[from "The Jewish Temple"That May Prevent World War III]
"The Bible says Jacob took a stone and put small stones around it, and then put
olive oil on top of that stone." Shukron told me, referring to the stele Jacob erected
in the town of Bethel (Genesis 28:18). "It is a connection between Jacob and God-
the relationship between them." Indeed, Jacob called the place he made, "God's house."
Jacob laid down on stones,
but awoke on only one stone.
Jacob, tired after a long journey, stopped for the night. “And he lighted upon
a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set;
and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows,
and lay down in that place to sleep” (Genesis 28:11).
-Notice that it says he took of the stones—plural—and put them—plural
—for his pillows, probably covered with his coat or some animal hide.
“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place;
and I knew it not” (verse 16).
-What made Jacob think that?
“And 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”(verse 17). These are profound words!
Jacob was commenting about something that had happened.
He realized God was there, and there was a gate into heaven the way he viewed that.
“And 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” (verse 18).
Notice—now those “stones” from verse 11 are a single “stone.”
These stones became a stone! There is no other way that you can read the Hebrew.
His statement “How dreadful is this place” is a poor translation.
Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon defines the word dreadful as “to fear;
to reverence as one’s parents; to tremble for joy; stupendous;admirable; wonderful.”
Jacob was filled with wonder and joy at what had happened! He realized that God had
performed a tremendous miracle! These stones had literally become a stone:
Jacob’s pillar stone.
Thus begins the history of England’s “stone of destiny”!
What had been a pillow, Jacob turned into a “pillar.”
The word for pillar, matstsebah in the Hebrew, means a memorialstone.
What did God want us to remember about that stone?
What is it a memorial of? This was an event where God was very personally involved,
performing miracles! Jacob knew it was something to really get excited about!
Jacob changed the name of that place to Bethel, which means house of God. This stone
was called thehouse of God, and that place where the stone was located was also
called the house of God. God actually dwelled there, in that house!