Paul uses the term "earnest payment" to describe the Holy Spirit, similar to lay-away plans practiced in some retail stores. Our inheritance is sealed by God so that it cannot be tampered with. The seal also guarantees the item's authenticity. Signet rings had the highest mark of authority carrying the weight of the king's authority or consent. An engagement ring carries the same significance, announcing that the fiancée has been spoken for and is off limits for anyone else. Paul uses the seal, earnest, or down payment concept again in Ephesians 1:16-17, and Romans 8:1, 5, 8, 11. Some people think Pentecost may be the day Christ announces His engagement to us, or perhaps this day will be the date of the Marriage of the Lamb.