The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Eighteen - N Apr 26, 2020 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T011_20200426.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 2:17a “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat…… We will continue today to look at the overcomes' promises from Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday April 26th 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 18N ‘I Know Your Works….’ 1). Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Re 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. We are engaged in the great contest of the age. A contest involving the rulers of the darkness of this age, the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. A contest involving a land and an inheritance. A contest involving our soul/life itself for the age to come. a). And for those who are victorious in this great contest, for those who will overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil, they ‘shall inherit all things’, and they will be the sons of God – the new order of rulers in the Millennial Kingdom who will enter through the gate into the city and eat from the tree of life. b). To be victorious in the contest though, as we see from the verses in Ephesians Chapter 6, cannot be achieved in our own strength, but by being ‘strong in the Lord and in the power of His might’, by putting on ‘the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil’, as he seeks our overthrow. c). And as we compare Scripture with Scripture, we find that the power of God in which our protection is found, works on our behalf to this end solely in response to our faith to the saving of the soul – 1 Pe 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The power of God then works through our faith and keeps us, literally garrisons us, providing us with the whole armor of God against the wiles of the Devil, so that the salvation to be revealed in the last time, life for the age to come, will be ours. d). And in this we can find the same truth found in – Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The shield of faith from Ephesians is the faith that enacts God’s protection for us from 1 Peter. It is the power and strength of God that will protect us from our enemy as he orchestrates the world and the flesh against us. e). And it is with a view to being victorious in this great contest that Jude exhorts us – Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly [strive with every muscle] for [in the contest of] the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. This is the same exhortation to victory that Paul gave to Timothy – 1 Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight [strive with every muscle in the good contest] of [the] faith, lay hold on life [for the age], to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. And the good contest of the faith is synonymous with the race of the faith that we are familiar with in – 1 Co 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. How should we run the race of the faith in such a way that we may obtain the prize? Simply, by striving with every muscle in the good contest of the faith as we have been exhorted to do so that the power of God will protect us against our enemy. And if we do so, an imperishable crown connected to an incorruptible inheritance awaits us. A crown of rulership that can only be worn by a firstborn son of God, the same crown that Paul confidently looked to possess – 2 Ti 4:7 I have fought [strived with every muscle in] the good [the good contest (of the faith)] fight, I have finished the race [the contest], I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. And the reason Jude exhorted his audience to strive with every muscle in the good contest of the faith is the same reason Paul exhorted Timothy to fight the good fight, the same reason that Paul had done the same – the Devil, as the great orchestrator has been marshaling the world, all that is contained in his kingdom, and the flesh, that part of every Christian that still has connection with his kingdom through the first birth, against those who would have faith to the saving of the soul. To draw them away into apostasy – 2 Ti 4:10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, 1 Ti 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Jude 1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Re 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. And it is within the context of the outworking of the apostasy from the faith, at a time when the leaven placed in the 3 measures of meal has almost completed its destructive work, that we find ourselves. f). A time described in the Revelation through reference to the presence of 3 false doctrines within the Church – Re 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Re 2:20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. The doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and the doctrine of Jezebel we have covered in some detail in previous studies, and what is contained in them can be readily equated with the onslaught of the world and the flesh orchestrated by the Devil. The 3 great enemies. g). And as we consider these false doctrines it is not profitable for us to look at the various ‘flavors’ of Christianity that surround us to point to examples of these doctrines in action. It is best for us to leave that to the Lord – Ro 14:4 Who are you to judge another's servant? Rather than doing this, knowing the pervasiveness of false teaching and the insidious encroachment of the world, manipulated by the ‘spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places’ to be used against us in the spiritual warfare, let’s look to ourselves to make sure that we are governing our own lives in such a way that the power of God is working to protect us so that we may be victorious in the good contest of the faith, as we strive with every muscle to walk the path of faith illuminated by the Word. 1 Jn 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Ro 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 1 Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. Here then is how our victory will be won over the world, the flesh and the Devil. And it is just as we have already seen; it is through striving with every muscle with respect to our faith to the saving of the soul so that God’s protection will garrison us – 2 Ti 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. And we know what is the only way we can please the One who enlisted us as a soldier in the good contest of the faith – Heb 11:6 But without faith [to the saving of the soul] it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And it is our faith to the saving of the soul that we come to once again. i). And an integral part of our faith, which also serves to encourage and inspire us in the good contest as we strive with every muscle, are the promises given to those who will overcome recorded in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. j). Not only then is it impossible to please God apart from having faith to the saving of the soul, but we must also believe that He will reward [Lit. He will pay what is due] to those who through faith will diligently seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness thereby overcoming the world, the flesh and the Devil. 2). Re 2:17a “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat…… The promise to the overcomers from the church in Pergamos, the church that held the doctrine of Balaam and that of the Nicolaitans, is twofold. The Lord will give them ‘some of the hidden manna to eat’, and a white stone on which a new name will be written. a). The hidden manna can be seen to parallel the tree of life – providing that necessary for the overcomer to fulfill their rulership role in the Kingdom. b). Whereas the tree of life will supply the wisdom and understanding needed to rule with righteousness and justice, the hidden manna will supply something slightly different. c). If we go back to the first appearance of the manna, we will remember that it was God’s Divine provision for the Children of Israel to sustain and nourish them as they made their journey from Egypt to the land of their inheritance. And some of the manna that was given to them they were commanded to keep in a golden pot in the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies – Heb 9:3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. The manna kept in the golden pot in the ark of the covenant was hidden from Israel and therefore not part of what was necessary for their journey. But the manna kept there was known by and seen by God. And this would form the type for us for what we see in Revelation 2:17. d). In the same way that God provided manna for the Children of Israel on their journey, He has also provided ‘manna’ for us, for our journey to the land of our inheritance, through ‘the Bread of Life’ as we eat His flesh and drink His blood by receiving the implanted Word, by being continually filled with the Spirit. And as with Israel, the Bread of Life, the Word of God which became flesh, provides all that we need to sustain us spiritually on our journey so that we may engage in and be victorious in the great contest of the faith – Eph 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;. For Israel, the Divinely provided manna for their journey didn’t continue indefinitely – Jos 5:1 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year. We see then that once Israel had reached the land of their inheritance the manna provided for their journey was no longer necessary. Instead of the manna, they ‘ate the food of the land of Canaan that year’. f). As with Israel, the ‘manna’ provided for us is to give us the spiritual sustenance necessary to be victorious in the good contest of the faith, to feed our new man, the man of the spirit, so that we may overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil. It provides everything we could possibly need. g). But once we have attained the land of our inheritance through being found faithful at the Judgment Seat, then the provision necessary to get there will no longer be needed. At this point God’s protection would no longer be relevant in the way it had previously been. And this is where the hidden manna will then come into view. At the moment this ‘manna’ is hidden from us but is known by and visible to God. And in our spiritual bodies, in the image and likeness of God, we will then be given the manna which is presently hidden, to provide all we will need to sustain us as we exercise rulership with Christ in righteousness and justice in the age to come. Lk 24:40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence. The Lord on the day of His resurrection, in His resurrection, Spirit animated body, ate a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. As we read this account, what we cannot know is whether in His Spiritual body He needed to eat, or whether this was a way of demonstrating to His Disciples that what they were seeing was the same body that had experienced physical death. h). And in the same way, we don’t know whether our Spirit animated body will need physical food and/or Spiritual sustenance in order to fulfill our rulership role because we don’t know what the exercise of rulership will entail. But we do know that God has already prepared the hidden manna for us, hidden manna that He will give to us along with eating from the tree of life so that we will be completely equipped in the most thorough way possible with everything necessary to rule the nations with a rod of iron. And this we must believe. 3). Re 2:17b And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’ In the time when the Book of the Revelation was written, a white stone was given to someone who had been charged with a crime but was subsequently acquitted. The white stone then was a symbol of their innocence, a symbol that they had been found justified. a). And we can readily take this practice and see how it is used in relation to the events at the Judgment Seat. Now at the Judgment Seat we do not need to see a charge being brought against us, although it may be that the accuser of the brethren will accuse us of unfaithfulness. Whichever way it is, following our works being tested by fire, the Christian with works of faithfulness remaining will be justified, will be innocent of disregarding God’s regal purpose for his salvation and will be given a white stone. The white stone then will be the symbol signifying the salvation of the soul and adoption as a firstborn son. This is one part of the white stone picture. b). Again, in the time when the Book of the Revelation was written, a white stone was also given to someone who had been victorious in a contest or a battle, showing them to have been victorious. And such a practice fits perfectly into the experience of those who will be overcomers. They will have been victorious in the good contest of the faith and by the same token will have been victorious in the spiritual warfare. Both of which will result in that Christian being elevated to royal status, as a crowned ruler in the Kingdom. c). Following the events of the Judgment Seat then, the possession of a white stone will be a prize of extraordinary value. d). And on the white stone the overcoming Christian will have a new name written, the name by which he will be known, as a ruler in the Kingdom. And to see this in a type we can go again to Genesis – Ge 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah. Joseph here forms a dual type. He is both a type of Christ and also a type of the faithful Christian, who, like Joseph, will be elevated from a place of humility to a place of exaltation, from a place of service to a place of rulership, from a place of obscurity to be a joint heir with Christ. e). And as Joseph was given Pharaoh’s own signet ring and a gold chain and garments of fine linen, so the overcoming Christian will be given the white stone from the hand of Christ and will be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. f). And just as Joseph was known by Pharaoh as Zaphnath-Paaneah as he ruled over Egypt, so the overcoming Christian will be known by Christ by his new name as he rules over the earth. Re 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. Re 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This is what awaits us all if we will strive with every muscle in the good contest of the faith, if we will through our faith overcome the world and the flesh and the Devil. What could the world or our flesh possibly offer that can compare with that which God has prepared for those who love Him? Ro 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. More next time – if the Lord is willing. The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Eighteen - N Apr 26, 2020 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T011_20200426.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 2:17a “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat…… We will continue today to look at the overcomes' promises from Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday April 26th 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 18N ‘I Know Your Works….’ 1). Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Re 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. We are engaged in the great contest of the age. A contest involving the rulers of the darkness of this age, the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. A contest involving a land and an inheritance. A contest involving our soul/life itself for the age to come. a). And for those who are victorious in this great contest, for those who will overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil, they ‘shall inherit all things’, and they will be the sons of God – the new order of rulers in the Millennial Kingdom who will enter through the gate into the city and eat from the tree of life. b). To be victorious in the contest though, as we see from the verses in Ephesians Chapter 6, cannot be achieved in our own strength, but by being ‘strong in the Lord and in the power of His might’, by putting on ‘the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil’, as he seeks our overthrow. c). And as we compare Scripture with Scripture, we find that the power of God in which our protection is found, works on our behalf to this end solely in response to our faith to the saving of the soul – 1 Pe 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The power of God then works through our faith and keeps us, literally garrisons us, providing us with the whole armor of God against the wiles of the Devil, so that the salvation to be revealed in the last time, life for the age to come, will be ours. d). And in this we can find the same truth found in – Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The shield of faith from Ephesians is the faith that enacts God’s protection for us from 1 Peter. It is the power and strength of God that will protect us from our enemy as he orchestrates the world and the flesh against us. e). And it is with a view to being victorious in this great contest that Jude exhorts us – Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly [strive with every muscle] for [in the contest of] the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. This is the same exhortation to victory that Paul gave to Timothy – 1 Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight [strive with every muscle in the good contest] of [the] faith, lay hold on life [for the age], to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. And the good contest of the faith is synonymous with the race of the faith that we are familiar with in – 1 Co 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. How should we run the race of the faith in such a way that we may obtain the prize? Simply, by striving with every muscle in the good contest of the faith as we have been exhorted to do so that the power of God will protect us against our enemy. And if we do so, an imperishable crown connected to an incorruptible inheritance awaits us. A crown of rulership that can only be worn by a firstborn son of God, the same crown that Paul confidently looked to possess – 2 Ti 4:7 I have fought [strived with every muscle in] the good [the good contest (of the faith)] fight, I have finished the race [the contest], I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. And the reason Jude exhorted his audience to strive with every muscle in the good contest of the faith is the same reason Paul exhorted Timothy to fight the good fight, the same reason that Paul had done the same – the Devil, as the great orchestrator has been marshaling the world, all that is contained in his kingdom, and the flesh, that part of every Christian that still has connection with his kingdom through the first birth, against those who would have faith to the saving of the soul. To draw them away into apostasy – 2 Ti 4:10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, 1 Ti 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Jude 1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Re 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. And it is within the context of the outworking of the apostasy from the faith, at a time when the leaven placed in the 3 measures of meal has almost completed its destructive work, that we find ourselves. f). A time described in the Revelation through reference to the presence of 3 false doctrines within the Church – Re 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Re 2:20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. The doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and the doctrine of Jezebel we have covered in some detail in previous studies, and what is contained in them can be readily equated with the onslaught of the world and the flesh orchestrated by the Devil. The 3 great enemies. g). And as we consider these false doctrines it is not profitable for us to look at the various ‘flavors’ of Christianity that surround us to point to examples of these doctrines in action. It is best for us to leave that to the Lord – Ro 14:4 Who are you to judge another's servant? Rather than doing this, knowing the pervasiveness of false teaching and the insidious encroachment of the world, manipulated by the ‘spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places’ to be used against us in the spiritual warfare, let’s look to ourselves to make sure that we are governing our own lives in such a way that the power of God is working to protect us so that we may be victorious in the good contest of the faith, as we strive with every muscle to walk the path of faith illuminated by the Word. 1 Jn 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Ro 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 1 Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. Here then is how our victory will be won over the world, the flesh and the Devil. And it is just as we have already seen; it is through striving with every muscle with respect to our faith to the saving of the soul so that God’s protection will garrison us – 2 Ti 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. And we know what is the only way we can please the One who enlisted us as a soldier in the good contest of the faith – Heb 11:6 But without faith [to the saving of the soul] it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And it is our faith to the saving of the soul that we come to once again. i). And an integral part of our faith, which also serves to encourage and inspire us in the good contest as we strive with every muscle, are the promises given to those who will overcome recorded in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. j). Not only then is it impossible to please God apart from having faith to the saving of the soul, but we must also believe that He will reward [Lit. He will pay what is due] to those who through faith will diligently seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness thereby overcoming the world, the flesh and the Devil. 2). Re 2:17a “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat…… The promise to the overcomers from the church in Pergamos, the church that held the doctrine of Balaam and that of the Nicolaitans, is twofold. The Lord will give them ‘some of the hidden manna to eat’, and a white stone on which a new name will be written. a). The hidden manna can be seen to parallel the tree of life – providing that necessary for the overcomer to fulfill their rulership role in the Kingdom. b). Whereas the tree of life will supply the wisdom and understanding needed to rule with righteousness and justice, the hidden manna will supply something slightly different. c). If we go back to the first appearance of the manna, we will remember that it was God’s Divine provision for the Children of Israel to sustain and nourish them as they made their journey from Egypt to the land of their inheritance. And some of the manna that was given to them they were commanded to keep in a golden pot in the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies – Heb 9:3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. The manna kept in the golden pot in the ark of the covenant was hidden from Israel and therefore not part of what was necessary for their journey. But the manna kept there was known by and seen by God. And this would form the type for us for what we see in Revelation 2:17. d). In the same way that God provided manna for the Children of Israel on their journey, He has also provided ‘manna’ for us, for our journey to the land of our inheritance, through ‘the Bread of Life’ as we eat His flesh and drink His blood by receiving the implanted Word, by being continually filled with the Spirit. And as with Israel, the Bread of Life, the Word of God which became flesh, provides all that we need to sustain us spiritually on our journey so that we may engage in and be victorious in the great contest of the faith – Eph 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;. For Israel, the Divinely provided manna for their journey didn’t continue indefinitely – Jos 5:1 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year. We see then that once Israel had reached the land of their inheritance the manna provided for their journey was no longer necessary. Instead of the manna, they ‘ate the food of the land of Canaan that year’. f). As with Israel, the ‘manna’ provided for us is to give us the spiritual sustenance necessary to be victorious in the good contest of the faith, to feed our new man, the man of the spirit, so that we may overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil. It provides everything we could possibly need. g). But once we have attained the land of our inheritance through being found faithful at the Judgment Seat, then the provision necessary to get there will no longer be needed. At this point God’s protection would no longer be relevant in the way it had previously been. And this is where the hidden manna will then come into view. At the moment this ‘manna’ is hidden from us but is known by and visible to God. And in our spiritual bodies, in the image and likeness of God, we will then be given the manna which is presently hidden, to provide all we will need to sustain us as we exercise rulership with Christ in righteousness and justice in the age to come. Lk 24:40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence. The Lord on the day of His resurrection, in His resurrection, Spirit animated body, ate a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. As we read this account, what we cannot know is whether in His Spiritual body He needed to eat, or whether this was a way of demonstrating to His Disciples that what they were seeing was the same body that had experienced physical death. h). And in the same way, we don’t know whether our Spirit animated body will need physical food and/or Spiritual sustenance in order to fulfill our rulership role because we don’t know what the exercise of rulership will entail. But we do know that God has already prepared the hidden manna for us, hidden manna that He will give to us along with eating from the tree of life so that we will be completely equipped in the most thorough way possible with everything necessary to rule the nations with a rod of iron. And this we must believe. 3). Re 2:17b And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’ In the time when the Book of the Revelation was written, a white stone was given to someone who had been charged with a crime but was subsequently acquitted. The white stone then was a symbol of their innocence, a symbol that they had been found justified. a). And we can readily take this practice and see how it is used in relation to the events at the Judgment Seat. Now at the Judgment Seat we do not need to see a charge being brought against us, although it may be that the accuser of the brethren will accuse us of unfaithfulness. Whichever way it is, following our works being tested by fire, the Christian with works of faithfulness remaining will be justified, will be innocent of disregarding God’s regal purpose for his salvation and will be given a white stone. The white stone then will be the symbol signifying the salvation of the soul and adoption as a firstborn son. This is one part of the white stone picture. b). Again, in the time when the Book of the Revelation was written, a white stone was also given to someone who had been victorious in a contest or a battle, showing them to have been victorious. And such a practice fits perfectly into the experience of those who will be overcomers. They will have been victorious in the good contest of the faith and by the same token will have been victorious in the spiritual warfare. Both of which will result in that Christian being elevated to royal status, as a crowned ruler in the Kingdom. c). Following the events of the Judgment Seat then, the possession of a white stone will be a prize of extraordinary value. d). And on the white stone the overcoming Christian will have a new name written, the name by which he will be known, as a ruler in the Kingdom. And to see this in a type we can go again to Genesis – Ge 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah. Joseph here forms a dual type. He is both a type of Christ and also a type of the faithful Christian, who, like Joseph, will be elevated from a place of humility to a place of exaltation, from a place of service to a place of rulership, from a place of obscurity to be a joint heir with Christ. e). And as Joseph was given Pharaoh’s own signet ring and a gold chain and garments of fine linen, so the overcoming Christian will be given the white stone from the hand of Christ and will be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. f). And just as Joseph was known by Pharaoh as Zaphnath-Paaneah as he ruled over Egypt, so the overcoming Christian will be known by Christ by his new name as he rules over the earth. Re 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. Re 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This is what awaits us all if we will strive with every muscle in the good contest of the faith, if we will through our faith overcome the world and the flesh and the Devil. What could the world or our flesh possibly offer that can compare with that which God has prepared for those who love Him? Ro 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. More next time – if the Lord is willing.