To Him Who Overcomes I Will Give Some of the Hidden Manna

We live in a world that is decidedly future oriented, a fact that is especially true in Christ’s Church. If you survey teaching on the 7 churches in Revelation, there is an expectation of a future fulfillment when all is complete and the current age has come to an end. But how can that be? People have been overcoming for the last 1900 plus years, so the hidden manna must always be available with the stated caveat: “To him who overcomes.”

Moreover, the words of the Lord are clear: give no thought for tomorrow. We are to live in the present moment, abiding in Him, and looking to Him to guide us in all our ways. And that is the underlying truth for the book of Revelation as it is for every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

With this in mind, the reader of these messages to the 7 churches would be wise to step back and examine some of the foundation stones of God’s word, in order to derive the true hidden nutriment in this text of prophecy. And that should include context, the spiritual meaning of the words as Paul emphasized in 2 Corinthians 2, and any resonances with other scriptures that illuminate the message by way of cross-fertilization.

Context of the Message

The first is to consider the context of the hidden manna message which Jesus gave to John by means of His angel. Touchstone number 1: the context of all scripture is the entirety of God’s word, because the Lord has asserted it in various places, such as Psalm 119:10 — “The sum of Thy Word is truth.” We must listen to every word as refined silver (Psalm 12:6) and consider it in the light of the totality of the Spirit’s communications. A daunting task you will say, and you would be correct.

And the more focused context would be the entirety of the message of Revelation, telescoping down into the message of the 7 churches, and narrowing into the entirety of the message addressed to Pergamum. This message is written for us, and not simply for that ancient Christian congregation.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 1 Peter 1:10-12

The same must then be said about John the prophet and Revelator, who was serving future congregations as well.

Here we have to understand that the message to the 7 churches, the 7 lampstands, MUST BE a message to the entirety of the Body of Christ. Seven is the number of spiritual completion, which means we must view this message to Thyatira under the rubric (vs. 29) “he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” That is a plural, viz. all churches; of all time. It applies to the body, one and all. And such is true of all of the 7 messages. So all of the attempts to pin down the churches to ages, to specific denominations, or any other typology utterly fails on the basis of not hearing what the Lord is saying.

Signs of the Content in the Message

Revelation is the Lord’s posthumous “Last Will and Testament.” Reflect on that statement and take it in, for this writer does not make it lightly. This is Christ’s last recorded message to His followers, sealed up by His disciples (Isaiah 8:16) who closed the canon according to His will and the will of His Father, our God. These are his loving promises and harrowing cautionary words for His beloved ones. There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11). As with the beatitudes in Luke, there are the blessings and the woes. We must hear what is being said to all here. To that end hear the words once again:

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:

“‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. Likewise, also you have those similarly holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’”       Revelation 2:12-17

The passage is so rich it invites a surplus of discussion since it contains a surfeit of meaning. And if we bear in mind that the entire Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him, He signified (1:1), which is to say, he communicated by signs. And by the hermenteutical rule of Paul to the Corinthians (1Cor 2) and the fact that Christ disclosed His words to be Spirit and Life, we must take these words to be spiritual words applying to spiritual things, or realities. They are spiritual signs in human language given to disclose non-material realities, viz. spiritual.

So the signs to be examined here in the message to the angel (aka ‘messenger’) of the church at Pergamum — location of the temple of Zeus, or throne of Satan, the entrance to which was announced this last week by archaeologists in Turkey working on the ruins — include ‘throne of Satan,’ ‘teaching of Balaam,’ ‘food sacrificed to idols,’ sexual immorality,’ ‘teaching of the Nicolaitans,’ ‘sword of my mouth,’ ‘hidden manna,’ ‘a white stone,’ and ‘a new name.’

And of all of these, it is abundantly clear that the treasured reward for conquering the false prophecy is the hidden manna. But all of these iconic symbols must be penetrated to draw out the real hidden manna that is here in this text. And the reader must needs remember that each of these is chosen carefully in ways that are super appropriate to the church of Christ, which is now in the wilderness.

In the process of this journey, we do not have to revisit the question of why Christ might conceal the true knowledge, even as He told the disciples in Matthew 13, quoting Isaiah in the process. It is to God’s glory:

It is the glory of God to conceal things,
     but the glory of kings is to search things out. Proverbs 25:2

And thus, the task falls to us, who are called to be a royal priesthood, to reveal the hidden things.

Let’s try to boil down the spiritual content of these symbols which are drawn from historical experience in the ‘heilsgeschichte’ or ‘holy history’ of Israel. During the sojourn of Israel in the wilderness Balak, king of Moab, hired a well-known “prophet-for-hire” who was renowned in Babylon for his prophetic skills, Balaam was his name. Now Balak’s aim was to cause Israel to stumble and sin before its God, YHWH, so they would fall from His Grace and lose His protective care. So Balaam enticed Israel to eat foods sacrificed to demons, and to seek out foreign wives so they would wander away from their God. This is prima facie linked to the “throne of Satan.” It is the false teaching and false alliances which are emblematic of the rebellion against God, and which oppose the ministry of reconciliation.

To deepen the perspective with respect to Christ’s Church, it means that with the congregations in Christ, relieved of the burden of the Law of Moses, there are things analogous to Balaam’s inducements in the spiritual domain that cause a similar stumbling and a similar alienation from God and Christ.

The Nicolaitans is another metonym Christ uses to describe those who despise authority and engage in “the mystery of lawlessness,” antinomian in the extreme. Despising the words which the Jerusalem Council gave to Paul regarding “food sacrificed to demons” and “sexual immorality.” Here we have those who tickle the ears of the innocent with all manner of the tasty treats of Babylon which drive away Christians from their God and obedience to the Gospel. It is nothing for these false teachers — which Peter, Paul, John, Jame, and Jude warned the Church of Christ — to spread the teachings of demons, and foreign dalliances with the fallen daughters of Babylon, aka the religions of the world. In fact, Paul warned Timothy of those who would be misled by the teachings of demons. And Timothy was bishop of Ephesus at one point, and we see in that section that the Ephesian church hated the Nicolaitans. These lawless claimaints of Christ were actually antichrists who indulged in licentious behavior and imported all manner of Gnostic heresy from Egypt (Alexandria), Babylon, and Greece.

The Nicolaitans by the etymology of the term implies those who would conquer the people even if by subterfuge and false teaching, inserting any other as an intermediary between God and His people, whether angels, men of renown, or simply a lawless people themselves doing what is right in their own eyes. In fact, Paul taught (1 Timothy 2:5-6):

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

What now is the spiritual analogue of this story for our time? Are there strange and varied teachings people are drawn away to from the doctrine of Christ? Are there foreign wives or relationships that are adulterous in view of the exclusive marriage of Christ and His bride? Deceitful spirits and teachings of demons are plentiful in our days and they are the demise of the church, propagated by the wicked deceivers who would rule over the people in the name of fundamental evangelical doctrine.

But all that promotes self-glorification steals the glory from God and His Christ. All that mixes ear-tickling teachings from rebellious spirits draws people away from Christ and substitutes other saving ‘graces’ to the true Saving Grace of the blood of Christ.

Thus, all the people of all the churches, who search the scriptures for eternal life, have forgotten the words of Jesus to the Pharisees and Saducees, “But these bear witness of me.”

Anything other replaces Christ, with Torah keeping, with doing what is right in one’s own eyes, with blending all the worlds religions into one giant honey pot. All of it is anti — Gk. ‘in place of’ — Christos.

To talk about any leader, such as the former president of the United States, more than talking about Christ is literally anti-Christ. We have no hope in any other.

So there is no food for such ones, no manna, and especially no hidden manna.

Such is the qualification in the offer of this reward for one who conquers these anti-Christ teachings and ways of walking. To fail is to not avail of the offer — there will be no hidden manna.

To receive the true food of Heaven — Christ Himself (John 6:51) is the living manna from Heaven.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

This bread is spiritual food, even as He said “my words are Spirit and Life.” There is no covenant without a reciprocity. Jeremiah 31:31 that speaks of the New Covenant “and they will be my people,” discloses the other side of the marriage covenant.

Paul wrote about it as well, you cannot have other spouses, that is adultery. You cannot have the hidden manna, and the food of demons both.

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?      1 Cor. 10:17-22

So there is a caveat! The hidden manna, Christ Himself — participation in the altar, partaking of His flesh and blood, His Life — remains for those who renounce false prophecy, the teachings of demons, and marriage to more than one husband. That is the hidden manna of this very scripture. You must conquer as He says.

The Epitome of the Inner Message

Do not think you will find and absorb the hidden manna and be able to assimilate the True Life of Christ if you do not renounce the world, and your self, and pick up your cross and suffer with Him. Your self-glorification is verily your desolation!

All that allows you to block the knowledge of God is a fortress of your own making, built to prop up your pride in the old man, all that you are and all that you have done and all that you have become. But it is only an open grave. All those thoughts must become captive to the glory of God, that He has done it all (Eph. 1:11). It is the knowledge of God that is eternal Life (John 17:3) not knowledge of yourself. All of the New Age Babylonian teaching that tells you self-knowledge is salvation is simply a Lie! This is eternal Life, that you should know God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. John 17:3

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but are powerful in God to destroy strongholds. We are overthrowing speculations, and every high thing lifting itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive into the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.   2 Corinthians 10:4-6 – see Destroying Speculations

And it IS all about this disobedience to the Gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:10) which is cause for the fiery judgment to come. See also The Obedience of Faith

In light of this profound insight from Paul, we must realize that all of our speculation is done to lift itself up against the knowledge of God which is a Key to the Kingdom! We want to partake of this nature of Christ, we want to eat this manna, this true Life, His flesh, and yet we lift up ourselves in opposition to it.

It is not about flesh and blood, ours or any other. Flesh and blood is no avail as the Lord says. But His flesh and blood, His words and His Spirit are what we consume for Life. It gives us knowledge which is a Key to entering into the divine nature!!!

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.     2 Peter 1:3-4

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Give up the false foods of the powers of the world forces of darkness. Forswear and forsake speculation and foreign entanglements with any of the daughters of Babylon — that is, any of the religions of the world. Cleave only to the way, the truth, and the life.

Otherwise, what is the point and what is the blessing of hearing this Last Will and Testament of Christ Jesus? What is written there and why is it written? It is a love letter from the Lord to make sure His Faithful Ones do not lose their crown, or have their names removed from the Book of Life. As the scroll opens:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He signified it by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. Revelation 1:1-3

The message to the churches reveals what things Jesus would like us to do, to observe what He desires, to know the defects in the Church (His body) and what must be done to overcome them, so that every member may inherit the Kingdom of God, which is coming quickly.

In this instance, there is hidden teaching and hidden life, or manna, as there is in every word of scripture. If the disciple is truly seeking to follow the Lord, then He will forsake all others to be with Christ and be like Christ. He and She will renounce the false foods of Babylon (cf. Daniel 1:8), and will renounce flirtations with other husbands apart from the Bridegroom, Christ Jesus Himself. Forsaking all others, the true disciple will truly honor the the First Commandment and remain faithful to Him alone.

This keeping of the marriage covenant in Christ’s blood will open up the inner Life and the Hidden Manna of the Life of Christ.

If we gather now, on the 6th day, we may truly rest on the Sabbath in the Kingdom, and we will have all that we need to live on of His flesh until the aeon of the aons. In the 7th day we can cease from all striving for our Life in Word will be established complete.

But if we don’t, there will be no Peace. He will come and wage war with the Sword of His Mouth – the Word of God, sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12). That Word will destroy the towers and they will fall as Isaiah and the other prophets proclaimed. Under the Law of Moses, adultery brought with it a sentence of death. And here the unfaithfulness brings about War and the destruction of the old self. If you cannot put the old man to death, then The Word of God will come and war against him.

There will be no white stone with a new name, like Jacob received the name of Israel. The white stone would be the sign of approval and admittance to the kingdom, just as the black stone would symbolize destruction. With the white stone and the new name, a whole new world will open up and the inner manna of every word of scripture will be accessible and he or she will live off of every word as food for the spiritual life in Christ. And growing into that life, such a one will have the knowledge of God and Christ that is eternal Life (John 17:3).

We offer this spiritual food in humility knowing that this treatment is just a bare sketch of all that lies in the fathomless deep of this teaching of Christ. But it is offered in love with the hope that it will provide at the very least a little bread for the journey.

In days to come we will similarly unveil the remaining messages of the Spirit to the Churches, along with a fuller  disclosure of the things which Jesus signified to His servant John.