54. [verse 17] 'And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead' signifies a failing of one's own life as a result of such presence of the Lord. A man's own life does not endure the presence of the Lord, such as the Lord is in Himself, not even such as He is in the inmosts of His Word; for His Divine Love is altogether like the sun, which no one can bear as it is in itself without being consumed. This is understood by [the statement] that:-
No one can see God and live Exod. xxxiii 20; Judg. xiii 22.
This being the case, the Lord therefore appears to angels in heaven as a Sun, standing apart from them as the sun of the world does from men. This is because the Lord in that Sun is in Himself. Nevertheless the Lord moderates and tempers His Divine so that a man can endure His presence. This is done by means of veilings. It was done in that manner when He revealed Himself to many in the Word. In fact, He is present by means of veilings with any one who worships Him, as He Himself said in John:-
He who does My precepts, with him will I make an abode John xiv
That He will be in them, and they in Him John xv 4, 5.
From these considerations it is plain why John, when he saw the Lord in such glory, 'fell at His feet as dead'; as also, why the three disciples, when they saw the Lord in glory, were heavy with sleep, and a cloud veiled them over (Luke ix 32, 34).
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