He said, No; but [as] prince of the host of Yahweh am I now come. Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said to him, What says my lord to his servant?
Some commentators understand this experience of Joshua as a subjective vision, nothing more or any different from that which may be seen today, "by modern man in his place of worship, or driving in an automobile or riding in an airplane.  Usually there are no bystanders, but if so, they recognize only that the central character in the event is having an experience in which they do not share."[31]  Such explanations are totally unacceptable.  The subjective dreamers in cases like Morton mentioned cannot walk up to the "vision," address a question to it, and then fall down and worship it!  No, this is merely another instance of the ingenious cavil of unbelievers who will NOT believe the sacred record.  When one encounters this type of explanation for events which are dearly supernatural, he should remember that such explanations are NOT based upon logic, insight, or knowledge of any kind, but are purely the last recourse of critical writers who do not believe in any miracles, anything supernatural, or predictive prophecy of any kind, and who have never been known to refer to a given passage as "the Word of God."  Notice too that the "central character" of this vision is understood to be, not God in human form, but Joshua.  It should be remembered that Joshua, not God, took off his shoes!