838. To give them a mark on their right hand, or on their foreheads. That this signifies a testification of acknowledgment that they belong to the church, and are in the truths and goods, so called, of that faith, is evident from the signification of a mark, as denoting a sign or witness of acknowledgment, in this case that they belong to that church; and from the signification of the right hand, as denoting the truth of faith in its power (concerning which see above, n. 298); and from the signification of forehead, as denoting the good of love (concerning which see also above, n. 427). In this case, therefore, by the right hand and forehead are signified the truths and goods, so called, of that faith, which, nevertheless, are either not truths and goods, or falsities and evils. The acknowledgment of them, however, as being truths and goods, is signified by giving and receiving a mark upon their right hands and upon their foreheads.

A mark also signifies a sign of acknowledgment in the following passages in the Apocalypse (14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4); the meaning of mark is similar to that of

"The sign" set by Jehovah upon Cain (Genesis 4:15).

Also

"The sign" which the prophet was commanded to set upon the foreheads of the men in the city of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:4).

As also by "the sign" in Moses:

"Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might; thou shalt bind these words for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:5, 8; 11:18).

915. 'He went out' means that this did in fact happen. 'Noah and his sons means the member of the Ancient Church; and 'his wife and his sons' wives' means the Church itself. This is clear from the train of thought, which implies that in this way the Ancient Church came into being, for these words form an end or conclusion to what goes before them. When the Church is being described in the Word it is described either as 'husband (vir) and wife' or as 'man (homo) and wife'. When it is husband and wife 'husband' means the understanding part, which is truth, and 'wife' the will part, which is good. And when man and wife is used 'man' means love, or good that stems from love, and 'wife' faith, or the truth of faith. 'Man' accordingly means the essential element of the Church, 'wife' the Church itself. This applies throughout the Word. Here, since the subject up to now has been the forming of a new Church while the Most Ancient Church was dying out, 'Noah and his sons' means the member of the Ancient Church, and 'his wife and his sons' wives with him' the Church itself. This is why they are here referred to in a different order from what they were in verse 16 previously. In that verse, where it is said, 'Go out, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you', 'you' and 'wife' are coupled together, as are 'sons' and 'your sons' wives'. Consequently 'you' and 'sons' mean truth, and 'wife' and 'sons' wives' good. In this verse 18 however they do not come in the same order, the reason being, as has been stated, that 'you and sons' means the member of the Church, and 'his wife and his sons' wives' the Church itself. It in fact forms the conclusion to what goes before it. It was not Noah but his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth who constituted the Ancient Church, as stated already. For three Churches in a sense formed this Ancient Church, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. These Churches emerged as offspring of the one Church called Noah, and this is why the expressions 'you and your sons', and then 'your wife and sons' wives' are used here.