9936. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead. That this signifies from the Lord’s Divine love, is evident from the representation of Aaron, as being the Lord as to Divine good, which is the good of His Divine love (see n. 9806); and from the signification of “the forehead,” when it refers to the Lord, as being His Divine love; for by “the face of the Lord,” or what is the same, by “the face of Jehovah,” are signified all things of the Divine love; such as mercy, peace, good, wisdom (n. 222, 223, 5585, 6848, 6849, 9306, 9545, 9546). That “the face of Jehovah” or “the face of the Lord” has this signification, is because by “the face” in general are signified the interior things of man, which are his affections and the consequent thoughts, thus the things that belong to his love and faith (see the places cited in n. 9546). The reason why these things are signified by “the face,” is that they shine forth from the face as it were in their type or effigy; wherefore also the face is called the effigy of the mind. Hence it is that by “the face,” when said of Jehovah or the Lord, are signified the things which are of His Divine love. That by “the forehead” is specifically signified the Divine love itself, is because the interiors have been allotted their provinces in the face; those which are of love being in the province of the forehead; those which are of wisdom and intelligence being in the province of the eyes; those which are of perception being in the province of the nostrils; and those which are of utterance being in the province of the mouth. From this it is evident why “the forehead,” when said of the Lord, who is represented by Aaron, signifies the Divine love.

[2] As the forehead with man corresponds to his love, therefore they who are in celestial love (that is, in love to the Lord from the Lord) are said to have “a mark on their foreheads,” by which is signified that they are under the Lord’s protection, because they are in His love, as in Ezekiel:

Jehovah said, Go through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that groan and sigh for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof; and smite; let not your eye spare; but come not near against any man upon whom is the mark (Ezekiel 9:4-6).

Behold the Lamb standing on the Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having the name of His Father written on their foreheads (Revelation 14:1).

They shall see the faces of God and of the Lamb, and His name shall be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4).

It was said that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, nor any tree; but only the men that have not the mark of God on their foreheads (Revelation 9:4).

[3] “Having the mark,” or seal, “of God,” and “the name of God,” “on their foreheads,” denotes to be in safety from the infestation of evils which are from hell, because they are in the Lord through love; “the grass and the green thing,” which were not to be hurt, denote the memory-truth through which is the truth of faith (n. 7571, 7691); “the tree,” which also was not to be hurt, denotes the perception of truth from good (n. 103, 2163, 2722, 2972, 4552, 7692).

[4] In Moses:

Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God from all thine heart, and from all thy soul, and from all thy strengths. Thou shalt bind these words for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes (Deuteronomy 6:5, 8).

“To be for frontlets” denotes for a sign of love to Jehovah God; it is said “between the eyes,” because “the eyes” signify the intelligence and wisdom which are from this love, and wisdom from this love is to have God continually before the eyes. That this is the meaning is evident, because love to Jehovah God is treated of. It is said that they should “love Him from all the heart, from all the soul, and from all the strengths,” by which is signified with all that is in man. “From the heart” denotes from the will in which is the good of love (n. 7542, 9050, 9300, 9495); “from the soul” denotes from the understanding in which is the truth of faith, thus from faith (n. 9050), which two are of the internal man; “from all the strengths” denotes from the things that belong to the understanding and the will in the external man. The strengths and power of the love of both the external and the internal man are signified by “the hands” (n. 4931-4937, 7518); and therefore it is said that “these words shall be bound for a sign upon the hand.”

[5] As by virtue of its correspondence “the forehead” signifies heavenly love with the good; so with the evil it signifies infernal love, which is opposite to heavenly love. The forehead of the latter is called a “brazen forehead” in Isaiah 48:4; and a “hardened forehead” in Ezekiel 3:7-8; and of those who are in infernal love it is said that “they had the mark of the beast upon their foreheads” (Revelation 13:16; 14:9; 20:4); and also “the name of Babylon upon their foreheads” (Revelation 17:5).

8098. And God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness. That this signifies that under the Divine auspices they were brought to confirm the truths and goods of faith through temptations, is evident from the signification of “God led,” as being Providence (see n. 8093), or what is the same, the Divine auspices, and from the signification of “the way of the wilderness,” as being to undergo temptations, thus to confirm the truths and goods of faith, for they are confirmed by temptations. By “wilderness” is signified where there is what is uninhabited and uncultivated (see n. 2708), in the spiritual sense, where are no good and truth, and also where truth is not yet conjoined with good. Thus by “wilderness” is signified the state of those with whom conjunction will be effected; and as conjunction is not effected except through temptations, these also are signified, but only when the number “forty” is added, whether “forty years,” or “forty months,” or “forty days;” for “forty” signifies temptations and their duration, whatever this may be (n. 730, 862, 2272, 2273). These things are signified by the sojournings of the sons of Israel in the wilderness forty years; moreover the temptations which they underwent are described. That they were led into the wilderness in order that they might undergo these temptations and might thus represent them, is clear from these words in Moses:

Thou shalt remember all the way in which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to afflict thee, to tempt thee, to know what was in thy heart. He fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, to afflict thee, and to tempt thee, to do thee good in thy future time (Deuteronomy 8:2, 6).

As by “forty” were signified temptations and their duration, and by the “wilderness” the state of those who undergo them, therefore when the Lord was tempted, He also went out into the wilderness, and was there forty days (Matthew 4:1-2, seq.; Luke 4:1-2, seq.; Mark 1:12-13).