129、就人的灵而言，此处关于天使和他们转向显为太阳的主所说的同样适用于人。因为就其心智而言，人就是一个灵；他若处于爱与智慧，就是一位天使。因此死后，当他脱去他从自然界所获得的外在时，便成为一个灵人或一位天使。此外，由于天使始终将脸转向东方的太阳，因而转向主，所以经上论到凡从主处于爱与智慧的人，也会说“他看见神”，“他仰望神”、“神在他眼前”，以此表示他在生活上就像天使。这些事在世上被人们谈论，是因为它们既实际发生在天堂，也实际发生在人的灵里面。人在祷告时，谁不仰望神，不管他的脸朝向何方？
129. Angels always face the Lord as the sun, so south is on their right, north on their left, and west behind them. All these statements about angels and the way they face the Lord as the sun should also be understood as applying to us spiritually, since we are spirits as to our minds, and angels if we are engaged in love and wisdom. So after death, when we shed the outer forms we have derived from the physical world, we become spirits or angels. Since angels do constantly face the sunrise (the Lord), we say of people who are engaged in love and wisdom from the Lord that they see God, that they look to God, and that they have God before their eyes, meaning that they are living like angels. We say these things in this world both because that is what is really happening in heaven and because that is what is actually happening in our spirits. Do we not all look straight ahead at God when we pray, no matter which way we are facing?
129. Angels turn their faces continually to the Lord as the sun, and thus have the south to their right, the north to their left, and the west to their rear. Everything we say here about angels and their turning to the Lord as the sun must be interpreted as applying to people, too, in respect to their spirit. For in respect to his mind a person is a spirit, and if he lives in a state of love and wisdom, he is an angel. Consequently after death, when he puts off his outer coverings which he took from the natural world, he also becomes a spirit or angel.
Furthermore, because angels continually turn their faces to the sun in the east, thus to the Lord, people also say of a person who is in a state of love and wisdom from the Lord that he sees God, that he looks to God, that he has God before his eyes, meaning that in his life he is like an angel.
People say things like this in the world both because they actually occur in heaven and because they actually occur in a person's spirit. Who does not see God before him when he prays, in whatever direction his face is turned?
129. ANGELS TURN THEIR FACE CONTINUALLY TO THE LORD AS A SUN, AND THUS HAVE THE SOUTH TO THE RIGHT, THE NORTH TO THE LEFT, AND THE WEST BEHIND THEM
All that is here said about angels and about their turning to the Lord as a Sun, is also to be understood about man as to his spirit. For man as to his mind is a spirit, and if he is in love and wisdom, he is an angel. Wherefore also after death when he has put off his externals which he had derived from the natural world, he becomes a spirit or an angel. And because angels turn their face continually towards the sun-rise, thus towards the Lord, it is said also of a man who is in love and wisdom from the Lord that he sees God, that he looks to God, that he has God before his eyes, by which is also understood that he lives as an angel. Such things are spoken of in the world, because they actually exist in heaven as well as in the spirit of man. Who does not look before himself to God when he prays whatever the quarter to which his face is turned?
129. ANGELS TURN THEIR FACES CONSTANTLY TO THE LORD AS A SUN, AND THUS HAVE THE SOUTH TO THE RIGHT, THE NORTH TO THE LEFT, AND THE WEST BEHIND THEM.
All that is here said of angels, and of their turning to the Lord as a sun, is to be understood also of man, as regards his spirit. For man in respect to his mind is a spirit, and if he be in love and wisdom, is an angel; consequently, after death, when he has put off his externals, which he had derived from the natural world, he becomes a spirit or an angel. And because angels turn their faces constantly toward the sun in the east, thus toward the Lord, it is said also of any man who is in love and wisdom from the Lord, that "he sees God," that "he looks to God," that "he has God before his eyes," by which is meant that he lives as an angel does. Such things are spoken of in the world, because they actually take place [existunt] both in heaven and in the spirit of man. Who does not look before himself to God when he prays, to whatever quarter his face may be turned?
129. QUOD ANGELI FACIEM SUAM JUGITER VERTANT AD DOMINUM UT SOLEM, ET SIC HABEANT MERIDIEM AD DEXTRUM, SEPTENTRIONEM AD SINISTRUM, ET OCCIDENTEM A TERGO. Omnia quae hic de Angelis et de conversione illorum ad Dominum ut Solem, dicuntur, etiam de homine quoad ejus spiritum intelligenda sunt, nam homo quoad suam mentem est spiritus, et si in amore et sapientia est, est angelus; quare etiam post mortem, dum externa sua, quae traxerat ex naturali mundo, exuit, fit spiritus aut angelus: et quia angeli jugiter vertunt faciem ad Orientem solis, ita ad Dominum, dicitur etiam de homine, qui in amore et sapientia a Domino est, quod videat Deum, quod spectet ad Deum, quod habeat Deum ante oculos, per quae intelligitur quod vivat sicut Angelus: talia dicuntur in mundo, tam quia actualiter existunt in Coelo, quam quia actualiter existunt in spiritu hominis; quis non videt ante se Deum, 1 ad quamcunque plagam versa est ejus facies, dum orat.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: ad Deum,