Manna - "What Is It?"

MANNA

The main food of the Israelites during their 40-year trek in the wilderness. (Ex 16:35) Manna was first provided by Jehovah in the Wilderness of Sin during the last half of the second month after Israel’s coming out of Egypt in 1513 B.C.E. (Ex 16:1-4) It served as food for them until they entered Canaan in 1473 B.C.E. and partook of the produce of the Promised Land.—Jos 5:10-12.

Manna appeared on the ground with the evaporation of a layer of dew that developed in the morning, so that “upon the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flaky thing, fine like hoarfrost upon the earth.” When the Israelites first saw it, they said, “What is it?” or, literally, “man huʼ?” (Ex 16:13-15; Nu 11:9) This is the probable origin of the name, the Israelites themselves beginning to call this food “manna.”—Ex 16:31.

Description. Manna was “white like coriander seed” and had the “look” of bdellium gum, a waxlike and transparent substance having a form that resembles a pearl. Its taste was comparable to “that of flat cakes with honey” or “an oiled sweet cake.” After being ground in a hand mill or pounded in a mortar, manna was boiled or made into cakes and baked.—Ex 16:23, 31; Nu 11:7, 8.

No natural substance known today fits the Biblical description of manna in every respect, and so there is little basis for identifying it with a known product. This is especially so because miraculous aspects were involved in Jehovah’s providing manna for the Israelites. The availability of manna did not depend on the time of year or a particular wilderness location. Although the manna would breed worms and begin to stink on all the other days if kept overnight, the additional omer of manna gathered on the sixth day, to be used as food on the Sabbath, did not spoil. No manna could be found on the Sabbath, this serving to enforce Sabbath observance on the Israelites.—Ex 16:19-30.

The family head either gathered or supervised the gathering of manna for the entire household. Since the manna melted when the sun got hot, he doubtless quickly gathered the approximate supply needed for the household and afterward measured it. Whether little or much was gathered, depending upon the size of the household, the amount collected always proved to be one omer (2.2 L; 2 dry qt) per person. (Ex 16:16-18) The apostle Paul alluded to this when encouraging the Christians at Corinth to use their material surplus to offset the material deficiency of their brothers.—2Co 8:13-15.

Purpose. Jehovah let the Israelites go hungry in the wilderness and then furnished manna to teach them “that not by bread alone does man live but by every expression of Jehovah’s mouth does man live.” Jehovah did this ‘in order to humble them and put them to the test so as to do them good in their afterdays.’ (De 8:3, 16) When the Israelites tired of manna and began calling it “contemptible bread,” Jehovah punished their rebellion by sending poisonous serpents among them, causing the death of many.—Nu 21:5, 6.

The psalmist referred to manna as “the grain of heaven” (Ps 78:24), “bread from heaven” (Ps 105:40), and “the very bread of powerful ones” (Ps 78:25). Angels are described as being “mighty in power” (Ps 103:20) and therefore could be called “powerful ones.” This, however, would not mean that angels actually eat manna but that God may have used angelic means in providing it for the Israelites. (Compare Gal 3:19.) Or, since heaven is the dwelling place of the “powerful ones,” the expression “bread of powerful ones” may simply point to its heavenly source.

So that future generations might see manna, Aaron was to deposit before Jehovah a jar containing an omer (2.2 L; 2 dry qt) of manna. After the golden ark of the covenant was completed, a “golden jar” of manna was put inside this sacred chest. (Ex 16:32-34; Heb 9:4) About five centuries later, however, when the Ark was transferred from the tent that David had erected for it to the temple that Solomon had built, the golden jar was missing. (2Sa 6:17; 1Ki 8:9; 2Ch 5:10) It had served its purpose.

Symbolic Use. Although the manna was a divine provision (Ne 9:20), it did not sustain the lives of the Israelites forever. Christ Jesus made a point of this, and then he added: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and, for a fact, the bread that I shall give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world.” (Joh 6:30-33, 48-51, 58) Christ’s faithful followers avail themselves of this heavenly manna, or “bread of life.” They do so in a figurative manner by exercising faith in the redeeming power of Jesus’ flesh and blood laid down in sacrifice. Their doing so opens up to them the prospect of living forever, whether in the heavens with Christ or in the earthly Paradise.

Christ also used the jar of manna symbolically when he assured his spirit-anointed followers that those who prove to be conquerors would receive “the hidden manna,” an imperishable food supply or that which results from such a supply, in their case, immortality and incorruptibility in heaven.—Re 2:17; 1Co 15:53.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002888

There is an underlying basic principle concerning EATING in the Bible. The symbolic significance of eating in the Bible is concerning something entering into man. God wants to impress us with the fact that man is "enterable". Man is a "vessel". And His purpose was that man would be a vessel to receive and contain Himself the uncreated and eternal God.

As we review the importance of eating in the Scriptures, we need to remember the principle of first mention. By the principle of first mention I mean that the first mention of a matter in the Bible governs its meaning throughout the Scriptures.

After God created man, He gave him a command and a warning about eating: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). This nearly first mention of man's eating establishes the often repeated significance of eating in the Bible's revelation. This eating concerns is man’s relationship to God. Therefore, after describing the creation of man, the Bible speaks of man’s living, which is related to eating.

When Jesus connected His ministry with the story of the manna He spoke of EATING Himself. This mean taking the available Jesus Christ INTO our inner being so that we can live by Christ. Rather that Christ can live again on the earth but this time mingled with believers.

"As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me.

This is the bread which came down out of heaven ..." (See John 6:57,58a)

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him." (v.56)

Originally posted by robbie carrobie

Christ’s faithful followers avail themselves of this heavenly manna, or “bread of life.” They do so in a figurative manner by exercising faith in the redeeming power of Jesus’ flesh and blood laid down in sacrifice. Their doing so opens up to them the prospect of living forever, whether in the heavens with Christ or in the earthly Paradise.

"As the ling Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live becausee of Me." (v.57)

To reduce the chapter to a promise of just living forever in a earthly future Paradise - jaywill

Their doing so opens up to them the prospect of living forever, whether in the heavens with Christ or in the earthly Paradise. - article

The article does not limit the prospects to an early paradise, it also states that its for those who are worthy to rule with Christ in his heavenly government (Gods Kingdom).

This walking and living because of Christ may seem very individual. But there is a corporate purpose.
There is a collective purpose.

This living and walking of a collective people is for the building up of the dwelling place of God in a group of people. And this is how the Bible concludes - a living temple, a living tabernacle of humanity within which dwells the Triune God for man's enjoyment and God's expression.

Now let's turn to a passage alluded to -Revelation 2:17

"He who has and ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden MANNA, and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it." (Rev. 2:17)

" ... and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it."

The Manna came from Heaven (Exodus 16:4a). It was heavenly food. We don't know the essence of it or its substance. God made sure we could only know that it was heavenly. Remember that Jesus taught that the heavenly food that came down pointed to Himself.

"I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may ear of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever." (John 6:48-51)


In Exodus 16:4 the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.” Just as Manna is difficult to analyze so is God become a man in Jesus is difficult to analyze.

Though manna was difficult to analyze it contained nourishment to meet all the requirements of man’s physical body. God sustained the people many years in the wilderness by their eating of the mysterious manna. It must have had all the elements needed to sustain man’s physical body, even though it was heavenly food.

And the wealth of "vitamins" contained in Jesus Christ is untold and probably infinite. Just as we cannot analyze or explain manna, we cannot analyze or explain the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ was sent from heaven by the Father to be the inexhaustibly rich nourishing "food" containing all that people need inwardly for human life.


Christ is the food by which God’s people live. In John 6:51 the Lord Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever.” People ask Christians to analyze the essence of Christ. It is very difficult for believers to explain. But they know Christ nourishes and sustains, strengthens and uplifts, empowers and enables us.
Although we cannot analyze Christ’s essence or fully explain it, Jesus Christ is still very real. Jesus Christ is invisible and intangible but He is substantial, and He sustains those who "eat" Him richly. And He gets into the "fabric" of the being of the eaters and constitutes them God's heavenly people on earth.

From the time of the Roman Empire until today, many earthly governments and world leaders have tried to destroy God's move on the earth. Smart minds and persistent opposers have annihilate His Body, the church. As for centuries and even now all their efforts have been in vain. Christ’s Body could not be destroyed because within the church there is a heavenly essence, a heavenly element, which sustains the church. As the believers sojourn on earth no worldly efforts can erase them. Christ imparts this element into the church and therefore nothing can destroy it or terminate it.

Just as manna sustained nearly two million people in the wilderness for forty years, so Christ as the real manna sustains the church today. What He imparts into those who receive Him is indestructible. Yet it is also tasty, sweet, nourishing, and able to convey His rich humanity into our humanity to make us "Jesusly" human.

Now to some of the characteristics of manna:

The Manna came with the dew
Exodus 16:13 says “In the morning the dew lay round about the camp. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing”

This small, round thing was manna.

Numbers 11:9 also says manna came with the morning dew. - “And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.”

Before God sent the manna with the morning dew, on the one occassion he allowed the whining Isrealites to have loads and loads of quails for meat. God let them have what they lusted after. And they gorged themselves on quail until they were made sick. It was coming out of their nostrils.

It is significant that in sending the quails God used the wind. But in sending the manna, God used dew. Notice God did not send the manna with wind but with the morning dew. Some commentators believe this has spiritual significance.

It may signify daily grace. When we enjoy Christ each day His grace is faithfully there. Each day is a new day. The blood of Christ cleanses away the previous day's failures. His mercies are fresh each morning. The Christian has a new start, a fresh new start in Christ. Perhaps God symbolize the dew signifies daily grace, the grace we receive each day.

Psalm 133:3 tells us “the dew of Hermon...the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion.” The dew of Hermon signifies grace which descends from the heavens. Mount Hermon, a high mountain, signifies the heavens, the highest place, from which the dew descends. The dew signifies the faithful grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dew is softer than rain and not as cold as frost. So dew is different from rain, snow, or frost. According to Lamentations 3:22 and 23, God’s mercy, like the dew, is fresh every morning.

"It is Jehovah's loving kindness that we are not consumed, For His compassions do not fail.

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." (Lam. 3:22,23)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Phil 4:23)