In our own personal study Revelation chapters 2 and 3, we are seeing many exciting things as the Lord opens our understanding of the hidden manna found in the Word of scripture.
What follows we submit for your consideration, and edification.
When the truth is shown, it becomes simple and obvious. Maybe I am only saying something here that is already known of you. I know we were puzzled for many years by some of the sayings to the churches.
The 7 churches are also a microcosm of the churches on earth now and during the 7 years of the Tribulation. If you will read this with your Bible open so you can look at the context, the following verses will come alive in a fresh way.
Hidden Manna, a White Stone, and a New Name
Rev. 2: 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
What the Spirit saith:
God has hidden in His Word Holy Spirit-taught revelation.: Jn 14:26 "But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, "
and again,
1Jn2:27 And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him.
The truth is hidden from carnal eyes and understanding. Those who see only the "letter" of the Word and do not see what the Spirit says, and will be blind to revealed truth. The religious leadership of Jesus' day were declared spiritualy blind by the Lord, and so were those who put their trust in them.
This is what the Holy Spirit taught from this passage.
To him that overcometh:
What must they "overcome" to eat of the "hidden manna", i.e. the hidden Word of Truth?
According to other passages such as Rev. 18:4, God's people must separate from the apostate system that calls itself Christian and is headed by "false apostles" (i.e. 'messengers'),
the Nicolaitane error (false church government which is the clergy over the laity rulership),
and the the married-to-the-world Balaam ministry that sold itself for hire, as given in previous verses in
Revelation 2: 2,6,14 , and other places such as 2Peter 3:2-3 and in Jude.
We must overcome the ministry of the Nicolaitanes, and Jezebel, i.e., the manipulating-controlling leaderdership that asserts carnal authority over God's people as did the pharisees and clergy of Jesus' day.
As we overcome the typical church doctrines, creeds, statements of faith, and belief systems of our fathers traditions, then can God open our eyes to behold "what the Spirit saith to the churches". As long as we look at the scripture through the "lenses" of past traditions learned in church,our spiritual vision will be obscurred. |
When you overcome the Nicolaite error/ doctrine that Jesus said He "hates", you are on your way to understanding God's Word as the Holy Spirit teaches.
Galatians 1:12 For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
A personal example of this was the question i had regard "the deeds of the Nicolaitanes which I hate" in Rev. 2:15. For 24 years I always wondered what that was. After all, if Jesus "hated" it, I certainly did not want to be doing that! But what was it?
No one could tell me and I never heard anyone teach on that. Then one day the Lord had me read Revelation 2 and when I came to the "Nicolaitane error", I pondered again what it meant. Suddenly the Lord imparted great understanding and I saw it revealed. The Nicolaitanes were all through the scriptures! They persecuted Jesus, king Saul was an early prototype, Diotrephes in 3John was one, Paul warned of them in Acts 20. It all fell into place and also the fact that the most common form of wrong church government is the Nicolaitane error. This was all revealed from the Lord in a minute.
A white stone:
What do they that eat of that "hidden manna" receive?
Nothing less than the "white stone", i.e. the pure Jesus:
"The Stone that the builders rejected who is become the Head of the corner". Acts 4:11
This is the stone which was set at nought of you (apostate) builders, which is become the head of the corner."
-Indeed, set at nought by the builders then, and now, who substituted their version of Jesus as they built their churches, organizations, and personal ministries.
The pure Jesus is not the denominational, sectarian church version which includes unscriptural terms such as "trinity", "Oneness", "second Person", "purgatory", "mass", and presented by titled church officials like "Reverend", "Pastor", "Apostle", "Rabbi", and a dozen other titles worn by men and women in the church.
How can we say that?
Jesus IS the Word and when you look at the "Not In Scripture List" on our home page, you will see some of what has been substituted for the pure Word ("another Jesus", i.e. another "Word")
a NEW name written:
The "new name" IS the Pure Jesus (the white stone) of the "hidden manna" of the Word of God. Can "another Jesus slip in through the church door?
2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached.
Thus not every "Jesus" preached is The "White Stone" Jesus that Paul preached and the writer John knew! It is only after purging out the error and additions of "the seed of men" can we begin to see the pure unleavened Jesus of the scripture.
How do you get that?
When we "renounce all that you have" in order to become a disciple, as Jesus commanded in Luke 14:33, it even includes our doctrine. This is part of our becoming empty of ourselves in surrendering "all" that we have and believe in order for the Lord to renew our minds in His Word.
EVERY unscriptural word must be cast out of our belief. Every formula, every manmade list, creed, and statement. Just believe the Word even when you do not understand it and what you do understand from the Lord, walk in it and do what He told us.
which no one *knoweth but he that receiveth it.:
What an awesome revelation to recognize the Pure Jesus of the Hidden Manna one may receive after overcoming the Nicolaitane error and the preach-for-reward ministry!
The new name that only the overcomers have and know is the nature, character, and authority of an unleavened Jesus.
Knowing the "new name", in truth, cannot be learned from books or a man, it can only be imparted by the Spirit of God.
Men may teach and repeat their ideas, but the Lord God is the One who gives revelation.
*knoweth: (G1097 γινωìσκω ginōskō ghin-oce'-ko A prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely), in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as shown at left, with others not thus clearly expressed): - allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.)
