Apocalypse Revealed # 347
347. "Till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." This symbolically means, before those people were separated who were governed by truths springing from goodness from the Lord, thus who were inwardly good.
Sealing them on the foreheads does not mean to seal them there actually, but to distinguish and separate people who are impelled by the goodness of love from the Lord; for the forehead symbolizes the goodness of love. They are people who are governed by truths springing from goodness from the Lord, because these are the kind of people meant by servants of God (no. 3).
The forehead symbolizes the goodness of love because the face images a person's affections, and the forehead is the highest part of the face. Just underneath the forehead is the brain, from which originates everything connected with the person's life.
Because the forehead symbolizes love - a good love in the case of good people, and an evil love in the case of evil people - therefore to seal them on the foreheads means, symbolically, to distinguish and separate one from the other according to their love.
The like is symbolically meant in Ezekiel:
Go through... the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men who groan... over... the abominations... (Ezekiel 9:4-6)
[2] Since the forehead symbolizes love, therefore regarding the plate on Aaron's turban which had "Holiness to Jehovah" engraved on it, we read that it was on the front of the turban, so as to be on Aaron's forehead, and to be always on Aaron's forehead, that the people might find favor before Jehovah (Exodus 28:36-38). And it was also commanded that the words, "You shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul," be on the hand and on the forehead (Deuteronomy 6:5, 8; 11:18); that they have the name of the Father written on their foreheads (Revelation 14:1), and the name of God and of the Lamb on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4).
It should be known that the Lord views angels by looking upon their foreheads, and they in turn view the Lord with their eyes. The reason is that the Lord regards all in accordance with the goodness of their love, and wills that they in turn regard Him in accordance with the truths of wisdom, so as to bring about a conjunction.
[3] In an opposite sense the forehead in the following instances symbolizes an evil love: people who have the mark of the beast on their foreheads (Revelation 13:16; 14:9; 20:4); and also people with the name of Babylon on their foreheads (Revelation 17:5). The forehead of a woman who is a harlot (Jeremiah 3:3). People having an obstinate forehead and a hard heart (Ezekiel 3:7-8).
...you were obstinate..., and your forehead was bronze... (Isaiah 48:4)
Ezekiel 3
1
He said to me, Son of man, eat that which you find. eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.
2
So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the scroll.
3
He said to me, Son of man, cause your belly to eat, and fill your bowels with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it; and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4
He said to me, Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.
5
For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;
6
not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you can not understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.
7
But the house of Israel will not listen to you; for they will not listen to me: for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.
8
Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads.
9
As an adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead: don't be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
10
Moreover he said to me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.
11
Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
12
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, [saying], Blessed be the glory of Yahweh from his place.
13
[I heard] the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.
14
So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of Yahweh was strong on me.
15
Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv, that lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.
16
It happened at the end of seven days, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
17
Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18
When I tell the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.
19
Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn't turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
20
Again, when a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand.
21
Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.
22
The hand of Yahweh was there on me; and he said to me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with you.
23
Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and behold, the glory of Yahweh stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.
24
Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me on my feet; and he spoke with me, and said to me, Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25
But you, son of man, behold, they shall lay bands on you, and shall bind you with them, and you shall not go out among them:
26
and I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, that you shall be mute, and shall not be to them a reprover; for they are a rebellious house.
27
But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: He who hears, let him hear; and he who forbears, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
