This document provides a summary of a sermon given at First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi on December 9, 2018. The sermon focuses on Jacob's dream in Genesis 28:10-22, in which Jacob sees a stairway reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending. The sermon explores the significance of the stairway, angels, and their movement in understanding God's promises to Jacob and his descendants. It also provides background biblical information on angels, their nature and roles. The sermon aims to convey that God promised to be with and protect Jacob through the imagery of the dream.

1. Genesis 28:10-22
Not Alone
“Jacob Sees Angels”
December 9, 2018
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?
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3. The Glory of God!
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4. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it
all for the glory of God.
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5. December Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV
9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is
the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a
thousand generations of those who love him and keep
his commandments.

6. References
•Graham, Jack, ANGELS: Who They Are, What They Do,
and Why It Matters (Bloomington, MN, Bethany
House, 2016).
•Walton, John H. and Kenner, Craig S., NKJV Cultural
Background Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Zondervan,
2017).
•NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1985).

7. December Lessons on Angels
•December 9, 2018
•Appearance of angels display God’s promise to
Jacob in Genesis 28.
•December 23, 2018
•Angels announce Jesus’ birth in Luke 1.

8. Introduction to Genesis 28
•Genesis 11 – God calls Abraham to leave Haran.
•Genesis 12 & 22 – God promises to make Abraham
into a great nation and bless him.
•Genesis 15 – God promises Abraham a child.
•Genesis 21 – Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah.
•Genesis 25 – Esau & Jacob (twins) are born to Isaac &
Rebekah.

9. Introduction to Genesis 28
•Genesis 25 – Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for food.
•Genesis 26 – God makes promises to Isaac.
•Genesis 27 – Jacob gets Isaac’s blessing by tricking
him.
•Genesis 28 - Jacob flees to Haran to live with
Rebekah’s family to escape the wrath of his brother
Esau.
•Esau marries more Canaanite women to spite his
parents (Descendants were the Edomites).

10. Genesis 28:10-12 NIV
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When
he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night
because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones
there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on
the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the
angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

11. Jacob has gone 50 miles on a 500-mile journey.

12. Jacob’s Dream of Staircase and Angels

13. “he saw a stairway resting on the earth,”
•The stairway in the dream was probably the type built
on the sides of a ziggurat.
•This would be similar to the ziggurat described in
Genesis 11 as the Tower of Babel trying to reach to
heaven.
•Ziggurats were built as places for gods to reside on the
top and come down to the people on the stairway.

14. Ziggurat with Stairway on Front

15. Staircase on a Ziggurat

16. Genesis 28:13-15 NIV
13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord,
the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will
give you and your descendants the land on which you are
lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth,
and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the
north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed
through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will
watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to
this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have
promised you.”

17. The Promises to Jacob
1. The land – The Promised Land of Israel.
2. Descendants – 12 Tribes of Jacob (Israel).
3. Blessing to all people through you and your
offspring.
4. God’s presence and protection.
5. Return from Haran to Canaan.
•The same promises given to Abraham in Genesis
12.

18. Genesis 28:16-17 NIV
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought,
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of
it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this
place! This is none other than the house of God; this is
the gate of heaven.”
•The phrase “gate of heaven” reflects the
Mesopotamian influence of the area with the purpose
of the ziggurats to lead to heaven.

19. Genesis 28:18-19 NIV
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had
placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and
poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel,
though the city used to be called Luz.
•Luz was the Canaanite name for this site.

20. Bethel means “house of God.”
Genesis 12:8-9 NIV
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel
and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on
the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called
on the name of the Lord. 9 Then Abram set out and
continued toward the Negev.
•Abraham stopped here on his journey from Ur of the
Chaldeans (Babylon) to Canaan.

21. Bethel

22. Genesis 28:20-22 NIV
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with
me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking
and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so
that I return safely to my father’s household, then the
Lord will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up
as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give
me I will give you a tenth.”

23. Abraham gave a tenth (tithe) in Genesis 14:20.
•The tenth was considered a King’s share.
•Abraham gave Melchizedek king of Salem and a priest
of God Most High a tenth of the spoils of war after
rescuing his nephew Lot who had been captured by
the king of Elam.

24. Genesis 14:18-20 NIV
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and
wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed
Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

25. Lesson Focus Today – Jacob’s Dream
1. The significance of the stairway.
2. The significance of the angels.
3. The significance of the ascending and descending
of the angels.

26. Jacob’s Dream

27. The Significance of the Stairway
•The stairway signified God reaching down to Jacob
and to future Israel.
•God sending Jesus to earth signified God reaching
down to man.
•The Tower of Babel was an example of man on his
own trying to reach up to God.

28. John 1:49-51 NIV (Jesus Used This Imagery)
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under
the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then
added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and
the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of
Man.”
• The “Son of Man” replaced the staircase in this verse.
• Jesus is the connection between God and man.

29. The Significance of the Angels
•There are over 300 references to angels in the Bible.
•Angels are spiritual beings that live in the supernatural
realm that is eternal and are involved with divine
activity.
•Angels are created beings fulfilling God’s every
purpose in heaven and on earth, in time and in
eternity.

30. John Calvin on Angels
“The angels are the dispensers and the administrators
of the divine beneficence toward us. They regard our
safety, undertake our defense, direct our ways and
exercise a constant solicitude so that no evil befall us.”
•Beneficence = acts of mercy, kindness and goodness.
•Solicitude = care and concern.

31. Angels are Ministering Spirits.
Hebrews 1:14 NIV
14 Are not angels ministering spirits sent to serve those
who will inherit salvation?
•Angels minister to believers.
•Angels take their orders directly from God and do not
act on their own.

32. Angels are Worshippers.
Psalm 148:2 NIV
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Revelation 4:8b NIV
8b Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
• Angels worship God continually.
• Angels were created for eternity to praise God.

33. Angels Worship and Serve God.
Psalm 103:20-21 NIV
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

34. Angels are Immortal.
Colossians 1:16 NIV
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven
and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been
created through him and for him.
•Angels were created by God.
•Angels were never born; therefore, they do not die.
•Angels play a big role in the end times events.

35. Angels Were Present at Creation.
Job 38:4-7 NIV
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
• “morning stars” can also refer to angels.

36. Angels are Innumerable.
Daniel 7:10 NIV
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
• Daniel describes a scene in heaven with many angels.
• How many angels are there?
• We don’t know.
• Too many to count!

37. Angels are Usually Invisible.
Hebrews 13:2 NIV
2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by
so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels
without knowing it.
•The purpose of angels is to point people to Christ and
not themselves.
•Angels are usually invisible, but they can take on
human form.

38. The Description of Angels Having Wings.
Isaiah 6:2-3 NIV
2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two
wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their
feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling
to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
• Seraphim – angels focused on worshipping God.

39. Other Descriptions of Angels in the Bible
•Cherubim – Ezekiel 1 and 10 describe these angels as
having four wings and four faces (man, lion, ox, eagle).
•In Genesis 3:24 we are told cherubim and a flaming
sword flashing back and forth are assigned to guard
the way to the tree of life.
•Satan was a cherub angel before his fall.
•Archangel – Chief angel named Michael involved with
the return of Christ for His Church.

40. Satan is a Fallen Angel named Lucifer.
Isaiah 14:12-14 NKJV
The Fall of Lucifer
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’

41. Angels are Not to be Worshipped.
Revelation 22:8-9 NIV
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.
And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to
worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing
them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a
fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets
and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship
God!”
•John tried to worship the angel showing him heaven.

42. Jesus is Superior to the Angels.
Hebrews 1:3-4 NIV
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact
representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had provided purification for
sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in
heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
•The inherited superior name is “Son.”

43. Do we have guardian angels?
Matthew 18:10 NIV
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.
For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the
face of my Father in heaven.”
•Some have taken this verse and interpreted that each
child or person has a “guardian angel.”
•It is better interpreted that we have “angels guarding
us” instead of an assigned “guardian angel.”

44. Are angels present when the believer dies?
Luke 16:22-23 NIV
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels
carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died
and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment,
he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus
by his side.”
•Angels carry a believer’s spirit to Jesus when they die.

45. What is the significance of the angels
ascending and descending in Jacob’s dream?
•The staircase represented God reaching down to
Jacob and future Israel.
•The angels ascending and descending represent the
promise of God’s full resources and power to protect
Jacob and fulfill His promises.
•Jacob could see God’s warriors ready to help him.
•The dream gave Jacob a visual image of God’s
promises.

46. Angels are Invincible & Powerful Warriors.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 NIV
6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who
trouble you and 7 give relief to you who are troubled,
and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus
is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his
powerful angels.
Psalm 104:4 NKJV
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.

47. Angels are Our Protectors.
Psalm 34:7 NIV
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who
fear him,
and he delivers them.

48. Closing Thought on Angels.
Acts 5:19-20 NIV
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the
doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in
the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full
message of this new life.”
•The apostles were jailed for preaching Christ.
•God has chosen and commanded believers to share
the gospel, and not the angels!
•Sharing the gospel is the mission of believers!

49. Next Sunday
Genesis 29:16-30
Family?
December 16, 2018
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

50. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
John 3:16 NIV
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.”
John 14:6 NIV
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.”

51. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 3:23 NIV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NIV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life
to pay the penalty for our sin.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the “second death”
explained in Revelation 21:8.

52. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Revelation 21:8 NIV
8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers,
the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the
idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake
of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Romans 5:8 NIV
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

53. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 6:23b NIV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7 NIV
7 “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God
and he will be My son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be overcomers.

54. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 10:9-10 NIV
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith
and are saved.
Romans 10:13 NIV
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved.”

55. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Do you have questions or would you like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900
or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/