“156 Pictures of Christ in the Old Testament” – Jacob’s Ladder

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Fact About Christ from page 7: Christ is the ladder of Jacob’s dream

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

– John 1:51

Today’s picture of Christ comes from the third patriarch of the Old Testament, Jacob. He has a dream in which he sees a ladder set up on the earth reaching into heaven. On that ladder he sees the angels of God ascending and descending, and furthermore, God speaks to him from above it. The Lord Jesus references this story near the beginning of His ministry on earth when He says to Nathaniel, one of the twelve disciples, “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man,” the title He often used to refer to Himself. Put more simply, Jesus is saying this: I am that ladder. 

The events that occur leading up to Jacob’s dream can be found in Genesis 27. In summary, Jacob, the younger of twins born to Isaac, has just deceptively received the blessing intended for Esau, the firstborn, from his father. Because of this, Esau begins to hate his brother and to hold a grudge against him, devising a plan to kill Jacob once their father Isaac passes away. Rebekah, the mother of the twins and mastermind of the plan to steal the blessing, makes up an excuse to get Jacob out of their land, telling Isaac that she hates the local women and desires Jacob to return to her hometown to find a wife from there. So in the following verses, we come to Jacob as he is running away from all he has ever known, at Bethel and alone. Does he acknowledge God at this point? No! Even before this time, the only mention of God on Jacob’s lips comes in a lie to his father while impersonating his brother Esau (Genesis 27:20). But in this state, he has a vision in a dream. Let’s read: 

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he 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 in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 

And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 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.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How 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. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 

– Genesis 28:10-19

Here, alone and running from a situation he himself caused, Jacob sees God. Not only that, but God speaks to Jacob. God gives to Jacob the promise that He had once given to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham and father Isaac. In doing so, for the sake of His promise, He asserts His place as the One responsible for Jacob. He says: I am with you. I will bring you back. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you. 

Does Jacob truly get it? Perhaps not. He does name the location Bethel, meaning “house of God,” yet, in verse twenty Jacob makes a conditional vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear….” Jacob isn’t able to fully trust in God here, but this vision marks the beginning of a personal relationship with the God of his fathers. By the end of Jacob’s life, many years later, he could testify through experience of the truth of God’s statement to him in his dream of the ladder. I am with you.

What does this mean for me as a Christian? 

This should be our experience! The Lord is with me. Jacob’s experience of the Lord here is very different from Abraham’s encounter with Melchizedek, who ministered bread and wine to him. Jacob was not fighting for God’s people, as Abraham was. On the contrary, he is just in a low place. Alone. Not even seeking God. Yet at this time, the Lord comes to him. This becomes a landmark in his life. God took me from earth and connected me to heaven. This is the experience of the ladder. No matter where you are or have been. Low. Alone. Running from a situation you caused. Seeking God or not. In this time, God can appear to you. Speak to you. Assure you that He is with you, that He is responsible for your life. Why? Because we have a ladder, Jesus, who can find us on earth and connect us to heaven. 

What does this mean for the Church?

Furthermore, when Jacob has this experience of the ladder, he has a realization: This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Thus, He called the name of that place Bethel. Today, believers are being built up as the house of God. This is Bethel. This is the Church. As 1 Peter 2:5 says, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:22 says, In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 

What is Bethel? Bethel is a vessel, a container in which everyone within it has experienced this ladder. This is what makes us different. When people come into contact with the Church, they should have a realization: There is something here that is just not according to the way things normally go. Why? Not because we are great. Not because of amazing organization skills or ground-breaking programs or a charismatic preacher. But because in each and every believer, there is a ladder. Because each and every believer can have an aura that says: When I do something on earth, somehow it reflects heaven. This is what having a church life of Bethel is. 

We should desire to be elevated in this way. When even a “do you want to get coffee sometime?” can have a certain aura to it. When a friend can hear that simple phrase and unknowingly think: Maybe he has something for me from the top of that ladder! Can the Church be known in this way? This shouldn’t be something remote from us. If you are a believer, then the Lord Jesus, the ladder connecting earth to heaven, is dwelling in you! May we let Him as the life-giving Spirit live out through us day by day (1 Corinthians 15:45)! In this way, can people testify of the Church: How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God!

Have any inspirations or questions about the content of the article? Or do you just want to say hello and introduce yourself? We’d love to hear from all our readers! Leave a comment or send an email to editors@asweetsavor.org with the title of this post in the subject line. If you are burning to engage with us, but don’t know what to say, here are some questions that could be a help: 

1. Jacob’s experience of the Ladder came when he was at a very low place. Has God ever revealed Himself to you in your darkest moments? 
2. In God’s statement to Jacob, He stresses how He is the one who is with him, will keep him, and will not leave him. Realizing that God is truly in control can free us from many anxieties and worries, but sometimes we respond by stubbornly fighting to go our own way. Have you ever tried to tell God that you knew what you were doing and had everything under control? What was the result of that?
3. When we are living our lives in the Lord’s presence, we may not have to make a conscious effort to “do something on earth that reflects heaven,” especially when it comes to encouraging and supplying life to our fellow believers. Do you have an experience of simply being in spirit, enjoying the Lord, and realizing afterwards that the ladder was present in your situation? Or has another brother or sister ever been that ladder for you?