What was Jacob's ladder, really? In Genesis 28:10-22, the fleeing deceiver Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven. Dr. Toby Holt reveals what that ladder truly was. Running from Esau, Jacob sleeps with a stone for a pillow and sees a ladder joining heaven and earth, angels going up and down, and God above it renewing His promises. Every person senses a gap between earth and heaven, and our error is trying to build our own ladder by good works. But Jesus told Nathanael that He Himself is that ladder — the only way between earth and heaven.

Questions this study answers:

1. Why was Jacob alone with a stone for a pillow? He was fleeing his brother Esau after stealing the blessing. Even there, God met him with grace.

2. What did the ladder represent? A connection between heaven and earth. Jesus later revealed that He Himself is the ladder — the only way to God.

3. How do we reach heaven? Not by building our own ladder of good works, but through Christ. He came down to us, and we come to God through Him.

"...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." — Genesis 28:12 (NKJV)

Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.