"'Manna' - Bread from Heaven", Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Bread of Life

Let us continue our consideration of manna and viewing the manna as a type of the written Word of God. Thus far, we have studied the manna as a type of the living Word, Jesus Christ, for the manna was a type of the food god has provided for our soul.

The manna was a literal food that the Israelites had to gather in the wilderness. As we have learned, the word “manna” means “it is a portion.” It also means, “what is it?” Moses said, “This is the bread which the LORD hath given thee to eat” (Ex. 16:15). Exodus 16 and Numbers 11 are the two chapters that deal with the manna. You were shown how this manna speaks of the Lord. He is the Bread of Life and we need to feed on Him. But the Bible also tells us:

“…That man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
Deuteronomy 8:3 (Matthew 4:4)

The written word is our spiritual food. Therefore, we shall consider some points with reference to the written Word as a fulfillment of the manna.

First of all, the manna was a supernatural gift. It was not a product of the earth. Manna was not grown in the wilderness. Manna was not found in Egypt. From one perspective, that is a picture of the Lord Who came from above. But viewing the manna as a type of the Scriptures, we can say that the Scriptures did not originate with man or with the human mind. All Scripture is given of God and is inspired of God. It is profitable for doctrine, for correction and for reproof. Scripture came from God, and is God’s gift to man.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
II Timothy 3:16-17

As you reflect on Exodus 16, you will discover that the Israelites were to gather an omer for each man. An omer was roughly 6 pints. That was a lot of manna to gather because manna was a small, round thing. To gather 6 pints for a man was quite a job. In verse 16 we read:

”This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons ….”

Now if we were to assume that the Israelites were about two million people at that time, and we were to find out how much God sent, it would amount to over a million tons per year. That is a fantastic amount of food gathered by the Israelites. Remember, they were sustained by this miraculous food for 40 years! God was faithful in sending them the manna.

As the manna was miraculous and it benefited the Israelites, so is this a picture of the Word of God, the written Word. It is miraculous. All that we need to sustain us here in the wilderness of this world, God has seen fit to give unto us in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are food to sustain us. Man must live "
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Deut. 8:3: Matt. 4:4). And in the words we have in the Bible, God has given us adequate manna so that we can go and gather it. Just as that manna was miraculous in the way it was inspired; the way the holy men of God wrote the Bible as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit at different intervals in history. Different classes of men wrote at different periods of time. It is a miracle how God has brought it all together. Praise His Holy Name!

Moreover, the manna came right where the people were. They didn't have to go a far distance to gather it. It was outside their tent doors. That's a picture of how God has made the Word easily accessible to us, especially here in America. It is not difficult to obtain a Bible: it's almost at our doorstep. Yet we can become so negligent of it. When the manna came, the people could have trampled upon it rather than gather it. And either we gather the Word of God or we trample it under foot. Either we will gather it into our soul or we will despise it. We know there are some countries today where the Scriptures are forbidden, but I'm referring to the availability of the Scriptures to us in the Western world. It is not so difficult to receive, and yet, now many people really do make use of the written Word? I'm sure you know of many who have Bibles in their homes, but it's often as a souvenir rather than as a book that is to be read and a book that is to be studied so that the Lord may open that book up unto us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The manna was small and round(verse 14). And God's revelation to man is found in a small volume. If God had given us too much, then we would not have been able to carry the Bible around. Although it is one small volume, yet consider how much God has included therein for us.

Again, the manna was round. this speaks of a circle which is a complete figure. There are no angles in a circle. This is a symbol for us of the beautiful harmony and completeness of the Word of god. There are no rough edges. The Scriptures are a complete whole. In verse 14 of chapter 16, we also read that the manna "was as small as the hoar frost on the ground." In Numbers 11 it states that it was a bdellium or as a pearl which is white in color. Now, that speaks of the purity of the Word of God, since God's words are pure. For example, turn to Psalm 12 and verse 6, wherein we read,

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

That's a very beautiful verse. God's words are pure; words that have gone through the fire of testing and they will always remain pure and true words. Psalm 119, verse 140 states,

"Thy word is very pure: therefore Thy servant loveth it."

And in Provers 30, verse 5 we read:

"Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him."

So again, we see the purity of the Word of God - the whiteness of the manna. God is saying, "My words have no contradiction; they are not erroneous; they are sure words. They are true words; you can count on My words."

We must love the Word even as God intended the Israelites to love the food that He gave them to eat. That was good food; it didn't make them sick. It had the best nutrition available to them. They had no need of hospitals. They didn't need to get sick by eating of that food from heaven. Likewise, the Word of god is a tonic for us, and God would have us to feed on His Word and realize that His words are pure and His words are sure and true.

The manna was to be eaten. How do we eat in the natural? There are three things involved in eating. first, appropriation; second, mastication, and third, assimilation. To appropriate means to make one's own, to take a portion for ourselves. As we read the word, we should gather a certain portion from it and appropriate the promises from it by faith that God gives unto us. Then comes mastication or chewing. In the natural we must chew our food. We don't swallow everything all at once. We take time to chew the food, and likewise it should be with the spiritual food. We need to meditate on the word of God, masticate and ponder it. "...Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (Lk. 2:19).

In Leviticus 11, we read that a clean animal had to be cud-chewing and cloven-footed (verse 3). The Scriptures liken the Christian to a clean animal, and particularly, sheep. The sheep has both qualifications: it is cud-chewing and cloven-footed. The sheep feed on the grass in the fields and are brought back into the fold in the evening time where they chew their cud. They bring their food up again that they had fed upon and extract the vitamins from it at the close of the day. This is a picture of the Christians who go into the field of the world. We get our experiences from each day and as we come to the close of the day we reflect on the events of the day and we say, "Lord, help me to profit from the events of the day, and Lord, thank you for causing me to feast on your Word and to think on Your Word and to receive the blessings of Your Word."

God teaches us through the natural first. As the sheep regurgitate that food, chew upon it and extract the vitamins, so God would also have us to profit from the experiences of life as well as from the Scriptures He has given us, when we, too, learn to think on His Word and to apply that Word to the daily problems that we face. The man who meditates in the Law of the Lord day and night is blessed, according to Psalm 1, verse 2. And the Psalmist says,

"My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."

Psalm 104:34

After the chewing comes the third aspect, which is assimilating. To assimilate food means that we receive the strength from that food which we partake of. We need strength for our bodies and natural food is to be assimilated so that we receive strength in our physical bodies. We also need food in our inner being and the more we feed on that Word of God, the more God wants that Word to work in us to make our inner man strong. Then we can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Psalm 119, verse 11 states,

"thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."

That word hidden in our hearts is like food that has been assimilated. It is working. the Word of god that "effectually worketh," the Bible states, "in you that believe" (1 Thess. 2:13). That is the assimilating of the Word.

Now, the Lord wants us to be governed by that Word in our walk. It's not good enough that we only chew on the Word. We need also to walk in the Word as we go through the wilderness. That speaks of the cloven foot, and for us to walk in the word we need the strength of the Holy Spirit. We cannot walk in the Word in our own strength. the word is important but the spirit is given to make the Word alive. And through the power of the spirit we can be quickened to walk in the light of the word so we can experience the full blessings of the Word of God in our entire being: spirit, soul and body (I Thess. 5:23).

The manna was to be gathered daily, except on the 7th day (see Ex. 16:22,26). We are to feed on the Word of God regularly. We are to take time to study the Word of God.

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

II Timothy 2:15

The manna was gathered early in the morning because when the sun arose, the manna melted (Ex. 16:21). Beloved, it is good for us to begin the day in prayer and in reading the Word of god. If we neglect prayer and the word, our Christian life will not be a victorious life. Without prayer and the Word we cannot be strong in the Lord, and we need to seek Him in the morning. When the sun arises and the pressures of life come upon us, then we hardly have any time to communicate with the Lord and to get into His Word. Consequently, we miss the blessings that the Lord would give unto us. Hence, it is a good thing to seek the Lord in the morning; to have a quiet time with Him when there is not so much hustle and bustle.

The people had to gather the manna. Labor was required to gather 6 pints of manna. Jesus said on one occasion,

"Labour not for the meat with perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life...."

John 6:27

Now it is true we have to earn our daily bread but the Lord is showing here that we can get too absorded in that. We need to put Him first, and for us to receive of that spiritual bread involves labor. In other words, we have to apply ourselves.We have to be diligent. Sometimes we don’t feel like reading the Word of God and sometimes in the natural you do not feel like going to work, but you go anyhow. We must learn to be diligent where the Word of God is concerned, and for us to gather our daily portion involves labor. It involves giving diligence to make our “calling and election sure” (II Pet. 1:10). Proverbs 2:1-5 states,

“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasure; then…”

What will happen? –

“…then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

On our part we must be diligent, and as we seek, we shall find – when we seek Him with all of our hearts (Deut. 4:29; Jer. 29:13). So, they had to exert effort in order to gather the manna, and that would have involved stooping. This shows that we have to depend on God.

“…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

James 4:6

God is showing us that without His help we can’t get that manna. As we humble ourselves before Him and pray, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Ps. 119:18), then we are depending on Him. We are showing Him we need His help in opening that Word to us by His Spirit. And He will give us that portion that we need. For if earthly fathers will give their children what they need, how much more will our Heavenly Father give His children their daily bread?! (See Matt. 7:11)

In Exodus 16:17, some gathered more and some gathered less. And in verse 18 it states:

“…When they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.”

In other words, some gathered a little more than others, but each had enough to sustain him. It is true that that same thing applies where the Scriptures are concerned. Some gather more because they are willing to go into other aspects of the Word. Some gather little and it blesses them according to their level and according to their spiritual status. God has a portion for all of us, but some may gather more in the sense that they are willing to apply themselves more into studying the word of God. If we want greater blessings, then we’ll have to have a bigger appetite and so we must say, “On, my Lord, create in me a deeper hunger and a deeper thirst for Your Word and for Your Spirit.” Did not Jesus say, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6)? This principle is true and the Lord would have us then to be open, not just for a little portion, but for a greater appetite. And as we grow more and more, He will open that appetite for more of His Word and we will see more and more of His Will and of His ways.

What the people gathered had to be used, for they could not allow the manna to remain over night. When god gives us our daily bread He gives us that daily portion that we stand in need of. He expects us to use it. He does not want us to hoard up the truth and just keep it to ourselves. The best way for us to receive more truth from God is to learn to share with others what He has given us. As we give out He will give back to us. We need to have that daily fellowship with God; we need that daily portion and He wants to give us fresh manna – fresh experiences of the truth of His Word. As we discover that truth and as we begin to experience it and share what the Lord has given us, we’ll be moving in His Plan. So often we depend only on what the Lord did maybe a year or two ago. But the Lord wants to do some fresh things for us. The Bible states,

“…The LORD’S mercies…are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

The Israelites did not know what manna was: “…they wist not what it was” (Ex. 16:15). And the Bible states in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural man understands not the tings of God, for they are spiritually discerned. So, the natural man does not fully realize the value of the Word of God, bu thte Word of God is essential to us in the wilderness. God wants to make known that Word unto us as He did late to the Israelites. Matthew 11:25 shows the ones who understand.

“I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.”
Luke 10:21

Babes are those who are dependent on their parents. So, too must we always be dependent on our Heavenly Father.

The manna was despised by the mixed multitude (Num. 11:4-6). Who are the “mixt multitude”)? Those who came out with the Israelites from Egypt, but they were always grumbling and complaining. They represent those today who profess to be Christians: they have only a form of godliness but don’t know the power of god in their lives. (See 2 Timothy 3:5).

They may have the written word but it doesn’t profit them and they do not receive the blessings of the Word. They may claim to be Christians but in reality they are grumbling against God’s ways because they are not willing to be corrected and instructed by the Scriptures even as that mixed multitude which came up with the Israelites out of Egypt.

The manna was preserved in a golden pot and placed in the Ark (Ex. 16:33-34). It was not to perish. In the New Testament we read that the pot was made of gold (Heb. 9:3-4). It’s interesting to note that that is not mentioned in the Old Testament. The fact that the pot was of gold shows that God places a high value on His Word. The manna was in the pot – for God has preserved His Word. The manna in the pot did not spoil, for it was to be a sign to future generations concerning the food that God fed the Israelites. Likewise, God has preserved His Word through the ages. The truths that He gave to the Patriarchs, to Moses, and the Prophets have been preserved so that we can see and become aware of God’s revelations. Isn’t that beautiful? Praise His wonderful Name!

The manna lasted until they reached Canaan and when they got into Canaan’s land God even gave them an overlapping time of manna (Josh. 5:12). But after they did eat of the old corn of the land, that was the end of the manna. The Scriptures are sufficient to build us up until we reach the heavenly kingdom and then we will feast on old corn. Manna is primarily for the wilderness, but God is showing us that while we are in the wilderness of this world, we have enough of His truth to guide us and to direct our walk to make us strong in Him. He has given us a complete revelation of Himself, and in the glory we shall know more than we know now. But He has seen fit to give us the Scriptures to guide us and to lead us in the way, in the right paths, and we need to avail ourselves of what He has given us. God has a great supply for us and we must eat.

Now I want to consider three Scriptures wherein we are told about eating the Word. Jeremiah chapter 15, verse 16 states:

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and
Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine
heart...."

In Ezekiel, chapter 2, verses 9-10 and Ezekiel 3:1-3 we are told that the Prophet was shown a roll and judgments written therein, and that he was told by God to take the roll and eat it. It was sweet to his taste but then he had to go and declare the bitter judgments of the contents of that roll. A similar experience was seen in the life of John in Revelation 10:10-11 where he was told to eat the little book that was open in the hand of the messenger who came from heaven. And when he did eat, it was sweet in his mouth as honey but bitter in his belly. This is a picture of what God wants to do with us as we partake of the manna of His Word. The Word of God will be sweet as we experience that revelation of the Spirit. When the Spirit quickens the Word it is sweet to our taste, but then when that word has to be worked into our ex¬perience we go through bitterness. God knows how to mingle the sweet with the bitter. It is for our own good. Sometimes we only want the sweet, but we don't want the bitterness. Yet God is so good to plant both the sweet and bitter into our experience.

The manna was prepared in a variety of ways. In Exodus 16:23 we see a reference to baking and seething, and in Numbers 11:8 we are told that it was to be ground or beaten with a mortar. That speaks of the Scripture as satisfying different groups or levels of faith. The baking of the manna speaks of strong meat. Then it was seethed. That is for the weaker ones. Then it was ground or beaten for the simple and the aged. And, it was made into cakes for those who are little children. This speaks of various ways of studying the Word of God. We don't give strong meat to those who are just young in the faith. They must first take "the sincere milk of the Word" of God (I Pet. 2:2). And then, as they grow, they can take other portions. They develop teeth to chew and then God has more to give unto them. The Word of God is very rich and it can cater to the taste of all His children. All, young and old, small and great, can enjoy the manna. God has enough for all of us, to meet all our needs. Again, there are many ways of studying the Word of God, and we can all reap the blessings He wants to give unto us. The more we study, the more we realize that we can't exhaust the Word of God. It is an ocean. There is so much there; and the more we think we know, the more we realize how little we know. So God sees fit to keep us in line that we do not get too high-minded and think we know so much.

I mentioned earlier that only in the New Testament is manna referred to as being placed in a golden pot. Gold in the Scriptures is connected with the glory of God, and speaks of the Divine nature. The manna was the food that God gave the Israelites to live on, and a portion of that manna was placed and kept intact in a golden vessel. Jesus Christ is the One Who left heaven and took upon Himself a human body; and that golden pot is a picture of the God-man or Jesus Christ. The manna in the golden pot speaks of Christ as the food of God's people. Only He could contain in Himself what we needed. He had in Himself that which would feed us and that's why, when He went to the Cross, He was beaten for us. The manna had to be beaten and it's a picture of how in Him God has given us all that we need. He is the answer to our sin problem. He is the one to give us life and life more abundant. And as the manna proved to be sufficient, so He is our all-sufficiency in all things.

"...An omer for every man..." is mentioned in Exodus 16:16. I think of the man Jesus Christ. He had that measure that we needed. He had the right amount. He had within Him the potential to set us free, and He did when He went to Calvary. But now He is in the glory. As the manna was put in the golden pot and stored up in the Holy of Holies, so too we know that Jesus is the Holy of Holies in the heavens and He is with the Father in heaven. That is, if we view the manna there as a type of the Lord. He had no sin, so the manna is in Him. He said,

"Search the Scriptures; for... they are they which testify of Me."

John 5:39

If you read the Word and don't find Him, then somewhere you've gone astray. But oh, He is seen all over the Word. In every book in the Bible He is the preeminent theme.
In the Book of Revelation, promises are given to the over-comer, not the believer. These promises in Revelation 2 and 3 are not "to him that believeth"(Mk. 9:23) but "to him that overcometh" (Rev. 2:7, 17; 3:12, 21). And the overcomers are those who overcome the obstacles in the way; and the overcomer, Himself, is the Lord. He is the model overcomer and He wants an overcoming church. He gives encourage¬ment to His churches and He says in Revelation 2:17:

"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...."

Now, what is the hidden manna? The daily manna had to be gathered daily. The manna that came on the 6th day was given in a double portion and it lasted for the 7th day and did not spoil. The manna that was gathered in the golden pot was stored up in the Ark and did not spoil but was to be preserved for future generations to see that food which God fed the Israelites. The "overcomer" shall eat of the hidden manna.
The difference between the hidden manna and the daily manna was that the daily manna was subject to spoilage, but the hidden manna did not spoil. For one to partake of this hidden manna, one had to leave the realm of the Outer Court of the wilderness Tabernacle. The bulk of the people met in the Outer Court. But the hidden manna was in the Holy of Holies! We cannot eat of the hidden manna if we are in the Outer Court. We have to go beyond the veil.

I believe that while we are here in this physical body we can enter the veil through the power of the Spirit. I believe there is a literal entering into the veil, but prior to that time when we will receive a changed body to enter into the heavenly realm, God would have us now to come into that Holy of Holies through the Blood of the Lamb. We come in now through the blood-sprinkled way. We come though the fact that the veil of His flesh was rent at Calvary and through His blood we can approach the Father. We have access to Him. The way has been opened. When we receive of the power of His Spirit we have a greater access to the Father and to His Throne, and can receive a measure of the blessings in that realm while we are still here. We can begin to take part in that which He has already provided for us. We can begin to possess some of our possessions while we are here on earth. We will not enter into all until we are clothed upon with our house from above, but through the power of the Spirit we can receive blessings of the manna and of the rod and of the tablets of stone.

For us, however, to go into that realm, we have to realize that God will make the way more narrow. There are some who only want daily manna but they are not willing to search for hidden manna. To receive hidden manna would involve our going deeper with the Lord. The more we follow on to know the Lord, the narrower the way becomes. But as we grow in grace, as we progress in the Lord, we will come to know Him in a deeper measure than in the Outer Court realm or in the Holy place realm. There are stages of growth. There are degrees of understanding and God is not forcing us to go this way, for it all depends on our goal. The High Priest alone could enter the Holy of Holies, and there is a people who are not settling for less than "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14). Anything that is high is costly. That high calling is to come into that "high and holy place." And for us to get there, we have to run the race. We have to forget the things that are behind and look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2).

Those words are important for us to ponder. It's a realm in which God would require purity of heart.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
Matthew 5:8

I believe that is true literally, but I believe it is also true spiri¬tually in the sense that the more pure our heart is, the more we can see into the things of God and into the ways of God and into the purposes of God. And purity of heart is what God wants from us. We can't see unless He opens our eyes; and He wants our inner man to be made pure so that we can see - that the eyes of our understanding can be enlightened, that we may know the hope of our calling. And this is a process as God works in and with which He stirs our inner being to follow on to know Him. As we enter into a deeper relationship with Him, then the Lord will give unto us that which we need. He will make known to us His hidden purposes, His hidden secrets.

"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him; and He will shew them His covenant."

Psalm 25:14

The secret of the Lord is not with everybody. There are some things the Lord doesn't see fit to share with all, but there are some things He gives to those who are ready. Much depends on our heart condition.
Now the wonderful thing about this hidden manna is that it was hidden in the pot of gold and placed in the Ark. Let me put it this way: overcomers are privileged to eat of that which is not available to many because they draw more of God's grace to rise up above carnal tendencies and because they are following on to know God. God leads them into a deeper knowledge of Him and His ways. The manna was in the Ark, and the Ark represents Jesus Christ in His life here on earth and in His glorified body. But the manna too was in the Ark and it was hidden in the Ark. In Colossians 2:3 we read:

"In Whom are hid...”

Hid what?

"...all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

The hidden truths, the mysteries of God, the knowledge of God, the wisdom of God, are hidden in Christ Jesus. And it is only as we are willing to go beyond the veil, to press forward in Him by His grace, that He can reveal more of Himself unto us, and more of these hidden things unto us.

In Matthew 13:11 we see the Lord speaking to His dis¬ciples,
"...It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

Only those who are hungry and ready will receive the precious truths that God has. And I believe there is a portion that God wants to give this end-time church. That is symbolized in Revelation 10 by that little book the angel had in his hand, and of which John was told to eat. John is showing us what will happen in this end-time. He is portraying what will happen to those in our day who will receive of that little book. The book was open; it was not closed. I believe that is a picture of the hidden mysteries of God about to be revealed in this time. Mysteries, not in the sense that God doesn't want us to understand, but because they are what we call the hidden secrets of God. And when the time is right, God lifts the veil from those mysteries. He told Daniel to seal the book till the time of the end.

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased,"
Daniel 12:4

God wants to bring us into that unity of the faith where we speak as one voice. Hallelujah! He will do it and He will remove the confusion and bring His people there. We ought to pray toward that end. And so the overcomer eats of the hidden manna. God desires that we receive of that hidden portion that He is bringing to our attention in this day, in or¬der that we can be made ready. We can know our God and "the wise shall understand," Daniel declares, but "none of the wicked shall understand" (Dan. 12:10).

Finally, the manna was not given on the 7th day. Manna speaks of the experiences God wants to give us. It's of the Scriptures and it's a type of the hidden truths that are found in the Ark, Jesus Christ. But the manna is also called out portion; it is called our bread, and part of our daily bread is the experiences that God gives us as the truths of the Word are worked out in our daily experiences. For 6 days God gave the manna, but on the 7th day no manna fell. The 6th day they received a double portion. I believe God is saying to us that while we are in the wilderness of this world for 6,000 years (a day with the Lord is 1,000 years [Ps. 90:4; II Pet. 3:8]) He is getting us ready, He is conditioning us here on earth for the 7th day which will be the millennial Sabbath, which is called the 1,000 year reign of peace. And for us to rule and reign with Christ we must get our manna now. He wants to give us a double portion of the manna.

We are fortunate to be living at this time in history. Ap¬proximately 6,000 years since the fall of Adam have come on the earth, and God is about to give us a double portion of His Spirit. The double portion will involve double testing and integration of the Word into our experiences. Then we will be qualified for the 7th day which will mean rulership with Christ. For us to rule and reign with Christ we must get our manna; we must learn our lessons; we must get our experi¬ences on earth. We must walk in obedience to the written Word and to the living Word, and having gathered enough manna and having received enough experiences, then God can lift us higher. In the millennial reign there will be no manna given. Why? Because it is the time of rest. They that have entered into rest have ceased from their labors (Heb. 4:11), even as God did from His labors. And only those who have secured the manna and laid it up and have allowed the Lord to work in them and through them will be privileged to enter into His rest.

So, beloved, now is the time for us to gather the manna. Now is the time for us to seek the Lord with all our hearts Now is the time for us to apply ourselves diligently to His word and to look to Him to enlighten us by His Holy Spirit because there will be no manna given on the 7th day.

May the Lord bless these thoughts on the manna and show us that God is in the wilderness of this world. He is our provision, He is all that we need. He has given us of His Word and He has given us of His Spirit. Let us daily avail ourselves of these blessings. Let us thank Him for His goodness and may He cause us to eat of the hidden manna. Amen!

EPILOGUE

THE HIDDEN MANNA

"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."
Revelation 2:17

The outer world does not understand the secret of the Christian's joy, for it is hidden from the carnally-minded. Those who are Christ's are fed with "angels' food" (Ps. 78:24-25). Their life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3) and even now they can partake, in some measure, of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3).

The "hidden manna" is referred to in Exodus 16:32-36 and Hebrews 9:4. The daily manna ceased after Israel's entry into the Promised Land and their partaking of the "old corn" of the land (Josh. 5:11-12). Manna in the wilderness is Christ on earth in humiliation; the old corn of the land is Christ in glory and exaltation. We can partake of daily manna now on the earth plane - share in the riches of His grace - in preparation for sharings in the riches of His glory (Ps. 84:11) on the heavenly plane.

You have heard the proverbial expression "the pot of gold at the rainbow's end." The pot of gold links with "the golden pot of manna" and the rainbow links with the new covenant (Gen. 9:9-17; Heb. 8:8-11). All who partake of the full bless¬ings of the new covenant will eat of the hidden manna and will have Christ fully formed and glorified in them (Gal. 4:19; II Thess. 1:10, 2:13-14; Rom. 8:17).

In Solomon's reign, the Ark, the only piece of furniture from the Tabernacle of Moses, was placed in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Solomon's reign is a type of the Mil¬lennial Age during which no wars will be fought and "the kingdoms of this world" will become "the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ" (Rev. 11:15).
I Kings 8:9 mentions the two tables of stone in the Ark. but not the pot of manna or the rod of Aaron that budded, blossomed and yielded almonds. Christ will be openly revealed (Rev. 19:11, 17:14) to usher in the Millennium and there are those who will accompany Him - the called, the chosen and the faithful.

He Who fulfilled the Law corresponds to the tablets pre¬served in the Ark, and is now to be publicly seen as the Liv¬ing One (Lk. 24:5). This corresponds to the Hidden Manna which is preserved and Who, as the Resurrection and the Life, links with Aaron's rod (Life conquering death). The over-comers who join Him will eat of the "hidden manna" and will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:17, 27). In the Kingdom, the righteous principles of the Law will govern the nations.
As the hidden manna was one omer - the tenth part of an ephah - we have a picture of the holy seed of Isaiah 6:13. An omer was the measure of a man (Ex. 16:16). The hidden Manna in the golden pot is the Man in Glory, our wonderful Lord. In Colossians 3:4, we read:

"When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”

These are the ones who constitute the glorious Chruch who have attained the goal of the Lord for this age as seen in Ephesians 4:13

“…Unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ….”

A further thought for consideration is that the hidden manna that never spoiled represents those who are alive at His Coming (I Thess. 4:15). The rod of Aaron that was dead and manifested signs of life represents “the dead in Christ” who share in the First Resurrection. In both groups, the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled (Rom 8:4) and summarized in two commandments – love for God and love for man (Mk. 12:29-31), corresponding to the two tablets of stone in the Ark.