171. There is no way to describe briefly how things look to angels in the heavens. To a considerable extent, they look like the things we see on earth, but they are more perfect in form and also more abundant.

We may conclude that there are things like this in the heavens because of what the prophets saw - for example what Ezekiel saw of the new temple and the new earth as described in chapters 40-48 [of his book], what Daniel describes in his chapters 7-12, what John saw as described from the first through the last chapter of Revelation, along with other visions presented in both the historical and the prophetic books of the Word. They saw things like this when heaven was opened to them, and heaven is said to be opened when our inner sight, the sight of our spirit, is opened. For the things that exist in heaven cannot be seen with our physical eyes, but only with the eyes of our spirit; and when it pleases the Lord, these are opened. At such times we are led out of the natural light that our physical senses are in and raised into the spiritual light in which we dwell because of our spirit. This is the light in which I have seen the things that exist in the heavens.

4796. When angels manifest themselves visually, all their interior affections are seen clearly in their faces and shine out of them, so that the face is the external form and a representative image of those affections. To have any other face than that expressing their affections is not allowed in heaven. Those who deceitfully wear any other face are expelled from that community. From this it is evident that the face corresponds to everything in general present interiorly - both to a person's affections and to his thoughts, that is, to the affections in his will and to the thoughts in his understanding. This also explains why in the Word 'face', whether a singular or a plural noun, means affections; and when it is said that the Lord lifts up His face on someone, the meaning is that out of Divine Affection belonging to His Love He has compassion on him.