"... you (all) shall see the heaven opened..." John 1:51

This then is the second figure of speech of Jesus recorded in scripture. The first one being when he declared that Simon would one day be known as Peter. John 1:42. The scene of this second figure of speech is not much different than the first. We are still at the river Jordan. The voice of John the Baptist is crying out in the background. Jesus was baptized just two days ago now and some of John’s followers have left John for Jesus.

Jesus is getting ready to leave the riverside, He wants to go to Galilee and seeing a man named Philip nearby Jesus extends an invitation, “follow me”. Philip responds, not only by following but also by extending the invitation to Nathaniel. News of Jesus was spreading fast the only way it could, one life to the next, “come we have found the Messiah”.

Nathaniel doubts the report at first, supposing nothing good can come from Nazareth, but Philip manages to persuade him to investigate for himself, “come and see.”

Nathaniel approaches Jesus 

Jesus saw Nathaniel as he made his approach and said, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” We have to give some attention to these words or their meaning may be lost. When Jesus called Nathaniel a true Israelite it should remind us of Jacob the deceiver who stole his brothers birthright and later was changed into a man ruled by God. That is what Israel means, one ruled by God. Let’s remember Jacob there will be more from his story in a moment.

Nathaniel’s response to Jesus’ greeting shows how revealing it was. “How do you know me?” Nathaniel asked. Nathaniel understood exactly what Jesus was saying. Jesus was saying here is a man that has been dealt with by God. Here is a man who is ready to be ruled by God.  Nathaniel didn’t argue with that, he accepted it, “how do you know me?”

Now Jesus answers that question for Nathaniel. I know you because “I saw you while you were under still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Jesus is saying I saw you when you were alone. That is how I know you. Nothing reveals more about us than how we are when we think no one is looking.  Whatever Nathaniel was doing before Philip started talking to him it had some connection to Jacob. It reminded Jesus of Jacob after his name change, after his nature changed, after he wrestled with God.

Some commentators suppose Nathaniel was reading the Old Testament under that fig tree. They suppose he was reading about Jacob at the moment Philip found him. That may or may not be the case, the scripture does not give us that much detail but one thing is sure our truest character is revealed when we are alone. When Jacob was alone he wrestled with God after that he walked with a limp and answered to a new name. When Nathaniel was alone he reminded Jesus of that.

Nathaniel - a man ruled by God 

Nathaniel demonstrated he was ready to be ruled by God, when he said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” He certainly had a disposition of someone ready to give Jesus His rightful place.

Now Jesus makes one his penetrating observations into a man’s motivation. “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.” There is nothing particularly wrong with this but like a lot of us Nathaniel was rather impressed with what Jesus had just done, reading his mind as it were. This is not quite the same as being impressed with who Jesus is. This is very similar to the rebuke Jesus had for the multitudes who followed him merely to have their bellies filled and soon after were hungry again. “You shall see greater things.”

Then Jesus turned his attention to the group, “You will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man.”

And that brings us to the point of this study, what is this figure of speech, “heaven open”? We will use the same procedure to analyze all the figures of speech in this study. First we will consider what was it that Jesus was trying to illustrate? Then, we seek to understand the figure itself and finally we will deduce the eternal truth from the figure of speech.

What was Jesus illustrating by this figure of speech "heaven open" 

We already read the story we know what Jesus was saying, he told Nathaniel “you will see greater things.” And then he went on to tell them all what those things were. “you will see heaven open…” and more, “and the angels ascending and descending on the son of man.” This angelic activity should remind us once again of Jacob. This figure comes from a dream that Jacob had.

What is the figure speech of "heaven open'? Where does it come from? 

In Genesis 28:12-17 we find Jacob on the road, running from his brother Esau. During that first night of his flight from his brother, Jacob stopped to sleep and while he slept he dreamt. The dream was simple enough; he saw a stairway connecting heaven and earth. He saw angels “ascending and descending” on it.  Here we have Jesus saying the disciples will see the angels “ascending and descending” on Him.  Jesus is the stairway that connects heaven and earth.  That is clear.

Our minds are so prone to categorize and compartmentalize, we separate heaven and earth into different realms. Jesus did not. Jacob’s dream did not. The idea of heaven being open means that there is correspondence going on between heaven and earth. The perceived barrier separating the two realms has been dissolved by Jesus himself. He is the stairway to heaven. The angels have Him as the conduit, the basis of their free transit between here and there.

What is the eternal truth of the open heaven?

Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” We are in a position to bring heaven to earth if we seek his rule. We are supposed to be the kind of people, like Nathaniel who seek to be ruled by God. Whenever we submit to his authority, to the extent we obey, we bring a piece of heaven to earth,