Angels in Scripture: Jacob’s Ladder
Angels in Scripture: Jacob ‘s Ladder.
“And Jacob came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. Then Jacob dreamed, and behold, a stairway was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord Yahweh stood beside him, and said… (Genesis 28:11-13).
Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band – Jacob’s Ladder (Live In Dublin)
In Genesis 28 we find an exhausted Jacob on the run from his angry brother Esau who he had cheated. Jacob finally finds a place where he can lay his head and rest for a while. He finds a suitable stone that would serve as his pillow, and immediately falls asleep. And then something monumental happened… an inspired dream that has never been forgotten, and in fact was reference point for Jesus Messiah thousands of years later.
Stairway. Most translators claim that the word used in this passage was actually not ladder, but instead stairway, or flight of steps. The image seems less like a conventional ladder and more like a tall ziggurat, a stepped tower with bricked steps leading to a small temple at the very top. It’s interesting that this was not at all like the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, in which the people built a ziggurat to reach God in the heavens. Instead the Lord revealed that heaven is coming down to earth, and that the Lord is renewing His desire that He dwell on earth.
Stained Grass Band – They’re Holding Up the Ladder
Standing Beside Jacob: Some translations state that in the dream the Lord was standing at the top of the stairway. But many versions read the Hebrew as meaning the Lord stood right there beside Jacob as He confirmed His covenant with Abraham and Isaac and now him. The fact that Jacob exclaimed in verse 16 that God was with him on earth, and even dedicated that particular spot of land as God’s dwelling place, suggests that the Lord was standing beside Jacob during the dream.
Stone of Jacob. This famous stone of Jacob’s enjoys legendary status. There is a legend that the prophet Jeremiah brought that very stone to Ireland, at which time it was transferred to Scotland. The stone was then used for centuries with the name Stone of Scone, the historical stone that the Scottish kings would kneel on when being coronated. Since that time, though, that Stone of Scone has been revealed as a type of sandstone that is only found in that area of Scotland, and certainly not from the Middle East. It’s a cool story, though, isn’t it?
Dreams are a curious way for God to communicate. Why would God, who has every means of revelation at His disposal, choose dreams as a way to contact a person and convey vital guidance? Dreams tend to be unreliable, unpredictable, illogical, and poorly remembered if at all. Many if not most dreams don’t seem like a very trustworthy vehicle for divine communication. They can be mistranslated so easily, and sometimes are so bizarre it’s hard to take them seriously. And we know now that dreams can be affected by external things like room temperature, what we ate or drank before bedtime, the events of the day, or even if there are any lingering aromas in the house. And because dreamers are in an unconscious state, dreams are outside of our control as the unfettered imagination runs wild.
Dreams can be totally legit. Nonetheless, God speaking through dreams didn’t seem to raise any eyebrows in Scripture. Everyone from pagan kings to heroic saints were not surprised by this strategy of God to reach them. We now realize that after decades of so-called dream science, the whole topic of dreams are just as mysterious now as in ancient times. Dreams remain a fascinating frontier when it comes to scientific research, and we still simply cannot confirm why we have this ability to mentally experience vivid pictures, stories and images while in an unconscious state. God in His wisdom knows when to approach someone with divine intervention while a person is in a dream state. He knows who is a likely prospect for His appearance in a dream. Perhaps some people are more receptive to God’s guidance when in an unconscious state, which says a lot about a person’s stubbornness when in a conscious state. Perhaps it is only during a dream that a person doesn’t have much of a choice of whether to listen or not, knowing that dreamers are captive audiences. Maybe God waits for when a certain person’s resistance is down. Perhaps a person’s imagination might be more picturesque and creative during a dream, able to manage an other-worldly, heavenly message. We just don’t know for sure the motivation of God in using dreams, of course, because His very presence in a dream is a mystery in which He somehow travels back and forth between spiritual, material and imaginative realities. But we do know that God often chooses to work in mysterious ways and in this matter of dreams, He has chosen, and continues to choose, dreams to warn, instruct, guide, reveal His presence, and encourage us. God loves us so much that He will do whatever it takes to reach us whether awake, or asleep, or everything in between.
Jacob the Dreamer. It could be that our wrestling Jacob is the biggest dreamer in Scripture. Jacob and the Lord seemed to save their best interaction for the night, apparently the time when that stubborn saint Jacob was at his most receptive. The Hebrew patriarch with the most chutzpah, for both good and ill, was Jacob. He displayed audacity right from birth, and then demonstrated it clearly when he cheated his brother Esau out of both his birthright and his father’s blessing. Somehow God continued to weave all of Jacob’s shenanigans into His overall plan for Jacob’s life. Jacob was certainly a very complex man, and yet was a major part of God’s plan for His Chosen People. God never gave up on him, and even used Jacob’s clever chutzpah in a redemptive way. God continued to meet Jacob wherever he went, especially at night.
The Daily Prayers for the Jews. The Jewish sages based each of their weekday prayers on the character and actions of the patriarchs. Thus, the recommended daily prayers of Jewish believers were inspired by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham represents the morning prayer, since he often “rose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before God” (Gen. 19:27, 22:3). Isaac inspired the midday prayer, since he “went out to converse with God (or, to meditate) in the field toward evening” (Gen. 24:63). And Jacob represented the night prayer, since his powerful encounters with God were in the night, including his visions and dreams (Gen. 28 and 31) and his momentous wrestling with the mysterious “angel” (Gen. 28:11, 32:22).
Tenacious and Fearful Jacob. Jacob’s unusual life inspired the nighttime prayer, the evening encounter with God that takes one’s own life into account at the end of the day. Jacob trusted in God and wouldn’t let go of Him, and his encounters with God left him transformed. “That is how Jacob found God – not by his own efforts, like Abraham; not through continuous dialogue like Isaac; but in the midst of fear and isolation. If Abraham is originality, and Isaac continuity, then Jacob represents tenacity.” In our nighttime prayers, we would do well to remember the spirit of Jacob’s encounters with the Lord during his midnight travels. God was at his side for fresh encouragement and vision, with inspiration and courage, and ultimately peace. (Covenant and Conversation: Genesis, the Book of Beginnings, Rabbi Jonathon Sacks).
“I am Yahweh, God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants… Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you…” (Gen. 28:13-15).
Confirmation. The Lord’s words to Jacob in his dream confirmed the covenant promises made earlier to Abraham and Isaac. Yahweh promised to fulfill what He had declared to His Chosen People, and that His promise is reliable and trustworthy.
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord Yahweh is in this place, and I really wasn’t even conscious to be aware of it!’ And Jacob was dreadfully frightened and said, “How amazing and awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven!’ So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it to consecrate it. He called the name of that place Bethel, which means the House of God.” (Genesis 28:16-18).
Genesis 28 – This Is God’s House || Bible in Song || Project of Love
Holy Ground. So Jacob named that place Bethel, the House of God. Then he took the stone pillow and anointed it, thus establishing a memorial that enabled Bethel to remain an important religious site until well after Solomon. That particular place, though, was known quite well as holy ground long before Jacob. Abraham for example, “invoked the Name of the Lord” there twice, pitching his tent at that place and building an altar there in honor of God. (Genesis 12:8 and 13:2-4). God’s covenant with Jacob was established at Bethel (Genesis 28:15), and God even asked Jacob to live there for a time (Gen. 35:1), changing Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen. 35:9-15). Since Bethel, earlier known as Luz, was one of the highest places in Israel, with an elevation of almost 3,000’, it was very busy in Hebrew history as a common worship site. Bethel is mentioned 60 times in the Hebrew Bible, with only Jerusalem mentioned more. During the time of the Judges, the Ark of the Covenant was housed there, which made it an important worship center for faithful Jews. Most biblical archeologists now believe that Bethel was about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, in the hill country of Samaria.
From Heaven to Hell. But it didn’t take long for Bethel to take a drastic turn from being famous to infamous, from being a time-honored sacred space to a spiritual death trap. Soon after Solomon, Jeroboam foolishly decided to establish Bethel as a pagan worship site, even going so far as to set up a golden bull there (1 Kings 12:28). Tragically, Bethel remained a pagan site for a long time, and was denounced by one prophet after another, such as Amos, Hosea and Jeremiah. Eventually, the heroic reformer King Josiah destroyed that pagan site literally and completely. Josiah left no doubt as to what he thought of Bethel’s turn to paganism… He executed all the pagan priests there, exhumed the bodies of the dead priests and burned their bones to ash on their altars, broke the stones of the pagan altars into pieces, and had those very pieces ground into dust! (2 Kings 23). Bethel became nothing but a memory, faded away in biblical history, and is not even mentioned in the New Testament. If one wonders if a spiritual powerhouse of a place can radically change and go the opposite way, becoming instead a spiritual wasteland, Bethel will answer that question.
Fast-Forward. “When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming, He said of him, ‘There, truly, is an Israelite in whom there is no deception!’ Nathaniel asked, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Before Philip came to call you, I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathaniel answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel!’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe just because I said I saw you under the fig tree? You are going to see greater things than that!’ And then Jesus added, ‘Amen, Amen, I tell you. Truly, Truly, I say to you. You will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of Man.’” (John 1:43-51).
Ralph Stanley & Joe Isaacs – Jacob’s Vision
The Double Truth! There is a much-used Hebrew word in the Hebrew Bible that points to its root word “truth.” The Greek in the New Testament also picked it up and used it for “truth” as well. That common Hebrew word is “amen.” Amen! Amen! is often translated as Truly, Truly, or Verily, Verily, in the New Testament. This double Amen is only recorded in the gospel of John, and is said by Jesus before He offers a statement, not after. He is the only Person to say this, because He is the only Person who has the authority to say this before He says it. This must be an important distinction for Jesus, because He felt compelled to use this preface twenty-five times in John. When Jesus begins a statement with that double “Truly,” He is intending to be doubly intense when He says it, and so He wants the listener to be doubly attentive. He wants to emphasize the importance of His words. He is saying, ‘In all truth I tell you.’ He wants the listener to focus, and He is serious about preparing the listener to be receptive. When Jesus says Truly, Truly, He is saying: ‘Most assuredly, what I am about to tell you is absolutely true and trustworthy. So listen up, because an eternal truth is coming to you now! In all sincerity (says Jesus), this is the solemn truth. Take these words in, and have them go into your mind and then straight to your heart. For these words of mine are double truth, they are doubly true! Jesus might as well have been saying… ‘And you readers out there centuries from now, get ready to apply your hot pink highlighter, get ready to do some double underlining! Truly, Truly, what you are about to hear is the honest to goodness truth!’
Nathaniel. And now we come to the apostle also known as the Bartholomew, who was sitting under the shade of a fig tree one day in the region of Galilee. He was someone who was earnestly expecting and looking for the Messiah as prophesied in the Scripture. Nathaniel may have been in his special place of prayer under that tree. He may have been studying Scripture and meditating on the coming of Messiah. Sitting under a fig tree was an expression from the Hebrew prophets that was connected to waiting for the Messiah, as mentioned in Micah 4:4 and Zechariah 3:10. “Gathering figs” was also an expression that meant the act of studying Scripture. So we can only speculate what Nathaniel was doing under the fig tree, but that tree was no doubt his private place where he could be alone in his thoughts and meditations. We know Nathaniel was anxiously looking for Messiah, or else why would his friend Philip rush to tell him about Jesus? Philip knew that this would be welcome news to Nathaniel. And sure enough, after Philip told Nathaniel to come and see for himself, Nathaniel did just that. Nathaniel had no hesitation to meet Jesus and find out if this man might be who he is looking for.
A Quick Convert. Nathaniel gladly accepted the truth about Jesus seemingly immediately. He did not hesitate to call Jesus “the Son of God and the King of Israel.” We are not sure why Nathaniel was so ready to welcome Jesus into his life. Was it because Jesus told Nathaniel a piece of supernatural knowledge, that Jesus had somehow seen Nathaniel studying and praying under a fig tree? Was it because Jesus seemed to know Nathaniel before they ever met, that Jesus read his heart and said that Nathaniel was a fellow Jew in whom there is no guile, no hidden motive, honest and sincere? Jesus saw Nathaniel and instantly knew he had no falsehood within him.
Jacob’s Ladder Fleshed Out. Jesus seemed surprised that a simple miracle like seeing Nathaniel in a distant place under a fig tree would impress him so much. It has been speculated that Nathaniel was meditating on Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28 while under the fig tree. Do you think that’s a big deal, asks Jesus, that I saw you and knew what you were reading? You haven’t seen anything yet! You will soon be given the spiritual sight to see an open heaven, and I will join heaven and earth as the Son of Man. I will be just like Jacob’s ladder, Jesus is saying, when I am lifted up. You will see angels going up and down on this stairway, Nathaniel! You will see me join two worlds, heaven where God resides and earth where man dwells! I will turn Jacob’s ladder into my ladder, Nathaniel! I will become Jacob’s ladder myself! Imagine that!
The Cross. Jesus presents Himself in John 1:50 as that stairway in Jacob’s dream that was reaching to heaven. He is the One who brings heaven to earth, and earth to heaven. As that ladder, Jesus is able to be in heaven and earth at the same time. In Him, God and man are united, so it is He that connects heaven and earth, God and man. It is Jesus who opens heaven so mere human beings can see God. The ultimate fulfillment is when Jesus is lifted up on the Cross (John 3:14), Jesus and the Cross together forming the ladder of salvation being lifted up to God’s presence in heaven. In Jesus, heaven opened, whether at His birth, His baptism, the Transfiguration, or even His Ascension. As with Jacob’s ladder, heaven tends to open when Jesus is around.
Angels. Only the angels are going up and down on this ladder, not people. We don’t have to exert human effort, we aren’t the ones climbing Jacob’s ladder to heaven. Our pursuit of God doesn’t depend on how many rungs of the ladder or steps on the stairway we are able to climb. We actually climb Jesus as the only way to God. The angels are the climbers, not us, and they have been with and around Jesus whenever He needed them. Angels protected and served Jesus from birth to death to Ascension. They spoke personally and powerfully to Mary, to Joseph, and to the wise men in order to protect Him in His vulnerable state. They announced Him to the shepherds in a mind-boggling way. They ministered to Him at critical times, including during the wilderness temptations (Matthew 4:11) and the agony of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). It is implied in Scripture that they were always with Him during His life and ministry, ready to serve. And there is no doubt that those who were given spiritual sight during His crucifixion were able to see angels ascending and descending on Him. They would have seen a host of angels ministering to Jesus, comforting Him in His misery.
The Congested Stairway. Enjoy this imaginative reflection from Sheridan Larson as she meditates on William Blake’s famous lithograph of Jacob’s Ladder: “Angels bearing gifts with their hands full, moving lightly, unstoppable, laughing, seeing heaven’s light above and earth’s darkness below. Open season for trade, for traffic, for heavenly comings and goings. The ladder is full, congested with traffic going in both directions. Angels are on assignment, on delivery, bearing gifts, platters of food and wine, table decorations for feasts. Candles, flowers, the very best china to accompany the most precious Body and Blood, the Feast of the Supper of the Lamb. Smoke and cloud and fire flash and swirl around the ladder. Is this the cloudy pillar between heaven and earth? Are there angel-sweepers clearing land and air, moving and spreading out over the whole world? Light, full of heavenly light, spreading light, breaking up darkness, shaking light motes unto the dark earth. There are angel armies in full armor upon the ladder. This ladder is Jesus, and He says that all this traffic is upon Him, everything is on and upon and around Him. It all comes from Him, returns to Him, hangs upon Him. He is first and last of all. Yes, He is Center of all the traffic.”