A Revelation Invitation

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: …
“‘To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, …’”
(Revelation 2:12a,17b ESV)

Who doesn’t love to visit Grandma’s house? No matter how your day has been, you know that you will be treated like a prince or princess with special honors, special privileges and special gifts. That includes the candy bowl and the cookie jar. What has Grandma concealed under the lid? What unseen delicacy awaits? What hidden treat has she prepared just for you?

Jesus promises hidden manna to his brothers and sisters in the faith, to those who conquer, to those who persevere even unto death. We might ask where does Jesus hide this manna and why does he hide it? A better question is from whom does he hide it? Even though this manna is freely and openly promised to those who overcome, it’s unavailable to the unbelievers. They are not even aware of this manna. It is hidden from them. Our unbelieving friends and family shrivel up spiritually because they seek for what is good and fulfilling from the world. But the world cannot provide it. Jesus, however, freely gives us what the world never could, that is, himself as the hidden manna that nourishes and satisfies.

This promise connects three ideas. First, Jesus wants his people to recall how God provided for the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness by sending them food from heaven, manna. Without it they would have died. For forty years he provided all that they needed to sustain them as they awaited their inheritance, the promised land. Second, Jesus offers this hidden manna to the church in Pergamum as an alternative to the food sacrificed to idols, the food that was available in the markets and temples which Jesus had warned against earlier in this letter. This pointed to the greater expectation to abstain from the pervasive idolatry of the city. Third, during his earthly ministry Jesus described himself as the bread of life, the food of God. The manna in the desert had been a signpost pointing to Jesus. He was the bread provided not to nourish the flesh, but to sustain the soul.

Like the manna God provided Israel in the wilderness, God supplies this bread at no cost to us and through no effort of our own. Idolatry—anyone or anything that we place before God—placates us temporarily until we shrivel up and die. Jesus’ hidden manna provided nourishment for eternal life and is available to everyone who overcomes in the face of suffering and persecution. We feast on it without limit as it sustains an abundant life.

Jesus, bread of life, I thank you for coming to me from heaven to nourish and sustain me. The world tempts me with junk food, food that leaves me dissatisfied and malnourished. Only you satisfy and strengthen. Fill me with your word. Fill me with your Spirit. Fill me so that nothing the world offers will even seem appealing. Amen.