“Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. Genesis 32:1-2 As I read this passage I thought to myself, were these the same angels that appeared as men to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham in Genesis 18? Are these the angels that Jacob saw in his dream, descending up and down the ladder between earth and Heaven in Genesis 28? It seems that in the beginning, the angels that appeared, were not as frightening as those described in later biblical scenes. While there was reverence, and an understanding of the difference - the heavenly host seemed to commune more easily with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob then later on in scripture when we see people like Daniel and Ezekiel growing pale and falling facedown. Jacob named the place Mahanaim. The Hebrew meaning for mahanaim is “Two Camps” or "Two Companies.” Jacob named this place accordingly to memorialize the revelation of his own company sharing the place with God's hosts from Heaven. Can you imagine two types of God’s children sharing the same space and living in the same location? I often imagine this is how it was in the Garden of Eden - and what we have to look forward to in the New Jerusalem. Humans and angels living together worshipping God. Humans and angels living together as God’s children. And at the center of it all "is the Throne of God, and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22:3-5
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