John 1: 48 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.<\/p>\n
Nathanael means \u2018gift of God\u2019, Philip means lover of horses (horses symbolise prosperity), and the fig tree symbolises people (not people of God, which is symbolised as the olive tree).<\/p>\n
The scripture tells us Nathanael was identified for spiritual prosperity while he was one of the people.<\/p>\n
We see the moment Phillip told him about Jesus while he was standing under the fig tree, he doubted Phillip, for Nathanael remembered scriptures (history) about how the people of Galilee were in great darkness, and also he himself was from Galilee, but he forgot the words of Isaiah, which said the Saviour would be known in Galilee.<\/p>\n
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and as an infant, along with His parent they fled to Egypt for a period and then came to Galilee, for it was the home of Mary (Joseph may have died in Egypt \u2013 which is not recorded). Mary, being from Galilee, was deeply involved in pagan rituals, even though she loved the Lord. We see she tried to do Egyptian rituals of the dead on the body of Jesus on the third day, as the sisters of Lazarus did with his body. Jesus cried at the tomb of Lazarus not because he was dead (Jesus knew of that long before and had come to bring him back to life), but cried because He was disheartened to see what they had done with his body.<\/p>\n
Nathanael is believed to be Bartholomew, one of the twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus, as he was a native of Cana in Galilee.<\/p>\n
In OT, we see the Holy Spirit as a pillar of fire\/cloud, who was with the Israelites even before they crossed the Red Sea (which is symbolic of baptism). God was with us even before we decided to follow Him, and because He was with us, we have been able to choose Him.<\/p>\n
[Prayer Starter]
\nLord, You are Almighty God. You, Lord, are Love. Although Your Love was manifested on the Cross, it is evident that You loved us even before we knew You. Lord, we pray we understand it is because of Your love for us that we have been able to know You and become possible heirs to Your Kingdom…<\/p>\n
This prayer we make in Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/p>\n
[Reference Scriptures]
\nIsaiah 9:1-2
\n1 Nevertheless the dimness [shall] not [be] such as [was] in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict [her by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
\n2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.<\/p>\n
John 11:11,14, 34-39,44
\n11 These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
\n14 Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
\n34 and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see.
\n35 Jesus wept.
\n36 The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him!
\n38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
\n39 Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been [dead] four days.
\n44 He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes {bandages}; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.<\/p>\n
John 21:2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the [sons] of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.<\/p>\n
Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas [the brother] of James.<\/p>\n
Dated 18 May 2026
\nBro Rollwyn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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