White Stone Journal

From Revelation 2:17: "I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." This verse has a special meaning for me that is hard to express. It reminds me that Jesus knows each of us in a very personal way, to the point that he calls us by a name only shared between us.

There is an even deeper meaning: the ancient Greeks voted by the use of black and white stones, indicating a "no" or "yes" vote. For Jesus to give us a white stone is to vote a "yes" for us. In fact, the modern Greek word for a "vote" is close to the Greek word used in Revelation (for stone). In ancient Greece, a person could be voted out of the community if enough people wrote their name on a piece of pottery (similar to a stone). Our modern word, "ostracize," comes from these shards. So for us to be given a white stone with the special name Christ has for us is the opposite of ostracism: it is his "yes" vote for us, his affirmation that we are to live forever in his kingdom of joy.

White Stone Journal was originally a family site created in 1996, when much of the content was written. In 2000, we moved the content to its own domain. Except where noted, all materials were first published on this site and are the work of one writer.