's Truth] to renew them once again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:4-6).