Opening the Gates of Heaven Perry Stone

The area of Ephrath is today Bethlehem. In fact, Bethlehem is called Bethlehem Ephrath (Ephrathah) (Mic. 5:2). Today near the entrance to modern Bethlehem is the traditional grave of Rebekah, who died while giving birth to Benjamin (Gen. 35:19). Genesis 35:16 says “there was but a little distance” from Bethel to Ephrath. If the Bethel in Jacob’s dream was Jerusalem, and Bethel was a “little distance” to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem, then the distance of about eight miles between Jerusalem and Bethlehem would be considered a “little distance.” The rabbinical traditions and the textual evidence indicates that Luz was an early city near Mount Moriah, later called the “house of God” by Jacob. It is interesting that after Jacob saw the angels, knowing he was headed into Syria for an unspecified time, he vowed to God that if He would bring him back safely to the land of his fathers, he would offer God the tenth (Gen. 28:22). This word tenth in Hebrew is the word ‘asar , which is a word linked to the tithe ( ma’aser ) and refers to the tenth offered to God (Lev. 27:30, 32). Twenty years passed, and the angel appeared to Jacob instructing him to return home to Canaan (Gen 31:13, 18). Notice the words of the angel:

Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, “Jacob.” And I said, “Here I am.” And He said … “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to