Hidden Manna and
New Names
Revelation 2:12-17 –
New International Version (NIV)
12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These
are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I
know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name.
You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my
faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are
some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice
the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed
sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to
the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore!
Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword
of my mouth.
17 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.”
How does Jesus
describe himself in the message to the angel of the church in Pergamum (verse 12)?
Where does Jesus know
that the church in Pergamum lives (verse
13)?
What does the
church in Pergamum remain true to (verse 13)?
Why does Jesus say
that Antipas is “my faithful witness”
(verse 13)?
In your opinion,
why does Jesus say He holds against the church that “there are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam”
(verse 14)?
What did Balaam
teach Balak (verse 14)?
In your opinion,
what does Jesus mean when He says “I will
soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth”
(verse 16)?
What will those
who are victorious receive (verse 17)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
Jude 1:3-13 - New
International Version (NIV)
3 “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you
about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend
for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For
certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly
slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God
into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and
Lord.
5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that
the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed
those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep
their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has
kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In
a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up
to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who
suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these
ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on
celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was
disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to
condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet
these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they
do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have
rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s
rebellion.
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with
you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are
clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and
uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming
up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved
forever.”
What was Jude
eager to write about (verse 3)?
What did Jude feel compelled to write and
urge (verse 3)?
Where have “certain individuals whose condemnation was
written about long age” gone (verse 4)?
In your opinion,
how have these “ungodly people”
perverted the “grace of our God into a license
for immorality” (verse 4)?
How do these “ungodly people” respond to Jesus Christ
(verse 4)?
What happened to
those who were the Lord’s people who were delivered from Egypt who did not
believe (verse 5)?
What happened to
angels “who did not keep their positions
of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling” (verse 6)?
How are Sodom and
Gomorrah examples (verse 7)?
In your opinion,
what does Jude mean when he says “on the
strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject
authority and heap abuse on celestial beings” (verse 8)?
How did the archangel Michael dispute with
the devil about the body of Moses (verse 9)?
What will “the very things they understand by instinct” do to these people
who “slander whatever they do not
understand” (verse 10)?
In your opinion, what is Jude trying to
teach when he refers to “the way of Cain”,
“Balaam’s error” and “Korah’s rebellion” (verse 11)?
What are “these people” at your love feasts (verse 12)?
In your opinion, what does Jude mean when
he says “They are clouds without rain, blown
along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They
are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom
blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” (verses 12 and 13)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how does Jude’s discussion
of the “certain individuals whose
condemnation was written about long ago” in
Jude 1:3-13 teach us about the ones who “hold to the teaching of Balaam” and
the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:12-17?
John 6:26-40 - New
International Version (NIV)
26 “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for
me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves
and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for
food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on
him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God
requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the
one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may
see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate
the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven
to eat.’”
32 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. 33 For the bread of God is the bread
that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 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. 36 But
as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All
those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never
drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my
will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the
will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,
but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is
that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life,
and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Why
were the people looking for Jesus (verse 26)?
What food should we work for (verse 27)?
How does Jesus answer the question “What must we do to do the works God
requires” (verses 28 and 29)?
In your opinion, why do they ask Him “What sign
then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our
ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them
bread from heaven to eat.’” (verses 30 and 31)?
Who does Jesus say gave the “true bread from heaven” (verse 32)?
What is the “bread of God” (verse 33)?
Who asks “always give us this bread” (verse 34)?
What does Jesus declare (verse 35)?
Who will never go hungry (verse 35)?
Who will Jesus “never drive away” (verse 37)?
What is “the will of him who sent me” (verse 39)?
Who will be raised “up at the last day” (verse 40)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how are the people who
ask Jesus to give them the “bread that
comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” but who have seen Jesus
and not believed in John 6:26-40 similar to the people that Jude talks about
who “are ungodly people, who pervert the
grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only
Sovereign and Lord”
in Jude 1:3-13?
In your opinion, how does Jesus’ discussion
about the “true bread from heaven” in
John 6:26-40 help us to understand about the “one who is victorious” receiving some of the “hidden manna” in Revelation 2:12-17?
Revelation 19:11-16
– New International Version (NIV)
11 “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white
horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and
wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head
are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the
Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding
on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming
out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He
will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of
the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he
has this name written:
king of kings and lord of lords.”
Who is riding the
white horse that John sees when he sees heaven stands open (verse 11)?
How does He judge and wage war (verse 11)?
What are His eyes like (verse 12)?
In your opinion, why would Jesus have a “name written on him that no one knows but
he himself” (verse 12)?
What is He dressed in (verse 13)?
What is His name (verse 13)?
Who is following Him (verse 14)?
In your opinion, how does the sharp sword
coming out of his mouth “strike down the
nations” (verse 15)?
What does He tread (verse 15)?
Where is the name “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” written (verse 16)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, what
does Jesus’ statement in John 6:26-40 that “whoever
comes to me I will never drive away” help
us to understand about the nations that Revelation 19:11-16 says the Rider of the
white horse will strike down with the sharp sword that comes from His mouth?
In your opinion, how does Jude’s
discussion in Jude 1:3-13 about those “who pervert
the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our
only Sovereign and Lord” help us begin to understand the “winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” that John sees in
Revelation 19:11-16?
In your opinion, what
is the link between those who are victorious in Revelation 2:12-17 that they will
be given “a white stone with a new name
written on it, known only to the one who receives it” and Jesus who in
Revelation 19:11-16 “has a name
written on him that no one knows but he himself” and “On his robe and on his thigh he has
this name written: king of kings and lord
of lords”?
In your opinion, what do these passages,
from Revelation, Jude and John show us about ourselves today?
Next, back to Revelation 2:18 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
