els, 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 towards 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.{1} And as the Lord
Himself 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
farther 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.

{Footnote 1} 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 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).

144. This turning to the Lord is among the wonderful things in
heaven. There may be many