September 2023

Jesus Christ & Jacob’s Ladder

September 25, 2023

When opening our Bibles to the beginning of the twenty-eighth chapter of the book of Genesis, do we read that after the Hebrew patriarch Isaac blessed his son Jacob, who’s name would later be changed to Israel and who would ultimately become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, did Isaac charge Jacob not to take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan. Instead Isaac instructed Jacob to arise and go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel the grandfather of Jacob on his mother’s side, and to take a wife for himself from among the daughters of Laban, Jacob’s uncle; his mother’s brother. Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and then went out on his journey unto Padanaram. The Bible goes on to say that, “…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 of 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 up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it” (Genesis 28:10-12). Now even though this angelic vision is written in the Old Testament, the imagery of angels ascending and descending is expressed once more in the holy scriptures, but this time in the New Testament. For when speaking to His disciple Nathanael, Christ declared, “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1:51). Now from what the Bible teaches us Christ is the mediator between God and man, bridging heaven with earth. Continuing on this trail of thought it would also appear that the person of Jesus Christ is indeed the physical manifestation of the vision known as Jacob’s Ladder, and quite possibly even its prophetic fulfillment.

When comparing Jacob’s vision of the ladder which stretched from the earth up to heaven, with Christ who came down from heaven to earth, a most beautiful typology of the Old and New Testaments is revealed. For when Jacob awoke out of his sleep, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place…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” (Genesis 28:16-17). From these verses it can be strongly argued that this terrestrial dwelling place or house of God on earth, known as Bethel, would serve as the foreshadowing of the coming of Christ, Who would dwell among men upon our own physical plane near the same geographical region where Jacob first had his vision several centuries earlier. For as it is written concerning the incarnation of Christ, “…the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Going further, some translations of the Bible state that the Word of God tabernacled among us, which is a direct reference to the tabernacle that once housed the ark of the covenant, upon which rested the earthly presence of the God of heaven. For the flesh which Christ took from His most pure and holy mother, would serve as an earthly tabernacle that contained within it the very essence of the Lord God of heaven and earth. So it was that the incarnation of the Son and Word of God was a divine descent from heaven above unto the earth below.

Returning to Jacob’s dream of the ladder which stretched from the earth up to heaven, we see how Jacob was not solely impressed with the vision that he saw, but also with the place wherein he dreamt it. For the Bible says that after we awoke from his sleep, “Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel” (Genesis 28:18-19). Now the Hebrew name “Bethel” means the “House of God” for even Jacob himself stated as such, and even went on to say that it was the very gate of heaven. Now Jacob had his divine dream in the territory of Palestine, the location known today as the Holy Land, and it was also in this same piece of real-estate that Jesus Christ preached His message of repentance and proclaimed the good news of God’s free gift of everlasting life. For as Christ bowed the heavens by His descent and became man, making His earthly dwelling place in the land of Judah, was Jacob’s vision revisited and ultimately fulfilled. For throughout Christ’s ministry, He only traveled within the territories of Galilee and Judah. For as Jesus said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). For it was the plan of the Messiah to get His own house in order first before He sent out His disciples into all the earth to preach the Gospel. For in the era of the New Testament Jacob’s Ladder would be replaced with the fisherman’s net, drawing many men from all nations into the House of God.

When touching upon the imagery of angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man, uttered by Christ Himself, it would seem that the powers of heaven accompanied Jesus while He tarried here on the earth. Evidence of an angelic presence surrounding Christ is found within the Gospels. For after Jesus was tempted by the devil, the Bible says that, “…angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11). So from this verse it is evident that Christ was indeed surrounded by the heavenly hosts all the while He walked the earth, making this aspect of Christ’s terrestrial presence another archetype of Jacob’s Ladder. Additionally, Christ was not simply ministered to by angels, but had the power to command the angelic ranks to defend Him and fight against His enemies at will. An example of this is found when the Savior was betrayed by Judas. For when Jesus was being arrested, Peter started to fight them off, but Christ admonished him by saying how if He so desired He could pray to the Father and be given more than twelve legions of angels to come and fight against His enemies (Matthew 26:53). So from these passages taken from the New Testament the magnitude of Jacob’s Old Testament vision is made even more profound. For Christ not only bridges the gap between heaven and earth, but also brings with Him the presence of the holy angels. Just as an Orthodox Christian is sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism, the newly illumined is also assigned a guardian angel who invisibly watches over and protects the Christian throughout their entire life.

From what has been outlined thus far in this presentation concerning the symbology of Jacob’s Ladder with the incarnation of Jesus Christ, it is clear that our Creator has always desired to be in communion with mankind. This relationship between God and man also seems to be involved with angels who carry messages from God to man and back to God again. For the word angel derives from the Greek angelos, a translation of a Hebrew word meaning “messenger.” So from this understanding we see the important role angels play in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind, and how heaven and earth communicate with one another. It is the power of prayer which keeps this relationship alive. For by communing with Christ, man experiences the grace of God and ultimately achieves the salvation of his soul. Christ came down to lift us up. The Orthodox Church even teaches that God became a man, so that man could become a god. Going further, the monastics of the church, who have taken up the angelic habit will one day replace the seat that Lucifer lost when he fell from grace. Thus many men and women in the age to come will be included within the ranks of the heavenly hosts, and may even experience the holiness of angelic purity beginning in this life. So as believers who are seriously seeking our salvation may we all cling to Christ as we zealously attempt to climb the ladder of divine ascent.

 

References:

Holy Apostles Convent. The Orthodox New Testament. (Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent, 2008).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

The Seven Spirits of God

September 11, 2023

The Orthodox Christian understanding of God is confessed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Trinity one in essence and undivided. One God, yet three distinct persons, co-equal and co-eternal. Evidence of this mystery is first found in the beginning of the Bible. For in the opening verses of the book of Genesis it reads that, “…God said, let US make man in OUR image…” (Genesis 1:26). So, here we see that ever since the beginning of time the person-hood of God is revealed as having a plural identity, and not just as a singular reference point. The mystery of the Trinity was further revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the incarnate Son and Word of God. For as it is written, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Later on in the New Testament the properties of God are even further revealed. For in the book of Revelation (the final book of the Bible) are we introduced to the seven Spirits of God which are before His throne (Revelation 1:4). The attempt of this work will be to reveal the mystery of the seven Spirits of God as taken directly from both the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. So now, let us open the scriptures and may the mystery of the seven Spirits be revealed.

As previously touched upon, the seven Spirits of God stand before the throne of God as described in the book of Revelation. However, even though the seven Spirits of God are not mentioned in any other book of the New Testament, they are found in at least one book of the Old Testament, where they are even individually described and identified. Speaking on the future Messiah, the prophet Isaiah foretells that, “the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2). This Old Testament revelation concerning the seven Spirits of God expresses how the Old and New Testaments complement one another and also showcases their continuity. For what is prophesied in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament. Themes common to the Old also find their way into the teachings of the New. So, it can be understood that the Bible is one book broken into two distinct parts, while at the same time remaining inseparable from each other.

The seven Spirits of God may also be compared with the seven capital virtues, which stand in direct opposition to the seven deadly sins. These seven virtues are categorized as chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. While inversely speaking, the seven deadly sins (contrary to the seven capital virtues) are listed as lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. So the seven fold nature of virtue and vice is quite interesting when compared with the seven fold nature of the Spirits of God. Going further in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans 12:6-8, do we come across the seven graces or “charisma” which also reflects the character of the seven Spirits of God. These seven graces are as follows: 1. insight (prophecy); 2. helpfulness (service or ministry); 3. instruction (teaching); 4. encouragement; 5. generosity (giving); 6. guidance (leadership); and 7. compassion. This list of the seven spiritual graces in Romans is indeed a striking parallel when compared to the seven Spirits of God as identified in Isaiah 11:2. Yet again, another link in the chain uniting both the Old and New Testaments together as one.

Returning to the book of Revelation, are we faced with a most mysterious vision relating to the seven Spirits of God. For drawing close to the presence of the Almighty, into His very throne room it is written that, “…in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Revelation 5:6). So from this verse it is evident that the seven Spirits of God are not static in nature, but are engaged in perpetual motion. This conclusion is supported by what Christ Himself utters in Revelation 2:23 where the Lord declares, “I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” Again this verse of the New Testament is paralleled with a portion of the Old Testament, where the Lord speaking through Jeremiah says, “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:10). So from these passages do we come to the understanding that the seven Spirits of God see everything which transpires upon the earth, and that they are sent into all of creation, just as Christ Himself searches the inner most intentions of man’s free will while also providing rewards to a life lived well. For as the eyes of the seven Spirits are continuously upon us, no one can hide from God.

In addition to the seven Spirits of God recorded in Revelation, are we also faced with seven churches of which the Lord has a certain message for each, and signifies it by his angel unto his servant John. John also sees a vision of seven golden candlesticks along with the risen Christ walking in the midst. John describes his vision of Christ as, “…one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:13-16). Christ goes on to reveal unto John the mysteries of the seven stars and the seven golden candlesticks, by informing him that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and that the seven candlesticks are the seven churches (Revelation 1:20). This recurrence of the number seven in Revelation and elsewhere in the Bible, must mean that seven is a special number. For the number seven is held by scholars to be symbolic of “fullness” or “completion” or as a number representing perfection.

In conclusion, from studying both the Old and New Testaments we can easily discern that God is a perfect God, and a complete and whole Being: The Almighty. God is filled with wisdom and strength and is the source of all life within His creation. Nothing escapes the eyes of the Lord and in addition to being omnipotent, God is also omnipresent. Though man is created in the image of God, man can do nothing without the spirit of God fueling man’s accomplishments. For it is the spirit which gives life, while the flesh alone can do nothing in and of itself. Since God is holy, then there can be no unrighteousness in Him. However, through Adam and Eve’s disobedience in Eden their one poor decision plunged the world into sin and death, something completely foreign to the very nature of God. So if we human beings are to acquire the gift of the Holy Spirit, then we must serve the Lord by repenting of our sins and by following God’s commandments. For God is like a benevolent supervisor managing His business by sending forth His servants to take care of certain responsibilities. And like a good employer, the kind hearted Lord grants abundant rewards unto His employees for all of their labors. So the choice is ours if we want to inherit life or death. For as it is written in Galatians 6:8, “…he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”