THE WITNESSES
FIRST SIGN
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AND
unqualified description of his character as flattering, but, genuinely
guileless, he accepts the description as true, nevertheless asks in
astonishment how the Lord could thus know his character. The answer
revealed that he stood before a Prophet: `Before that Philip called thee,
when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee' (1:48).
It was not unusual for some such place of seclusion to be sought for
prayer, and the fact that the Lord had knowledge not only of
Nathanael's character, but of his private devotions, brought him to his
great confession: `Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King
of Israel' (1:49).
There is something in Nathanael's sudden conversion that reminds
one of Thomas, and the very reply of the Lord to Nathanael has
something reminiscent in it of the scene in that room when the
disciples were assembled, described in 20:26-29.
`... 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' (1:50,51).
`Verily' is the translation of the word Amen, a word brought over
from the Hebrew into the Greek. John is the only one that records
these double Amens of the Lord, of which there are no less than
twenty-five. The words are used to introduce some teaching or
statement of importance, and we feel that we cannot omit presenting to
the reader the complete list so that, should time permit, he may be able
to weigh them over in the balance of the sanctuary.
The Double Verities (Amens) of John's Gospel
Verily, verily, I say unto you. Open heaven. Angels ascending and
descending (1:51).
Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Without new birth, cannot see kingdom
(3:3).
Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Unless born of water and spirit, no
entrance (3:5).
Verily, verily, I say unto thee. We speak that we do know (3:11).