marked on the hand and forehead, part two

Originally posted at a little perspective, Nov 25 2007.

We were discussing being marked on the hand and the forehead, and what that means. I was surprised to learn that when people are marked with the mark of the beast on their hand or forehead, in Rev 13, that this was not the first time that people in Scripture were marked on the hand and on the forehead.

For example, we read:

“For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' And it shall serve as a sign (oth - distinguishing mark) to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.” Exo 13.6-9

“Now when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, you shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb ... And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' then you shall say to him, 'With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.' So it shall serve as a sign (oth - distinguishing mark) on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” Exo 13.11-16

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign (oth - distinguishing mark) on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” Deu 6.6-8

The forehead is considered as being between the eyes. What is a frontlet? It is a thin band like a fillet which encircles the head, with a distinguishing ornament on it. The frontlet is worn so that the ornament rests on the forehead. By the way, the exact same Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 6 translated as “frontlet,” is used in Exodus 13 and translated as “phylactery.” Why they translate it differently, I don't know.

“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign (oth - distinguishing mark) on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.” Deu 11.18

A frontal is the same thing as a frontlet and a phylactery; it is the same word again in Hebrew. But what does the Lord mean when He says do certain things, and they shall serve as a distinguishing mark on your hand and on your forehead, as He says in Exodus; or bind My words on your hand and on your forehead as a distinguishing mark, as He says in Deuteronomy?

(Continued in marked on the hand and forehead, part three).