Friday 15 June 2012

Similitude and forehead

וְהֵם יִרְאוּ אֶת־פָּנָיו וְנָשְׂאוּ אֶת־שְׁמוֹ עַל־מִצְחָם 
and they will see his face and they will bear his name on their foreheads

What a delightful distraction, reading random verses of the NT in Hebrew. Psalm 17:15 anticipates the ultimate vision of the Apocalypse. 
I in righteousness will gaze on your face
I will be satisfied to awaken in your similitude
This is phrased in terms that contrast such an awakening with normal human satisfaction (Psalm 17:14b)
Let them be satisfied with children
and leave their surplus to their progeny.

Now to jump to my super-conclusion: The whole Bible TNK+NT records a single act of giving birth. We are in the midst of Creation. The birth imagery is everywhere in the Psalms. It is central in Revelation. And this final chapter in the final book of the NT reflects the opening of Genesis (tree of life) as well as the opening of the Psalms (leaf does not wither).

This verse also reflects the mark on the forehead. There is no use of forehead in the Psalms (!) but I guess it's OK to point out that it is a contrast with the mark of the beast, and the stone in the forehead of Goliath, and similar to Aaron's plate of pure gold (Exodus 28:36-37, the first use of forehead in TNK) and not something to be taken for granted as did the beauty of Ezekiel 16.

I suppose too I could get carried away with the use of bear, = lift up, but enough's enough.




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