By Once you’re in a dreadful situation, your mind is figuring out for a quick escape that it haunts even in your sleep. When in troubles the reality of life affects even in the fantasy of your dreams. It’s hard for one to predict the reality of the truth when asleep. Haven’t you got a dreadful or desirable dream? Haven’t you dreamed about heaven? Are you bothered or it’s been helpful to you?
A dream is a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. You can interpret freely your dreams in many ways. For a mere man it can be by learning more about common symbols, keeping a dream diary, and trying to identify personal associations. In this world, men tend to take dream analysis as better achieved by working with a psychotherapist.
What does the Bible say about interpreting dreams?
JOSEPH: Genesis 40:8 ”We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” Joseph had experience with dreams. His two dreams about his future greatness antagonized his family (Genesis 37:5-11), and he was mocked as the DREAMER (Genesis 37:19-20). Joseph was confident that God knew what the dreams were about. For him “interpretations belong to God:” God may certainly speak through dreams, and many passages of the Bible show this. We should be open to ways that God might speak — even if it might be in a dream. Let’s consider a beautiful dream of Jacob which really does come true!
Stairway to Heaven: Jacob’s dream
(Genesis 28:10-12) Jacob’s dream of a ladder.
“Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”
So Isaac sent Jacob away after blessing him: Jacob would travel eastward to the region where his mother Rebekah was raised. He would not see his father Isaac again for more than 20 years. Isaac had blessed Jacob, and he obeyed his father and his mother. He Went toward Haran: Jacob traveled eastward toward the ancestral lands of his grandfather Abraham (Genesis 11:31-32) and his mother Rebekah (Genesis 24:3-4). After a long tiring journey he slept. Then he dreamed: In this desolate wilderness, Jacob had a significant dream as he used a stone for a pillow. One can only imagine the strange flood of feelings in Jacob at this moment: the fear, the loneliness, the isolation, the excitement, and the anticipation. This was an important time in Jacob’s life.
Jacob meets God at Bethel:
(Genesis 28:13-15) God speaks to Jacob.
And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
The first night, Jacob had made a long day’s journey from Beersheba to Bethel, above forty miles. Providence brought him to a convenient place, probably shaded with trees, to rest himself in that night; and there he had a dream. Jacob had no doubt heard about the great God who appeared to Abraham and to Isaac, but now this same God met Jacob in a personal way. This was a life-changing experience for Jacob. These words were for comfort and hope to Jacob at this critical crossroads in his life. Essentially, God repeated to Jacob the terms of the covenant He gave to both Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and to Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5).
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
JESUS the “LADDER”: The ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN
“A ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it”: In Jacob’s dream, there was now access to heaven. Jacob now knew God was closer than he ever thought before and there was real access and interaction between heaven and earth.
“The God of Bethel is a God who does concern himself with the things of earth, not a God who shuts himself up in heaven, but God who hath a ladder fixed between heaven and earth.” (Spurgeon)
Jesus made it clear in John 1:51 that He is the access to heaven. He is the means by which heaven comes down to us and by which we can go to heaven. Jesus Christ the Messiah is the LADDER; the STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. Just like Nathanael let’s believe on what Jesus has proclaimed… And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). Jesus is the ONLY WAY to heaven. He does not show us a way; He is the WAY. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
In your search for a good , stable and abundant life, you may have “a long day’s journey from Beersheba to Bethel, above forty miles”. Like Jacob it could make you exhausted and tend to give up to the darkness of night. Remember you’re not alone all along: when conscious think of a God who is mindful of you and in your unconsciousness Jesus is real. You don’t need to dream of heavenly things as unreal. You don’t need to just fantasize the wondrous of Heaven for it’s beyond reach through JESUS. When in this life you’ve been denied of the favor and good things, Jesus is your Only Answer! Jesus made your dreams come true. Accept Him as your Personal Lord and Savior now, or else you’re still dreaming of a stairway to heaven!
“And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” John 1:51 ASV
“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 28:12 ASV
References:
Blue letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
David Guzik Bible Commentary
iNSPiRATiONALKiN 