Revelation 2:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

NIV: 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.

NASB: The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.’

CSB: "Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

NLT: 'Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.

KJV: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; 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.

NKJV: “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.” ’

In this verse Jesus concludes His letter to the church at Pergamum by extending an invitation and making a promise. He invites anyone with ears to hear the Spirit's messages to the churches. The invitation is similar to what Jesus said during His earthly ministry: "He who has ears to hear, let Him hear" (Matthew 11:15). Of course, Jesus' invitation to hear means more than simply taking in audible sounds. It means to heed: to accept and to obey. In James 1:22 this meaning is clear. James writes, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Jesus promises a reward to everyone who refuses to accept the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. These were mentioned in verses 15 and 16, respectively. In a curious statement, this verse says the overcomer will receive from Jesus some hidden manna and an inscribed white stone.

Manna was a welcome source of food to the Israelites during their journey through the desert en route to Canaan. The overcomers at Pergamum refused to eat food offered to idols, but they will enjoy bread from heaven. The feast Jesus prepares for His faithful servants exceeds by far anything the Devil offers us.

Jesus also promises a white stone with a new name inscribed on it. Only the recipient of the honor knows the inscribed name. We cannot say with certainty what this stone represents, but we can be sure the recipient enjoys approval from Jesus and fellowship with Him. In ancient Greece, stones were sometimes used in jury cases to indicate a vote, with black used for guilt and white for innocence. Important buildings were also made with white marble. More likely, however, this is a reference to the Roman custom of giving victors in athletic competitions a white stone inscribed with their name. This token served as their "ticket" to enter into an awards celebration later on.

Revelation 2:12–17 is a message from Jesus to the church at Pergamum. Jesus commends the church for keeping the faith despite intense persecution and the pervading worship of Satan around them. However, some members of the church followed the teaching of Balaam, and others followed the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Jesus calls the church out for repentance regarding those flaws. Failure to repent would bring judgment. The passage ends with Jesus' promise to give conquerors hidden manna and a new name written on a secret stone.

The contents of Revelation 2 are miniature letters to four churches, dictated by Jesus to John. Ephesus and Smyrna were coastal cities, whereas Pergamum and Thyatira were inland cities. Three more such letters are in Revelation 3. Each of these messages contains a unique description of Jesus, a command, a promise. All but one—the church in Laodicea—receive some commendation. All but two of the seven letters—those to the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia—also contain a critical rebuke. Like churches today, most of the congregations addressed by Jesus had both good characteristics and at least one point which needed correction.

In chapter 1, John introduced his order from Jesus Christ: to write out a message to seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:9–11). Here in this chapter, John writes to the church in Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamum, and the church in Thyatira. Chapter 3 will continue with messages to the other three churches. The rest of Revelation will explain future events connected to the ''end times.''

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''