The angels' ascent and descent upon the ladder portrayed them as God's messengers dispatched to earth to minister to those destined for salvation (Hebrews 1:14). Some angels descend to fulfill God's commands to humans, while others ascend to report back to God regarding the execution of those commands and to receive new instructions. As such, the vision of the ladder, with God at its peak and angels traversing it, was meant to bolster Jacob's assurance of being under God's special care and the protection of heavenly forces. Furthermore, this vision of the ladder hinted at the mystery of redemption before Jacob's eyes. Sin had severed humanity's intimate communion with God and the faithful angels. Through the Incarnation of the Son of God and all His acts of salvation, as if through this ladder, heaven was restored to earth, reconcilement with God was reestablished on earth, and the pathway to heaven was opened for those wandering below. This is the interpretation that the Lord Jesus Christ urged us to apprehend regarding Jacob's vision when He assured Nathanael that he would witness through the lens of faith “heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending into heaven and descending to the Son of Man,” embodying the hope of all the redeemed (John 1:51). – “I am the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; do not be afraid.” With these words, which elucidate the vision of the ladder, the Lord encourages Jacob to face the challenges of his journey and prolonged absence from his homeland with courage, assuring him of His proximity and mercy, just as He was to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac. – “The land where you lie I will give to you and your descendants.” This promise, reiterated to Jacob and initially given to Abraham and Isaac, brought him great comfort amid his circumstances. He was a wanderer in Canaan, with no property there, and even upon his return years later, he would still be regarded as a stranger. Yet now, the Lord assures him that the entire region will belong to his offspring, granting them sovereignty over a land in which he currently lacks a refuge. The hope of this promise being realized through his descendants is as uplifting to the patriarch as if he were to witness its fulfillment in his own lifetime.
THEOSIS