Amen so Genesis chapter 28 part I want to look at there is beginning of verse 10
when the Bible reads and Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran and
he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night because the sun
was set and he took the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and
lay down in that place to sleep and he dreamed and behold a ladder set upon the
earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God
descend ascending and descending upon it and the Lord stood above it and said I
am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac and the land the
land where thou lies to thee will I give it and to thy seed so of course this is
a real familiar passage here that's often referred to as Jacob's ladder
who's proud everyone probably in the room has probably heard it of Jacob's
ladder at some point or another and this is what's referring to is because this
is one of course Jacob is looking out and he sees this vision he dreams a
stream of a ladder coming down from heaven he sees the angels going up and
down upon it and really I don't think there's anything wrong with that tired
title to call it Jacob's ladder I understand why people call that but I
think when we start to understand the the symbology of this ladder of this
vision that he's given that really would be probably more aptly called or
correctly called heavens ladder because really it's not Jacob's ladder he didn't
set it up right this is something that God showed him so again nothing wrong
with that title I wouldn't fault anybody for using that but when I read this
story and I start we start to see the parallels here in in between this ladder
and that of Christ's ministry you know really what would probably the more
correct thing to call it is heavens ladder and that's the title of the
sermon heavens ladder and really there's some interesting things about this
vision and this passage of scripture that scripture that really parallel
Christ ministries in a lot of ways and I just kind of wanted to look at those
this morning and and just see how you can look at this vision even all the way
back in the Old Testament and you can see Christ and that's the amazing thing
about the Bible is that you can read any book in the Bible you can go from
from beginning from Genesis all the way through to Revelation Christ is in every
single book of the Bible you find them in Genesis you find them in Exodus you
find them in Deuteronomy Exodus or excuse Mary said Leviticus numbers so on
and so forth there isn't a book in the Bible that you can turn to and not find
Christ there and this is I think a great example a picture of Jesus Christ in the
Old Testament now let's go ahead and just look at it one of the probably the
first and strongest parallel is here where it says in verse 12 behold the
angels of God ascending and descending upon it I think that's the strongest and
most obvious parallel so obviously keep something in Genesis 28 but turn over to
John chapter 1 John chapter 1 excuse me John chapter 1 will begin reading in
verse 47 the Bible says Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him and saith of him
behold Israelite indeed in whom in whom there is no guile now Nathaniel saith
unto him whence knowest thou me Jesus answered and said unto him before that
Philip called thee when thou was under the fig tree I saw thee Nathaniel
answered and sayeth unto him rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of
Israel Jesus answered and said unto him because I said unto thee that I saw thee
under the fig tree believeth thou thou shalt see greater things than these and
he saith unto him verily I say unto you hereafter you shall see heaven open and
the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man so just
like Jacob back in Genesis he saw that that ladder that went into heaven and he
saw angels ascending and descending upon it you know that's a picture I believe
of Jesus Christ because here you see Jesus saying hey you're going to see
angels ascending and descending upon me this is Nathaniel don't be surprised by
the fact that I saw that I said that I saw you before while when you said it
on the fig tree you're gonna see greater things than these and truly Nathaniel
did see greater things than that in Christ's ministry and one of the things
he saw and we'll look at it here is many in a few instances where we actually see
angels coming and ministering unto Christ ascending and descending upon the
Son of Man go ahead and turn over to Matthew chapter 26 Matthew 26 I'll
remind us of some familiar passages where Jesus had the angels come and
ascended to ascend and descend upon him it says here in Mark chapter 10 and
immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness of course this is the
temptation of Christ and it says and he was there in the wilderness 40 days
tempted of Satan and was with wild beasts and the eight was he in Tucson
anyway and and it goes on he says and the angels ministered unto him so we see
when Christ went out and he was you know in the wilderness when he was there
fasting was 40 days the angels descended upon him and they ministered unto him
that's what he was referring to there I believe when he talked to what said that
in Nathaniel that he would see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of Man again in Luke 22 it says in verse 3 90 and he
came out and went as he was want to the Mount of Olives and his disciples also
followed him so of course this is when Christ went into the garden to pray
before his crucifixion and it says there and there appeared an angel unto him
from heaven a straightening strengthening him so in Christ's
ministry you see this taking place angels ascending and descending upon the
Son of Man in Matthew chapter 26 verse 51 this would you know this is more just
showing you the fact that Christ you know could have called many angels
anytime he wanted he says in verse 51 and behold one of them which were with
their which were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and
struck a servant of the high priests the high priests and smote off his ear of
course that was Peter and then sayeth Jesus unto him put up again thy sword
into its place for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword
thinkest thou that I cannot now call to my father and he shall presently give me
more than 12 legions of angels so Jesus could have called and they would have
descended upon the scent of the Son of Man and delivered him you could think of
another you know even after Christ's resurrections went when Mary came into
the sepulcher what did she see she see it two angels in white sitting so even
then we see angels coming upon the Son of Man often in his ministry and Jesus
even saying hey I could call him anytime I want so I think that's a really strong
parallel between Jesus Christ and this ladder that of Genesis chapter 28 this
this parallel between the angels ascending and descending upon it now
another parallel is the fact that this ladder was set up on the earth and
really that's a picture of the fact that Jesus was sent from heaven to
minister upon the earth to man you know Jesus didn't just manifest out of
nothing Jesus came from heaven and was born a virgin the Bible says in 2nd
Timothy chapter 3 God was manifest in the flesh Jesus didn't become God at his
birth got Jesus Christ has always been he was set upon the earth he came from
heaven and came to man go ahead and turn over to Hebrews chapter 2 Hebrews chapter
2 and it just shows us the fact that he came down to heaven this ladder
remember this ladder in Genesis 28 was set upon the earth it wasn't set up on
her it was set down up and when he says it was set upon earth it was set meaning
came down from heaven and was set there you know Jacob wasn't the one that set
that up there wasn't somebody else like lifting up a ladder into heaven this
ladder I believe came down from heaven and set upon her they came from heaven
to earth I think that's a picture there of Jesus Christ he says there in Hebrews
chapter 2 verse 16 for verily he took on him not on him the nature of angels but
he took on him the seed of Abraham that wherefore in all things that behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and high
and faithful high priest and things pertaining to God so you see that Jesus
Christ was made like unto the seed of Abraham he took on the seed of Abraham
meaning he was already there he already existed before his earthly ministry go
ahead turn over John chapter 3 John chapter 3 Bible says in Philippians 2
let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of
God he was God thought it not robbery to eat robbery to be equal with God but
made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant so he
took it upon him that that ladder was set upon the earth look at John chapter
3 verse 12 he said if I have told you earthly things and you believe not how
shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things and no man and how she
believe if I tell you of heavenly things verse 13 and no man hath ascended up to
heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of Man which is in heaven
so Jesus saying look I came down from heaven so can we see that there's this
parallel here between Jesus Christ and this ladder and Jacob Jacob's vision of
Genesis 28 how it is that you know we see that the angels ministering unto it
we see the angels ascending descending upon it we see it coming down to from
heaven to earth go ahead and turn to John chapter 6 and we see Jesus Christ
saying that you know he came down from heaven just like that ladder did God was
manifest in the flesh he came down from heaven John chapter 6 verse 38 Jesus
said for I came down from heaven to not to do my own will but rather the will of
him that sent me jump down to verse 41 the Jews then murmured at him excuse me
because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven verse 51 I am the
living bread which came down from heaven is there any question about where Jesus
came from he came down from heaven this is that bread which came verse 58 this
is that bread which came down from heaven not as your fathers did eat manna
and are dead but he that eateth of this bread shall live forever and what's
great about John 6 you say this is a little far-fetched brother Corbin I mean
you're comparing this ladder to Jesus Christ well Jesus compared himself to
the manna and this is this is a concept that you find throughout Scripture where
different things in the Bible represent Christ you think of the sort the
serpent that Moses raised up in the wilderness was a picture of Christ
taking upon him the sins of the world you know think of the rocket and that
was split when when they crossed the Red Sea and water gushed out of it that was
a picture of Christ being smitten for us and eternal waters flowing out of him
you know there's all these pictures throughout the Bible of Jesus Christ I
mean we could probably go around the room this morning and just each you know
we could all probably think of one you know there's just a multitude of them so
should it really surprise us that there's parallels between Genesis
chapter 28 and and the ministry and person of Jesus Christ it shouldn't we
could think of the animal skins that clothed a Adam and Eve that was a
picture of Christ God's covering of said first of sin through the sacrifice of
another you could think of the first thing of Abel's offering that was a
picture of Jesus Christ Abraham's sacrifice of his only son Isaac was a
picture of Jesus Christ this is all throughout Scripture you could think
about the blood upon the doorpost in Egypt that was a picture of the blood of
Christ in fact he told them to put on the two side posts in the lentil and if
you think about it that actually makes a cross so these are all these pictures
that go back all the way throughout Scripture so it shouldn't surprise us
that this ladder is a parallel of Christ and his ministry the ladder was set upon
earth you know it was showing us it came down from heaven just as Jesus descended
from heaven at the virgin birth you know and again it's worth noting that
what happened at his birth there were angels right present there as well so we
see these angels again praising God another parallel we could see is the
fact that it reached to the top of heaven if you notice there in Genesis 28
it says in verse verse 12 and he dreamed and behold a ladder set upon the earth
that's one parallel the top of it reached to heaven right that's would be
another parallel so that would show you we look first of all at Christ
ascended or descended down to earth right well this could be a picture of
the fact that Christ ascended into heaven you know there's really two
parallels here in this in this this phrase the top of it reached to heaven
and of course in Acts 1 if you would turn over to Acts in fact turn over to
Acts in Acts 1 verse 9 then we have spoken these things they be while they
beheld he was taken up and the cloud received them out of their sight you
know what I love about the Bible is that God so often just tells us what
happened but he doesn't give a lot of detail right he didn't tell us at what
speed he went up he didn't tell us you know you know how what what rate of
speed he ascended into heaven how you know you know what I mean there's all
these different you could just kind of use your imagination we're gonna look at
that here a little bit more about this ladder God just tells you these things
and I think he just lets man not draw his own conclusions about necessary
about what everything means but he lets you use your own imagination to see
these things with your mind's eye and I whenever I read this it says while they
be held he was taken up I always think about like if you know if you let go of
a helium balloon it kind of goes up like that you know it's I don't think he took
off like a rocket you know I think he slowly ascended up in heaven and he
spake these things while he was going up I mean if you have something important
to say and you want someone to get through it you know often you'll do
something dramatic to kind of you know make an impression upon them I mean what
could be I'm sure a lot of you would snap out of it this morning and remember
this sermon if all of a sudden I just you know started to send up into the you
know I hit the ceiling tile and it's kind of got stuck but you know what I
mean that and I think that's what was going on here Jesus is trying to make a
very strong impression I could just see this in my mind's eye when I read this
about him just slowly as what an oppressed an oppression that would have
made and he says in verse 10 and when they look steadfastly toward heaven he
as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said
ye men of Galilee why stand you gazing into heaven well I I don't know maybe
because we just saw the Lord to send into it you know it seems like one of
those questions you know like duh this same Jesus which is taken up from you
shall so come in like manner as you've seen him go into heaven so again no
there as well who do what do we see you see angels so we see angels so often
associated with Christ ministries and that's what we see in Genesis 28 in this
ladder so that's one you know that phrase there that's at the top of it
reached to heaven that could be a parallel of Christ's ascension into
heaven right but I think another and probably a more you know more
significant or applicable parallel would be the fact that that ladder you know is
a means of access you know that's what you as a ladder for to get somewhere you
couldn't otherwise get you know if you can't you know reach you know up on the
roof you know we have to often get ladders out to gain access to these
things well you know none of us is gonna get to heaven on our own good
works none of us is gonna get to heaven on our own merit we're not gonna live a
good enough life in order to earn heaven you know we're not gonna you know do
whatever all these you know man has all these means that he thinks he's gonna
get to heaven by but this ladder coming down shows us that there's only one way
into heaven and it's by Christ that he is the only means of access into heaven
Jesus saith unto him in John 14 I am the way the truth and the life no man
cometh unto the Father but by me there's only one way in there's only one way up
and it's up that ladder and that's the only way you're gonna get there look
there in Acts chapter 4 if you're still there Acts chapter 4 Acts chapter 4
look there at verse 12 in Acts 4 verse 12 he says neither is there salvation
in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men
whereby we must be saved you know there's only one way in Jacob only saw
one ladder that he didn't see a multitude of ladders you know this one's
over here is Buddha this one's over here is Muhammad you know there's only one
ladder that it's gonna reach into heaven and that's the ladder of Jesus Christ
another parallel we could look at so far we've looked at and if you would turn
over to Acts 10 we've looked at the fact that we saw the angels ascending and
descending upon the ladder and we saw the angels over and over again we keep
seeing them in Christ's ministry we saw that that ladder was set upon the earth
the fact that it came down from heaven and was here upon earth Jesus Christ
came down from heaven and was born of a virgin we see also that the the ladder
reached the top of heaven just like Christ you know ascended into heaven and
not only that that he's that only means into heaven but I believe that you know
this fourth parallel which is very similar to the third one is there in
verse I don't read to this to you in verse 16 of Genesis 28 or verse 17 it
says and of course at the end of the vision you know Jacob wakes up and he
says and he was afraid and said how dreadful is this place this is none
other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven so he's saying look
this is the gate of heaven and again it's interesting you know God gives us
you know just tells us what Jacob Jacob sees but he leaves it again he leads it
up to our our own imagination to see exactly what it is he saw we don't know
but whatever he saw it led him to say and this is just kind of a side note how
dreadful is this place you know exclamation point this made an
impression upon Jacob and he woke up and he was afraid he said this place is
dressed it says he and he was afraid you know he woke up with a start and was
startled by what he saw I mean you know often we have these like these images of
the things we read in the Bible maybe if we were in a Sunday school class you
know we saw some stupid drawing or flannel glare half of a ladder coming
down you know doesn't do it justice what Jacob saw here I mean if we could just
stop for a minute and think about what he actually saw I mean how many angels
were there I mean was it a great multitude how big was this ladder was it
an actual ladder like we think of it where was it more like steps how you
know how vast was it was it shiny I mean the brightness that must have had the
shining just just an amazing vision that he has so amazing in fact that he
wakes up and says that it says that he was afraid and he says this place is
dreadful it is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven so
he likens it there unto the gate of heaven and of course you know that would
be likened unto Jesus Christ again because what is a gate it's a means of
access right it's what we would call a door you know if you had a pen of some
kind you wouldn't you wouldn't say you know you would have a door somewhere in
that gate or in that in that in that pen and you wouldn't call it a door you
call it a gate right but it's the same thing it's on hinges it opens it closes
it's a means in and out of that pen or in and out of that place you're trying
to get to so he says in John 10 I'll read to you then Jesus say unto them
again verily verily I say unto you I am the door of the sheep you know what is
he talking about he's not I am the gate I am the door these are these these are
these terms are the same all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers
this but the sheep did not hear them I am the door by me if any man enter in he
shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture so Jesus is likened
unto this gate to I believe in Jacob or excuse me in Genesis 28 you know he is
the gate of heaven he's the only way you're going to get in there he's the
only means of access and you know this really these parallels should remind us
that salvation is through Christ and that's probably the greatest imagery
that we get out of this this is probably the truth that that we should
be getting from this vision is that there's only one means to heaven and the
Bible and it should just remind us that salvation is through Christ and again
you say well you know this just seems this seems a little far-fetched but the
Bible says at the beginning and when Jesus was you know he met as his
disciples on the road to Damascus it says and beginning at Moses and all the
prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures that things concerning
himself so Jesus when they when he after his resurrection he meets his disciples
going to the road to Damascus he meets two of them and it says he'd be at
beginning at Moses not just at Moses but beginning at Moses and all the prophets
he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself
saying look let me show you in the Bible all the things that talk about me all
the things that point to me all the things that are picture of me all the
things that prophesy of me and that's you know so again this is not a
far-fetched concept in Scripture that Jesus has found in all these these
different parallels and in symbology and pictures and just all these places we
can turn to in Scripture and see Christ on every page that says there in Acts 10
where you are and look at verse 43 to him give all the prophets witness that
through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins so
again the scriptures you know all the prophets give witness to Christ and not
just that you know what is the point of it that whosoever believeth in him shall
not shall receive remission of sins again what's the one thing you have to
do their belief what's the one mean into heaven faith in Christ for by grace are
you saved through faith and that not of yourselves Jesus said in John 5 search
the scriptures for in that for in them you think you have eternal life and they
they are and they are they which testify of me so look the scriptures
testify of me you know this proves something really great too is that the
Old Testament Saints had the testimony of Scripture to show them that salvation
was by grace through faith you know Jacob understood something salvation was
by grace through faith they knew this vision that one day there was gonna be a
maid a way made into heaven and that that was the way in was through Christ
that God was going to provide a way Abraham when he you know was told to
sacrifice his son he knew that was a picture of the fact that you know Christ
one day is gonna God is going to sacrifice his own son and all these
pictures in the Old Testament are giving witness to Jesus Christ meaning that the
Old Testament States they understood salvation all the way there wasn't some
different way of getting saved back then you know this is a whole nother sermon
you know and I don't like to just throw things out there without backing him up
but there's a lot of people out there they say well you know we get saved by
we get saved by faith today but back then it was by works you know and in the
future during the tribulation it's gonna be by works again but God's just gonna
keep switching up on everybody and you're gonna have to figure out where
you fall in God's timeline to figure out how you're gonna get saved today no it's
always by been by grace throughout all scripture all the scripture here gives
testimony all the prophets give testimony all you know all these things
prophesy and give testimony to Christ the fact that salvation is by grace
through faith even this ladder in Jacob 28 it shows that there's one way into
heaven it's through Christ Bible says in Romans 4 for what sayeth the scripture
Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness you know that's
what that's what Abraham's righteousness was it wasn't his works it wasn't the
fact that you know he was sacrificing animals it was the fact that he believed
God he had faith in what God told him and that was counted as righteousness to
him so one of the great things about this is that you know this shows us that
salvation has always been by grace that the Old Testament Saints they had this
witness even back then of Christ that they could understand salvation by grace
through faith but really what I think is even better than that is that or what's
more appropriate here is what this sermon should be showing us is that it
just testifies to the richness and the uniqueness of the Bible there's no other
book that does this there's no other book on this earth that has so many
different authors I mean spanning thousands of years and that are telling
just this deeply interwoven story that just fits together like a hand in a
glove just comes together perfectly I mean Genesis was written all those
thousands of years ago and it gives a perfect picture of Jesus Christ in his
ministry I mean it's written by different authors say they all it's just
one big conspiracy it's impossible and it just testifies that how you know what
we have in our hands when we have the Bible you have a book that's like no
other that just it has all that just these rich deep truths all these great
pictures all these beautiful pictures that if we would just pick it up and
read it we could see for ourselves the Bible says in 2nd Peter chapter 1 we
have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto you do well that you take heed
as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn you know why am
I preaching this because I want the point of the sermon is to try inspire
people to read the Bible you know hey how did I figure this out how did I see
this you know let me demonstrate how I how I how I came across this this truth
in the Bible right like this I got in it and I read and I kept reading and
then I read some more and then I kept reading and I read some more and that's
how I saw it I just came across it reading it you know and that's what I
want people to do and we should be people that read this book you know not
just for our own benefit I mean but you know it is to our benefit isn't that
what it says there in 2nd Peter you do well that you take heed unto this
prophecy as unto a light that shineth in a dark place I always loved that
analogy it gives there as a light that shines in a dark place you know if you
if it was if it's dark the first thing you walk in at home at night with no
lights around what's the first thing you do try and feed the cat in the dark you
know no you find the light switch you don't even think about it you just walk
it click and it's on you know you do that right away but how quickly do we
pick up the light that we have in this dark world it says it shines as a light
in a dark place is there any question that the world how dark this world is
right now I mean I know the Sun is shining out there but if we could see it
spiritually it's dark and it's getting darker and we need this light and I'm
trying to just you know take this this small simple truth today about this
vision that Jacob had and just inspire you to read the Bible because that's how
I saw it you know I'm not saying I have some divine revelation from God that God
somehow gave me I just was reading it today this this reminds me of Jesus what
if what a beautiful picture maybe if I preach this this will inspire other
people to pick up the Bible and look for Jesus in the Bible because you know I
remember I remember what just recently a little while back
after Anderson preaching a series of sermons you know Jesus and Exodus Jesus
and Leviticus just going through all the Old Testament you know I and I and and
it was funny you start that series right as I just finished my reading what the
Bible through I was about to reset and start reading the Bible through again I
say you know what I'm gonna read through and I'm gonna look for Jesus as I go and
sure enough you find him if you just look but you're never gonna look if you
if you don't you're never gonna find it if you don't look you're never gonna
find these type of things you're never gonna see these things if you don't pick
up that book and read it even if it's for 10 15 minutes a day something get in
there and read that book why cuz it's dark it's your light it's gonna guide
you it's gonna lead you he says there in Psalm 138 I will worship toward the
high of thy holy temple hey it's good to be in church right it's good to come to
the holy temple and worship it's good to come into God's house and be with God's
people is I'll praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth it's
good to praise God and give him the glory that's due unto his name and he
answer and says for that was magnified thy word above all thy name you know it
all those things are great to do but we need to be in his word because he's
magnified it above all his name you know consider how loving of God it is to give
us such a sure testimony of himself in the form of the scripture and that's a
very gracious thing I mean God's not playing hide-and-seek with us God's not
you know trying to hide from humanity you know he wants them to know who he is
and he's published a book you know the king in the King James Bible he's
preserved for us and for the english-speaking people the King James
Bible the most popular book of all time the best-selling book that's ever been
we have that got you know it's in every dollar store it we've got we've got
dozens of them laying around although it's everywhere you think God's trying
to hide from from people no it's just they don't want they don't want that God
no I don't want to read about that one they want to make a God in their own
image he's magnified his word above his name could sit you know that's a very
loving thing for him to have done to make his word so abundant so that we
could know who he is the Bible says in Psalm 92 Oh Lord how great are thy works
and thy thoughts are very deep a brutish man knoweth not neither do a fool doth
understand this so he says look thy works and thy thoughts are very deep
Lord he says wow he's amazed at this how deep God is how deep God's thoughts
are and then he goes on and says a brutish man knoweth not now what's a
brutish man well that's an old-fashioned way to say it's stupid a stupid man
doesn't know he's like a like a dumb animal neither doth a fool understand
this you know the dummy the fool they don't get it they don't understand it
they don't understand how deep God is how great his works are and his thoughts
you know dumb people they don't know a thing about the Bible and fools they
can't understand it but you know what I'm not saying that to pick on them it's
it's unfortunate we know what that should do it should cause us to consider
ourselves privileged that we do know it that we can pick it up and that we can
understand it that we have the Spirit of Christ that we're not like fools we're
not like dumb people who just don't know anything about God that we could pick up
the Bible we can learn about God we can know who God is and understand some very
deep things about him you know and that's really the point of the sermon
this morning is just trying to motivate people to continue to read their Bibles
and to get in it and to see these great truths for yourself and to and to have
God show you something out of the Word of God yourself and then you could step
back and praise God for it and say wow thy thoughts are very deep you know I'm
not maybe I just didn't press anybody in this morning but I know when I saw
that I step back and said wow God that's amazing that's deep that you have this
picture of Jesus Christ in Genesis 28 and I praise God for it you know the
Bible is a beautiful book and it's full of all these just deep truths that and
they just they just testify to the fact that it's divine there's no denying it
the only the only way this book could be is if God wrote it but here's the
question do we read it books yeah it's beautiful you know that's great you know
what read it if you believe that you'll read it let's go ahead and pray