One night, long before Moses parted the Red Sea and before David slew Goliath, Jacob—a man on the run—laid his head on a stone beneath the vast desert sky. Exhausted from his journey and terrified of his vengeful brother Esau, he drifted into sleep. But that night, his dreams were not ordinary—they were divine.
Suddenly, the heavens split open. A colossal ladder—not of wood or rope, but of shimmering light—stretched from earth to the very throne of God. Angels ascended and descended its steps, messengers of the Almighty, moving between the two realms.
Then, at the top of the ladder, Jacob beheld the glory of God. A voice thundered from above:
“Jacob, I am the Lord, the God of your fathers. I have chosen you. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, spreading to the north, south, east, and west. I will be with you, and I will never leave you.”
Jacob awoke in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. His life had changed forever. He knew he had just stood on holy ground, a place where heaven touched the earth. Trembling, he whispered:
“Surely the Lord is in this place… and I did not know it.”
He named the site Bethel—the “House of God.” And from that moment on, Jacob walked with a divine purpose, carrying the promise of a destiny that would shape nations.
But the story of Jacob’s ladder didn’t end there. In later Jewish mystical writings, the vision took on even greater meaning. Some texts, like the Ladder of Jacob, expanded on the dream, describing mystical journeys into the heavens and even messianic prophecies. These writings suggested that the ladder was more than just a symbol—it was a pathway between the mortal and the divine, a glimpse of a reality beyond human understanding.
And that’s where the trouble began. The text was hidden, suppressed, and eventually lost from mainstream Jewish tradition. Why? Because the vision of the Ladder of Jacob was too powerful, too mystical, and—perhaps—too revealing of a future that some wished to forget…
A future where the bridge between heaven and earth would be fulfilled—not in a dream, but in the coming of the true Ladder, Jesus Christ.
Why Was the Ladder of Jacob Removed from Jewish Literature?
For centuries, the Jewish world has carefully curated its sacred texts, preserving some while mysteriously letting others fade into obscurity. Among these lost or sidelined writings is the Ladder of Jacob, an ancient apocalyptic text filled with stunning visions of divine ascent, angelic encounters, and a celestial ladder bridging heaven and earth. Why was it removed? What did it contain that made it so dangerous or problematic? The answer will leave you shaken.
The Suppression of Apocalyptic Truths
The Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, was canonized between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE, and during this process, many apocalyptic texts were left out. The Ladder of Jacob shared themes with the Book of Daniel, 1 Enoch, and 4 Ezra, all of which contain visions of the future, celestial journeys, and divine secrets. While Daniel was accepted into the canon, the rest—including the Ladder of Jacob—were excluded.
Why? Because apocalyptic literature was dangerous. It was too radical, too revealing, and too unpredictable. It didn’t just tell people how to live; it unveiled cosmic secrets about God’s plans, the supernatural realm, and the fate of the world. Rabbinic Judaism, which emerged after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, prioritized texts that reinforced Jewish law (Halakha) over speculative visions of the end times. The Ladder of Jacob was too mystical, too apocalyptic, and too aligned with dangerous revolutionary ideas—so it was buried.
The Christian Hijacking
One of the biggest reasons the Ladder of Jacob was abandoned by Jewish authorities is that it was hijacked by Christians. The vision of Jacob’s ladder was profoundly Christological, foreshadowing the coming of a divine mediator.
- In John 1:51, Jesus tells Nathanael: “You will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” This is a direct reference to Jacob’s ladder, but instead of just a vision, Jesus places Himself at the center of the divine connection between heaven and earth.
- The Ladder of Jacob described a mystical bridge between God and humanity. If early Christians saw this as symbolic of Christ, the Jewish authorities would have distanced themselves from the text to prevent it from strengthening Christian claims.
- Many Jewish texts that were embraced by early Christians—like 1 Enoch—were systematically removed from Jewish tradition to avoid reinforcing Christian theology.
The Ladder of Jacob was not just discarded; it was erased to prevent it from being used as “proof” that Jesus was the Messiah.
A Threat to Rabbinic Control
As Judaism transitioned from a Temple-based faith to a rabbinic tradition focused on legal and ethical interpretation, mystical and apocalyptic texts like the Ladder of Jacob became dangerous. The rabbis wanted people to focus on Torah study, synagogue life, and rabbinic authority—not visions of heaven and angelic hierarchies.
- The Talmud (Hagigah 2:1) warns against too much speculation about heaven.
- Merkabah mysticism, which dealt with heavenly ascents and divine visions, was restricted to only a few elite scholars.
- Anything that could distract from practical Jewish law or lead to heretical movements was either hidden, rewritten, or outright rejected.
The Ladder of Jacob was simply too mystical for mainstream Judaism. It suggested a deeper, secret knowledge of God, one that bypassed rabbinic authority and traditional teaching. That made it a threat.
A Revelation Too Powerful?
Could it be that the Ladder of Jacob was removed because it held secrets that were too dangerous to share?
- It spoke of divine ascent—the idea that humanity could have direct access to God’s presence.
- It contained heavenly secrets about God’s plans for history and the structure of the divine realm.
- It had messianic overtones that, if fully embraced, might have radically reshaped Jewish expectations of the Messiah.
Perhaps the Ladder of Jacob was removed because it revealed too much—too much about heaven, too much about the Messiah, and too much about the supernatural connection between God and mankind.
Intentionally Removed
The Ladder of Jacob did not disappear by accident—it was intentionally left out. From a Canon Formation perspective, it did not fit the legal and ethical focus of the Hebrew Bible. Through Redaction Criticism, we see how Jewish authorities prioritized texts that supported rabbinic teachings while downplaying mystical or apocalyptic revelations. Intertextuality Theory suggests that the text’s later association with Christian theology may have sealed its fate, as Jewish scholars sought to distance themselves from writings that could be interpreted as validating Christian claims.
Ultimately, whether the Ladder of Jacob was lost due to historical shifts, religious power struggles, or deliberate suppression, its removal underscores the complex nature of how sacred texts are shaped, edited, and preserved. What we read today as “canon” is the product of countless decisions—some theological, some political, and some entirely pragmatic. And with every lost text, we must ask: What other revelations have been left behind?
References:
Charlesworth, James H.The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Volume 2. Hendrickson Publishers, 1985.
VanderKam, James C. & Adler, William (Eds.).The Jewish Apocalyptic Heritage in Early Christianity. Fortress Press, 1996.
Segal, Alan F.Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports about Christianity and Gnosticism. Brill, 1977.
Boccaccini, Gabriele.Beyond the Essene Hypothesis: The Parting of the Ways between Qumran and Enochic Judaism. Eerdmans, 1998.
Nickelsburg, George W. E.Resurrection, Immortality, and Eternal Life in Intertestamental Judaism and Early Christianity. Harvard University Press, 2006.
Dunn, James D. G.The Partings of the Ways: Between Christianity and Judaism and Their Significance for the Character of Christianity. SCM Press, 2006.
Kugel, James L.The Bible As It Was. Harvard University Press, 1997.
García Martínez, Florentino & Tigchelaar, Eibert (Eds.).The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition. Brill, 1999.