Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well. Wouldn't be the first time.
The way I see it, being sealed, as we are, means we are saved and eternally secure, bought and paid for with a price, we belong to Jesus and NOTHING can snatch us from His hand. I believe sealed means the same for the 144,000, plus they'll have a visible sign. We and the 144,000 are/will be sealed with the Holy Spirit. I tend to believe the restrainer is the Church, not specifically the Holy Spirit.
During the trib, believers will have to have faith AND refuse to take the mark in order to be saved. That's what I meant by faith and works. They're not simply saved by having faith but also by enduring to the end by either dying for their faith in Jesus or actually making it thru the 7 yrs without taking the mark (which is highly unlikely for the vast majority). This means it's a new dispensation, imo.
As far as one's salvation being totally dependent on whether or not they take the mark during the trib, there could be some who have absolutely no faith in Jesus yet still refuse the mark. (Rebels against the NWO perhaps. There are many of them out there now just like this. They hate world gov't but have no faith whatsoever in God.) They'll still die for their rebellion against the AC and they'll still go to hell for their rebellion against God. Simply refusing the mark won't save them. They must have faith and they must refuse the mark in order to be saved.
I guess I disagree with Fruchtenbaum on this point.
