Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 7:2-3
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AR 344. Verse 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, signifies the Lord providing and regulating. "An angel" here means the Lord as to the Divine love, because He ascended "from the rising of the sun," and "from the rising of the sun" or from the east is from the Divine love, for in the spiritual world the Lord is the sun and the east, and is so called as to that love. That He was providing and moderating, is evident from His command to the four angels, "not to hurt the earth and the sea, till the servants of God were sealed on their foreheads." That the Lord’s Divine Human is meant by "an angel," in the highest sense, is manifest from these passages:--

The angel of the faces of Jehovah delivered them; on account of His love and His pity, He redeemed them, and He bare them, and carried them all the days of eternity (Isa. 63:9).

The angel who redeemed me from all evil bless them (Gen. 48:16).

The Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, and the angel of the covenant, whom ye desire (Mal. 3:1).

Behold, I send an angel before thee to keep thee in the way, beware of his face, for My name is in the midst of him (Exod. 23:20-23).

"Angel" and "sent" in the Hebrew language, are expressed by one word; hence it is that the Lord so often calls Himself "sent by the Father," by which is meant the Divine Human. But "an angel," in a relative sense, is everyone who receives the Lord, both in heaven and in the world.

AR 345. Having the seal of the living God, signifies who alone knows all and each, and can distinguish and separate them one from another. Since they were sealed on their foreheads with a seal, therefore by "having the seal of the living God," as spoken of the Lord, is meant to know all and each, and to be able to distinguish and separate the servants of God from those who are not servants of God.

AR 346. And he cried with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea (ver. 3), saying Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, signifies the preventing and withholding by the Lord of a nearer and stronger influx into the lower parts. That this is the signification of these words, is evident from the explanation in (n. 343). In the sense of the letter it was the four angels that withheld influx, but, in the spiritual sense, it was the Lord. "Not to hurt the earth, the sea, nor the trees," signifies that they should not operate by a vehement, but by a moderate, influx. For the Lord, by various degrees of influx into the heavens, disposes, regulates, tempers, and moderates all things there and in the bells, and, through the heavens and the hells, all things in the world.

AR 347. Till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads, signifies before they are separated who are in truths from good from the Lord, thus who are interiorly good. By "sealing them in their foreheads," is not meant to seal them there, but to distinguish and separate those who are in the good of love from the Lord; for "the forehead" signifies the good of love. That they who are in truths from good from the Lord are meant, because these are signified by "the servants of God" (n. 3). The reason why"the forehead" signifies the good of love, is, because the face is the image of man‘s affections, and the forehead is the highest part of the face; the cerebrum, from which is the origin of all things of man’s life, being immediately under the forehead. As "the forehead" signifies the love, good love in the good, and evil love in the evil, therefore by "sealing them on their foreheads," is signified to distinguish and separate one from another according to the love. Similar is the signification of this passage in Ezekiel:--

Go through the midst of Jerusalem, and seal a seal upon the foreheads of the men that sigh over the abominations (Ezekiel 9:4-6).

As "the forehead" signifies love, therefore concerning the plate of gold on the mitre of Aaron, on which was engraven Holiness to Jehovah, it is written:--

That it should be over against the face of his mitre, that it might be over the forehead of Aaron, and that it should be upon the forehead of Aaron continually, that they may be in good favor before Jehovah (Exod. 28:36-38).

And moreover it was commanded:--

That these words, Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, were to be upon the hand and upon the forehead (Deut. 6:5, 8; 11:18).

That they should have the name of the Father written on their foreheads (Apoc. 14:1).

And the name of God and of the Lamb in their foreheads (Apoc. 22:4).

It should be known, that the Lord looks at the angels in the forehead, whilst they look at the Lord through the eyes; by reason that the Lord looks at all from the good of love, and wills that they, on their part, should look at Him from the truths of wisdom; in this manner conjunction is effected. "The forehead," in the opposite sense, signifies evil love in these passages:--

Who have the mark of the beast on their forehead (Apoc. 13:16; 14:9; 20:4).

And also the name of Babylon upon their foreheads (Apoc. 17:5). The forehead of a woman a harlot (Jer. 3:3). Obdurate of forehead, and hard of heart (Ezek. 3:7, 8). Thou art hard, and thy forehead is brass (Isa. 48:4).

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Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info