Revelation 2:17 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Will I give to eat of the hidden manna,— Hereby the reward of him that conquers in the combat for Christ is described. As Balaam went on in his error through the greediness of gain, so here Christ promises, by way of antidote, the true riches to him, who shall, in the strength of grace, resist and conquer all internal and external temptations to idolatry and vice, notwithstanding the counsel of these Balaamites. According to the notion of the ancients, and especially the Hebrews, temporal riches consist in meats and drink, in having plenty of the fruits of the earth, and much cattle, with all things necessary and convenient to human life. The hidden manna is the unknown meat; the riches well preserved in heaven. It is incorruptible food, the treasure not subject to theft or decay; and that is immortal life, not to be taken away by any means, when once bestowed upon the faithful saint; the necessary sustenance of life being here put for the life itself. As therefore David, upon the undertaking the combat with Goliath, had riches promised him, and accordingly ate at the king's table; so Christ promises to his champion heavenly riches; and the accomplishment of these promises is set forth in ch. Revelation 22:1-2, &c. It is called hidden manna: now, of the manna that fell, some was designed for common use, and some was laid up in the ark as a memorial. That which was common was corruptible, and they who ate thereof died, even though it were bread that came down from heaven; see John 6:32.; but that which was laid up and hidden in the ark, remained miraculouslyto future generations. It is God alone who keeps, and consequently gives the true bread from heaven; and that is such manna as was hidden in the ark, incorruptible food, whereof they who perseveringly partake shall never hunger, but shall be immortal. This hidden manna is therefore the symbol of immortality; but an immortality consisting of such a life, and means to preserve it, as are wonderful and transcendant, beyond our present imagination. See ch. Revelation 19:12. The next expression makes up an hendyades, that is, two phrases joined by a conjunction to express one thing, as thus, I will give him a new name, written upon a white stone; for the stone is only given for the sake of the new name written upon it. A white stone is either the same, or at least equivalent to tables of stone, upon which the decalogue is said to have been written. Stone, and that too whitened, was the first and most ancient matter used to write upon. See Deuteronomy 27:2-3. A new name signifies the same thing as freedom, and a change of condition. New names were given upon change of condition. Abram and Sarai received new names from God; our Saviour changed Simon's name for Peter, and Christians take a new name at baptism. The expressions, according to our stile and notions, amount to this, "I will give him a new diploma, or character, to enfranchise him, and thereby grant him new privileges, change his condition, and make him immortal. He shall attain to that immoral life, whose glories and felicities no man can fully conceive, and none shall fully conceive but those who enjoy it;" for so much is implied in the expression immediately following. It is here to be observed further, that our Saviour's joining the manna to the new name, that is, riches, or maintenance, to liberty, is according to the principles of the Mosaical law, by which no servant was to be set at liberty without some liberal provision, to set him up at first for himself: so that the master was not only to give him liberty, but also some goods or maintenance;—manna, with his new name. What we have given above, appears to be a rational interpretation of the difficult passage before us: there have been several others offered, and the reader may think it an omission if we do not mention that of Dr. Ward, in whose opinion (Dissert. 59.) this expression of a white stone, &c. alludes to an ancient custom among the Romans, bywhich theycultivated and preserved a lasting friendship between particular persons or families. The method of doing this was usually by a small piece of bone or ivory, and sometimes of stone, shaped in the form of an oblong square, which they called a tessera. This they divided lengthwise, into two equal parts, upon each of which one of the parties wrote his name, and interchanged it with the other. And by producing this when they travelled, it gave a mutual claim, to the contracting parties and their descendants, of reception and kind treatment at each other's houses; for which reason it was called the hospitable tessera. Hence came the proverbial expression of breaking the hospitable tessera, which was applied to those who violated their engagements. But our translators, by rendering it a white stone, seem to have confounded it with the calculus, or small globular stone, which was made use of in balloting, and on other occasions. The original words do not specify the manner or form, but only the use of it, as the Greek glossaries abundantly prove. By this allusion, therefore, the promise made to the church of Pergamos seems to be to this purpose, That the faithful among them should hereafter be acknowledged by Christ, and received into a state of perpetual favour and friendship; and to this sense the following words very well agree, which describe this stone, or tessera, as having in it a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. For, as the name in the Roman tessera was not that of the person who wrote it, but of his friend who possessed it; so it was known only to the possessor, who, doubtless, kept it both privately, and with great care, that no other person might enjoy the benefitof it, which was designed only for himself and his family.