"entering the town. Zacchaeus determined to see Him. He was beginning to realize how bitter are the fruits of sin, and how difficult the path of him who tries to return from a course of wrong. To be misunderstood, to be met with suspicion and distrust in the effort to correct his errors, was hard to bear. The chief publican longed to look upon the face of Him whose words had brought hope to his heart. DA 553.1"
"For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me."
Both passages describe the burden of sin and the difficulty of returning from a wrong course. The EGW passage speaks of Zacchaeus's realization of the bitterness of sin, while the Psalm speaks of iniquities being a heavy burden. There is a clear thematic parallel.
"The streets were crowded, and Zacchaeus, who was small of stature, could see nothing over the heads of the people. None would give way for him; so, running a little in advance of the multitude, to where a wide- branching fig tree hung over the way, the rich tax collector climbed to a seat among the boughs, whence he could survey the procession as it passed below. The crowd comes near, it is going by, and Zacchaeus scans with eager eyes to discern the one figure he longs to see. DA 553.2"
"And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature."
The EGW passage closely follows the narrative of Luke 19:3, elaborating on Zacchaeus's motivations and actions. The detail about his height and the crowd is directly drawn from the biblical text.
"Above the clamor of priests and rabbis and the shouts of welcome from the multitude, that unuttered desire of the chief publican spoke to the heart of Jesus. Suddenly, just beneath the fig tree, a group halts, the company before and behind come to a standstill, and One looks upward whose glance seems to read the soul. Almost doubting his senses, the man in the tree hears the words, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.” DA 553.3"
"And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house."
The EGW passage directly quotes and elaborates on the biblical account of Jesus calling Zacchaeus down from the tree. This is a clear and direct allusion.
"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."
Both passages involve Jesus seeing someone under a fig tree and demonstrating knowledge of them. While the context and individuals are different (Zacchaeus vs. Nathanael), there's a thematic parallel in Jesus's ability to perceive individuals in specific locations and situations.