Legend has it that when the famous frontiersman Davy Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1827, a newspaper reporter asked him if he’d ever been lost. Crockett had grown up in the woods and wilderness of middle and western Tennessee and was often gone out on hunting trips for weeks at a time.
Crockett thought about the question for a moment and said, “Nope, I’ve never been lost. I have been a might bewildered for a week or two, but I’ve never been lost.”
I’ve been somewhat bewildered for the last three or four weeks, trying to make sense out of this morning’s text in the book of Revelation. But with the LORD’s help I think I’ve found my way to a fairly clear understanding of what it is all about. Please open your Bible to Revelation 2.
17 “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. 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.” ’
Jesus promised two rewards to the believers at Pergamos who refuse to compromise with the world but insist on living for Him. The first reward is the hidden manna.
I. Jesus rewards Overcomers with hidden manna.
A. The history of the hidden manna
When the Israelites were wandering through the desert on their way to the Promised Land, God fed them with manna, a miraculous food that fell on the ground every evening. Moses placed a small jar of manna in the Ark of the Covenant to commemorate God’s faithful provision to His people. Centuries later, according to tradition, the prophet Jeremiah hid the Ark in a cave when Jerusalem was invaded by Nebuchadnezzar’s army. The Ark was never recovered; to this day no one knows what became of it.
Over the years the Jews developed a legend based on hope. In the apocryphal books you will find evidence of this legend which states that Israel would once again eat manna when the Messiah arrived to establish His Kingdom.
So to a first century Jew, “eating the hidden manna” was synonymous with the lavish blessings and sumptuous fare that would characterize the Messiah’s Kingdom.
The Old Testament prophets do tell us that in the restoration the desert will become lush. Streams will flow in the desert and abundant produce will literally spring from the ground. Grape vines will bear so much fruit that it will seem as if the mountains themselves are oozing wine.
B. The meaning of the hidden manna
When Jesus promised that the faithful believers would eat the hidden manna, He is probably drawing on this Jewish legend and on the Old Testament prophets to offer the promise of a lavish banquet with sumptuous fare, along with the rich fellowship that friends share at such a great feast.
Remember, the believers in Pergamos were being pressured to compromise their faith. Part of the compromise was to participate in the feasts dedicated to the pagan gods. Jesus promised that if they refused to compromise, they would be invited to a greater feast in His Kingdom.
II. Jesus rewards Overcomers with a white stone.
Jesus also promised that faithful believers will be given a white stone with a new name inscribed on it.
A. The white stone is difficult to interpret.
The white stone is the most obscure figure in the New Testament. After three weeks of poring over ancient manuscripts, reading dozens of commentaries and journal articles, consulting with archaeologists, and evaluating over a dozen proposed interpretations, I’ve concluded that the white stone represents admission to a feast. Let me explain.
In the ancient world small, smooth stones were used for a wide variety of purposes. Polished black and white stones were used to cast votes in elections and jury trials. Small stones engraved with the secret name of a god were carried as amulets that protected the owner. Wealthy benefactors and government agents gave engraved stones that entitled the bearer to food, money from the public treasury, or admission to sporting events and concerts.
Of special interest are the engraved stones awarded to victorious athletes and gladiators. The stones granted privileges, including free admission to feasts. Common folk were given small stones as engraved invitations to participate in pagan feasts celebrated in honor of the gods.
My theory is that the white stone which Jesus will award to the Overcomers will be used to gain admission to a special feast that will be held in his honor. But what feast would that be? Does the Bible mention anything about a special feast that will be held in honor of the LORD Jesus?
B. Background information: the wedding feast
Indeed, there are two passages that mention just such a feast. As it turns out, these two passages indicate that the feast isn’t open to all believers, only those who have been invited and hold the white stone.
Let’s take a few minutes to gather some background information that will shed further light on the meaning of the white stone. We’re going to be looking at Revelation 19:7-8 and Matthew 22:1-14, so please locate both of those passages in your Bible.
Rev 19:7-8 tells of a great feast that lies in our future. It is known as the marriage feast of the Lamb.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ”
The world is called to rejoice and be glad. The long awaited moment has finally arrived. The Bride has finished her preparations. The Bridegroom has arrived. At last Jesus and the Church are united, face-to-face.
But not all believers will be welcome at the festival. In fact, some believers will be excluded from this feast! Jesus conveyed that sobering fact when he foretold of this feast in the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14.
The first four verses tell us that everyone is invited.
1. Everyone is invited to the wedding feast
1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’
a) The Jews refused Jesus’ invitation
The parable describes the King of Heaven preparing a great wedding for His Son. He invites his subjects to join the festivities. Within the setting of the parable this is an invitation is for Israel to embrace Jesus as the Messiah. They rejected the king’s invitation.
5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.
God sent the prophets to prepare for Messiah’s arrival, but unbelieving Israel murdered them. So in the parable the King concludes that none of his servants are worthy.
b) The Gentiles are invited
So the King decides to invite everyone.
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Many accept the invitation, but…
2. Not everyone who accepts is admitted.
Accepting the invitation, that is, believing in Jesus, doesn’t not guarantee that you’re going to get into the wedding feast. You must be properly dressed, and if you aren’t, you won’t get in. Let’s look at verse 11.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
So here we have a man who had accepted the King’s invitation. He believed in Jesus and was in the Kingdom of heaven. But there was a problem; he wasn’t dressed properly.
What was this man supposed to have been wearing? What is the proper attire for a wedding guest? Turn back to Revelation 19:8.
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Those who want to attend the marriage feast of the Lamb must be dressed in clean and bright linen which the Bible tells us is a symbolic way of saying, “You’ve got to be clothed with good deeds. Your attire for this wedding feast is woven out of all the things you did in the name of Jesus because you were His disciple!”
This man wasn’t dressed properly, which makes me wonder, “Was he a heaven-bound believer or a hell-bound disbeliever?”
If we take this parable on its own terms and don’t read our theology into it, it is clear that he is a regenerate man. Several clues within the parable make that clear:
1. Verse 7 says the King’s enemies have already been destroyed; he is not an enemy.
2. Verse 10 says this man accepted the invitation. By implication, he believed in Jesus.
3. The man is called a “guest” in verse 11 and a “friend” in verse 12.
4. He was in the Kingdom. Jesus said one cannot enter the Kingdom unless being born again.
The parable itself indicates that this man was a regenerate believer. Even though he was in heaven he was not permitted to join in the joyous marriage feast of the Lamb because he wasn’t dressed for the occasion. He had failed to adorn his life with good deeds. He was a carnal believer who insisted on living for himself instead of for Jesus. His fate shows that some believers will be excluded.
3. Some believers are excluded.
13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The phrase “the outer darkness” is puzzling because most people unwittingly associate it with final judgment in hell. It’s a puzzle we need to solve, but the pieces are there.
One piece of the puzzle is evident when you look at the grammar and notice the adjective “outer.” This describes the kind or the location of the darkness.
Another puzzle piece is discovered in the fact that the phrase comes from an old Semitic expression which, in several translations, is correctly rendered “out into the darkness.” So some translations use a more happily chosen turn of phrase to indicate that Jesus is contrasting the light inside the banquet hall with the comparative darkness outside.
A third piece of the puzzle is the fact that in the ANE festivities like this typically took place at night. The banquet hall was brilliantly lit up, but by contrast, the surrounding grounds and gardens were dark.
When you bring these puzzle pieces together you have to conclude that the king was instructing his servants to throw the man out of the banquet because he wasn’t dressed properly. It happened to be dark outside; that is all Jesus meant.
C. Jesus awards the white stone to those who have adorned their lives with righteous works
Now, with that background information fixed in our minds, let’s return to the question of the white stone. Remember that in Bible times polished and engraved stones were used as tickets; anyone holding one of these stones was admitted to the great feasts held in honor of the gods. Without the white stone you couldn’t get in.
Do you see the connection now?
If you lived a life worthy of Jesus’ name, the white stone will be among the rewards you will receive at the Bema seat judgment of believers. When it is time, you will present it at the banquet hall and be admitted to the marriage feast of the Lamb.
If you lived life for yourself you will receive nothing at the Bema seat judgment of believers. You will enter into heaven, but you will be excluded from the marriage feast of the Lamb. Rather than sharing in the great joy of that celebration you will be racked with profound grief and agony, knowing that your life was wasted.
But there’s more.
D. Overcomers will join the army of heaven.
1. The wedding guests join Jesus army.
Turn to Revelation 19:14.
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Do you see any parallel between the clothing in Revelation 19:8 and Revelation 19:14?
Guests: “bright, clean linen”
Army: “bright, white linen”
Both verses use the identical term for linen. Both verses use the identical adjective “bright.” Both use identical syntax, word order and noun cases. They use synonymous terms “clean” and “white.”
The conclusion is inescapable: believers who are admitted to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb will be part of Christ’s conquering army. No one who is disqualified from the marriage feast will be in Christ’s conquering army.
SUMMARY
This is our fourth and final sermon from the letter to the church at Pergamos. It has taught us three timeless truths:
1. The world is hostile to Jesus and it pressures us to compromise our faith.
2. Believers who have compromised may avoid Jesus’ wrath by repenting.
3. Jesus will reward faithful believers with admission to the marriage feast of the Lamb.
When you bring these timeless truths together the point of the letter is clear: Jesus promises special reward for believers who refuse to compromise their devotion to Him.
Specific Application
What do you want your life in the next world to be like?
* Do you want more of the same?
* Do you want joy that will never diminish, a place of service that exalts Jesus, and honor bestowed by the LORD Himself?
The LORD Jesus wants to bless you with lasting joy that will make this temporary sorrow seem like a fleeting vapor. He wants to bestow enduring honor and a privileged place that will make the momentary shame inflicted by His enemies dissolve from your memory.
But the power to prevent Jesus from blessing and honoring you lies in your hands. How you live this life will determine how you’re going to live in the next life.
* Your priorities
* How you spend your money
* What you do with your spare time
* The things you cherish
* Whether or not you are willing to go out of your way or endure some inconvenience for Jesus’ sake.
Most of you life comfortable and uneventful lives in nice homes with nice families; but is that enough? You greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.
