886# “在额上，或在手上，受了印记”表示将这些作为教会的良善，或教会的真理来接受和承认。这从前面的解释(AE838节)清楚可知，那里出现了类似的话。“在额上受了印记”表示喜欢这些东西，从而承认它们是教会的良善，因为“额”表示爱之良善(参看AE427节)，在此表示承认为良善；“在手上受了印记”表示承认这信之虚假为教会的真理，因为“手”论及真理(参看AE298节)。这清楚表明，“在额上，或在手上，受了印记”表示承认唯信的教义之邪恶为教会的良善，它的虚假为教会的真理。之所以说“为教会的良善或为教会的真理”，是因为有些人喜欢“兽”所表示的那信，有些人承认那信为教会的真理。接受那信的头脑简单的人是后一种情况；而以其知识为荣耀的有学问的人是前一种情况，因为他们在学校学习了称义的程度，从而开始相信他们比普通人更有智慧。这同样适用于那些为世界和自己的荣耀而活，却每隔一段时间思想永生的人；因为这些人通过这信确认自己的生活。
886. And receive the mark upon his forehead or upon his hand. That this signifies the reception and acknowledgment as goods of the church or as truths of the church, is evident from the explanations given above (n. 838), where similar words occur. By receiving the mark upon the forehead, is signified to love those things, and so to acknowledge them as goods of the church; for the forehead signifies the good of love; see above (n. 427); here to acknowledge evils as goods. And by receiving the mark upon the hand, is signified to acknowledge the falsities of that faith as the truths of the church; for the hands are said of truths; see above (n. 298). It is therefore evident, that by receiving the mark upon the forehead or upon the hand, is signified to receive from acknowledgment, evils of doctrine concerning faith alone, as the goods of the church, and its falsities as the truths of the church. It is said, as the goods of the church, or as the truths of the church, because there are those who love that faith signified by the beast, and there are those who acknowledge that faith as the truth of the church. The latter is the case with the simple-minded who receive that faith; but the former, with the learned, who glory in their knowledge, because they have learned in the schools the degrees of justification, and hence have come to believe that they themselves are wise compared with the common people. The same is also the case with those who live for the world, and to their own natural inclination; and yet, at intervals, think about life eternal; for these confirm their life by that faith.
886. And hath received the mark on his forehead or on his hand, signifies acceptance and acknowledgment of these as goods of the church or as truths of the church. This is evident from the explanations above (n. 838), where like words occur. "To receive the mark on the forehead" signifies to love these things and thus acknowledge them as goods of the church, for "the forehead" signifies the good of love (See above, n. 427), here to acknowledge evils as goods; and "to receive the mark on the hand" signifies to acknowledge the falsities of that faith as truths of the church, for the "hands" are predicated of truths (See above, n. 298). This makes clear that "to receive the mark on the forehead or on the hand" signifies to accept by acknowledgment the evils of the doctrine of faith alone as goods of the church, and its falsities as truths of the church. It is said, "as goods of the church or as truths of the church," because there are those who love that faith that is signified by the "beast," and there are those who acknowledge that faith as the truth of the church; these are the simple-minded who accept that faith, but the former are the learned who glory in their learning because they have learned in the schools the degrees of justification and have thus come to believe that they are wiser than the common people. The same is true of those who live for the world and for their own gratification, and yet think at times about eternal life; for these confirm their life by that faith.
886. "Et acceperit characterem super fronte sua aut super manu sua." Quod significet receptionem et agnitionem pro ecclesiae bonis aut pro ecclesiae veris, constat ex illis quae supra (n. 838) explicata sunt, ubi similia verba: per "accipere characterem super fronte" significatur amare illa, et sic agnoscere pro ecclesiae bonis, nam "frons" significat bonum amoris (videatur supra, n. 427), hic agnoscere mala pro bonis; et per "accipere characterem super manu" significatur agnoscere falsa illius fidei pro veris ecclesiae, nam "manus" dicuntur de veris (videatur supra, n. 298); inde patet quod per "accipere characterem super fronte aut super manu", significatur recipere ex agnitione mala doctrinae de sola fide pro bonis ecclesiae, et falsa ejus pro veris ecclesiae. Dicitur, pro ecclesiae bonis aut pro ecclesiae veris, quia sunt qui fidem illam, quae per "bestiam" significatur, amant, et sunt qui fidem illam pro ecclesiae vero agnoscunt; hoc faciunt simplices qui illam fidem recipiunt, illud autem eruditi qui gloriantur ex eruditione, quia justificationis gradus in scholis didicerunt, ac inde crediderunt quod prae vulgo saperent; tum etiam illi qui mundo et genio vivunt, et usque per vices de vita aeterna cogitant, nam hi confirmant vitam suam per fidem.