Revelation 2:17

"Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it" (Revelation 2:17).

Comment:

The entire Revelation to John—the final book of the Christian Bible—is symbolic and metaphysical. It is not to be taken literally—either as a record of past events or as a prediction of the future. You ask specifically about a passage in the second chapter, which consists of seven letters to seven early Christian churches, located on the coast of Asia Minor in present-day Turkey. ‘Seven’ is a number of universal spiritual significance. It represents the stages of spiritual awareness that we—spiritual beings in human forms—move through again and again as we proceed to fulfill our inherent purpose: ‘creating the kingdom of heaven’ by using human challenges as opportunities to make creative spiritual choices.

Once we become aware of the Christ Presence that is our true nature, we must allow that Presence to awaken every part of our bodies and minds—all seven stages of our human expression—so we can successfully undertake the journey that lies ahead. The seven letters that follow serve as a kind of meditation guide, helping us to recognize and awaken the strength of each stage, and begin to dissolve the problems that have accrued because we’ve forgotten these spiritual powers within us. It is helpful to visualize this essential process as a movement upward through the seven chakras, from a sense of being limited to this human experience to a full expression of the spiritual power that we truly embody.

So since the seven churches represent spiritual centers within ourselves, what "the Spirit is saying to the churches," the Spirit is saying to us. We need to know two important things as we embark upon the challenges of our spiritual purpose. First, the Presence and Power of God will sustain and nourish us, just as it nourished the Israelites who, while moving through their collective wilderness experience, were fed by 'manna from heaven.' And second, no matter how dark the shadows may seem, or how far we seem to have wandered from our spiritual path, we are always closely and intimately linked to our spiritual Source. That is the meaning of the white stone, with the secret name. It is like a spiritual identity card, affirming our innate Oneness with God. It may not be apparent to others, but we can be sure of that Oneness always.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed