The most basic division in the Bible is between the Old and New Testaments. We often describe the OT as everything that happened before the birth of Christ, while the NT centers around Christ's life, death, and resurrection. While this is fundamentally true, it neglects the fact that Christ is everywhere in the OT. I came to one of the best examples of this yesterday while reading Genesis 28, the account of Jacob's dream one night while on his way to his uncle's house to find a bride:"And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, 'I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.'"
This ladder depicts Christ Himself. And how do we know this to be true? Because Jesus identifies Himself as the ladder linking heaven and earth:
"And He said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'" (John 1:51)
As my ESV Study Bible states, "...this ladder provides a bridge between heaven and earth, revealing that God is still committed to making the earth his dwelling place. While human beings want to ascend to heaven (as in the Tower of Babel incident), God is interested in making the earth his temple-city. Jesus is a greater way of access to God than the heavenly ladder on which angels traveled between God and Jacob."
So much more could be said about this passage, but I am overwhelmed by the simple fact that Christ is our ladder, He is our bridge. He is the only one who can descend to earth to bring us up into the heavenly realm, and the only one who can bring the heavenly realm back down to earth on that day when the New Heavens and the New Earth are united into one.
What a glorious Stairway to Heaven!
Candy, great picture! As I read this these passages came to mind from John 14:3,4 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (Jesus Himself is the only way, the ladder.)
ReplyDeleteAnd if one reads on to verse 6 Jesus says; "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
The other thought that came to my mind was the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, The beans were tossed to the ground and a giant beanstalk grew that reached into the heavens. Jesus came to earth, cast His seeds of love and the message of heaven, taught us about who His, (our), heavenly Father is and one of the messages He left with us is in John 15:1:2 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
Yes Candy, What a glorious Stairway to Heaven and what a glorious Beanstalk to Heaven! DS