Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit who seals is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. The “deposit” is more than a pledge which could be returned; it is a down payment with a guarantee of more to come (cf. “the firstfruits of the Spirit,” Rom. 8:23). “A deposit guaranteeing” translates the Greek arrabōn (used elsewhere in the NT only in 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5). It guarantees believers’ “inheritance” of salvation and heaven (cf. 1 Peter 1:4). (See comments on “inheritance” in Eph. 1:18.) In essence, the “deposit” of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in believers’ lives with a guarantee of much more yet to come.
1:14b. The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit until the redemption (apolytrōsin; see the chart “New Testament Words for Redemption” at Mark 10:45) of those who are God’s possession. This redemption is not release from the guilt of sin; that was spoken of in Ephesians 1:7 and the believer is already “God’s possession.” Instead, this is the believer’s ultimate, final release from the presence of sin (cf. Rom. 8:23b; Phil. 3:20–21). The Greek word for “possession” (peripoiēsis) is also used in 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Hebrews 10:39 (see comments there); and 1 Peter 2:9. Again the doxological refrain, to the praise of His glory, is repeated here as it was after the description of the work of the Father (Eph. 1:6) and of the Son (v. 12).
c. God’s seal with the Spirit (1:13–14)
God’s spiritual blessings for believers are based not only on the sovereign election of the Father (vv. 3–6) and the redemptive work of the Son (vv. 7–12), but also on the seal of the Holy Spirit.
1:13–14a. And you also refers to the Gentiles in contrast with the Jews (cf. comments on vv. 11–12). When they heard the Word of truth (cf. Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:15; James 1:18) which is further described as the gospel of your salvation, and believed, they were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. The KJV says that the sealing occurs “after” the hearing and believing, thus connoting a second work of grace. This is wrong, for believers are sealed at the moment they hear and believe.
The last part of verse 13 is literally, “They were sealed in Him [Christ] with the Holy Spirit of promise.” The word “seal” indicates security (Matt. 27:66; Eph. 4:30), authentication and approval (John 6:27), certification of genuineness (John 3:33), and identification of ownership (2 Cor. 1:22; Rev. 7:2; 9:4). God is the One who seals, Christ is the sphere in which the seal is done, and the Holy Spirit is the instrument of the seal. “The promised Holy Spirit” refers to Christ’s promise to His disciples that He would send the Spirit (Luke 24:49; John 14:16; 15:26; 16:13; Acts 1:5).
The Holy Spirit who seals is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. The “deposit” is more than a pledge which could be returned; it is a down payment with a guarantee of more to come (cf. “the firstfruits of the Spirit,” Rom. 8:23). “A deposit guaranteeing” translates the Greek arrabōn (used elsewhere in the NT only in 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5). It guarantees believers’ “inheritance” of salvation and heaven (cf. 1 Peter 1:4). (See comments on “inheritance” in Eph. 1:18.) In essence, the “deposit” of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in believers’ lives with a guarantee of much more yet to come.
1:14b. The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit until the redemption (apolytrōsin; see the chart “New Testament Words for Redemption” at Mark 10:45) of those who are God’s possession. This redemption is not release from the guilt of sin; that was spoken of in Ephesians 1:7 and the believer is already “God’s possession.” Instead, this is the believer’s ultimate, final release from the presence of sin (cf. Rom. 8:23b; Phil. 3:20–21). The Greek word for “possession” (peripoiēsis) is also used in 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Hebrews 10:39 (see comments there); and 1 Peter 2:9. Again the doxological refrain, to the praise of His glory, is repeated here as it was after the description of the work of the Father (Eph. 1:6) and of the Son (v. 12).
Isaiah’s prophecy spoke of Cyrus as the Lord’s anointed (Is 45:1). Israel regarded him as called and empowered by their God to free them. Under Cyrus the Jews were allowed to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple (Is 44:28). Documents preserved in the OT state that in his first year in Babylon, Cyrus issued a decree permitting the reconstruction of the house of God at Jerusalem (2 Chr 36:22, 23; Ezr 1:1–3; 6:2–5). He also returned sacred vessels taken from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“ ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the LORD their God be with them.’ ”
22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“ ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the LORD their God be with them.’ ”
13 King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel—thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, 16 as well as thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the project and directed the workers. 17
Temple building, already in hand, will be completed, but not by might (Heb. ḥayil), that is military strength, human prowess, such as the ‘army’ of workers Solomon had had to enable him to build (1 Kgs 5:13–18), nor by power (Heb. koaḥ), a word used for the ‘strength’ of the load-carriers in Nehemiah 4:10. Looked at from a human point of view the manpower available was inadequate for the task. But by my spirit (Heb. rûaḥ), says the Lord of hosts. It was the breath (rûaḥ) of the Lord that worked in creation (Gen. 1:2), and that opened the Red Sea and closed it again (Exod. 15:8, 10; 2 Sam. 22:16).
c. God’s seal with the Spirit (1:13–14)
God’s spiritual blessings for believers are based not only on the sovereign election of the Father (vv. 3–6) and the redemptive work of the Son (vv. 7–12), but also on the seal of the Holy Spirit.
1:13–14a. And you also refers to the Gentiles in contrast with the Jews (cf. comments on vv. 11–12). When they heard the Word of truth (cf. Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:15; James 1:18) which is further described as the gospel of your salvation, and believed, they were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. The KJV says that the sealing occurs “after” the hearing and believing, thus connoting a second work of grace. This is wrong, for believers are sealed at the moment they hear and believe.
The last part of verse 13 is literally, “They were sealed in Him [Christ] with the Holy Spirit of promise.” The word “seal” indicates security (Matt. 27:66; Eph. 4:30), authentication and approval (John 6:27), certification of genuineness (John 3:33), and identification of ownership (2 Cor. 1:22; Rev. 7:2; 9:4). God is the One who seals, Christ is the sphere in which the seal is done, and the Holy Spirit is the instrument of the seal. “The promised Holy Spirit” refers to Christ’s promise to His disciples that He would send the Spirit (Luke 24:49; John 14:16; 15:26; 16:13; Acts 1:5).
The Holy Spirit who seals is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. The “deposit” is more than a pledge which could be returned; it is a down payment with a guarantee of more to come (cf. “the firstfruits of the Spirit,” Rom. 8:23). “A deposit guaranteeing” translates the Greek arrabōn (used elsewhere in the NT only in 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5). It guarantees believers’ “inheritance” of salvation and heaven (cf. 1 Peter 1:4). (See comments on “inheritance” in Eph. 1:18.) In essence, the “deposit” of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in believers’ lives with a guarantee of much more yet to come.
1:14b. The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit until the redemption (apolytrōsin; see the chart “New Testament Words for Redemption” at Mark 10:45) of those who are God’s possession. This redemption is not release from the guilt of sin; that was spoken of in Ephesians 1:7 and the believer is already “God’s possession.” Instead, this is the believer’s ultimate, final release from the presence of sin (cf. Rom. 8:23b; Phil. 3:20–21). The Greek word for “possession” (peripoiēsis) is also used in 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Hebrews 10:39 (see comments there); and 1 Peter 2:9. Again the doxological refrain, to the praise of His glory, is repeated here as it was after the description of the work of the Father (Eph. 1:6) and of the Son (v. 12).