Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's dream is a crucial high point in Genesis. It may even be more vital than Genesis 1:26 about God creating man in His own image. There the Triune God said "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness ..." But Jacob's dream in Genesis 28:10-22 may be even more significant.

I draw your attention first to Jacob being away from all manmade things. He is lonely and in a desolate place where only things of God's creation exist. He had to use a stone for a pillow and sleep out in the open air.

" ... and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and he lay down in that place." (v.11)

We will see that this stone pillow, his dream of the a ladder from earth to heaven, he set up for a pillar and poured oil upon it.

The place of his rest became the pillar for the house of God.
This is very significant. On one side man's salvation is a "rest" to his weary, lonely, and wondering soul. But on the other hand man's salvation is a pillar for the eternal structure of God where God will have a house upon the earth.

We are restless and God is too seeking rest.
If man is seeking rest it is only a reflection of the fact that the Triune God is also seeking rest.

Let's first see the dream -

And he dreamed: There was a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (v.12)

and there was Jehovah, standing abive it; and He said, I am Jehovah, 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 seed. (v.13)

And your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. (v.14)

And, behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will cause you to return to this land, for I will not leave you untl I have done what I have promised you. (v.15)

And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely Jehovah is in this place, and I did not know it. (v.16)

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. (v.17)

And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put under his head, and he et it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. (v.18)

And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz previously. (v.19)

The place of Jacob's rest also became the pillar with oil poured upon it to build Bethel - the house of God. Man's salvation is also according to God's eternal purpose to build Himself a living house within which God dwells in this universe.

Firstly Jacob made that stone a pillow. Then when he awoke he made his pillow a pillar.

One day everyone who comes to Jesus Christ will see his pillow become a pillar. A pillow is for rest. A pillar is for building. One day my pillow will become a pillar. My rest in Christ will go to become a pillar in the house of God for eternity. For God's salvation goes beyond the individual's happiness but goes towards the eternal purpose of God to build Himself into man and man into Himself.

In 28:22 Jacob said "This stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house."

In addition to the stone, the pillar, and the house, there was the oil poured upon the tio oif the stone (28:18)[/b]

And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put under his head, and he set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it."

This significant picture shows how the Triune God will accomplish the building of His living house. The oil represents the Third of the Trinity the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is how the Father and the Son eventually reach the inner being of man. It is by the Third Person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit, that the Divine Person dispenses Himself into man.

So the pouring of the oil upon the top of the stone set up for a pillar speaks of God dispensing Himself into man. He finally reaches our being as the Holy Spirit, so often symbolized in the Scriptures as oil.

God fulfills His eternal purpose to build Bethel the house of God by reaching man as the Holy Spirit. This dream and action of Jacob is very significant. It is a high peak pointing to the New Jerusalem at the end of the Bible.

Originally posted by Rajk999
Did the bible not also say that God is the head of Christ?
So clearly they are both God, but not equal.
Is there some part of the Bible they are equal?

"The thing that makes the three members of the Godhead one is their shared essence or attributes. Each member of the Trinity, though a separate person, has the exact same representation of the attributes of the other members of the Trinity. They share these attributes equally, infinitely and eternally." (Pastor Rickard) God respects your +/- volition as do I.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
"The thing that makes the three members of the Godhead one is their shared essence or attributes. Each member of the Trinity, though a separate person, has the exact same representation of the attributes of the other members of the Trinity. They share these attributes equally, infinitely and eternally." (Pastor Rickard) God respects your +/- volition as do I.

I think you said that already.

Where does the statement by Paul that "the head of Christ is God" fit into your beliefs?

Originally posted by divegeester
I see the ladder as a typification of Jesus btw.

The vision of Jacob points to the final New Jerusalem in the climax of the Bible. But you are right that on the way it is referred to by Jesus because Jesus is the beginning of God building Himself into man.

So on this point I am 100% in agreement with dive.

And He [Jesus] said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, You shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. (John 1:51)

Jesus was obviously referring to Jacob's ladder. Jesus was making the dream of Jacob in Genesis 28 refer to Himself.

Jesus as Godman is the beginning of the house of God - Bethel. In Christ God and man are united. And in Christ there is a connection of the earth to heaven.

Please notice that in both Genesis and in John it says that the angels firstly ascended up to heaven and secondly descended from heaven to the earth. This indicates that the main activity was upon the earth. The main divine operation concerned the earth. The angels were first upon the earth and went up bearing good news to God. Then they came down bringing blessings to man.

When a sinner gets saved the angels rejoice and go up and bring good news before God in heaven. When a believer become more clear concerning God's will, the good news goes UP with the angels to heaven. And in response blessings come down from heaven.

The main work of the messengers of God is upon the earth - "You shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man."

Compare this to Genesis 28:12 - "And he dreamed: There was a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it."

The plan is for the earth.
The building project is mainly upon the earth.
The building is a building of the Divine Life into the created human life.
Jesus Christ is the prototype of the mingling of God and man.

So Jesus made the vision of Jacob point to Himself. And in the next chapter Jesus indicates that He is the very temple of God. If they destroy this temple He will raise it up in three days. This is said in the second chapter of John.

The Jews then answered and said to HIm, What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?

Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, This temple was buildt in forty-six years, and You will raise it up in three days ?

But He spoke of the temple of His body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scriptures and the word which Jesus had spoken. (John 2:18-22)

Christ was and is the indestructible union of God and man the living temple of God. They had Him crucified. He died for our redemption. And in three days He was resurrected. Bethel the house of God has the Godman Jesus Christ as its foundation and cornerstone.

Originally posted by Rajk999
I think you said that already.

Where does the statement by Paul that "the head of Christ is God" fit into your beliefs?

The ['Trinity' designates God as one in essence with three coequal, coinfinite and coeternal persons: God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. -previous page] informs us of three equal persons with different functions: The reconciliation of depraved mankind was planned by the Father; the plan was executed by the Son; and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

"Where does the statement by Paul that "the head of Christ is God" fit into your beliefs?" Rajk999

Notice the Son's willing obedience to the Father's will: "Take this cup from me but not my will but thine be done" @Golgotha.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
The ['Trinity' designates God as one in essence with three coequal, coinfinite and coeternal persons: God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. -previous page] informs us of three equal persons with different functions: The reconciliation of depraved mankind was planned by the Father; the plan was executed by the Son; and empow ...[text shortened]... ience to the Father's will: "Take this cup from me but not my will but thine be done" @Golgotha.

Do you really believe you answered the question?

Anyway never mind.

John 14:5-6 "Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
John 14:5-6 "Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

I must say, I did have a chuckle at your attempted teenage zinger aimed at Rajk999 before you replaced it the "2 edits". 😀

Originally posted by FMF
I must say, I did have a chuckle at your attempted teenage zinger aimed at Rajk999 before you replaced it the "2 edits". 😀

Have you considered the claims of Christ?

Originally posted by FMF
I must say, I did have a chuckle at your attempted teenage zinger aimed at Rajk999 before you replaced it the "2 edits". 😀

I missed that. What was it?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
John 14:5-6 "Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

Is this the answer to my question?

Originally posted by Rajk999
Is this the answer to my question?

Faith alone in Christ alone. The choice is yours.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Have you considered the claims of Christ?

I was an adult Christian for 28 years. But I no longer subscribe to the claims made about Christ. I have said this to you directly several times in posts addressed to you in answer to more or less the same question.

Originally posted by Rajk999
I missed that. What was it?

Words to the effect of what he believes is true and what you believe is not true but in a kind of pouting, five-synonyms-when-one-would-have-done style. 😀