Sacred Secrets
By Wendy Neill
To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.
Revelation 2:17 NKJV
Choosing Names
It seems odd to me that we choose names for children before they are even born. How can we possibly know what name will “fit” a child when we don’t even know what they will look like, what their gifts will be, or what they will be interested in? My husband, Kelly, and I spent hours poring over pages of baby names when we were expecting our first daughter. She was my miracle. We had had been through a season of infertility for almost three years, experiencing disappointment every month. But God had his own timing, and this once barren woman was expecting a baby.
My requirements for a name were simple and shallow: I wanted it to be easy to spell and for the gender of the name to be obvious. My husband’s requirements would prove far more daunting. Our child’s name could not remind him of any troublesome student he had ever known. It took a long time to pass that test, but I finally found a name that didn’t have a negative connotation for him. He said he wanted to think about it a little longer. I prayed that he would approve so this child wouldn’t go through life without a name! Soon thereafter, I found a bouquet of flowers on my dining room table. The card attached said, “I can’t wait to meet you, Mommy! Love, Crystal Diane Neill.” It was Kelly’s sweet way of telling me that he agreed, and this special name would cross our lips for years to come.
Once we had chosen the name, it was our little secret. We didn’t want to hear disparaging words about the name we had selected or suggestions from family members. “You should name her after your Aunt Ethel” or “I’ve always thought Florida would be a nice name for a girl.” It was our right as her parents to choose her name.
As our daughters grew, their personalities blossomed. We developed pet names for them. Grandma dubbed Kendra “Sunshine and Rainbows” because she made everyone smile. Later, pet names evolved from shared family experiences. But those are TOP secret—my girls would kill me if I put them in print!
Does your name have a special meaning? Do you have a pet name?
I love this one tender verse in Isaiah, where God expresses his deep love for his people by promising them a new name.
“No longer will they call you Deserted or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.”
Isaiah 62:4 NIV
Hephzibah means “my delight is in her” and Beulah means “married.”
God expresses his deep love for his people by promising them a new name.
Negative Names to New Names
Have you been given a negative nickname? Or have you been labeled unfairly?
Maybe you have been saddled with a destructive label like “Deserted” or “Desolate.” Let today’s overcomer verse, Revelation 2:17, remind you that you are dearly loved. Jesus left heaven and died a brutal death because he loves you. He knows you better than anyone on Earth. He knows not only who you are, but who you are meant to be. He has chosen a sacred, secret name just for you.
Dan B. Allender, in his book To Be Told, talks about Revelation 2:17 by saying,
“When I stand before God, I will be given a new name in a moment of tender, inconceivable intimacy. No one will speak that name but the Most High God. No one will whisper that name to me but my divine Lover. It is worth living our life well in the midst of the darkest heartache and the greatest uncertainty just to hear that name spoken.”[1]
Dan B. Allender
Why is it written on a white stone? The John Brown commentary says:
“The white stone might refer to an ancient custom of voting for an accused criminal with a black and a white stone. If the white stones outnumbered, the criminal was set free!”[2]
The John Brown Commentary
David Guzik writes,
“The use of a white stone had many associations. A white stone could be a ticket to a banquet, a sign of friendship, evidence of having been counted, or as a sign of acquittal in a court of law.”[3]
David Guzik
I am encouraged by each of these possibilities! They all point to God’s forgiveness and acceptance. That complete acceptance, coupled with the promise of a secret new name, is another reason I am looking forward to heaven.
Jesus will share sacred secrets with us to sustain us physically and emotionally for eternity, including a secret new name. There is an intimacy there, like a groom and his bride, a father with his child, or two best friends. Let us eagerly anticipate such an intimate relationship with him in heaven.
[1] Dan. B. Allender, To Be Told (Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 1996), 30.
[2] John Brown, “Revelation 2:12-17,” Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/brown_john/Rev/Chap_02c.cfm (accessed Feb. 6, 2022)
[3] David Guzik, “Jesus’ Letters to the Churches,” Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Rev/Rev-2.cfm (accessed Feb. 6, 2022)
About Wendy
Wendy Neill is the author of Looking Forward to Heaven: Daily Doses of Hope. She has been a speaker at women’s events in six states, as well as Romania and Guatemala. She served as a staff member of Iron Rose Sister Ministries for six years, and is now an Ambassador: speaking, leading small group discussions, and writing blog posts to encourage women across the Americas. Her own struggle with chronic pain drove her to find glimpses in the Bible of her future home, where there is no pain. She loves inspiring others to eagerly anticipate eternity, sometimes in their final days here. Her husband Kelly is a preacher, educator, and counselor. They have three daughters and a growing number of grandchildren. For book purchases or to schedule Wendy as a speaker, visit WendyNeill.com.