BY “those who stand before God” the host of angels is indicated, that in standing before the Throne expresses its readiness and disposition, to carry into execution the high command, that goes out toward it.
The nature of angels is not “governing” but “serving,” and it is in the representation of the angel standing before God’s Throne, that this “serving” character is expressed.
The blessed elect also “serve,” but to them is likewise given that with Christ they sit upon His Throne, and sitting is token of superiority, of dominion.
To make it evident that to the exalted Redeemer a name is given above every name, it is said, and by us confessed, that He is “seated at the right hand of God.”
When, therefore, in the prophecy of Zechariah (3, 7, Dutch version) it is said, that the Lord will give them “walks among those who stand before God,” it means, that the separation between life here and life above will in part for them be brought to nought.
Joshua himself is still on earth, the angels who stand before God, are in heaven. And now, notwithstanding this Joshua will have fellowship with that higher life about God’s Throne. He will not dwell there yet, not yet permanently abide there, for the city of his habitation is still this world. But as, for the sake of breathing in fresh air and of enjoying God’s rich nature, the inhabitants of walled towns, after the day’s task is done, pass through the city-gate, to have walks outside, so it will be with Joshua.
He will still dwell on earth, but to escape earthly heaviness, and to breathe in fresh air of the soul, he will continually go out from this world and with his spirit have walks among the angels before God’s Throne, that strengthened by this access to God’s Throne, he may return to his life-task here below.
These walks among the spirits before God’s Throne, Joshua himself can not take. They must be given him. For to the nearest surrounding of the Throne no one has access, save he who is admitted.
Therefore it reads: “I, saith the Lord, will give thee walks among those that stand by.”
And though it be, that here this sacred privilege is accorded exclusively to Joshua, in his capacity as high priest, this merely applied under the Old Covenant as exclusion and limitation. Under the New Covenant all who are in Christ have the anointing of the Holy One, and every redeemed has his place in the royal priesthood, and as priest has access to his God.
YET there must be a reason, a cause, why God the Lord accorded this privilege to Joshua in this form.
By itself you would have expected, that it read: “I will admit you, give you access to the Throne of grace, to me as your God, to the heart of your Father Who is in heaven.”
But so it does not read.
There is here no mention of direct fellowship with the Eternal Being, but of walks among angels. Though in tendency this means the same, yet it diverges in form of expression, and it is to this, that our attention directs itself.
The deepest urge of mysticism always directs itself to fellowship with the Eternal Being Himself, but this brings the danger with it, that in her homesickness the soul wants to enter into the very Being of God, and thereby lapses into gruesome sacrilege.
Alas, the history of mystics abounds all too sadly with incidents of this sort. What in this way began with spirit, in the end mingled spirit and flesh, by not reverencing the boundaries between God and His creature.
And this danger is here averted, by that God the Lord points to the life-world around His Throne.
The antithesis is not: God and the world, but altogether different: our poor life-world here on earth and the rich life-world above around God’s Throne. Even as the holy apostle makes the antithesis when he says: “If then ye be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3, 1, 2). Or if you will, as it reads in the epistle to the Hebrews: the better fatherland (country), as over against the alienship in the world here below.
Not therefore an infinite emptiness above us, and in the center of that chill, lifeless infinitude the Eternal God. No, but God in the heaven of His glory, and therein, around Him, a world of life which in splendor and riches far excels all splendor of earth.
Not the death of vacuity, but the fulness of the life around the Throne of the Lord God. And in that world of life above the angels first appearing before us, even as upon entering a royal fortress here you first see the servants, and only after that enter upon the rich life-world of the princely house.
This speaking of walks expresses this yet more closely.
It is not alone a sight of the companies of the Lord’s body-staff which is announced to Joshua. The word walks expresses far more.
At a parade the people may see the hosts of the king, and from afar look at the brilliant sight of their appearance and movements, but must remain at a distance.
Into their ranks and companies no one may introduce himself. The people that come to look on, and the army that parades, remain two.
When on the other hand a triumphant army comes home, and within the gates is greeted by a grateful people, it does not take long for the distinction to fall away, and on the square where arms are laid down, the people at once mingle with the soldiers, press their hands, bring them presents, and soon the people have walks among the victory-crowned troops. Arm in arm the soldier and citizen walk through the town.
That God the Lord gives to Joshua, and thus also to every one who has the anointing of the Holy One, walks among those who stand before God’s Throne, indicates therefore far more than a look upon that rich life-world with God.
It implies, that to a certain extent we are already now at home in that rich life-world, that we belong to that world around God’s Throne, that we have fellowship with that world, that our citizenship is there, and that far from being held at a distance, we are already now admitted to more intimate association with that life-world.
EXPERIENCE of this we have at one time very strongly, at another time only faintly, and most of the time not at all.
By far most hours of the day, and very certainly most days of our life, we spend without being privileged to have such walks among the hosts of God.
To him who separated from the world, quiet and alone, spends his days, this may be different. He who on earth has a busy, much embracing life’s task (be it indoors or out of doors) which awaits him at rising, before he sleeps keeps him engaged upon his bed, and all day long holds his attention in arrest, can only occasionally give himself to quiet musing and restful meditation.
Such an oasis in life these busy people frequently only find on the Sabbath, that good gift of our God.
Beyond that this fellowship floats upon the brief moments when we give ourselves somewhat more earnestly than commonly to prayer. But it only really takes place effectively, when God takes hold of us, shakes and rouses us, and the ground of our existence here below trembles beneath our feet.
Also the dying of those who walked with us on the pilgrim-way has here high significance.
Nothing so of itself draws the heart above as the knowledge, that one entered that world above, who on earth could not be separated from the love of our heart.
Yet even this fellowship with the world of life above is no continuous state, but one by exception accorded grace.
It is only God’s lovingkindness, which at times and certain seasons, and every time anew gives us these walks among His angels.
You make no boisterous entrance there.
The gate must be unlocked for you. And that opening before you of the gate, that every time again love does, the grace, the lovingkindness of the Lord our God.
OF itself the character of these walks is that they only take place in our conscious life.
The holy apostle says: “Set your affections on things above.” And to set the affections is something that takes place in our consciousness.
What here leads and moves us on is not an unconscious, unknown feeling, but a conscious act. It is by clear thinking that such an entrance into the world above alone is possible. And that clear thinking of itself becomes richer, as you take firmer hold of that world of life above, make greater advances from the indefinite to the definite, and give your representation no play in wild phantasies, but let it be governed by the Word of God.
But though these “walks” can only take place by clear thinking, and by deep thinking, yet let no one say that therefore they are unreal.
Our Psalmody literally lives from the note, that we lift up our soul above.
Not we here, and God afar off, and now as philosopher we from afar quietly thinking of God and of the world above.
That separation and that distance Scripture never tolerates.
And when we would lift up our thoughts and our representations above, it is not something of us that must go above, but the soul itself must go above.
“Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul,” it reads in Psalm 25, and in Psalm 143 David exclaims: “I lift up my soul unto Thee, deliver me, for I flee unto Thee to hide me.”
A thought still more strongly expressed in Psalm 57: “In the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge.” And in Psalm 61, 4: “I will abide in thy tabernacle.”
Thus it is an act of the consciousness. It goes through our thinking, considering and altogether entering into it.
But in that action of our consciousness we ourselves are. Therein is our person. Therein is our ego. Therein is our life. There is our soul.
And that lifting up is possible, because there is One Who draws us to Himself. One Who for a moment breaks the bands that bind us too strongly to earth, and also joins the bands, which make us experience and enjoy in our heart the unity of life with the world above.
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