In this episode we look at Jacob's dream of the ladder that connects heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending on it. Jacob has this dream as he is on his way out of the promised to land to find a wife in Haran among Abraham's extended family. But before Jacob left the promised land, God appears to him in a dream and reveals Jacobs future as it relates to the Abrahamic covenant. It's almost as if God wants Jacob, before he leaves the land, to have an unforgettable experience that will lead him to return back to the promised and continue to walk in the foot steps of his father Abraham. 
Jacob is so amazed by this encounter with God that he names the place Beth-El which means The House of God. He said to himself, "God is in this place and I didn't know it." This is is somewhat of a strange thing to say because we would think that if God was present somewhere we would automatically know it. But apparently, it's possible for God to be present somewhere and us not be able to perceive that presence. 
The writer of the gospel of John picks up on this story of Jacob's experience when he tells us the story of Jesus interacting with Nathaniel. Like Jacob, Jesus says that Nathaniel will, in the future, come to the realization that Jesus himself is that ladder that connects heaven and earth, and upon which the angels are ascending and descending. The implication is that Jesus' disciples will one day come to the same realization about Jesus that Jacob came to realize about Bethel - that God was present among them, and they came to realize it only after the fact.  
Key Passages
Genesis 28:10-22
John 1:43-51

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* Intro Music: "Admirable" Carlos Herrera Music

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