“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” (Revelation 2:17 ESV).
“A name known only to the recipient and God is private, indicating God will relate to us as individuals, not just as one large group.
“C. S. Lewis asked, ‘What can be more a man’s own than this new name which even in eternity remains a secret between God and him? And what shall we take this secrecy to mean? Surely, that each of the redeemed shall forever know and praise some one aspect of the divine beauty better than any other creature can. Why else were individuals created but that God, loving all infinitely, should love each differently?’
“Our different personalities, rewards, positions, and names in Heaven speak not only of our individuality but also of how God finds unique reasons to love us. I love my wife and daughters, and I love different things about each.
“We’re like unique instruments, played by an orchestra to produce one beautiful sound, rich in its variety. We all have our unique part in glorifying God. We bring something singular and vital to the concert of praise.” (Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, pp. 355-356)
My then four-year-old daughter once complained to me, “If everyone is special, then no one is special!” She was responding to the shallow optimism and affirmation of a popular children’s television show. To her mind, it was much easier to believe that most of us are pretty blah and average, and that only a few are worthy of being called special and unique. Recently, an adult friend expressed a similar viewpoint. She struggled to believe that God could care about her as an individual, and not see her as just another face in the crowd, an easily replaced interchangeable part, like a sparkplug in a car.
Christ’s promise quoted above gives us strong reason to believe that he does indeed see each of his people as special and unique. If he has a name for me that only the two of us will know, then I am not just one more generic member of his kingdom; I am a valued, known, and celebrated individual with characteristics and abilities that are not exactly like anyone else’s.
In God’s kingdom, giving a name is much more than assigning an arbitrary label. When God gives a name, it is to express his goals, plans, and desires for that person. He called Gideon “Mighty Man of Valor” when he was hiding in fear from the Midianites (Judges 6:11-12). Christ gave the name “Peter” (Rock) to Simon when he was far from being steady or stable. He calls his people “saints,” “holy ones,” when we are still subject to sin. God knows his plans for us; he knows who we really are according to his own objectives and purposes. The name he gives does not reflect the worst of our past or present, but the best of the future that he intends for us.
What could my hidden, secret name possibly be? Whatever it is, I believe it will reflect the deepest longings and desires of my heart to serve and glorify God. It will affirm all that I secretly wanted to be in his eyes. Christ’s promise of a new and secret name is a source of great hope. He knows my name.
