📢 Forum Update - Hello everyone! I've made an improvement to the forum that should make following active discussions much easier. Beginning today, forum topics will display the most recent replies first (while keeping the original topic post at the top), so you no longer have to navigate through multiple pages to find the latest conversation. This change also helps improve the browsing experience in long-running discussions with many pages of replies. If you notice anything that doesn't seem to be working correctly or have any feedback, please let me know. — Richard G. My moniker here, "MyWhiteStone," was drawn from Revelation 2:17 back in August 2011 when I wanted to join RITA Now. That verse promises Jesus will give each of us a new name: “…To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.“ There are two mysteries. Unique names set in stone, and a hidden form of daily sustenance. Regarding the white stone, I presume Jesus has created the full and detailed essence and individuality of each of us, and has already created a unique name fitting each of us individually. Complete with divine encryption, since we are each unique. The intimacy you even now share one-on-one with Jesus alone, I assume will even bear every minor nuance between you which only you and your Creator will share forever. All other individuals would share their own unique private nuanced relationship with Him, and all this being encoded within the person's own new unique white stone name. If this sounds too fantastic or unlikely for our resurrected states, just consider the complexity already encoded into a single physical, lowly, perishable human DNA molecule. Moreover, I believe the nuances in relationships are not contained in our physical existence, but are rather fully contained within our soul and spirit. We will at that time be inseparable as body/soul/spirit, and perhaps that white stone might not be a completely physical one held in our hand or stored, but rather become an integral and unchangeable "in-stone" aspect of our body/soul/spirit. That wild thought aside, Revelation 2:17 contains the other mystery -- the part about Hidden Manna. “What is it?" is literally what the word “Manna” means. I suspect that this “hidden manna” may be identical or at least akin to what Jesus described to the disciples in John 4 when they encouraged Him to eat something, i.e., after He had finished relating to the woman at the well. Jesus responded to them, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of. … My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” I expect we will each be uniquely equipped to perform certain ministerial tasks for Jesus which are precisely suited to our gifts, and which might even draw upon our unique experiences and recollections down here and now. We will for the first 1,000 years be co-regents with Christ Jesus, in ministry to earthly mortals. In that context I presume that for some of these tasks we will require sustenance, even Jesus did, and so I expect we might need to draw from our given supply of hidden manna in order to complete our work in that environment. Or perhaps Hidden Manna is what we can expect to sustain our glorified bodies forever, anywhere in the Universe. Just my thoughts. What do you suppose? That cartoon certainly hits a disturbing nerve. How sad that so many have "outgrown" the things of God. And by outgrown I mean we all truly think way too much of ourselves, don't we?! What does the Lord require of us except that we do justly and walk humbly with Him! Not only must He increase and we decrease! He will only increase in the measure that we decrease or pour ourselves out! A full vessel cannot be filled! TR Well .. I have high expectations the heavenly banquet meal will not be dishes of various bugs! But “if” it morphs into the main course .... I’m positive the majority of the church folks will be filling up on loaves of warm bread and butter and drinking lots of wine and waiting for dessert. Keeping my fingers cross that won’t turn into ... “mice meat”pie ... But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Again I believe that hidden manna will private lessons from the Lord for our personal growth! He and I will have a name that none other will know. All very personal and dedicated! TR Food is such a cultural experience. When we receive our glorified bodies all of our prejudices will be nullified. Locust may be highly regarded in Heaven, who knows. No matter, once we are there we will not care as it will all be beyond what we are capable of imagining. I don't know what name will be on my white stone but I hope it's something quite different from my given name here. I recall that in one of my high school English classes I was called "John 3" because there were six Johns in the class. Even Yohanan means John and since John the Baptist will hold a much higher office than I will I know never to answer when I hear the Lord call for John 😉 Hidden manna has always been intriguing to me but I believe it will somehow be connected with Jesus, as He is our Manna. Hidden from the world, yet revealed to those who believe.
