427# “等我们在我们神众仆人的额上盖了印”表示那些处于来自良善的真理之人首先要被分离。这从“印”、“神的仆人”和“额”的含义清楚可知：“印”是指区分和分离(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“神的仆人”是指那些处于来自良善的真理之人(对此，参看AE 6节)；“额”是指爱之良善。“额”表示爱之良善是由于对应，因为属于人的整个身体的一切事物，无论内在的还是外在的，都对应于天堂，而整个天堂在主眼里如同一个人，并被如此安排，以至于对应于人里面的每一个和一切事物。视觉、嗅觉、听觉和味觉的器官所在的整张脸，对应于总体上的情感和由此而来的思维，眼睛对应于理解，鼻子对应于感知，耳朵对应于听从和服从，味道对应于知道并变得智慧的渴望；但前额对应于爱之良善，所有这些都从它发出，因为它形成脸的最高部分，直接包裹大脑的前面和主要部分，这是人的智力或能力的所在之处。这就是为何主注视天使的前额，天使以眼睛仰望主；其原因在于，前额对应于爱，主出于爱注视他们，眼睛对应于理解，他们出于理解而仰望主；因为主允许祂自己通过进入他们理解的爱之流注而被看见。关于这一事实，可参看《天堂与地狱》(145, 151节)；整个天堂总起来说类似一个人(HH 68–86节)；因此，天堂的一切事物与人的一切事物有一种对应关系(HH 87–102节)。这清楚表明“在额上盖了印”是什么意思，即处于来自主的对主之爱的良善，并由此与那些未处于这爱的人区分和分离开。因为主注视这些人的前额，并以爱之良善充满他们，他们出于这良善通过来自情感的思维仰望主。主不能注视其他人的前额，因为他们转身离开主，并转向对立的爱，这爱充满并吸引他们。灵界的每个人，以及就其灵而言的世人，都面向主导爱(可参看《天堂与地狱》，17, 123, 142–144, 153, 552节)。
受印不是指被盖上印，而是指被带入这样一种状态，他们的品质可以得知，所以他们可以与那些处于相似状态的人结合，并与那些处于不相似状态的人分离。这一点也由以下经文中的“受印”和“记号”来表示。以西结书：
耶和华对那身穿细麻衣的人说，你穿过那城中间，穿过耶路撒冷中间，在那些因城中间所行的一切可憎的事而叹息唉哼的人额上画记号。要跟随他走遍全城去击杀；你们的眼不要顾惜，也不要可怜；只是凡有记号的人不要挨近他。(以西结书9:4–6)
此处论述的主题是善人与恶人的分离，“在额上画记号”与启示录的这段经文中的具有相同的含义，即与恶人区分并分离，与善人结合；后来论述的是恶人被逐出，以及他们所受的诅咒。“那些因耶路撒冷城中间所行的一切可憎的事而叹息唉哼的人”描述了那些处于良善的人；“那些因可憎的事而叹息唉哼的人”表示那些未处于邪恶和由此而来的虚假之人，“为它们而叹息唉哼”表示由于它们而厌恶和悲伤，“耶路撒冷”表示教会，“城”表示教义。后来，他们要“跟随他走遍全城去击杀；眼不要顾惜”描述了将恶人逐出，以及他们所受的诅咒；“击、杀”表示诅咒，因为在圣言中，属世的死亡表示属灵的死亡，也就是诅咒。
以赛亚书：
他必来聚集所有民族和舌头，好叫他们可以来看见我的荣耀。我要在他们身上设个记号。(以赛亚书66:18–19)
这些话论及主和祂要建立的一个新教会，因而论及一个新天堂和一个新地，这从以赛亚书66:22明显看出来。“聚集所有民族和舌头”与马太福音(24:31)中从四风招聚选民具有相同的含义。“聚集或招聚”表示把那些属于祂自己的人召到祂自己这里来；“民族”表示那些处于良善的人，“舌头”表示那些处于遵行教义的生活之人；“来看见主的荣耀”表示被神性真理光照，因而享受天堂的喜乐；因为“主的荣耀”表示神性真理，以及它所提供的光照和喜乐。“在他们身上设个记号”表示将他们与恶人区分和分离，并将他们与善人结合起来。
论到该隐，经上记着：
耶和华就给该隐立一个记号，免得人杀他。(创世记4:15)
人若不知道圣言的这个奥秘，即圣言的历史部分提到的人在灵义上表示事物，或那里所提到的每个人都代表、因而表示教会和天堂的某种事物，就不可能知道超越字面上的历史的任何东西，这历史似乎并不比其它历史更具有神性。然而，并未显现在字面上，只显现给那些处于灵义，并知晓灵义之人的神性却存在于圣言的每一个细节中，无论预言部分还是历史部分。该隐和亚伯的历史所包含的属灵奥秘是这样：“亚伯”代表仁之良善，“该隐”代表信之真理；在圣言中，这良善和这真理也被称为“弟兄”；信之真理被称为“长子或头生的”，因为后来要变成信之真理的真理首先被获得，并储存在记忆中，好叫良善可以从记忆中，如从一个库房里汲取可以与它结合的东西，从而将这些真理变成信之真理。因为只有等到人意愿并实行真理，真理才会属于信；并且只要人如此行，主就将他与自己和天堂结合起来，并从爱以良善流入，通过良善流入此人从童年时期起所获得的真理，并将这些真理与良善结合，使它们成为信之真理。在此之前，它们无非是认知和知识，人对它们只有诸如对他从别人那里听来的东西的那种信，后来他若有了不同的想法，就会从这种信中退出，或说他就像相信他从其他人那里听来的东西那样相信这些认知和知识，后来他若有了不同的想法，就会放弃它们；因此，这种信是别人在他自己里面的信，而不是他自己的；然而，人的信必须是他自己的，才能在死后归于他。只有当他看见、意愿并实行他所相信的时，它才会变成他自己的，因为那时，它进入这个人，并塑造他的灵，变成他的情感和思维不可分割的一部分；人的灵本质上只是他的情感和思维。
凡属于情感的，都被称为良善，凡属于由此而来的思维的，都被称为真理；除了属于其情感，也就是属于其灵的内层情感的东西外，人不相信任何东西是真理；因此，一个人从内层情感所思想的，都是他的信，凡他留在记忆里的东西，无论这些东西是从圣言或教会的教义获得的，还是从阅读或讲道中，抑或从他自己的理解中获得的，都不是信，无论他多么以为它们是，也无论如今人们多么声称并相信它们是。这头生和首要的事物或原则就是这个历史中的该隐所代表和表示的，因为该隐是头生的。当人们以为拯救人的，是这种信，而不是意愿并实行真理，也就是照之生活时，一种非常有害的异端就会产生，即：唯信得救，无论生活是什么样，脱离生活的信也是可能的；然而，这不是信，只是从外层或在人之外居于记忆中，而不是从内层或在人之内居于生活中的知识。即便被称为信，它也是历史的信，也就是一个人从别人那里所拥有的信，这种信没有获得生命，直到拥有它的人亲自看到他如此吸收或接受的东西是真的，当他意愿并实行它时，首先看到这一点。当这种异端盛行时，仁爱，也就是生活的良善，就被毁灭了，最终被弃绝，因为它对得救来说不是必要的。这一点由该隐杀害他兄弟亚伯来代表；因为在圣言中，信与仁，或信之真理与仁之良善被称为“弟兄”，如前所述。
“耶和华就给该隐立一个记号，免得他被杀”表示祂把他与其他人区分开，并保护他，因为得救之信无法存在或被赐下，除非历史的信先出现，历史的信是源于其他人的教会和天堂事物的知识，简言之，是诸如后来属于信的那类事物。事实上，除非人从小就吸收来自圣言，或教会教义，或讲道的真理，否则他将是空虚的，主无法作用于这样一个人身上，他也无法接受由主那里从天堂而出的流注，因为主通过良善运作，并流入一个人所拥有的真理，将这些结合起来，从而使仁与信合而为一。由此可见，“耶和华就给该隐立一个记号，免得人杀他，凡杀该隐的必遭报七倍”表示什么。此外，那些处于纯历史的信，也就是处于诸如构成信的那类事物的知识(这些人和信由该隐来表示)之人也得到保护，因为他们能教导其他人来自圣言的真理；事实上，他们出于记忆来教导。
427b.由于“额”对应于爱之良善，因此主出于神性之爱注视天使和世人的前额，如前所述，所以经上吩咐，上面刻着“归耶和华为圣”的纯金牌子要在前额亚伦的冠冕上，对此，经上在摩西五经如此记着说：
你要用纯金作一面牌，在上面按印章的刻法，刻着：归耶和华为圣。要用一条蓝细带子将牌系住，它要在冠冕的面前，这牌必在亚伦的额上，要常在亚伦的额上，使他们可以在耶和华面前蒙悦纳。(出埃及记28:36–38)
亚伦作为大祭司，代表神性之爱的良善方面的主，所以他的衣服代表诸如从这爱发出的那类事物；冠冕代表聪明和智慧；冠冕的前面部分代表爱，聪明和智慧来自这爱；因此，上面刻有“归耶和华为圣”的纯金牌子被系在一条蓝细带子上；用来做牌子的“纯金”表示属天之爱的良善；用来作系牌子的带子的“蓝”线表示属灵之爱的良善(属灵之爱是对真理的爱)；“印章的刻法”表示延续到永远；“归耶和华为圣”表示在神性人身方面的主，天堂和教会的一切神圣都从这神性人身发出；这些在亚伦头上的冠冕上，因为“冠冕”与头所表相同，即表示神性智慧，“额”表示神性爱之良善。亚伦代表爱之良善方面的主(参看《属天的奥秘》，9806, 9946, 10017节)；“蓝”表示对真理的爱(AC 9466, 9687, 9833节)；“冠冕”表示聪明和智慧(AC 9827节)。
由于“额”表示爱之良善，所以经上吩咐以色列人要把关于爱耶和华的诫命戴在额上，如摩西五经所教导的：
你们要全心、全灵魂、全力爱耶和华你的神，要把这些话系在手上为记号，在你们眼前作额饰。(申命记6:5, 8; 11:18; 出埃及记13:9, 16)
经上说“它们要在眼前作额饰”，是为了代表这一事实：主因出于神性之爱而注视天使和世人的前额，并赋予天使和世人出于聪明和智慧仰望祂的能力，因为“眼睛”表示理解，人的一切理解都来自他的爱之良善，他照着这良善从主接受理解。他们要把这些话系在手上也代表终端，因为手是人灵魂能力的终端；因此，“戴在额上，系在手上”表示在初始和终端中，或说在首先和末后的事物中，“首先的和末后的”或初始和终端表示一切事物(可参看AE 417节)。这条诫命以这种方式被系上，是因为“一切律法和先知都依赖于这条诫命”，也就是依赖于整部圣言，因而依赖于天堂和教会的一切事物。主在马太福音(22:35–38, 40)中教导：律法和先知依赖于这条诫命。这也清楚表明为何君王，无论古代的还是现代的，在加冕礼上都把油膏抹在前额和手上，这表示什么。因为以前君王代表神性真理方面的主；由于这真理在从主流入的爱之良善中被接受，所以油被膏抹在前额和手上，他们膏抹所用的“油”也表示爱之良善。这就是为何在圣言中，君王表示那些处于来自良善的真理之人，在抽象意义上表示来自良善的真理(参看AE 31节)。由此可见，“额上的印”表示什么，如此处和启示录的其它经文(启示录9:4; 14:1; 22:3–4)所提到的。
而另一方面，“额”表示与爱之良善对立的东西，即爱之邪恶，因而表示刚硬或坚硬、顽固、无耻和地狱之物。在以赛亚书，它表示坚硬或刚硬：
你是刚硬的，你的颈项是铁筋，你的额是铜的。(以赛亚书48:4)
在以西结书，它表示顽固：
以色列家不肯听从我；原来以色列全家额头顽固、心里刚硬。(以西结书3:7–8)
在耶利米书，它表示无耻：
你还是妓女的前额，不顾羞耻。(耶利米书3:3)
在启示录(13:16; 14:9–11; 16:2; 17:5; 19:20; 20:4)，它表示地狱之物。因为正如爱之良善是天堂的，因而是温柔、耐心和谦逊，与这良善对立的邪恶则是地狱的，刚硬，顽固和无耻。
启示录7:4
427. Till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. That this signifies that those who are in truths from good must first be separated, is evident from the Signification of sealing, which denotes to distinguish and separate, and of which we shall speak presently; from the signification of the servants of God, as denoting those who are in truths from good (concerning which see above, n. 6); and from the signification of forehead, which denotes the good of love. The basis of this signification of the forehead is correspondency; for everything in man's body, both internal and external, corresponds to heaven, the whole heaven in the Lord's sight being as one man and so arranged as to correspond to each and all things in man. The whole face, where the organs of the sensations of sight, smell, hearing, and taste, are situated, corresponds to the affections and thence to the thoughts in general, the eyes corresponding to the understanding, the nostrils to perception, the ears to hearing and obedience, and the taste to the desire of knowing and of becoming wise. But the forehead corresponds to the good of love, from which all these proceed, because it forms the highest part of the face, and embraces at once the anterior and primary parts of the brain, whence are man's intellectual [powers]. Hence the Lord looks upon the angels in the forehead, and the angels look to the Lord with the eyes; the reason of this is that the forehead corresponds to love, from which the Lord looks upon them, while the eyes correspond to the understanding, from which they look to the Lord. For the Lord permits Himself to be seen by means of the influx of love into their understandings. Concerning this fact see Heaven and Hell 141, 151), and that the whole heaven collectively represents one man (n. 68 to 87); and that therefore there is a correspondence of all things of heaven with all things of man (n. 87-102). From these things it is evident that being sealed on their foreheads, signifies to be in the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, and by means of that to be distinguished and separated from those who are not in that love. For the Lord looks upon them in the forehead, and fills them with the good of love, from which they look to Him with thought from affection. Others cannot be looked upon by the Lord in the forehead, because they avert themselves from Him, and turn to that opposite love, which fills and attracts them. That every one in the spiritual world, and also man as to his spirit, turns the face to the ruling love may be seen in Heaven and Hell 17, 123, 142-144, 153, 552).
[2] That to be sealed does not mean to be sealed, but to be brought into that state in which their quality can be known, so that they may be conjoined with those who are in a similar state, and separated from those who are in a dissimilar state, is signified by being marked, and by a mark, in the following passages.
In Ezekiel:
"And Jehovah said," to the man clothed in linen, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that mourn and that sigh for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Go ye through the city after him, and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark" (9:4-6).
The subject is here the separation of the good from the evil. To be marked (or sealed) on the forehead has the same signification as in this passage in the Apocalypse, that is, to be distinguished and separated from the evil, and conjoined to the good. The casting-out of the evil, and their condemnation are also afterwards described. Those who are in good are described by the men that cry and sigh for all the abominations done in the midst of the city of Jerusalem. Those who mourn and sigh over the abominations are such as are not in evils and the falsities therefrom; mourning and sighing over them signify aversion and grief on account of them, Jerusalem denoting the church, and the city doctrine. The casting-out of the evil and their condemnation are afterwards described, by the command that they should go through the city after him and smite, and that their eye should not spare. To smite and to kill signify to be damned, for spiritual death is damnation, and is signified in the Word by natural death.
[3] In Isaiah:
"He will come to gather together all nations and tongues, that they may come and see my glory. And I will set a mark among them" (66:18, 19).
These words are spoken concerning the Lord, and the new church to be established by Him, and therefore concerning the new heaven and the new earth, as is evident from verse 22 of that chapter. By gathering together all nations and tongues, the same is signified as by gathering together the elect from the four winds (Matthew 24:31). To gather together signifies to call His own to Himself; nations signify those who are in good, and tongues, those who are in a life according to doctrine. To come and see the glory of the Lord, signifies to be enlightened in Divine Truth, and thus to experience heavenly joy; for the glory of the Lord signifies the Divine Truth, and the illustration and joy which it affords. To set a mark among them, signifies to distinguish and separate them from the evil, and conjoin them to the good.
[4] It is said of Cain, that Jehovah set a mark upon him, lest any should kill him (Genesis 4:15). Unless this interior fact of the Word be known, that by persons named in its historical parts, things are meant in the spiritual sense, or that every person there mentioned represents, and consequently signifies, something pertaining to the church and heaven, nothing further can be known than the literal history, which appears to be no more divine than other histories. But in every detail of the Word, both prophetical and historical, there is the Divine, which does not appear in the letter, except to those who are in the spiritual sense and acquainted with it. The interior spiritual fact contained in the history of Cain and Abel is that Abel represents the good of charity, and Cain the truth of faith; and this good and this truth are also called brethren in the Word. The truth of faith is called the first-born because truths which are afterwards to become the truths of faith, are first acquired and stored up in the memory, in order that good may take thence as from a storehouse what it can conjoin to itself, and thus cause them to be truths of faith. For truth is not of faith until man wills it and does it, and as far as man does this, the Lord conjoins him to Himself and to heaven, and from love flows in with good, and by means of good into the truths which he has acquired from his childhood, conjoins them to good, and causes them to become truths of faith. Before this has taken place, they are nothing more than cognitions and knowledges (scientiae), and these he believes as yet only in the same way that he believes what he hears from others which he can give up if he afterwards think differently, therefore this faith is the faith of another in himself, and not his own, and yet a man's faith must be his own, in order that it may remain with him after death. It becomes his own when he sees, wills, and does what he believes, for then it enters into the man, moulds his spirit, and becomes an integral part of his affection and thought; for the spirit of man in its essence is nothing else but his own affection and thought.
[5] That which is of affection is called good, and that which is of thought therefrom is called truth; nor does a man believe anything to be the truth, but that which belongs to his affection, that is, to the interior affection of his spirit. Wherefore what a man thinks from interior affection is his belief, and nothing else that he retains in his memory, whether from the Word or the doctrine of the church, from reading, from preaching, or from his own understanding, is faith, although he thinks that it is, and although it is declared and believed to be so at this day. This primary and first-begotten [principle] is represented and signified by Cain in the above historical part of the Word, for Cain was the first-begotten. When it is believed that such a faith saves man, and not the willing and doing of it, or a life according to it, then there arises the baneful heresy that faith alone saves whatever the life may be, and that there may be faith without life, although this is not faith, but merely knowledge exteriorly in the memory, and not interiorly in the life. If this be called faith it is historical faith, which is the faith one man has from another, and has no life in itself, until he who possesses it sees for himself that what he has received is true, and this first takes place when he wills and does it. When that heresy prevails, then charity, which is the good of life, is annihilated, and at length rejected as not essential to salvation. This was represented by Cain's slaying his brother Abel; for faith and charity or the truth of faith and the good of charity, are called brethren in the Word, as stated above.
[6] That Jehovah set a mark upon Cain lest he should be slain, signifies that he distinguished him from others, and preserved him, because saving faith cannot exist, unless historical faith precede, which is the knowledge of the things of the church and of heaven derived from others, in a word, the knowledge of such things as shall afterwards pertain to faith. For unless a man from his infancy received truths from the Word, from the doctrine of the church, or from preaching, he would possess none, and the Lord cannot act upon such a man, nor can he receive influx out of heaven from the Lord, for He operates and inflows by means of good into the truths which a man possesses and conjoins them, and thus makes charity and faith one. From these considerations it is evident what is signified by Jehovah setting a mark on Cain, lest any one should slay him, and by him that should slay him being avenged sevenfold. Besides, those who are only in historical faith, that is, in the knowledge of such things as belong to faith, - and such persons and faith are signified by Cain, - are also preserved, because they can teach others truths from the Word, for they teach from the memory.
[7] Since the forehead corresponds to the good of love, and therefore the Lord from His Divine Love looks upon angels and men in the forehead, as stated above, it was commanded that a plate of pure gold, upon which was engraved "Holiness to Jehovah," should be placed upon the mitre of Aaron on the forehead, concerning which it is thus written in Moses:
"And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness to Jehovah. And thou shalt put it on a thread of purple, upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be, that it may be upon Aaron's forehead, and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah" (Arcana Coelestia 9806, 9946, 10017). "Purple" signifies the love of truth (n. 9466, 9687, 9833); and the mitre signifies intelligence and wisdom (n. 9827).
[8] Since the forehead signifies the good of love, the Israelites were therefore commanded to bind upon their foreheads the precept concerning love to Jehovah.
Thus in Moses:
"And thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And thou shalt bind these words for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be for frontlets before thine eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:5, 8; 11:18; Exodus 13:9, 16).
It is said, that they should be for frontlets before the eyes, to represent the fact that the Lord looks upon angels and men in the forehead, because from Divine Love, and gives to angels and men the power to see Him from intelligence and wisdom, for the eyes signify the understanding. All man's understanding also is from the good of his love, and according to that which he receives from the Lord. That they should also bind them upon the hand represented the ultimates, because the hands are the ultimates of the powers of man's soul; therefore upon the forehead and upon the hand signifies in primaries and in ultimates. Primary and ultimate signify all, as may be seen above (n. 22:35-38, 40). From this it is evident why kings at their coronation were in former times and are to-day anointed with oil upon the forehead and upon the hand. For kings formerly represented the Lord as to Divine Truth, and because this is received in the good of love which flows in from the Lord, therefore anointing was performed upon the forehead and upon the hand. The oil also, with which they were anointed, signifies the good of love. Therefore kings in the Word signify those who are in truths from good, and in an abstract sense truths from good; as may be seen above (n. 9:4; 14:1; 22:3, 4).
[9] But on the other hand, the forehead signifies the evil of love which is opposite to the good of love, and therefore what is hard, obstinate, shameless and infernal. Thus in Isaiah, "hardness" is described in these words:
"Thou art hard, for thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy forehead brass" (48:4).
In Ezekiel "obstinacy."
"The house of Israel will not hearken unto me; for all the house of Israel are of an obstinate forehead and hard of heart" (3:7).
In Jeremiah "shamelessness."
"Thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed" (Jeremiah 3:3).
"Infernal" in the Apocalypse (13:16; 14:9-11; 16:2; 17:5; 19:20; 20:4). For as the good of love is celestial, and therefore gentle, patient, and modest, so the evil opposite to that good is infernal, hard, obstinate, and shameless.
427. Till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads, signifies that those who are in truths from good are first to be separated. This is evident from the signification of "to seal," as being to distinguish and separate (of which presently); also from the signification of "the servants of God," as being those who are in truths from good (of which see above, n. 6); also from the signification of "forehead," as being the good of love. It is from correspondence that "forehead" means the good of love; for all things pertaining to man in the whole body, whether within or without, correspond to heaven, for the universal heaven in the sight of the Lord is as one Man, so arranged as to correspond to each and all the things in man. The whole face, where the organs of sight, smell, hearing, and taste, are situated, corresponds to the affections and the thoughts therefrom in general, the eyes corresponding to the understanding, the nose to perception, the ears to hearkening and obedience, and the taste to the desire to know and be wise; but the forehead corresponds to the good of love, from which all these are, for it forms the highest part of the face, and directly encloses the front and primary part of the brain, which is the seat of man's intellect. This is why the Lord looks upon angels in the forehead, and the angels look to the Lord through the eyes; this is so because the forehead corresponds to the love, from which the Lord looks upon them, and the eyes correspond to the understanding from which they look to the Lord; for the Lord grants Himself to be seen through the influx of love into their understanding. (Respecting this see in the work on Heaven and Hell 145, 151; and that The Universal Heaven in its Whole Complex answers to One Man, n. 68-86; and that There is thence a Correspondence of all Things of Heaven with all Things of Man, n 87-102.) This makes clear the signification of "being sealed on the forehead," namely, to be in the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, and thereby to be distinguished and separated from those who are not in that love; for the Lord looks upon such in the forehead, and fills them with the good of love, from which they look to the Lord by thought from affection. The rest cannot be looked upon by the Lord in the forehead, for they turn away from Him and turn themselves to the opposite love, by which they are filled and attracted. (That everyone in the spiritual world, and man as well in respect to his spirit, turns the face to the ruling love, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 17, 123, 142-144, 153, 552)
[2] "To be sealed" means not to be sealed, but to be reduced to such a state that their quality may be recognized, and that they may thus be conjoined with those who are in a like state and separated from those who are in a dissimilar state. This is signified by "to be sealed," and by a "sign" in the following passages. In Ezekiel:
Jehovah said to the man clothed in linen, Pass through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and mark a sign upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and groan over all the abominations done in the midst thereof. And pass ye through the city after him and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; but come not near against any man upon whom is the sign (Ezekiel 9:4, 6).
This also treats of the separation of the good from the evil; and "to mark on the forehead" has a similar signification as in this passage in Revelation, namely, to be distinguished and separated from the evil and to be conjoined to the good; the casting out and damnation of the evil are treated of afterwards. Those who are in good are described by those "that sigh and groan over all the abominations done in the midst of the city Jerusalem;" "those that sigh and groan over abominations" mean those who are not in evils and in falsities therefrom, "sighing and groaning over them" signifying aversion and grief because of them, "Jerusalem" meaning the church, and "city" the doctrine. Afterwards that they should "pass through the city after him and smite, and the eye should not spare," describes the casting out and damnation of the evil; "to smite and kill" signifying damnation, for spiritual death, which is damnation, is signified in the Word by natural death.
[3] In Isaiah:
He shall come for bringing together all nations and tongues, that they may come and see My glory. And I will set a sign upon them (Isaiah 66:18, 19).
This is said of the Lord, and of a new church to be established by Him, and thus of a new heaven and a new earth (as is evident from verse 22 that chapter). "Bringing together all nations and tongues" has a similar signification, as:
Gathering together the elect from the four winds (Matthew 24:31);
"to gather together" signifies to receive to Himself those who are His own; "nations" signify those who are in good, and "tongues" those who are in a life according to doctrine; "to come and see the glory of the Lord" signifies to be illustrated by Divine truth, and thus to enjoy heavenly joy; for "the glory of the Lord" signifies Divine truth, and illustration and joy from it; "to set a sign upon them" signifies to distinguish and separate them from the evil and conjoin them to the good.
[4] It is written of Cain:
That Jehovah set a sign upon him that no one might slay him (Genesis 4:15).
He who does not know this arcanum of the Word that the persons named in its histories mean in the spiritual sense things, or that every person there mentioned represents and thence signifies something of the church and of heaven, can know nothing beyond the historical things of the letter, in which nothing more of the Divine appears than in other histories; and yet there is in the Word, both prophetical and historical, and in each and all things of it, something Divine that does not appear in the letter except to those who are in the spiritual sense and who know it. The spiritual arcanum in the history of Cain and Abel is this: "Abel" represents the good of charity, and "Cain" the truth of faith, and that good and that truth are called in the Word "brethren;" and the truth of faith is called "the firstborn" because the truths that are afterwards to become truths of faith are first acquired and stored up in the memory, that from it, as from a storehouse, good may draw what it may conjoin to itself and make the truths to be truths of faith. For truth does not become of faith until man wills it and does it; but so far as man does this the Lord conjoins him to Himself and to heaven, and from love flows in with good, and through good into the truths that the man has acquired from childhood, and conjoins them to good and makes them to be truths of faith; before this they are nothing but the cognitions and knowledges, in which as yet man has no other faith than such as he has in things heard from another, from which he can withdraw if he afterwards thinks differently; therefore this faith is not his own but that of another in him; and yet if a man's faith is to remain with him after death it must be his own faith; and it becomes his own when he sees, wills, and does what he believes, for it then enters into the man and forms his spirit, and comes to be of his affection and thought; for man's spirit in its essence is nothing but his affection and thought.
[5] That which is of the affection is called good, and that which is of the thought therefrom is called truth; and man believes nothing to be true except what is of his affection, but of the interior affection that pertains to his spirit; consequently that which a man thinks from interior affection is his faith, and whatever other things he holds in his memory, whether he has drawn them from the Word or from the doctrine of the church, by reading or from preachings, or from his own understanding, are not faith, however much he thinks that they are, and it is at present said and believed that they are. This first-begotten and primary thing is what "Cain" represents and signifies in this history, for Cain was the first-begotten. When this, and not willing and doing the truth, that is, living according to it, is believed to be the faith that saves man, then there springs up a pernicious heresy that faith alone saves, whatever the life may be, and that there may be faith apart from the life; and yet this is not faith, but mere knowledge residing outside of man in his memory, and not within him in the life. If this is called faith it is historical faith, which is having in oneself another's faith, and such a faith does not receive life until the man sees that what he has thus imbibed is true, and this he first sees when he wills and does it. When that heresy prevails, charity, which is the good of life, is destroyed, and at length rejected as not essential to salvation. This was represented by Cain's slaying his brother Abel; for faith and charity, or the truth of faith and the good of charity, are called in the Word "brethren," as was said above.
[6] That "Jehovah set a sign upon Cain lest he should be slain" signifies that He distinguished him from others and preserved him, because saving faith cannot be given unless historical faith precedes, and this is knowing from others the things of the church and heaven; in a word, it is a knowledge of such things as faith afterwards consists of; for unless man from infancy imbibed truths from the Word, or from the doctrine of the church, or from preachings, he would be empty, and into an empty man no operation could fall, and no influx out of heaven from the Lord could come, for the Lord operates and flows in through good into truths with man, and conjoins these, and thus makes charity and faith to be one. From this can be seen the signification of "Jehovah set a sign upon Cain that no one might slay him, and that whosoever should slay him vengeance should be taken on him sevenfold." Moreover, those who are in mere historical faith, that is, in a knowledge of such things as constitute faith, who are the persons or which is the faith meant by "Cain," these are preserved also because they can teach truths from the Word to others, which they do from memory.
[7] Because the "forehead" corresponds to the good of love, and therefore the Lord from Divine love looks upon angels and men in the forehead, as was said above, it was commanded that a plate of pure gold, upon which was written "Holiness to Jehovah," should be placed upon the miter of Aaron on the forehead, concerning which it is thus written in Moses:
Thou shalt make a plate, pure gold, and grave upon it with the engravings of a signet, Holiness to Jehovah. And thou shalt put it on a thread of blue; over against the faces of the miter it shall be, that it may be upon Aaron's forehead, and may be constantly on his forehead, that they may have acceptance before Jehovah (9806, 9946, 10017; that "blue" signifies the love of truth, n. 9466, 9687, 9833; and the "miter" signifies intelligence and wisdom, n. 9827)
[8] Because the "forehead" signifies the good of love, the sons of Israel were commanded to bind the commandment respecting love to Jehovah upon their foreheads, as is taught in Moses:
Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And thou shalt bind these words for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be for frontlets before thine eyes (Deuteronomy 6:5 (Deuteronomy 6:6), 8; 11:18; Exodus 13:9, 16).
It is said "they shall be for frontlets before the eyes," as a representation that the Lord looks upon angels and men in the forehead, because from Divine love, and grants to angels and men to look at Him from intelligence and wisdom, for the "eyes" signify the understanding, and all man's understanding is from the good of his love and according to that which he receives from the Lord. That they bound these words upon the hand also represented ultimate things, because the hands are the ultimates of the powers of man's soul; therefore "upon the forehead and upon the hand" signifies in things first and last, and "first and last" signifies all things (as may be seen above, n. Matthew 22:35-38, 40).
This also makes clear why kings, in former times and also at present, when crowned, were anointed with oil upon the forehead and upon the hand, and what this signifies; for kings formerly represented the Lord in relation to Divine truth, and because this is received in the good of love that flows in from the Lord, therefore they were anointed upon the forehead and upon the hand, the "oil" also with which they were anointed signifying the good of love. This is why kings in the Word signify those who are in truths from good, and in an abstract sense truths from good (See above, n. Revelation 9:4; 14:1; 22:3, 4).
[9] But on the contrary, the "forehead" signifies that which is opposite to the good of love, namely, the evil of love, and thus what is hard, obstinate, shameless, and infernal. It signifies what is hard in Isaiah:
Thou art hard, for thy neck is a sinew of iron, and thy forehead brass (Isaiah 48:4).
It signifies what is stubborn in Ezekiel:
The house of Israel will not hearken unto Me; for the whole house of Israel are stubborn in forehead and hard in heart (Ezekiel 3:7, 8).
It signifies what is shameless in Jeremiah:
The forehead of a harlot remained to thee, thou didst refuse to be ashamed (Jeremiah 3:3).
It signifies what is infernal in Revelation (Revelation 13:16; 14:9-11; 16:2; 17:5; 19:20; 20:4); for as the good of love is heavenly, and thence mild, patient, and modest, so the evil opposite to that good is infernal, hard, stubborn, and shameless.
427. "Usque dum signaverimus servos Dei nostri super frontibus eorum.- Quod significet quod prius separandi sint qui in veris ex bono sunt, constat ex significatione signare", quod sit distinguere et separare (de qua sequitur); ex significatione "servorum Dei", quod sint qui in veris ex bono sunt (de qua supra, n. 6); et ex significatione "frontis" quod sit bonum amoris.
Quod "frons" sit bonum amoris est ex correspondentia, omnia enim quae apud hominem sunt in toto corpore, tam quae intra illud quam quae extra, correspondent caelo; nam universum caelum est sicut unus Homo in conspectu Domini, ita ordinatum ut correspondeat omnibus et singulis hominis: tota facies, ubi sensoria visus, olfactus, auditus et gustus sita sunt, correspondet affectionibus et inde cogitationibus in genere; oculi correspondent intellectui, nares perceptioni, aures auscultationi et obedientiae, et gustus desiderio sciendi et sapiendi; frons autem correspondet bono amoris, ex quo omnia illa sunt; supremum etiam faciei facit, ac immediate includit anteriorem et primariam partem cerebri, unde intellectualia hominis: inde est quod Dominus aspiciat angelos in fronte, ac angeli Dominum per oculos; et hoc quia frons correspondet amori, ex quo Dominus illos aspicit, et oculi correspondent intellectui, ex quo illi aspiciunt Dominum; dat enim Dominus Se videri per influxum amoris in intellectum eorum. (De qua re videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno, 11, 145, 151: et Quod Universum Caelum in toto complexu referat unum Hominem, in eodem opere, n. 1
68-86: et Quod inde Correspondentia sit omnium Caeli cum omnibus Hominis, n. 87-102,) Exinde patet quid significatur per "signari super frontibus", quod nempe in bono amoris in Dominum a Domino esse, et per id distingui ac separari ab illis qui non in amore illo sunt; aspicit enim Dominus illos in fronte, ac implet illos bono amoris, ex quo illi aspiciunt Dominum cogitatione ex affectione. Reliqui non in fronte aspici possunt a Domino, quia avertunt se ab Ipso, ac vertunt se ad amorem oppositum, a quo implentur et trahuntur. (Quod quisque in mundo spirituali, et quoque homo quoad spiritum suum, vertat faciem ad amorem regnantem, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 17, 123, 142-144, 153, 552.)
[2] Quod "signari" non sit signari, sed in illum statum redigi ut agnosci possint quales sunt, proinde ut conjungantur cum illis qui in simili statu sunt, ac separentur ab illis qui in dissimili; hoc significatur per "signari" et per "signum" in sequentibus his locis:
Apud Ezechielem,
"Dixit Jehovah ad" virum indutum linteis, "Transi per medium urbis, per medium Hierosolymae, et signa signum super frontibus virorum gementium et suspirantium super omnibus abominationibus factis in medio ejus:... et transite per urbem post illum, et percutite, nec parcat oculus vester, neque clementia utamini;... sed contra ullum virum super quo signum, ne appropinquate" (9:4-6):
agitur etiam hic de separatione bonorum a malis, ac per "signari super frontibus" simile significatur quod in hoc loco Apocalypseos, nempe distingui et separari a malis, ac conjungi bonis; de ejectione et damnatione malorum postea etiam agitur: illi qui in bono sunt, describuntur per "gementes et suspirantes super omnibus abominationibus factis in medio urbis Hierosolymae"; "gementes et suspirantes super abominationibus" sunt qui non in malis et inde falsis sunt; "gemitus et suspirium" super illis significant aversionem et dolorem pro illis, "Hierosolyma" est ecclesia, et "urbs" est doctrina: ejectio et damnatio malorum postea describitur per quod "transirent per urbem post illum, et percuterent, nec parceret oculus"; "percutere et occidere" significat damnari, nam mors spiritualis, quae est damnatio, significatur in Verbo per mortem naturalem.
[3] Apud Esaiam,
"Veniet ad congregandum omnes gentes et linguas, ut veniant et videant gloriam meam, et ponam in illis signum" (66:18, 19):
haec dicta sunt de Domino, ac de nova ecclesia ab Ipso instauranda, proinde de novo caelo et nova terra (ut patet a vers. 22 in illo capite); per "congregare omnes gentes et linguas" simile significatur quod per
"Congregare electos a quatuor ventis" (Matthaeus 24:31):
"congregare" significat adsciscere Sibi qui Ipsius sunt; "gentes" significant illos qui in bono sunt, et "linguae illos qui in vita secundum doctrinam sunt; "venire et videre gloriam" Domini, significat illustrari Divino Vero et inde frui gaudio caelesti, "gloria" enim Domini significat Divinum Verum et ex illo illustrationem et gaudium; "ponere in illis signum" significat distinguere et separare a malis, et conjungere bonis.
[4] Legitur de Caino,
Quod Jehovah posuerit ei signum, ne quis occideret illum (Genesis 4:15):
qui non scit id arcanum Verbi, quod per personas in historicis ibi nominatas in sensu spirituali intelligantur res, seu quod unaquaevis persona ibi aliquid rei ecclesiae et caeli repraesentet, et inde id significet, non scire aliud potest quam historicum litterae, in quo non plus Divini apparet quam in historiis aliis; cum tamen in Verbo tam in propheticis quam in historicis, in omnibus et singulis ejus est Divinum quod in littera non apparet nisi solum illis qui in sensu spirituali sunt et illum norunt. Arcanum spirituale in historico de Caino et Abele est hoc: Abel ibi repraesentat bonum charitatis et Cainus verum fidei; id bonum et hoc verum etiam in Verbo vocantur "fratres"; ac verum fidei "primogenitus", ex causa quia vera, quae postea fient fidei, primum acquiruntur et reponuntur in memoria, ut bonum inde sicut ex promptuario hauriat quod sibi conjungat, ac faciat ut sint fidei. Verum enim non prius fit fidei quam cum homo vult illud et facit illud; et quantum homo id facit, tantum Dominus conjungit illum Sibi et caelo, ac influit ex amore cum bono, ac per bonum in vera quae homo a pueritia acquisivit, ac conjungit illa bono, ac facit ut sint fidei: prius non sint nisi quam cognitiones et scientiae; quibus homo adhuc non fidem habet aliam quam sicut rebus auditis ex alio, a quibus recedere potest si aliter postea cogitat; quare illa fides est fides alterius in se, et non sua; et usque fides sua erit apud hominem, ut maneat illum post mortem; et tunc fit sua, quando id quod credit, videt, vult et facit, tunc enim intrat in hominem, et format spiritum ejus, et fit affectionis et cogitationis ejus; spiritus enim hominis in sua essentia non est nisi quam sua affectio et cogitatio.
[5] Quod affectionis est, hoc vocatur bonum; et quod inde cogitationis est, hoc vocatur verum; homo nec aliud credit verum esse quam quod est affectionis ejus, sed interioris affectionis quae est spiritus ejus: quare quod homo ex interiore affectione cogitat, hoc ejus fides est; et reliqua quaecunque in memoria sua tenet, sive illa hauserit ex Verbo, sive ex doctrina ecclesiae per lectionem, sive ex praedicatione, sive ex proprio intellectu, non sunt fides, utcunque putat quod sit, et dicitur ac creditur hodie quod sit. Hoc primogenitum et primitivum est quod Cainus in historico illo repraesentat et significat, nam Cainus erat primogenitus. Tale cum creditur esse fides quae salvat hominem, ac non velle illud et facere illud, hoc est, vivere secundum illud, existit haeresis damnosa quod sola fides salvet qualiscunque vita est, et quod detur fides absque vita; cum tamen id non est fides, sed modo scientia residens extra hominem in ejus memoria, et non intra illum in vita; et si illud vocatur fides, est fides historica, quae fides est fides alterius apud se; et non prius vitam accipit, quam cum id quod hausit ipse videt quod verum sit, et tunc primum videt cum vult illud et facit illud. Cum illa haeresis invalescit, tunc annihilatur charitas quae est bonum vitae, et tandem rejicitur sicut non essentialis ad salutem: hoc repraesentatum est per quod Cainus occiderit Abelem fratrem suum; fides enim et charitas, seu verum fidei et bonum charitatis, dicuntur "fratres" in Verbo, ut supra dictum est.
[6] Quod "Jehovah posuerit Caino signum ne occideretur", significat quod distinxerit ab aliis, et quod conservaverit, quia fides salvifica non dari potest nisi praecedat fides historica, quae est cognitio rerum ecclesiae et caeli ab aliis; verbo, est scientia talium quae postea fidei erunt; nisi enim homo ex infantia hauriat vera ex Verbo, vel ex doctrina ecclesiae, vel ex praedicatione, foret vacuus; et in hominem vacuum non cadit operatio et non datur influxus e caelo a Domino; operatur enim et influit Dominus per bonum in vera apud hominem, et conjungit illa, et facit ut charitas et fides unum sint: ex his constare potest quid significat quod "Jehovah posuerit Caino signum, ne quis occiderit illum, et qui occiderit septuplum vindicaretur." Praeterea illi qui solum in fide historica sunt, hoc est, in scientia talium quae fidei, qui sunt "Cainus" seu quae est "Cainus", conservantur etiam quia docere possunt alios vera ex Verbo, docent enim ex memoria.
[7] Quoniam "frons" correspondet bono amoris, ac ideo Dominus ex Divino Amore aspicit angelos et homines in fronte, ut supra dictum est, ideo mandatum est, ut bractea ex puro auro, super qua scriptum esset "Sanctitas Jehovae", poneretur super cidari Aharonis e regione frontis, de qua ita apud Mosen,
"Facies bracteam, aurum purum, et sculpes super illa sculpturis sigilli, Sanctitas Jehovae; et pones eam super filo hyacinthini, ... e regione facierum cidaris erit, ut sit super fronte Aharonis, ... sitque super fronte ejus jugiter, in beneplacitum 2
illis coram Jehovah" (Exodus 28:36-38):
Aharon enim ut summus sacerdos repraesentabat Dominum quoad bonum Divini Amoris; et inde vestes ejus repraesentabant talia quae procedunt ex illo amore; cidaris repraesentabat intelligentiam et sapientiam, ac regio anterior ejus amorem, ex quo intelligentia et Sapientia; ideo ibi bractea ex auro puro erat posita super filo hyacinthini, super qua sculptum "Sanctitas Jehovae": "aurum purum" ex quo bractea significat bonum amoris caelestis; "hyacinthinum" ex quo filum super quo bractea, significat bonum amoris spiritualis (amor spiritualis est amor veri); "sculptura sigilli" significat permanentiam in aeternum; "Sanctitas Jehovae" significat Dominum quoad Divinum Humanum, ex quo omne sanctum caeli et ecclesiae procedit; haec erant "super fronte cidaris" quae super capite Aharonis, quia "cidaris" significat simile quod "caput", nempe Divinam Sapientiam, et "frons" Divinum Bonum Amoris. (Quod Aharon repraesentaverit Dominum quoad bonum amoris, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 9806, 3
9946, 10017; quod "hyacinthinum" significet amorem veri, n. 9466, 9687, 9833; quod "cidaris" significet intelligentiam et sapientiam, n. 9827.)
[8] Quoniam "frons" significat bonum amoris, ideo mandatum est filiis Israelis, ut alligarent praeceptum de amore in Jehovam super frontibus suis; de quo ita apud Mosen,
"Amabis Jehovam Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, ex tota anima tua, et ex omnibus viribus tuis:... alliges ea" verba "in signum super manu tua, et sint in frontalia ante oculos tuos" (Deuteronomius 6:5, 8; 11:18: praeter in Exodus 13:9, 16):
quod dicatur "ut sint in frontalia ante oculos", erat repraesentativum quod Dominus aspiciat angelos et homines in fronte, quia ex Divino Amore, ac det ut angeli et homines aspiciant Ipsum ex intelligentia et sapientia, nam "oculi" significant intellectum; omnis etiam intellectus hominis est ex bono amoris ejus, et secundum id quod recipit a Domino: quod etiam "alligarent super manu", repraesentabat ultima, quoniam manus sunt ultima virium animae hominis; ita "super fronte et super manu" significat in primis et in ultimis, ac "primum et ultimum" significant omnia (videatur supra, n. 417): quod illud praeceptum ita alligarent, erat causa, quia ex illo pendent Lex et Prophetae, hoc est, totum Verbum, proinde omnia caeli et ecclesiae:
Quod Lex et Prophetae ex illo praecepto pendeant, docet Dominus apud Matthaeum (22:35-38 [, [40]).
Ex his etiam patet, unde est et quid significat, quod reges olim et quoque hodie, cum coronantur, ungebantur oleo super fronte et super manu: reges enim olim repraesentaverunt Dominum quoad Divinum Verum; et quia hoc recipitur in bono amoris, quod influit a Domino, ideo unctio fiebat super fronte et super manu; oleum etiam, quo ungebantur, significat bonum amoris: inde est quod "reges" in Verbo significent illos qui in veris ex bono sunt, et abstracte vera ex bono (videatur supra, n. 31).
Ex his constare potest quid intelligitur per "signum super frontibus", ut quoque alibi in Apocalypsi (Ut cap. 9:4; 14:1; 22:3, 4).
[9] Vicissim autem "frons" significat id quod oppositum est bono amoris, nempe malum amoris, et inde durum, obfirmatum, impudens ac infernale: durum, apud Esaiam,
"Durus tu, nam nervus ferri cervix tua, et frons tua aenea" (48:4);
obfirmatum, apud Ezechielem,
"Domus Israelis non volunt obedire Mihi, ... nam tota domus Israelis obfirmati fronte et duri corde" (3:7, 8);
impudens, apud Jeremiam,
"Frons mulieris meretricis mansit tibi, renuisti pudefieri" (3:3 4
);
infernale, in Apocalypsi (Cap. 13:16; 14:9-11; 16:2; 17:5; 19:20; 20:4): nam sicut bonum amoris est caeleste, et inde clemens, patiens et pudicum, ita malum bono illi oppositum est infernale, durum, obfirmatum et impudens.
Footnotes:
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4. The editors made a correction or note here.