Nathanael speaks
God gave me gifts; a love for my people, a love for his word and visions of his glory. I was also given a longing for him which is endless. From boyhood I wrestled with His words and tried to live my life in simple docility to my God who was companion of my thoughts by day and night. No gift compares with the gift I had the day I met Jesus.
‘Let me see your face, O Lord!’
I used to pray and study for hours, until my eyes ached as I looked across the horizon, as the sun passed over the arc of the sky like a bridegroom coming forth from his tent. One day my head swam in the heat of noon and I sheltered under the fig tree, my place for pondering the word of God. As I rocked back and forth the shade crept up at the edge of my sight and dazzling light gave way to darkness. I gazed into the visions of the night.
A vision
As I gazed it seemed to me that I saw the courts of heaven, as rank on rank of angels sang praises to the Lord God. A sea of beings moved before me and the archangels appeared and placed thrones before the angels and the people of God. ‘God is my strength,’ they said, ‘Who is like God?’ ‘God heals.’
I saw a cloud then, like the cloud that accompanied my people through the desert, and within the cloud I glimpsed the glory of One who was, who is, and who will be. I trembled with joy and holy fear before the presence of the Holy One of Israel.
And one like a Son of Man
Then the ranks of angels parted like a great wave pulling back from the shore, and the archangels blew their trumpets. With another rippling movement of the hosts they all fell on their knees with arms uplifted. The air filled with music, then sound and fragrance too, blended into one symphony of praise.
The angels and archangels began to flow down to earth, rising up again on wings of light and music, trembling with joy, and in came One, like a Son of Man, all dressed in gold and fine linen, like a Bridegroom coming to his wedding feast, and the voices sang higher and higher in praise and every creature on earth took up the song.
A friend insists
It was Philip who broke into my reverie and brought me crashing back to Galilee from the courts of heaven, from the courts of heaven to Nazareth! He came like Abraham’s visitors and like Sarah I laughed.
“We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
“Come and see,”
As we approached Jesus he gazed and he knew me.
“Where did you get to know me?” I whispered.
“I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Ashamed now of my comment on Nazareth, I saw Truth and I spoke for Israel, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Son of God, Son of Man, He gazed at me,
“Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these. Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
