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The Bible tells us that the most important thing is to realize Christ, the mystery of God (Col 1:26–27; 2:1–3). 2,000 years ago, Jesus Himself taught that He is the Christ, through manna—the bread of life—from heaven. Most of the people, who had heard Jesus’ words, did not believe in Him and left Him. However, the disciples such as Peter, John and James followed Jesus till the end, realizing that He is the Christ who gives the words of eternal life. Through the New Covenant Passover, Jesus gave the manna from heaven to those who recognized Him.
It is the same in this age of the Holy Spirit. God gives the “hidden manna” to those who realize that Christ is the reality of the manna. Let’s look at the teachings of the Bible, so we can clearly recognize Christ who gives us the bread of eternal life in this age and proclaim Him to the whole world.
The way to Heaven
If you plan a trip, you will search for information beforehand about the destination you want to visit. These days, most people prepare their travel arrangements by carefully searching the Internet for information about airline routes, accommodation, public transport, and other relevant services.
We all put our hope in Heaven and walk the path of faith in order to go there together with all people. So, we must know the way to Heaven, our spiritual destination, and find accurate information on it, right?
God has given us the Bible so that we can gain insight into the spiritual world. The Bible, which God wrote through His prophets, is a book that provides various information on Heaven, which we cannot see with our physical eyes. We must find the way to Heaven in the Bible. Jesus has also clearly taught us the purpose of studying the Bible.
“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Jn 5:39–40
Whoever wants to have eternal life and go to Heaven should come to Christ, who has the power to save. However, the Jews in the time of Jesus refused to come to Him, although they wanted to have eternal life. They refused to believe in Jesus, who came as a man just like them, as the Christ, only looking at His outward appearance. It’s because they did not know that Jesus is the way to Heaven (Jn 14:6).
The Bible is our guide giving us directions to Heaven, like a navigation system. So God has strongly warned everyone who reads the Bible not to add to or take away from it. That’s because if we add to or take away anything from God’s word, we will stray from the path leading to heaven and enter the wrong path and be destroyed (Rev 22:18–19).
All we have to do is to follow the guidelines given in the Bible. Unfortunately, however, some people do not follow the directions that the Bible provides, even though they say they want to go to heaven. The Bible contains the most accurate information on how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So we must not stray away from what the Bible says. Through the Bible, let’s find out the reality of the hidden manna and see if we are running in the right direction to Heaven.
Manna, the bread of life
2,000 years ago, the Jews saw Christ right in front of them, but they did not believe in Him. They asked Jesus to show them a miraculous sign that could help them believe in Him, and they mentioned the manna that their forefathers had eaten in the desert.
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” . . . So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Jn 6:27–31
They wanted Jesus to show them a miraculous sign, just as the Lord rained down manna from heaven for His people to eat.
To understand this scene, let’s find out about the manna first. The manna in the history of the Old Testament is the food that God rained down upon the Israelites in the desert 3,500 years ago.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him . . .” Ex 16:4–7
About a month after the Israelites came out of Egypt, they started running out of the food they had brought with them. In the desert, there was no food or water, and there was no agricultural land, either. As the food that was essential for their survival ran out, they began to grumble and complain. Then God rained down manna from heaven for them.
The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey . . . The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. Ex 16:31–35
There were about six hundred thousand men twenty years old or more. The total number of the Israelites, including women and children, was estimated to be about 3,000,000. God rained down bread for all of them every day for 40 years, and led them to the land of Canaan.
I am the bread of life
When Jesus Christ came to this earth 2,000 years ago, He revealed the reality of the manna while explaining the history of the desert.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” . . . “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.” Jn 6:32–36
The manna, which God rained down 3,500 years ago, is a copy and shadow to testify of Christ—the spiritual bread of life. Jesus Himself taught us that He is the “bread of life from heaven,” the reality of the manna.
“Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.” Jn 6:49–57
Jesus repeatedly emphasized, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” The Israelites ate the manna, yet they died after all. However, those who eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood will never go hungry and they will live forever. It’s because Jesus, the reality of the manna, came as the spiritual bread. However, many people did not recognize Jesus and left Him, even though they had heard His words (Jn 6:66).
Manna and the truth of the new covenant
We are walking through the desert of faith toward Heaven—the spiritual Canaan. Seeing what happened to the Israelites, we can guess that they would have hardly been able to survive in the desert without the manna. During the 40-year desert journey, they satisfied their hunger with food from heaven, and they were able to enter the land of Canaan flowing with milk and honey. Likewise, we must receive Christ who is the reality of the bread of eternal life, so that our souls will never go hungry or be thirsty again and we will be able to finish the desert journey of faith and enter the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.
God has established the law of the new covenant for those who only pay attention to the words of eternal life and follow Christ, so that they can eat the spiritual manna.
. . . So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover . . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Mt 26:17–19, 26–28
The Passover bread represents Jesus’ body, and the Passover wine His blood. Putting the covenant of eternal life in the Passover bread and wine, Jesus has promised that He will raise up those who eat the bread and drink the wine at the last day. The New Covenant Passover is the truth that enables us to eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood, the reality of the manna of life.
Heaven is a place where only those who have eternal life can go. With the mortal body, no one can enter the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. That’s why Christ came to this earth and established the New Covenant Passover. So, through His flesh and blood, human beings can have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Passover is the only truth that makes us become one with Christ. When we partake of the Passover bread and wine, God who is the life remains in us. We should take pride in the fact that we abide in the truth of the New Covenant Passover—the way to eat the manna of life—and preach this good news of life to all people around the world, so we can all enter the eternal heavenly Canaan together.
God gives us the hidden manna
After Jesus’ ascension, the church underwent suffering due to Roman persecution of Christians. Afterwards, false doctrines originated from paganism were introduced into the church, and the truths of life that Jesus had established completely disappeared, without a trace. At the beginning of the fourth century, the Sabbath and the Passover were completely abolished; instead, Sunday worship and Christmas were introduced into the church and the cross also began to be used in the church.
The Bible says that God will come to this earth again to save the world where the truth has disappeared and there is only darkness.
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Heb 9:27–28
2,000 years ago, Jesus came to this earth in the flesh. He came as a man just like one of us, and the religious leaders of His time did not believe Him, even though He said many precious, golden words to them.
The Bible says that Christ will come again in the flesh in the last days, as He did at His first coming, to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. How can we recognize Christ when He comes a second time?
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. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. Rev 2:17
The Spirit says to the churches, “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.” This means that Jesus will come again with the hidden manna and lead the mortal beings to Heaven in the age of the Holy Spirit.
God comes to this earth with the same sign both at His first coming and His second coming. We must wait for the One who gives mankind the truth of the New Covenant Passover and find Him when He comes to this earth in the flesh, as He did 2,000 years. It’s because we cannot receive eternal life and salvation unless He gives us the hidden manna (Isa 25:6–9).
Then, who has revealed the life-giving truth of the new covenant to us today? There were so many religious leaders, reformers, and theologians all over the world, but none of them taught that we should keep the New Covenant Passover. Only Christ Ahnsahnghong revealed the truth of the Passover—the manna that had been kept hidden for 1,600 years, when He came to this earth. So, we can have the bread of life and enter Heaven, the spiritual Canaan flowing with milk and honey.
Without the manna, we cannot go to Canaan. That’s why Christ, who is the manna of life, has come to this earth and leads us, His children, to Heaven today, too. He led us yesterday, and will lead us forever. I earnestly ask all of you, our members of Zion, to receive Christ Ahnsahnghong and follow His path of sacrifice and love by preaching the life-giving truth of the new covenant to as many people as possible and leading all people to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.