GIFTS FOR THE VICTORS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Revelation 2:17

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I watching a football game the other night and the cameras flashed to someone attending the game who was allowed field access. This person just so happened to be an American athlete who competed in the Summer Olympics this year in Paris and won a gold medal, the medal traditionally given to the first place finisher in the event. This prize earned by the athlete had major significance because it showed that they had triumphed and gained a reward for their victory.

This imagery lends itself to the closing words of Jesus’ letter to the church in Pergamum, the third letter of its type found in the second chapter of the Book of Revelation, preceded by ones to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna.

Prior to the verse we will be looking at today, you will recall that this letter had good news and bad news from Jesus to the Pergamum Christians.

The good news was that they were remaining true to His name, not renouncing their faith in Him despite being in a place where persecution was running rampant, a place where Jesus said Satan lived and had his throne established.

And as we saw in yesterday’s message, the bad news was that there were some within the church who were holding to pagan beliefs and teachings similar to the sinful Old Testament prophet Balaam and the Nicolaitans, an influential ungodly group in first century A.D. If the Pergamum believers didn’t repent and turn back to Him, Jesus promised to come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth (verse 16).

This brings us to verse 17 and our text for today as Jesus shifts His words toward those who are victorious, those who placed their belief in Him as Savior and gifts He would ensure they have. Let’s look again at His words here:

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Here, we find Jesus sending a message that applied to all the churches and we can broadly apply this to Him speaking to the church today as well. This message makes a promise and we know Jesus has never broken a promise nor is He capable of doing so as He is perfectly honest and true in every way. This assurance is centered on two gifts for the victors and let’s look at each of them now.

1. The hidden manna.

The first clue to what Jesus is talking about here is the physical manna that His Father God sent to the Israelites as they traveled from their deliverance from Egypt to the Promised Land. We read about this in chapter 16 of the Book of Exodus as God sent “bread from Heaven” six days of the week to ensure they were fed and able to finish their journey to Canaan.

So how does this manna relate to Jesus?

We find the answer in the Gospel of John and one of the seven “I am” statements made by our Savior.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from Heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the Bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” John 6:32-35

Here we find the concept of manna, the bread from Heaven, being applied to a spiritual truth. For just as sure as the manna sustained the Israelites across their long journey to God’s Promised Land of Canaan so too does Jesus, the true Bread of Heaven sent by God the Father, the Bread of life, sustain ever single person who places their belief and faith in Him for salvation, those who are counted among the victorious. He and He alone is the One who can get someone to the eternal promised Kingdom of Heaven and a life forever with God (John 14:6).

2. The white stone with the believer’s name written on it.

The meaning of this gift is less clear but the larger belief is that it is derived from athletic games that the Romans were so famous for. During those competitions, when someone won a particular event, the victor would receive a white stone with their name written on it and it was that stone which served as the proof of victory needed to get into the grand celebration and banquet thrown for all the winners.  

Like the manna prior, the white stone with the believer’s name written on it is a metaphor for what awaits the Christian when Jesus returns. For it’s then that we know the Book of Life will be checked to see the names that are written in it and only those will gain access to the ultimate victory party, the everlasting splendor and glory of the Kingdom of Heaven that every believer will call home.

Today and every day, let us remember this single verse, a verse which reminds us that through Jesus Christ, we have guaranteed gifts as victors over sin, death, and the grave, all because of our belief in Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.