Introduction
• Jacob wasn’t in a good place. He deceived his father, stole his brother’s blessing, and is running for his life. His past was a mess, his future didn’t look all that good, and his family relationships were shattered. What happens next is a life-changing encounter with God.
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 62 of The Bible Unplugged. We take a deep dive into one of the most mysterious dreams in the Bible. What Jacob saw in his dream means a lot to us today.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com.
Background
• In the last episode we talked about a variety of dreams and visions in the Bible. We are focusing in this episode on a dream that changed the trajectory of Jacob’s life.
• In Genesis 28 Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob’s parents, encouraged Jacob to go to his mother’s ancestral home in Haran to find a wife. This was about a 500-mile trip, well away from Esau’s grasp and far away from the influence of his past.
• In Genesis 28:11, Jacob came to a “certain place” which means that place became well known for what happened there. He had to stop because it was dark, which shows he was fleeing, not really planning his trip.
• What comes next is one of the most misunderstood incidents in the Old Testament. The verse says that Jacob “took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.” A simple interpretation is that Jacob chose a very uncomfortable pillow, but that’s not even close. The best translation is “he put the stone near his head.” He didn’t choose a pillow; he marked a meeting place between heaven and earth.
• In ancient culture, a stone near one’s head symbolized protection and divine connection.
A Stairway to Heaven
• After Jacob went to sleep he had a vivid and amazing dream. We have traditionally called the subject of this dream “Jacob’s Ladder.” What we find is so much more than a simple ladder in the sky.
• The word often translated “ladder,” which is pronounced sullam in Hebrew, refers to a mound or constructed embankment. This word is often used to refer to a ziggurat, or stair-stepped altar. We discussed ziggurats in the episodes about the Tower of Babel. Pagan cultures built tall ziggurats and climbed on top of them to get their gods’ attention.
• What Jacob saw is more likely a stairway to heaven and not a simple ladder.
• In his dream, Jacob saw angels ascending and descending the stairway. This means that the angels were busy doing God’s work. Jacob did not have to climb to God; the angels were bringing the message to him.
• Jacob saw God at the top of the structure. God reaffirmed the covenant he had made with Abraham, that the land where he slept belonged to God’s people. God promised to bless and protect Jacob and vowed never to leave him.
• This was exactly what Jacob needed to hear. Life had not been going well for him. God’s message gave him hope.
• Jacob responded to the dream in Genesis 28:17, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”
• Jacob set up an altar using the stone by his head and named the place “Beth-el” which means “house of God” in Hebrew. The rock that supported Jacob’s dream became the first altar of his faith—the cornerstone of a covenant that would one day culminate in Christ, the true anointed stone where heaven and earth meet.
Significance of the Dream
• This dream helped Jacob cope with his difficult situation. He was on the run from a brother who hated him. He didn’t know what he would find when he got to Haran.
• His physical journey was a spiritual journey as well.
• He escaped Beersheba to run away from his past
• He ran into God at Bethel and recognized God’s power and promise
• He ran toward his destiny in Haran with a renewed purpose and a renewed life.
• The dream taught Jacob, and teaches us, a lot about God.
• The dream demonstrated that God reached down to earth. Jacob did not have to climb the stairway to meet God.
• The angels moving on the stairway showed that God’s will is constantly and consistently carried out on earth.
• Jacob learned that he was never alone. No matter where he went or what he did, he was never beyond redemption.
This Dream Fulfilled in Christ
• Thise dream could be considered prophetic. In John 1:51, Jesus said to his new disciple Nathaniel, “You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
• Jesus is saying, “I am Jacob’s ladder.” Jesus fulfilled his role as the bridge between heaven and earth, God and humanity.
Takeaways from Jacob’s Dream
• There are several takeaways from Jacob’s dream:
• What Jacob saw in a dream, we now experience in a Person. Through Jesus, heaven is not a faraway realm—it’s breaking into our world every day.
• We learn that God meets us in our wilderness. Jacob wasn’t in a temple; he was running for his life. God doesn’t wait for us to be in perfect places. He meets us where we least expect Him.
• Grace comes before goodness. Jacob was far from perfect. God didn’t wait for Jacob to clean up his act. While still broken and deceptive, God showed up for Jacob.
• Our stone pillars can become altars. The hard and painful things that keep us awake at night can be fertile ground for God to grow our faith and show His glory.
The Challenge for Today
• I have some challenges for you this week.
• Take time to stop and rest. Stop where you are and take 10 minutes to just be in God’s presence. Repeat as often as you can.
• Ask yourself, “What if this moment, this place, this situation is holy ground? How would God want me to respond?”
• Create your own Bethel—a place where you meet God in prayer, in silence, and in honesty. It may be a corner of your room, or under a tree in a park.
• The great message of Jacob’s dream is this: God is consistent. His message of grace flows all the way through the Bible.
• Humanity tried to climb to heaven at the Tower of Babel.
• At Bethel, God came down to earth in a dream.
• In Bethlehem, God came down in person in form of a baby, His only Son.
The conclusion
• We have reached the end of the episode, but there’s some more coming.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a minute to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone you know.
• In the next episode, we will look at Isaiah’s profound vision in the Temple when God called him to a special purpose.
• My prayer for you is that God would speak to you in special ways, in special places, and for special purposes. Be willing to listen and obey.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know:
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening. If you listen long enough, you might learn something you didn’t know before.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
