Jacob woke from his slumber and declared, "The Lord is here, yet I was unaware." He was filled with reverence and remarked, "This place is awe-inspiring; it is not merely a site but the house of God and the gateway to heaven" (Gen. 28:16-17). In the words of our patriarch Jacob and the situation that prompted them, we find one of the earliest examples of how a devout individual’s experience of God's presence in a particular location led to the recognition of that site’s sacredness and its identification as the house of the Lord, or the temple of God. These reflections are especially pertinent after the recent consecration of this temple.
Jacob was journeying, accompanied only by his walking stick; caught by nightfall in a deserted place, he rested on the ground without a bed, laid his head on a stone instead of a pillow, and was sheltered only by the vast heavens above. He found no trace of a dwelling nor any semblance of human habitation. Yet when Jacob awoke, the scene remained unchanged; nothing was different or additional, yet he encountered something profound—he recognized the presence of God. “The Lord is in this place,” he proclaimed. With a sense of wonder, or perhaps regret, he admitted his previous ignorance. "I was unaware," he confessed, struck by a profound realization. "This is indeed a sacred place." He exclaimed that it was no longer merely what it had been the day before; it was "not just this, but the house of God and the gate of heaven."
In our current gathering, one who once merely perceived with physical eyes saw only stones, wood, metals, and the works of earthly artisans. But now, as one who enters with a spiritually awakened understanding, we see and acknowledge, "The Lord is in this place." What a transformation occurred within Jacob! At the site where he spent the night, God’s presence was revealed to him through a dream. He beheld a ladder set upon the earth, reaching to heaven, with angels of God ascending and descending as servants move up and down a ladder to their master’s abode. And at the top stood the Lord Himself, blessing Jacob and his descendants. Upon awakening, the vision of the ladder remained firmly imprinted in his memory. Gazing upon it once more, he perceived the entrance to the invisible heavenly dwelling, from which the King of Heaven descended to bless His earthly servant. So, Jacob lay down in slumber and awoke at the threshold of the house of God.
This understanding leads naturally to Jacob’s exclamation: “This is not merely this, but the house of God.” Here, have you not perceived, have you not witnessed? Even in this place, though we are bound by flesh's limitations, the servants of God ascend in prayer and descend in visible earthly ministry, preparing this space for the King of Heaven, proclaiming His readiness: “Thy throne is ready” (Ps. 92:2). Here, they await His presence, summoning it forth, “Arise, O Lord, into Thy resting place” (Psalm 131:8).
Have they not repeatedly called upon the gates to "lift up their heads," requesting them to open wider to welcome the Most High, “the King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty” (Psalms 23:7-10), with His invisible majesty and the hosts of His heavenly legion? And what now? Do you not recognize that the King of glory has indeed arrived, that the Lord has entered His rest, and that God occupies His holy throne? Do you see within your spirit the spiritual ladder linking earth with heaven, creation with the Creator, humanity with the Divine? Its lowest rung rests upon the earth, so that earthly beings may stand upon it, while the intermediary rungs elevate you spiritually, drawing you closer to heaven and facilitating the descent of heavenly powers to aid you. At the pinnacle stands the Lord, speaking peace to His people and to those who turn their hearts toward Him (Psalms 84:9).
Have you sensed the presence of God here? When Jacob recognized the divine presence in that well-known place, he marked it with a visible monument, anointed it with oil, and named it the house of God eternally, returning multiple times for the service of God, according to the customs of his day. “And Jacob rose up in the morning, took the stone he had set as a pillow, erected it as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And Jacob called the name of that place the house of God” (Genesis 28:18-19). After journeying to Mesopotamia and returning, "Jacob set the pillar in a place, and God spoke to him, a pillar of stone, and he sacrificed upon it" (Genesis 35:14).
Thus, the visible consecrated monument and the name inscribed upon it testify that Jacob discovered the invisible yet real presence of God there. Can we conclude from this that the house of God we now occupy witnesses similarly to those who built and consecrated it, and to those who, nearly retaining the ancient stones, adorned it with new beauty, and through fresh anointing and dedication restored it as the house of God? "Let it be, O Lord!" But I ask you all, have you truly understood, "that the Lord is in this place"? Or like Jacob, who upon understanding reproached his own previous ignorance, must we now confess ours: "But I was unaware"?
Indeed, we must acknowledge that our awareness of God's presence in a specific location is obstructed, not only by the ignorance of the carnal mind that struggles to perceive the spiritual through earthly matters, but also by a contrasting awareness of the contemplative mind recognizing God's omnipresence. How can we affirm God's presence in a particular space when the Divine cannot be contained, nor excluded? The Scriptures sometimes depict God’s presence as so distant that no one can reach Him: "The King of kings and Lord of lords, the only immortal being dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no human has seen or can see" (1 Tim. 6:15-16). Conversely, they illustrate God's presence as so pervasive that one cannot escape it: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there" (Ps. 138:7-10).
Let us consider further depictions of God's presence within Scripture. At times it indicates His presence residing in the heavens, seemingly detached from the earth, as in "The heaven of heavens belongs to the Lord, but the earth He has given to the children of men" (Psalm 113:24). Yet God Himself has chosen to manifest His presence on earth, establishing it eternally in His temple: "My eyes and My heart will be there all the time" (1 Kings 9:3). Moreover, and perhaps most intimately, the word of God establishes a dwelling for His presence within the innermost being of humanity (2 Cor. 6:16).
Thus, God exists in the unapproachable light, in the entire universe, in heaven, in the temple, and in man. How can such different expressions of knowledge converge in a unified acknowledgment of the singular presence of one God? It is generally straightforward to answer: just as God’s inherent attributes, capabilities, and actions are unfathomable and infinite, so too are His manifestations. Therefore, it is neither surprising nor unnatural that the expressions of His singular presence are inexpressibly diverse, and His appearances vary infinitely; hence, they cannot be comprehended through one exclusive mode of understanding but reveal through all conceivable means an overarching divine knowledge that remains shrouded in mystery.
To prevent the uninformed from lamenting the complexities of the unknown, let us strive to simplify the vast divine understanding for human limitation. The Word of God, the manifestation of the Godhead in the world, specifically refers to the Son of God, who bears the responsibility to "declare" (John 1:18), that is, to reveal the unseen Godhead, represented by the simile of the sun shining abundantly: "The sun of righteousness shall rise upon you" (Mal. 4:2), God assures through the prophet, "with healing in its wings." Likewise, in our prayers during the continuous mystery of divine workings, God is extolled as "the sun of the true day."
Let us contemplate this natural analogy of the sun concerning the supernatural truth. You might say, "The sun is in the sky," and this is evident to all. However, consider more profoundly: what defines the presence of the sun? Presence reflects a direct relationship with other entities, signified through its effects. Therefore, the sun is present wherever its illuminating, heating, and moving powers are felt. Truly, when you observe a bright circle in the sky, you cannot conclude that the sun is absent; its presence is unmistakable, evidenced even when clouds obscure it. The daylight emanating from it signifies its invisible yet real presence, distinguishing day from night. When the sun’s rays reach the earth, causing the buds to bloom and giving flavor to fruits, is this not also the sun's active presence?
As the sun radiates its luminescence within its disc without abandoning its celestial place, so too is God, residing in unapproachable light, genuinely present throughout the universe, both in the seen and unseen. He sustains all creation by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). For those on earth, the sun presents itself more intimately, allowing its light to penetrate clear air, enabling its rising, journeying, and setting to be witnessed. Likewise, souls free from the darkness of earthly existence perceive a special presence of God, manifested in divine luminosity before their awakened spirits, occasionally passing and returning. Isaiah saw the Lord upon a lofty and exalted throne (Isaiah 6:1), Ezekiel, above the four living creatures and the radiant wheels, perceived something resembling a throne and the likeness of a man (Ezek. 1:26), and many saints have encountered similar visions.
Yet just as those obscured from perceiving the sun by mist or clouds can recognize its presence through daylight and its actions, so too can souls hindered by personal darkness or divine mysteries experience God's presence, albeit in less dramatic or striking forms. They experience the reality of the divine light present within the unfolding of creation, particularly evident in God's marvelous providence, which attentive observers can readily acknowledge. Furthermore, inherent within the fruits of the earth is a kind of quiet presence of the sun that nourishes them; similarly, for those who willingly embrace God's grace through faith, prayer, and devotion, He visits their hearts, nurturing them, bringing delight, and guiding them toward spiritual maturity through the light and warmth of truth and love.
Although we could explore further applications of this analogy, it's prudent not to delve too deeply into this endeavor. Not everything is meant to be fully understood; some concepts should simply be embraced in faith, acknowledging that the tangible manifestations of God's creation only present a reflection of His true essence (Ex. 33:23). The light emitted by created beings is just a shadow of the Uncreated Light, and shadows cannot match the clarity of actual light. Created things possess mysteries that natural science can encounter but not entirely explain.
THEOSIS