Bethel = House of God

¹⁶And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. ¹⁷And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. ¹⁸And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. ¹⁹And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Genesis 28:16-19

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

I Timothy 3:15

Jacob left home and moved far away, because Esau had threatened to kill him. But on his sad and lonely journey he had a powerful dream of God with a ladder of angels ascending and descending from heaven.

God promised Jacob precious things in his dream, and in return Jacob promised to serve the LORD God. Since Jacob had nothing, he poured oil on the stone he used for a pillow and called it the house of God.

Our English Bible in the verses above tells us enough to know that Bethel means the house of God. But the Hebrew words beth, for house, and el, for Elohim, a name of God, confirm it as the house of God.

Jacob met God in God’s house, and God revealed precious promises and truth to Jacob there. The angels ascending and descending were tokens of God’s promised presence with Jacob for the rest of his life.

But you have a better house of God! You can go to God’s house and meet Him there. He will reveal precious promises and truth to you. The angels wish they had your blessings, but they are your servants.

God has five houses described in the Bible, and you have the best house of God until we get to heaven! Will you believe it? Once you believe it, what will you do to help your house benefit others also?

HOUSE #1 … Bethel … where God met Jacob and promised His presence to make him great on earth.

HOUSE #2 … Tabernacle … the tent that Moses made for God for all the ceremonial rituals of Israel.

HOUSE #3 … Solomon’s Temple … the exceeding magnifical palace David planned and his son built.

HOUSE #4 … Zerubbabel’s Temple … a temple rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity that Jesus visited.

HOUSE #5 … The Church … where God meets with you and promises His presence and eternal life!

It is easy to be excited by Jacob’s encounter with God at Bethel – the house of God. But you have a far greater house, with far more truth, and far better promises based on Jesus’ finished work and priesthood!

Bethel = House of God

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