Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 112
the Lord as to its common center; to that center do all the
angels turn themselves. Also on the earth, as is well known,
there is a directing of all things toward a common center; but
there is this difference between this directing in the world and
that in heaven, that in heaven the front parts are turned to the
common center, but in the world the lower parts of the body.
In the world this directing is called centripetal force, also
gravitation. The interiors of angels are actually turned
forwards; and since interiors manifest themselves in the face it
is the face that determines the quarters. 113
143. It is still more difficult to comprehend in the world that
in every turning of their face and body the angels have the east
before the face, since man according as he turns, has every
quarter before his face. This shall also be explained. Although
angels, like men, turn and direct their faces and bodies in every
direction, they nevertheless have the east always before their
eyes. But the turnings of angels are unlike the turnings of men,
because they are from a different origin. They appear alike, but
they are not. The origin of these turnings is their ruling love,
and from this all directions with angels and spirits are
determined, for, as just said, their interiors are actually turned
toward their common center, which in heaven is the Lord as a
sun; consequently their ruling love is always before their face,
because their love is always before their interiors, and the face
has existence from the interiors, for it is their outward form;
and in the heavens this love is the Lord as a sun because it is
from him that they have their love. 114
And as the Lord himself
113. In heaven all turn themselves to the Lord (n. 9828, 10130, 10189,
10420).
Nevertheless, it is not the angels that turn themselves to the Lord, but
the Lord turns the angels to Himself (n. 10189). It is not that the angels are
present with the Lord, but the Lord is present with the angels (n. 9415).
114. In the spiritual world all constantly turn themselves to their loves;
and the quarters there have their beginning in the face and are determined by
it (n. 10130, 10189, 10420, 10702). The face is formed to a correspondence
with the interiors (n. 4791–4805, 5695). Therefore the interiors shine forth