John 1:47-51 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Although this thread concerns the fig tree I wanted to point out a few things contained in the above passage. Notice that Nathanael went to Him, not He to Nathanael. Before a man spoke to him of Christ, Jesus already knew him...knew he would come, knew He was of Israel and knew that within him was "no guile."
There we see one of God's elect, predestined to be His elect before he even knew it himself, before he was ever born...he was chosen, as are all of the elect. Not only before he was born but...
The foundation of the world was the katabole, the "overthrow of the world," the overthrow of the first earth age that happened because of Satan's rebellion. Before that overthrow the elect were chosen to be "in Him" in this present world age.
Secondly, notice "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." That is a clue, or connection, to Nathanel being an elect and an Israelite...as well as the fig tree riddle. We are first told of the angels ascending and descending when Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, dreamed....
Jesus, the Son of man, is the ladder set up on the earth. He is the way. From Jacob's seed came all of Israel, including the King of Israel...the Savior. Nathanael, the Israelite with no guile, was of course also of Jacob's seed. Their beginning was chronicled from the very beginning....All of Israel began as the seed of Adam, who was not the first human on earth but was the first man in the line to Christ.
The question that comes to mind when I read of Jesus greeting Nathanael is when did Christ see Nathanael under a fig tree and...what fig tree is He speaking of? I believe Jesus is guiding us back to the beginning in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, for there we see the first mention of a fig and the first prophecy of the Bible....
They sewed fig leaves, they were under a fig tree. Within them was the seed of Israel. Jesus saw the seed of Nathanael under a fig tree. Seed that was destined to combat Satan and his seed until the end of days.
As shown above the elect were foreknown, predestined, etc. before the foundation/overthrow of the world, the previous age. All of us, all souls/spirits have been an entity from that previous earth age. In this age our same soul is placed in a flesh body. All of us were created in the beginning of creation and He tells us that "all the host of them," of which we are included, were finished at the beginning. How can that be? The seed is the answer. Within the seed our flesh creation was finished.
All Israelites were from Adam's seed so Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree in the garden of Eden.
.
Although this thread concerns the fig tree I wanted to point out a few things contained in the above passage. Notice that Nathanael went to Him, not He to Nathanael. Before a man spoke to him of Christ, Jesus already knew him...knew he would come, knew He was of Israel and knew that within him was "no guile."
There we see one of God's elect, predestined to be His elect before he even knew it himself, before he was ever born...he was chosen, as are all of the elect. Not only before he was born but...
Ephesians 1:4 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
The foundation of the world was the katabole, the "overthrow of the world," the overthrow of the first earth age that happened because of Satan's rebellion. Before that overthrow the elect were chosen to be "in Him" in this present world age.
Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.
Secondly, notice "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." That is a clue, or connection, to Nathanel being an elect and an Israelite...as well as the fig tree riddle. We are first told of the angels ascending and descending when Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, dreamed....
Genesis 28:12-13 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
Jesus, the Son of man, is the ladder set up on the earth. He is the way. From Jacob's seed came all of Israel, including the King of Israel...the Savior. Nathanael, the Israelite with no guile, was of course also of Jacob's seed. Their beginning was chronicled from the very beginning....All of Israel began as the seed of Adam, who was not the first human on earth but was the first man in the line to Christ.
The question that comes to mind when I read of Jesus greeting Nathanael is when did Christ see Nathanael under a fig tree and...what fig tree is He speaking of? I believe Jesus is guiding us back to the beginning in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, for there we see the first mention of a fig and the first prophecy of the Bible....
Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.
3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.
They sewed fig leaves, they were under a fig tree. Within them was the seed of Israel. Jesus saw the seed of Nathanael under a fig tree. Seed that was destined to combat Satan and his seed until the end of days.
As shown above the elect were foreknown, predestined, etc. before the foundation/overthrow of the world, the previous age. All of us, all souls/spirits have been an entity from that previous earth age. In this age our same soul is placed in a flesh body. All of us were created in the beginning of creation and He tells us that "all the host of them," of which we are included, were finished at the beginning. How can that be? The seed is the answer. Within the seed our flesh creation was finished.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
All Israelites were from Adam's seed so Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree in the garden of Eden.
1 Corinthians 15:38-39 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
.