Friday 24 January 2014

Revelation 7:1-4 Sealed in forehead


"Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." These are the words. "


And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. -Revelation 7:1-4 King James Version (KJV)


Apocalypse Revealed, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1766], tr. by John Whitehead [1912], at sacred-texts.com

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Till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads, signifies before they are separated who are in truths from good from the Lord, thus who are interiorly good. By "sealing them in their foreheads," is not meant to seal them there, but to distinguish and separate those who are in the good of love from the Lord; for "the forehead" signifies the good of love. That they who are in truths from good from the Lord are meant, because these are signified by "the servants of God" (n. 3). The reason why "the forehead" signifies the good of love, is, because the face is the image of man's affections, and the forehead is the highest part of the face... As "the forehead" signifies the love, good love in the good, and evil love in the evil, therefore by "sealing them on their foreheads," is signified to distinguish and separate one from another according to the love. Similar is the signification of this passage in Ezekiel: Go through the midst of Jerusalem, and seal a seal upon the foreheads of the men that sigh over the abominations (Ezek. 9:4-6). [2] ...And moreover it was commanded: That these words, Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, were to be upon the hand and upon the forehead (Deut. 6:5, 8; 11:18). That they should have the name of the Father written on their foreheads (Rev. 14:1). And the name of God and of the Lamb in their foreheads (Rev. 22:4). It should be known, that the Lord looks at the angels in the forehead, whilst they look at the Lord through the eyes; by reason that the Lord looks at all from the good of love, and wills that they, on their part, should look at Him from the truths of wisdom; in this manner conjunction (coexistence) is effected. [3] "The forehead," in the opposite sense, signifies evil love in these passages: Who have the mark of the beast on their forehead (Rev. 13:16; 14:9; 20:4). And also the name of Babylon upon their foreheads (Rev. 17:5). The forehead of a woman a harlot (Jer. 3:3). Obdurate (stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action) of forehead, and hard of heart (Ezek. 3:7-8). Thou art hard, and thy forehead is brass (Isa. 48:4).


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