Daily Meditation: Monday, June 13, 2005

Jacob’s ladder - angelic hierarchies linking man and God

06/13/2005

It is written in Genesis that Jacob, on his way to the country of the people of the East, had a dream one night. He saw a ladder which extended from earth to heaven, and on this ladder angels ascended and descended. Jacob’s ladder is the symbol of the angelic hierarchies which form the link between man and God. This notion of hierarchy is very important for a proper understanding of the spiritual life. To imagine as certain people do that we can speak directly to God simply shows the greatest ignorance. On earth it is impossible to meet with an important person unless we go through intermediaries, and yet, where the Lord is concerned, we can go directly to him without the slightest problem! No, we can’t. It is not that the Lord is arrogant or vain, or that he does not allow his creatures to enter into relationship with him, but his presence is so powerful that no human being can touch him. To approach God, we must pass by way of the angelic hierarchies, for it is they who provide the connection between God and man.