Apocalypse Revealed # 613
613. Having His Father's name written on their foreheads. This symbolizes the acknowledgment out of love and faith among them of the Lord's Divinity and of His Divine humanity.
The name of the Father means the Lord in respect to the Divine called the Father from which springs all else, and at the same time in respect to His Divine humanity called the Son, since the two are one and the same person, united like a soul and body. In heaven, therefore, no other father than the Lord is meant by God the Father, and in the new heaven the Lord is also called Father.
We are told here that they had the Father's name on their foreheads because the Father also means the Divine goodness of the Lord's Divine love, which in the Gospels is everywhere meant by the Father when referred to by the Lord, while the Divine truth of His Divine wisdom is meant by the Son. When the Lord glorified His humanity, these two were united like a soul with its body and a body with its soul (see nos. 21, 170).
Because the two are one, therefore we find reference elsewhere to the name of God and of the Lamb being "on their foreheads" (Revelation 22:4). Therefore, with respect to the people who are the subject here, we are told that they had the Father's name written on their foreheads, inasmuch as the 144,000 that were sealed of the twelve tribes of Israel mean angels of the higher heavens, all of whom are prompted by the goodness of celestial love, and that is, as we said, the love meant by the Father.
That the angels who are the subject here are angels of the higher heavens may be seen in the exposition of chapter 7, especially in no. 369 there.
Having the name written on their foreheads symbolizes an acknowledgment in them out of love and faith - having it written or inscribed symbolizing an acknowledgment in them, and the forehead symbolizing love and the resulting intelligence or faith (nos. 347, 605).
[2] We say that the Divine called the Father and the Divine humanity called the Son are one like a soul and body, consequently that people must approach the Lord in His Divine humanity, and that in this way and in no other is the Divine called the Father approached; and this can be seen from so many passages in the Word that they would fill pages if we were to cite them all. We cited a number of them in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 29-36 38-45, and later, and by way of confirmation we will present only some of them here, as follows:
The angel said to (Mary), ."..behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest...."
But Mary said..., "How shall this be, since I do not know a man?"
The angel answered..., "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore... the Holy One who is to be born of you will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:30-35)
...an angel of the Lord appeared to (Joseph) in a dream, saying, ."..do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit...." ...and (Joseph) did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. (Matthew 1:20, 25)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh..., and we beheld His glory, as though the glory of the only begotten of the Father... (John 1:1-2, 14)
...the Jews sought... to kill (Jesus), because He... said that God was His Father, making Himself equal to God. Jesus answered..., ."..whatever (the Father) does, the Son also does in like manner. ...as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. ...assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming... when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (John 5:18-25)
...as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself... (John 5:26)
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
Philip said to Him, ."..show us the Father...."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long a time, and have you not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how then do you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I dwell in the Father, and the Father in Me? ...Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me...." (John 14:6-11)
"I give (My sheep) eternal life... I and My Father are one."
(Then the Jews were angered that He made Himself God. And He said, "I do the works of My Father.") ."..believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." (John 10:28-38)
"He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me." (John 12:45)
"All things that the Father has are Mine." (John 16:15)
...that the Father had given all things into His hands... (John 13:3)
"Father..., ...You have given (Me) authority over all flesh... This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only... God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent... All that is Mine are Yours, and what are Yours are Mine...." (John 17:1-3, 10)
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18)
"Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do...." (And) "I will do it." (John 14:13-14)
."..the Spirit of truth... will not speak on its own, but... will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." (John 16:13-14)
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
[3] And so on. There are still more passages in the Old Testament, some of which we will present also:
...unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
A virgin shall conceive... a Son, and His name shall be called God-With-Us. (Isaiah 7:14)
"Behold, the days are coming... when I will raise to David a righteous offshoot, who shall reign as a King... And this is His name by which He will be called: JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-16)
Then it will be said in that day: "Behold, ...our God, for whom we have waited, for Him to free us, ...Jehovah, for whom we have waited; we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:9)
God is in you only, and... there is no other God. Surely You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior! (Isaiah 45:14-15)
Is it not I, Jehovah? And there is no other God besides Me; a just God and a Savior, there is none besides Me. (Isaiah 45:21-22)
I... am Jehovah, and besides Me there is no savior. (Isaiah 43:11)
I am Jehovah your God... and you shall acknowledge no God but Me; and there is no Savior besides Me. (Hosea 13:4)
...You (Jehovah) are our Father..., our Redeemer from of old Your name. (Isaiah 63:16)
Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth: "I am the First and the Last, and besides Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer...: "I am Jehovah, who makes all things, ...all alone, ...by Myself." (Isaiah 44:24)
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am Jehovah your God...." (Isaiah 48:17)
...O Jehovah, my rock, and my Redeemer! (Psalms 19:14)
Their Redeemer is strong, Jehovah Zebaoth His name. (Jeremiah 50:34)
...Jehovah Zebaoth is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He shall be called the God of the whole earth. (Isaiah 54:5)
That all flesh may know that I, Jehovah, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (Isaiah 49:26, cf. 60:16)
As for our Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth is His name... (Isaiah 47:4)
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer... (Isaiah 43:14, cf. 49:7)
And so elsewhere, as in Luke 1:68; Isaiah 62:11-12; 63:1, 4, 9.
And in Zechariah:
In that day... Jehovah shall become King over all the earth. In that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name one. (Zechariah 14:8-9)
These are but a few of the passages.
Isaiah 49
1
Listen, islands, to me; and Listen, you peoples, from far: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name:
2
and he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand, he has hidden me: and he has made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he kept me close:
3
and he said to me, "You are my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
4
But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice [due] to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God."
5
Now says Yahweh who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered to him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God is become my strength);
6
yes, he says, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth."
7
Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, [and] his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, [even] the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."
8
Thus says Yahweh, "In an acceptable time have I answered you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you; and I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage:
9
saying to those who are bound, 'Come out!'; to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves!' "They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights shall be their pasture.
10
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun strike them: for he who has mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water he will guide them.
11
I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12
Behold, these shall come from far; and behold, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim."
13
Sing, heavens; and be joyful, earth; and break forth into singing, mountains: for Yahweh has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted.
14
But Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me."
15
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you!
16
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
17
Your children make haste; your destroyers and those who made you waste shall go forth from you.
18
Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live," says Yahweh, "you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and dress yourself with them, like a bride.
19
"For, as for your waste and your desolate places, and your land that has been destroyed, surely now you shall be too small for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up shall be far away.
20
The children of your bereavement shall yet say in your ears, The place is too small for me; give place to me that I may dwell.
21
Then you will say in your heart, 'Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?'"
22
Thus says the Lord Yahweh, "Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my banner to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
23
Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed."
24
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?
25
But thus says Yahweh, "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children.
26
I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."
