There was a time when Jacob was sent by his father Isaac to
the land of Paddan – aram, to take a wife for himself there. It was the land where the people of Jacob’s
mother dwelt. We know her as
Rebekah. The day had arrived and Isaac
sent Jacob off with the blessing of Abraham upon him and his descendants.
At some point in Jacob’s journey he had come to a place
where he decided to spend the night.
While there he had a dream. In
this dream there was a Ladder set upon the earth with its top reaching into the
heavens. The angels of God were
ascending and descending upon it. Before
leaving the following morning Jacob named the place Bethel.
It was about two thousand years later that our Lord Jesus
met with Nathanael – one who would be among the chosen twelve. Upon seeing Nathanael drawing towards him
Jesus exclaimed, “ Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael asked how it was that Jesus knew of
him. Jesus answered and said to him, “
before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael was astonished, confessing to the
Lord that surely he was the Son of God.
The Lord responded with these words.
“ Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending
and descending upon the Son of Man.”
And so, who was it that the Ladder in Jacob’s dream would be
representing? Doubtless it was our
Lord. But what does the matter speak to us of? It’s telling us that it is none but our
precious Lord Jesus, who in his Spirit stands upon the earth, while reaching
even to the heavens. In this he has
become the One and only Mediator between heaven and earth. By this he joins every believer to the Father
– in and through the Person of himself.
But what is the purpose of the angels ascending and descending upon
him? No doubt, this is to do his bidding
in whatever the matters may be. At times
it may be for them to attend to we believers, who are members of his body –
connected by and through the Spirit. No
doubt this is why Hebrews 1:14 reads, “ Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”
Nevertheless, I’m sure that Bethel – the place of Jacob’s
Ladder, is not the only place where the
Spirit of Christ fills all space between heaven and the surface of our
world. It would only make sense that the
totality of earth’s atmosphere is filled with the presence of the Spirit of
Christ Jesus, since He is God the Son, and in Him are no limits. True that today He is seated at the right
hand of the Father. Yet by His Spirit He
fills all that is of the earth and beyond -
even all of the heavens of God.
J. Pecoraro
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