[There is] nothing at all, beside this Manna

Hebrews 9: 2-5

For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. 

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 

Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein [was] the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 

And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

John 6: 47-51

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 

I am that bread of life. 

Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

So we see that, in a basic sense, the bread is a symbol of Christ,the Word of God. But what is the difference between the bread in the holy place and the bread in the most holy place? Why is there again need of bread in the most holy place?

Golden Pot of Manna

Psalms 78: 22-25

Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:                                

Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, 

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 

Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. 

Exodus 16: 31

And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it [was] like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it [was] like wafers [made] with honey. 

Manna is described as angels' food and it tasted like honey. What does honey represent in the bible?

Isaiah 7: 14-15

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 

Matthew 3: 3-4

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 

And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

Isaiah, prophesying of Christ, says that He would eat honey (spiritually) and the reason given, is so that He would be able to choose the good and refuse evil. A quality or characteristic of honey therefore, is that it enables one to refuse the evil. So we see that Christ ate honey and also John the Baptist's meat was said to be honey.Whose else's 'meat' was honey? (The butter would be looked at later in the study). 

1 Corinthians 10: 1-4

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 

And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Deuteronomy 32: 12-13

[So] the LORD alone did lead him, and [there was] no strange god with him. 

He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; 

Psalms 81:16

He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Ezekiel 16: 19

My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, [wherewith] I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and [thus] it was, saith the Lord GOD. 

The children of Israel's spiritual meat came from the Rock and we see that honey, among other things, came out of this Rock. Therefore honey was their spiritual meat, the Rock being a symbol of Christ.

1 Samuel 14: 26-27, 29

And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. 

But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that [was] in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. 
Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. 

Another characteristic of honey is that it enlightens ones eyes. So thus far, we have seen that honey enlightens the eyes and enables one to refuse evil and choose the good.

Judges 14: 5-9, 12-14

Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 

And the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and [he had] nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. 

And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 

And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, [there was] a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 

 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. 

And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find [it] out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: 

But if ye cannot declare [it] me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 

And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

                         

Hosea 5: 14

For I [will be] unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, [even] I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue [him].

Hosea 13: 6-7

According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. 

Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe [them]: 

The young lion in the story of Samson represents Christ, whom through His death brought 'sweetness' to this world. So the honey comes from the Rock (as seen earlier) and also from the Lion of the tribe of Judah, both representing Christ. What exactly is this honey? Thus far we've seen where it is found and what it does but what is it specifically?

Psalms 119:103

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth! 

Psalms 19: 7-10

The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple.  (And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev 19:10 )

The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes. 

The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether. 

More to be desired [are they] than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 

The Word of God, the Spirit of Prophecy, the law is all likened to honey and also it is interesting to note that it is said that the commandment of the Lord enlightens the eyes. All these are represented by the honey but they are still very general and broad terms. A deeper look needs to be taken.

Ezekiel 2: 8-10; 3: 1-3

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. 

And when I looked, behold, an hand [was] sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book [was] therein; 

And he spread it before me; and it [was] written within and without: and [there was] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. 

^{3: 1}Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. 

So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. 

And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat [it]; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 

What was this book, likened to honey, that Ezekiel ate? We are told that it was written within and without.

Revelation 5: 1-5

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 

Revelation 10: 1-3, 8-10

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 

And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth, 

And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 

⁸And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go [and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take [it], and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 

In Revelation chapter 5, we see a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals. In the next four chapters, each successive seal is opened till we come to chapter 10 where the book is now opened. John receives the now, unsealed book from the Angel, whom Inspiration tells us is no less a personage of Jesus Christ (the Rock and the Lion of the tribe of Judah), and like Ezekiel it is like honey in his mouth. What is this book? In the bible there is only one book that has ever been sealed...

Daniel 12: 4

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. 

Proverbs 24: 13-14

My son, eat thou honey, because [it is] good; and the honeycomb, [which is] sweet to thy taste: 

So [shall] the knowledge of wisdom [be] unto thy soul: when thou hast found [it], then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. 

The Bible tells us that honey is symbolic of knowledge. We are told that when the book of Daniel is unsealed there would be an increase in knowledge (honey); this is why when John ate it, it was as honey for sweetness. So therefore the honey represents the little book of Daniel.
But the original question was, what is the difference between the different types of bread, both representing Christ, the Word of God. The manna, the strong meat, the angel's food, are the books of Daniel and Revelation, for we are told they are one book. What then, about the showbread?

1 Peter 2: 1-3

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. 

When one enters the holy place, he is a babe in Christ. He has just passed the laver, a symbol of baptism, the death of the old man and the birth of a new creature in Christ. He therefore needs the milk of word represented by the showbread.

Proverbs 30: 33         

Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. 

Isaiah 28: 9-10
Whom shall he teach knowledge (honey)? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts.  
For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:

As the Christian grows he is 'weaned from the milk'. He studies the Word of God, line upon line, precept upon precept, (the churning of the milk) turning the milk into butter (the holy place experience). He then moves to the most holy place where he now feeds on the manna, the strong meat of the word, the books of Daniel and Revelation. So the difference is that the showbread represents the milk and butter of God's word, while the manna represents the honey, the meat of God's word.

When the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience. {18MR 24.2}  

Song of Solomon 4: 11

Thy lips, O [my] spouse, drop [as] the honeycomb: honey and milk [are] under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments [is] like the smell of Lebanon. 

¹² A garden enclosed [is] my sister, [my] spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.





"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith.." 

Lessons from Jael & Sisera: The Branches of the Work

Signs of the Times, January 13^th, 1898 par. 9

The prophets of God spoke less for their own time than for the ages to come, and especially for the generation that would live amid the last scenes of this earth's history... "All these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

7MR 417.1

Each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is in force for us.

Judges 4: 16-21

¹⁶ But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; [and] there was not a man left. 

¹⁷ Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for [there was] peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

¹⁸ And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 

¹⁹ And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 

²⁰ Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. 

²¹ Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 

Judges 5: 24-27

"Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. 

He asked water, [and] she gave [him] milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. 

She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. 

At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead."  

DG 38.003

Jael was at first  ignorant of the character of her guest, and she resolved to conceal him; but when she afterward learned that he was Sisera, the enemy of God and of His people, her purpose changed. As he lay before her asleep, she overcame her natural reluctance to such an act, and slew him by driving a nail through his temples, pinning him to the earth…Deborah celebrated the triumph of Israel in a most sublime and impassioned song.

The Right Hand & The Workman's Hammer:

Jeremiah 23: 29

[Is] not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer [that] breaketh the rock in pieces? 

John 17:17

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

EW 63.1

There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is "present truth" that the flock needs now.

The Word of God is described as a hammer by Jeremiah and in turn, His Word is then described as truth. Therefore the hammer represents the truth contained in the Word of God. Inspiration tells us that it is "present truth" that we need at this time. If the prophets spoke less for their time than for ours then the hammer represents not precious truth but "present truth".

7T 59.1

Medical missionary work is the right hand of the gospel. It is necessary to the advancement of the cause of God. As through it men and women are led to see the importance of right habits of living, the saving power of the truth will be made known. Every city is to be entered by workers trained to do medical missionary work. As the right hand of the third angel's message, God's methods of treating disease will open doors for the entrance of present truth.

The right hand and the workman's hammer therefore represents the combining of medical missionary work and present truth (the third angel's message) by the last day church. This is one branch of the closing work.

The Left Hand & The Nail:

Ecclesiastes 12: 11

The words of the wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened [by] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.

The words of the wise are represented by the nails. As the left hand held the nail, who holds these words of wisdom? The verse says that they are the words of the wise so therefore the wise hold these words. But who are the wise?

Ecclesiastes 12: 9-11
And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs. 

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and [that which was] written [was] upright, [even] words of truth.

The words of the wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened [by] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.

The verse said because Solomon was wise, he taught the people. A characteristic of the wise is that they are teachers.

Daniel   12: 10
...none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.  

Proverbs 10:13          

In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found…

Proverbs 14:33

Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but [that which is] in the midst of fools is made known. 

To have wisdom one must have understanding; the two go together. David tells us who it is that have understanding in Psalms 119.

Psalms 119: 98-99

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they [are] ever with me. 

I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [are] my meditation.

Job 27: 11

I will teach you by the hand of God: [that] which [is] with the Almighty will I not conceal.

The left hand and the nail represent the work of teachers. True education is another branch of the closing work.

The Feet:

After the work of the right and left hand Sisera bowed at the feet. What does the feet represent?

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 

PM 114.1

The Lord designs that through our publishing houses, our sanitariums, and our schools, bright beams of light shall shine to the world. Every branch of the work connected with or attached to these instrumentalities should be treated with the highest respect. . .

The publishing work is the third branch of the work. But the prophet Deborah mentions twice the bowing at the feet of Jael, "At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed..." This is because there are two feet on the human body, one representing the publishing work. What does the second foot represent?

Romans 10: 15

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The last branch of the work is preaching. So we have seen the four great branches of the closing work; medical missionary work, true education, publishing and preaching. 
But who exactly is Sisera? Who does he represent?

Who is Sisera?

In the Bible very little is said of Sisera. We know he was an enemy of God's people but, in all, not much known about him. However we have ONE distinguishing fact about him.

Judges 4: 2-3
And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host [was] Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.  
And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.  

He had chariots of iron and mightily oppressed the children of Israel. At the end of time, there is also an 'iron nation' that mightily oppresses God's people. Iron is a symbol of the Rome in bible prophecy. 

So at the end of time, the church (Jael) will need to use medical missionary work (right hand & the hammer), true education (left hand & the nail), the publishing work (the feet) and the preaching of the gospel (the feet) to cause the Papacy (Sisera) to bow at her feet.





"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith.."