The Seven Churches Of Asia 11

INTRO: We started our trip to the seven churches at the Mediterranean Sea where it meets the Aegean Sea at Ephesus. We then followed a short distance inland up the coast to Smyrna, the royal city which lies at the end of an arm of the ocean. From there we went north again to Perrgamos. From the height of Perrgamos one may look off into the distance some 15 miles away and there is the Aegean Sea. This is the capital of Asia and was that for some 400 years.
We left off there in the last message. We left off with the promises made to those who have an ear to hear and overcome the evil one. We do not know the exact meaning of these promises. No doubt, historically the believers at this church will have known what was meant by the hidden manna and the white stone. Possibly new discoveries will yet reveal what the Lord meant.
However, as I pondered the promise that the Lord would write on this stone a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it I could not help but think of the Church as the bride of Christ. Marriage describes the relationship between Christ and the Church, and when this promise is fulfilled, the Church will no longer be the bride, but the wife of the Lord. This speaks of the intimate, fulfilling relationship the true believer will experience with the Lord for all eternity. There will be a very special knowledge between Christ and every believer who arrives in heaven. And I think every believer will have some special knowledge that is shared only between the believer and the Lord. And whatever this name is, it will be the content of that special knowledge between the Lord and that believer.