The only accounts in the Bible of a ladder or a similar analogy, are in Genesis 28 and John 1.
Genesis 28 records the familiar story of Jacob who fled from his brother Esau, after he deceitfully received the blessing from Isaac. That the blessing was significant, not only in material possessions, but also prophetically, is evident from the text. Genesis 27:29 reads: “Let the people serve you, and the nations bow down to you.”
En route to Rebecca’s brother in Haran, Jacob stayed overnight and made his bed on a stone. Jacob dreamt of a ladder between heaven and earth and the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Verse 13, notably speaks of the Lord standing above it. The number 13 speaks of Jesus. A better translation would be standing over or beside him.
A further confirmation that the Lord is standing beside Jacob, is that Jacob, when he woke up said: “Surely, the Lord is in the place.” This clearly refers to where he was sleeping and not somewhere on the top of the ladder. He also called the place, The House of God בית אלהים (bet Elohim) and the gate to heavenשער השמים (sha’ar hashamayim).
God came to meet Jacob personally and confirmed His covenant with Abraham and Isaac to Jacob. Significantly, as previously alluded to, Jesus used this analogy when He speaks to Nathanael in John 1.
The latter’s scepticism portrayed in his words “can anything good come from Nazareth?” changed in a moment. Jesus greeted him with these words: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” The paradox of these statements is striking. Nathanael doubted if anything good can come from Nazareth, and Jesus commended him for an Israelite without any deceit.
Nathanael was amazed that Jesus knew him. In response to his question Jesus replied that before Phillip called him, He saw him sitting under the fig tree (John 1:48). This prompted Nathanael to say: Rabbi, You are the Son of God!” Even Jesus expressed His surprise at this statement. Jesus’ answered, referring to the incident of Jacob, “Truly, truly I say to you, you will see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51). Why would Jesus use this analogy? Abraham’s meeting with Melchizedek appears to be a better example.
To get a better understanding of the significance of this, the Hebrew word for ladder offers an explanation. The word is sullam. The word is spelt samech-lamed-mem סלם. The letter samech represents the ascending and unending glory of God.
The meaning of the letter lamed, becomes clear by the spelling of the word lamed. Lamed is spelt lamed-mem dalet. According to Jewish sages this is an acronym for lev meivim da’at- a heart that has understanding.
The third letter in the word sullam, is mem. The letter mem in its closed form, the stumah, as used in the word sullam, speaks of concealed mysteries. Jesus confirmed what Nathanael said when he stated that Jesus is the Son of God when He used the phrase “you will see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Jesus connected Jacob’s dream to what Jacob said. “Surely, the Lord is in this place.”
Jesus revealed the mystery that was hidden for ages. The Son of God, as prophesied by the Old Testament prophets was standing in front of Nathanael, just as the Lord was in the place where Jacob had his dream. Jesus is the gate to heaven, the unending spiral of God’s glory to a heart that has understanding. Just as the letters in the Hebrew word sullam express.
The dialogue between Nathanael and Jesus is recorded in the first chapter of the gospel of John as a prelude to the blessings that descended when Jesus came to dwell in physical form on the earth. He changed the water into wine (John 2); He healed the official’s son (John 4); He healed the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5); He fed the 5000 (John 6); He forgave sin as demonstrated in the narrative of the woman caught in adultery (John 8); He healed the man born blind (John 9) and He raised Lazarus from dead (John 11). These seven miracles confirmed the fact that Jesus was the Son of God.
The narrative of John does not record the baptism of Jesus but confirms the concept of Jesus as the Son of God. When Jesus was baptised the Holy Spirit came down in the form of dove (Chapter 1: 33-34).
But the reference to Jacob’s dream also recalled Jacob’s blessing. The blessing of Jacob was demonstrated in the Old Testament narrative when Joseph’s brothers bowed down to him in Egypt historically. (Joseph was the first-born son of Jacob and Rachel). The blessing will find its ultimate fulfilment at Jesus’ second coming.
