Heaven and Hell #142
142. Another difference is that to the angels the east is always before the face, the west behind, the south to the right, and the north to the left. But since this cannot be easily comprehended in the world, for the reason that men turn the face to every quarter, it shall be explained. The entire heaven turns itself to 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 towards 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. 1
Fußnoten:
1. [Swedenborg's footnote] In heaven all turn themselves to the Lord (Arcana Coelestia 9828, 10130, 10189, 10420).
Nevertheless, it is not the angels that turn themselves to the Lord, but the Lord turns the angels to Himself (10189).
It is not that the angels are present with the Lord, but the Lord is present with the angels (9415).
