Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 113
is in angels in his love, it is the Lord who causes them to look
to him whithersoever they turn. This cannot be explained any
further now; but it will be made clearer to the understanding in
subsequent chapters, especially where representations and
appearances, and time and space in heaven, are treated of. That
the angels have the Lord constantly before their faces it has
been granted me to know and also to perceive from much
experience; for whenever I have been in company with angels I
have noticed the Lord’s presence before my face, not actually
seen, and yet perceptible in a light; and angels have often
testified that this is so. As the Lord is constantly before the
faces of the angels, so it is said in the world of those who
believe in the Lord and love him that they have God before
their eyes and their face, and that they look to God, and see
God. These expressions have their origin in the spiritual world,
from which are many things in human speech, although their
source is unknown to men.
144. This turning to the Lord is among the wonderful things
in heaven. There may be many together in one place, some
turning the face and body one way and some another, and yet
all see the Lord before them, and everyone has the south at his
right, the north at his left, and the west behind him. Another
wonderful thing is that, although the angels look only to the
east they have also a look toward the other three quarters; but
the look to these is from their interior sight, which pertains to
their thought. And it is yet another wonderful thing that in
heaven no one is ever permitted to stand behind another and
look at the back of his head, for this would disturb the influx
of good and truth from the Lord.
145. The Lord is seen by the angels, and the angels are seen
by the Lord in another way. Angels see the Lord through their
from the face (n. 3527, 4066, 4796). With angels the face makes one with
the interiors (n. 4796, 4797, 4799, 5695, 8250). The influx of the interiors
into the face and its muscles (n. 3631, 4800).