The invitation to come into God's presence is to be answered in multiple ways. There is a literal fulfillment for Moses and the 73 that involves a fair bit of mountaineering. But the covenant ratification ceremony, bracketed as it is by God's invitation to ascend into His presence, must also be read as a way of ascending to the Divine presence. If you are Joe Israelite, saying "I'm not one of the seventy-four elders; will I never get to meet with God?" the answer is "Yes, you will get to meet with God — not by physically climbing the mountain, but by spiritually participating in the covenant ratification ceremony that is about to take place." In short, brothers and sisters, God invites us into His presence by participation in the covenant. That does not mean mystical experience of God in this life for every Christian — but it most certainly does mean that through the blood of the covenant, you are united to God and have the privilege of access to His presence. That's why the covenant ratification ceremony on the ground is sandwiched between the invitation for the elders to come into God's presence and the moment when they actually do. Some spiritual superstars do indeed go into God's presence in a physical way in this life — but every Christian can and should participate in the corporate worship of God's people whereby we come into His presence together through participation in the covenant.
