A Stairway to Heaven

Theme: We are always in touch with heaven.

Bible Verse: Then he [Jacob] dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (Genesis 28:12)

Materials Needed:

• Table or other flat surface

• Rectangular game blocks (e.g., dominoes, Jenga blocks, building blocks, etc.)

Bible Lesson

Jacob had recently pretended to be his twin brother, Esau, in order to receive his father Isaac’s blessing. Esau was very angry about this deception and vowed to kill Jacob. Jacob therefore quickly left home and traveled far to visit his uncle Laban. Along the way, he rested for the evening in the outdoors, using a stone for a pillow.

During the night, God spoke to Jacob in an unusual dream. Jacob saw a stairway or ladder stretched between heaven and earth. Moving up and down this passageway were angels. God also spoke to Jacob in the dream, comforting him. This vision from God is rich in meaning. The ladder symbolizes Christ, who bridges the gap between heaven and earth (John 1:51). The angels are ministering spirits on earth, active at all times, both day and night. Through prayer and obedience, we thus have access to God in heaven. This is true wherever we are, whether at home or in a wilderness setting like Jacob.

Science Activity

This activity works best with individuals or with groups of two to three people. A model stairway is built by stacking blocks upward, each one offset from those beneath. Lower blocks are gradually spaced outward, with the top block extending outward half its length as shown in the figure. The goal, perhaps as a contest, is to be the first to have the top block overhang completely from the bottom block. The result is quite impressive to see, especially if the blocks are stacked at the edge of a table, extending outward over open space.

Each participant should have eight or more blocks. Actually, a complete overhang is possible with just four blocks above the base block. Have participants continue to stack the blocks, cantilevered outward. The project is fun and also frustrating when an unfinished stack of blocks collapses. This simple block stairway illustrates Jacob’s dream. That remarkable stairway extended upward to heaven and assured Jacob of God’s presence during his time of need.

A leaning stairway of blocks, with offsets of ½ (top block), ¼, 1⁄6, ⅛, etc. No part of the top block is above the bottom block.

Science Explanation

A stack of blocks will balance as long as its center of gravity or balance point is supported by the table. The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Milan, Italy, likewise stands because its center of gravity lies above the base, even though the structure is tilted to the side.

A stack of blocks is just at the point of tipping when the amount of block overlaps, from the top down, are ½, ¼, 1⁄6, ⅛, etc. In this case, the center of gravity is positioned directly above the outer edge of the bottom block. This arrangement is shown in the figure. The total overhang is then equal to

½ + ¼ + 1⁄6 + ⅛ +

Mathematicians call this sum a harmonic series. Curiously, even though the terms rapidly decrease, their sum increases slowly with no upper limit as more terms (or blocks) are added. In mathematical words, this harmonic series is said to diverge. The following table gives some calculated overhang values for stacked blocks, including some large theoretical numbers.

	Number of blocks	Possible overhang
	1	.5
	4	1.04
	6	1.225
	10	1.46
	227	3.1
	2.72 x 108	10.1

The table shows that an overhang of one whole block is possible with a stack of just four blocks above the base. A tower of 227 blocks, probably an impossible feat, could overhang by three full blocks. Cantilever bridges are likewise built with beams that project outward toward each other, joining to form a span without any need of a center support.