One night, during
his journey to Haran, Jacob stopped by the wayside to rest, and
there he dreamed a very wonderful dream. He saw before him a
golden ladder set upon the earth. The top if it reaching to
heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
At the very top, above them all, stood the Lord, who spoke to him,
"I am the
Lord, God of Abraham and of Isaac. The land upon
which you are lying now I will give to you and your children. And
they shall spread over the land in all directions and be blessed.
No matter where you wander, I shall be with you and bring you back
one day. For I shall not leave you until this id done."
Jacob awoke with
a start. He was a little afraid, for he felt he had been at the
very gates of heaven. He rose early in the morning, gathered a few
stones, made a pillar and poured oil over it. And he called the
place Bethel, which means the "house of God."
