Gênesis 28
Philoxenus of Mabbug
Gênesis 28:12
Now the Dweller in heaven shewed this ladder aforetime, as in a mystery, to the elect of the Fathers, the blessed Jacob; and also that those who went up and those who came down upon it were angels. And that that ladder belongeth not to heavenly angels alone, the word of the Book indicateth to us, because the angels of God were going up and coming down thereupon; for every man who draweth nigh to enquire thereat, and who beginneth to mount it, laboureth after the order of angels, and is numbered among the elect of spiritual beings, and he hath inscribed his name as a heavenly soldier. And as the children of men who receive human positions, and who labour in some one of the grades of the world, change the name of "rustics", by which they were formerly called, to "servants" (or soldiers), so also the man who of his own freewill enrolleth himself in the company which Christ hath formed, and who serveth in the army of spiritual beings, the word of the Book nameth him "angel", and not "man", and rightly so, because he hath begun the service of angels, and he is bound to receive their name. And he is called "angel" instead of "man" because of his service and manner of life, and not because of his nature. And moreover upon the ladder, Jacob the upright saw angels ascending and descending; those who were ascending were men, because it belongeth unto men to ascend from earth to heaven, and those who were descending were angels, because their country is heaven, and they descend from their country, the heights above, to the earth. Now therefore angels and the children of men were mingled upon that ladder that the Holy Book might teach us that a fair life is common both to spiritual and corporeal beings, and that the keeping of the commandments is obligatory to both of them. And the children of men keep the commandments when they are exalted from the depth to the height by the steps of the commandments, and the angels minister unto the wishes of [the Divine] Majesty when they are sent below from above. For those who are to inherit life, that is to say, those who are of the body in their nature and are inferior beings, the service of the commandments maketh celestial and spiritual beings; and the command of the Creator urgeth those who are celestial and spiritual by creation to go down to the country of terrestrial beings, and to abide continually with corporeal beings, so that from races which are different from each other, one Church may be gathered together in the bond of love, which will sing the services of God's will, and which will be wholly and entirely moved by one living and spiritual motion, even as the natural body is moved entirely by the life of the soul. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 7 -- Second Discourse on the Fear of God
Gênesis 28:16
Let us listen also unto the words which Jacob spake in that country in which God was revealed unto him, for from them we may especially see his simplicity: "Verily there is the Lord in this place, and I knew it not." Didst thou think, O simple Jacob, that God was limited only to the country in which thy parents lived, and that He did not reveal Himself or make Himself manifest in every place to those who are worthy of His revelation? — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity