The Lord Above and The Lord Below

I have commented before on the Biblical experience called "Jacob's Ladder". First, bear in mind that the word "ladder"and "staircase" in Hebrew (as in some modern languages: Russian, Spanish, et al.) are one and the same. The King James translators rendered "a ladder" but "a staircase" would have been more correct. The event is described in Genesis 28. Here is a brief summary:

1. Jacob, the son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, is alone and lies down to sleep in a desert location called "Luz", which means "almond tree". The almond tree, having gnarly branches, was a symbol of corruption or wickedness. 
2. Jacob uses a long rock as a pillow.
3. Jacob has a prophetic dream in which he sees a ladder (actually a "staircase") which rises to heaven. 
4. Jacob sees an unspecified number of the angels of God ascending and descending on the staircase. By Hebrew grammar there had to be a minimum of 3 angels present.
5. At the top of the staircase stands Jehovah.
6. When Jacob awakes he realizes that he has seen a vision. He changes the name of this place from "Luz" to "Beth-El", 'The House of God', and states that "this is the gate of heaven." The Hebrew word for the Temple is "Beth-El", 'the House of God'.
7. Jacob takes the rock, his pillow, the stone used to support and give rest to his head, and props the stone up like a pillar. Jacob then anoints the top of the pillar with oil. This means that the pillar has now been "anointed". The Hebrew word for "anointed" translates to 'Messiah' or 'Christ'.
8. Jacob covenants with God to have God provide him with bread to eat and clothes to wear, which two items, bread and clothes, are the recurrent Hebrew symbols for Temple officiation.
9. Jacob states that this pillar, which he has anointed and thus made "Messiah" or "Christ", shall be the House of God. Jacob, covenanting to return to "his father's house", or maybe "his (Heavenly) Father's house", vows to pay a tithe of all he has.

You may refer to the chapter yourself, Genesis 28:10-22. Latter-day Saints will recognize this encounter that Jacob had as the Endowment. 

The passage says much more than first meets the eye. I have already pointed out a couple of factors, namely, that once Jacob anointed the pillar the pillar became "Messiah" or "Christ" because in Hebrew "Messiah" or in Greek "Christ" means 'anointed'. I also pointed out how the bread and clothes refer to officiating in the Temple. I also indicated how per Hebrew grammar Jacob would have seen 3 angels ascending and descending on the staircase or ladder, at a minimum.

Allow me to point out one other factor: Since the angels were ascending and descending on the staircase (ladder) upon which Jehovah stood, the angels would have been ascending to Jehovah in order to report to Him on the completion of whatever errand He had sent them on. The angels would then have descended the staircase (ladder) again on whatever errand Jehovah would next have sent them on.

I never tire of rehearsing this great event, one of the clearest descriptions of the Endowment in Scripture. 

But may I offer one extra point? Bearing in mind that the angels were ascending and descending to Jehovah, what do you think of what Jesus had to say to His Apostles on the occasion that Jesus called Nathanael to follow Him?

John 1:47-51

• 47: Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
• 48: Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
• 49: Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
• 50: Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
• 51: And he saith unto him, 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.

So what do we have here? In The Old Testament times the angels of God would ascend and descend the staircase or gate to heaven in order to return to Jehovah, report back to Him, and receive from Him their next mission. But in The New Testament times the angels of God ascend and descend from open heaven upon The Son of Man, even Jesus Christ. So why the change from Jehovah to Jesus?

There really was no change other than moving from the premortal stage in eternal progression to the mortal stage: Jehovah is pre-mortal Jesus. Jesus is mortal Jehovah.

Jesus is Jehovah, and whether before or after His birth from a virgin, He is The Son of God our Redeemer, the only way, truth and life by which we can reach our Father in Heaven again.

It is helpful to ponder these points. Not only are The Old Testament and The New Testament truly linked in a beautiful way, so are the modern Scriptures and the Restoration of the Priesthood including most importantly the Temple ordinances.

The reader is, of course, at liberty to dispute, refute or otherwise repute anything I have written. I ask always that the reader remember one thing: That the passages I made reference to are actually textual.