9517. Toward the propitiatory [mercy seat] shall be the faces of the cherubs. That this signifies the interiors continually looking to good, and thus to the Lord, is evident from the signification of "the propitiatory, [mercy seat]" as being the good of love, from which is the hearing and reception of all things of worship (see above, n. 9506), and thus also the Lord, because all the good of love is from the Lord, and is the Lord Himself with angel and man; from the signification of "faces," as being the interiors (of which just above, n. 9516); and from the signification of "the cherubs," as being a guard from providence lest the Lord be approached except through the good of love (n. 9509).
[2] The case herein is this. Heaven and the church, or the angels of heaven and the men of the church, are guarded by the Lord by means of the elevation of their interiors to Himself; and when they are elevated, they are in the good of love to Him and in the good of love toward the neighbor. Elevation to the Lord is attended with this; and in this way, as before said, the angels of heaven and the men of the church are guarded. They who are elevated by the Lord, continually turn their faces to Him, because, by means of the good of love, the Lord keeps them conjoined with Himself; whereas those who are not elevated turn their faces away from the Lord. From all this it can be seen what is signified by "the faces of the cherubs being toward the propitiatory [mercy seat]." But concerning this turning to the Lord, of the Lord's Divine mercy more shall be told from experience elsewhere.