SEAL
Ancient seals used for making impressions consisted of a piece of hard material (stone, ivory or wood) having engraved letters or designs in reverse. They were made in various shapes, including cones, squares, cylinders, scarabs and animal heads. (Regarding signet or seal rings, see RING.) Those in the form of a cylinder commonly measured between three-fourths and one and a half inches (1.9 to 3.8 centimeters) in length. Engraved on the curved surface, the cylinder, when rolled on moist clay, produced a continuous impression in relief. Often cylinder seals were pierced through from end to end and thus could be suspended from a cord.
Religious symbols, plants, animals and simple scenes are among the things depicted on Egyptian and Mesopotamian seals. The Babylonian “Temptation Seal” shows a tree with a man seated on one side and a woman on the other, and behind the woman is an erect serpent. Often seals gave the owner’s name and/or his position. For example, one seal found in Palestine reads, “[Belonging] to Shema, the minister of Jeroboam.”
Seal impressions could indicate ownership or authenticity and could prevent tampering with documents or other things, including bags, doors and even tombs, that were sealed. (Job 14:17; Dan. 6:17; Matt. 27:66) When the prophet Jeremiah purchased a field, one copy of the deed was left open, but a second copy was sealed, perhaps by folding it closed, tying it with a cord and then putting a lump of wax or another soft substance on the cord and impressing the soft material with a seal. If later any question would arise about the accuracy of the open copy, the deed that had been sealed before witnesses could be produced. (Jer. 32:10-14, 44) A person entrusted with the king’s seal could issue official decrees, the seal impression stamping the decrees as authentic. (1 Ki. 21:8; Esther 3:10, 12; 8:2, 8, 10) Affixing one’s seal to a document could signify an acceptance of the terms contained therein. (Neh. 9:38; 10:1) Numerous ancient jar handles with seal impressions on them have been found. The seal impressions may have shown to whom the jars and their contents belonged or perhaps gave an indication of the quantity or quality of the contents.
FIGURATIVE USE
The actual uses for seals provide the basis for a number of figurative expressions found in the Bible. It was foretold that the Messiah would “imprint a seal upon vision and prophet.” This is because, by fulfilling the prophecies, the Messiah would stamp them as authentic and inspired of God. (Dan. 9:24; compare John 3:33.) In the sense of a mark of possession or ownership, Abraham received circumcision as a “seal” of the righteousness that he had. (Rom. 4:11) Since the apostle Paul had aided many Corinthian Christians to become believers, they served as a seal confirming the genuineness of his apostleship. (1 Cor. 9:1, 2) First-century Christians are spoken of as being “sealed” by means of holy spirit, which is an advance token of their heavenly inheritance. (Eph. 1:13, 14; 4:30) The seal signifies their being God’s possession (2 Cor. 1:21, 22) and shows that they are truly in line for heavenly life. The book of Revelation shows the number finally sealed to be 144,000.—Rev. 7:2-4; 9:4.
The Bible speaks of something that is closed, hidden or secret as being sealed. Prophetic messages were “sealed” during the time they were not understood. (Dan. 12:4, 9; Rev. 5:1; 22:10; compare Isaiah 8:16; 29:11.) And Jehovah is said to ‘put a seal around stars,’ evidently meaning that he hides them from view by means of clouds.—Job 9:7.