613. 'Having His Father's Name written upon their foreheads' signifies the acknowledgment of the Divine and of the Lord's Divine Human by virtue of the love and faith with them. By 'the Father's Name' is understood the Lord as to the Divine from Whom [all things are] which is called 'the Father', and at the same time as to the Divine Human which is called 'the Son', since they are one and one Person, united as soul and body. In heaven, therefore, by 'God the Father' is understood none other than the Lord; and also the Lord in the New Heaven is called 'Father'. It is here said 'the Father's Name upon their foreheads' because also by 'the Father' is understood the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love which in the Word of the Evangelists is everywhere understood by 'the Father' when named by the Lord, and by 'the Son' the Divine Truth of Divine Wisdom. These two were united as soul to body and body to soul when the Lord glorified His Human, as may be seen (n. 21, 170); and because they are one it is therefore said elsewhere 'the Name of God and the Lamb upon their foreheads' (chap. xxii 4). It is therefore said of those who are treated of here that they had 'the Father's Name written upon [their] foreheads', because by the 144,000 sealed out of the 12 tribes of Israel are understood the angels of the higher heavens, all of whom are in the good of celestial love, and by 'the Father', as was said, that good is understood. That the angels of whom it treats here are the angels of the higher heavens may be seen in the Exposition of chapter vii, specifically at n. 363 there. By 'written upon [their] foreheads' is signified the acknowledgment by virtue of the love and faith in them, by 'written' or 'written upon' is signified the acknowledgment in them, and by 'the forehead 'is signified love and the consequent intelligence or faith (n. 347, 605). [2] That the Divine that is called 'Father' and the Divine Human that is called 'Son' are one like soul and body, and consequently that the Lord as to the Divine Human is to be approached, and that thus and not otherwise is the Divine that is called 'Father' approached, can be established out of so many passages in the Word that if quoted they would fill many pages. They have been adduced in ample measure in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD (n. 29-36, 38-45 seq.), out of which only some shall be quoted here, which are these:-
The angel said to Mary, Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. But Mary said, How shall this come to be, since I know not a man? The angel answered, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the Vigour of the Most High shall overshadow thee, from which the Hot Thing that shall he born of thee shall be called the Son of God Luke i 30-35.
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, Do not fear to accept Mary thy bride, for that which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit; and Joseph knew her not until she had brought forth her first-born Son Matt. 20, 25.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word was mode flesh, and we saw His glory, as the glory of the Only-begotten from the Father John i 1, 2, 14.
The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus, because He hod declared God to be His Own Father (Patrem Proprium), making His Very Self equal to God. Jesus answered, Whatsoever things the Father does, these also the Son does likewise; just as the Father raises up the dead and makes them live, so also the Son makes whom He wills live. Truly I say unto you that the hour shall come when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall live John v 18-25. Just as the Father has Life in His Very Self, so does He give to the Son to have Life in His Very Self John v 26.
I am the way, the truth (veritas), and the life; no one comes to the Father except by Ale: if you have known Me, you have known My Father also, and henceforth you have known Him and seen Him. Philip says to Him, Show us the Father; Jesus says to him, Am I so long a time with you, and thou hast not got to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Ale has seen the Father; how dost thou then say, Show us the Father? Dost thou not believe that I am in the Father and the Father remains in Me? Believe Me, that Jam in the Father and the Father in Me John xiv 6-11.
I give eternal life to My sheep; I and the Father are One. And the Jews were indignant that He should make Himself God; and He said, I do the works of the Father, Believe in the works that you may recognise and believe that the Father is in Me and I in the Father John x 28-38.
He who sees Me sees Him Who sent Me John xii 45.
All things whatsoever the Father has are Mine John xvi x 15.
That the Father had given all things into His hands John xiii 3.
Father, Thou hast given Me authority over all flesh (potestatem omnis carnis); This is life eternal, that they should recognise Thee the only God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. All Mine are Thine, and Thine Mine John xvii 2, 3, 10.
All authority in the heavens and on earth has been given unto Me Matt. xxviii 18.
Whatsoever you ask in My Name, this will I do, and I will do it John xiv 13, 14.
The Spirit of the truth (veritas) shall not speak out of himself but he shall take of Mine and make it known to you John xvi 13, 14.
He who abides in Me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing John xv 5;
besides elsewhere. [3] There are still more passages in the Old Testament, of which also some shall be quoted:-
Unto us a Boy is born, unto us a Son is given, the government is upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, the Father of Eternity, the Prince of Peace Isa. ix 6 [H.B. 5].
A virgin shall conceive a Son, and His Name shall be called God with us Isa. vii 14.
Behold, the days are coming when I shall raise up unto David a just branch, who shall reign a king; and this is His Name which they shall call Him, Jehovah our Justice Jer. xxiii 5, 6; xxxiii l5, 16.
Then it shall be said in that day, Behold our God for Whom we have waited that He might deliver us, Jehovah for Whom we have waited; let us exult and be glad in His Salvation Isa. xxv 9.
Only within Thee is God, and there is no God besides; assuredly Thou art a hidden God, O God of Israel the Saviour Isa. xlv 14, 15.
Is it not I Jehovah? and there is no God else beside Me, a just God and a Saviour, there is none beside Me Isa. xlv 21, 22.
I am Jehovah, and beside Me there is no Saviour Isa. xliii 11.
I am Jehovah thy God; and thou shalt not acknowledge a God beside Me, and there is no Saviour beside Me Hosea xiii 4.
Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer from an age is Thy Name Isa. lxiii 16.
Thus said the King of Israel, and His Redeemer Jehovah Zebaoth, I am the First and the Last, and beside Me there is no God Isa. xliv 6.
Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, I am Jehovah doing all things, and the Only One from My Very Self Isa. xliv 24.
Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy God Isa. xlviii 17.
Jehovah my Rock, and my Redeemer Ps. xix 14 [H.B. 15].
Their Redeemer is strong, Jehovah Zebooth is His Name Jer. l 34.
Jehovah Zebaoth is His Name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole land shall He be called Isa. liv 5.
That all flesh may know that I am Jehovah thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob Isa. xlix 26; lx 16.
As for our Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth is His Name Isa. xlvii 4.
Thus said thy Redeemer Jehovah Isa. xliii 14; xlix 7.
Also elsewhere, as Luke i 68; Isa. lxii 11, 12; lxiii i, 4, 9; Jer. xv 20, 21; Hosea xiii 4, 14; Ps. xxxi 5 [H.B. 6]; xliv 26 [H.B. 27]; xlix 15 [H.B. 16]; lv 17, 18 [H.B. 18, 19]; lxix 18 [H.B. 19]; lxxi 23; ciii 4; cvii 2; cxxx 7, 8. And in Zechariah:-
In that day Jehovah shall be King over the whole land; in that day Jehovah shall be One, and His Name One Zech. xiv 9.
But these are just a few.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church