This post will deal with the identity or proper name of God. In the interest of simplicity, we will limit our discussion of his name to the English rendering, since the pronunciation of the name varies depending on the language that is spoken. We start with a couple of questions. Is assigning a proper name to our God important? What does the Bible say his name is?
Zech 14:9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
The old covenant scriptures talk about many different names of God. Actually, they are descriptions of the nature of God. Zechariah prophesied of a time when the world would know there is one Lord. During this time, there would be one name that represents the name of the Lord or the name of God.
Is 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
Isaiah said, there would come a day, that the people of the Lord would know his name. During the time that his name was known, they would also know that it is the Lord who has spoken. In other words, they will know his identity, by His name.
Deu 28:9-10 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
II Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Is 43:7-10 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
The Lord promised to have a holy people or a people that are wholly and completely separated and devoted to him. These people would willingly obey his commandments. They would walk in his ways. These people would be called by, the name of the Lord. The Lord makes a promise to the people that are called by his name. If they will adopt an attitude of repentance, he will forgive their sins and heal their land. This people, called by his name, would be his witnesses.
Is 12:4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
We are told to praise our God and to call upon His name and to make mention that His name is exalted. How can we do that if we do not know his name.
Act 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
The book of Acts tells us, it was through the name, we would receive remission of sins. Without the name, there would be no remission of sins. If we want our sins forgiven or remitted, we must know God’s name.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Paul’s epistle to the Romans states, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. In order to have salvation, we must call upon his name. In order to call upon his name, we must know his name. Where else do we find the name but in scriptures.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
The very next verse, places the responsibility for knowing, and teaching the name upon the preacher. In other words, it is up to the preacher to know the scriptures, and be able to expound upon them, to reveal to people the name. People need to be able to hear the name.
Mt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
His name is hallowed. It is sacred and holy. It is not a name to be taken lightly.
Ex 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
The Bible tells us it is a sin to take the name lightly. We should not use the name inappropriately or in vain conversation. We should not joke about the name or use the name in a cursing manner.
The old covenant name of God first appears in Genesis, Chapter 2, verse 4. The word used to represent the name in the old covenant, is always capitalized. The Hebrew word, representing God’s covenant name, is referred to by theologians as the tetragrammaton. This is just a fancy name for a four letter word. The Hebrew word representing God’s name is today written using the English alphabet as YHWH or JHVH. It is not clear if the pronunciation of the tetragrammaton was ever known by earlier patriarchs, however, because of the fear of breaking the third commandment, the Hebrew people did not pronounce the name. They simply referred to Him as Hashem, meaning “The Name.”
The Hebrew alphabet is composed of consonances, there are no vowels. The vowel sounds were passed by oral tradition. In other words, a teacher would pronounce a word symbolized by a series of consonances, inserting the vowel sounds. Since the tetragrammaton, was not pronounced, the proper pronunciation was either never know or lost. Symbols were later adopted in Hebrew to indicate the placement of the vowel sounds, but only after the pronunciation was lost. Words like Jehovah and Yahweh are based on speculation. The fact is, Yahweh was never used in the King James Version of the Bible and Jehovah was only used four times. Lord was substituted over 6000 times to describe the word. There are some instances where people asked God his name in the Old Testament.
Ex 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
When Moses asked the name, God responded with the statement, I AM. He also says, I AM THAT I AM. In other words he just is. The statement tells us about the nature of God. He is eternal. He is without beginning or ending. He is omnipresent or everywhere at one time. This concept of the Eternal or self existent one is represented by the Hebrew word Jehovah.
Gn 32:29-30 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Here Jacob has an encounter with the Angel of the Lord. He asks the question, what is your name? The Angel never answer Jacob. The Bible states the encounter was with an angel or messenger of the Lord. We know that this was a manifestation of God, because Jacob says he has seen God face to face.
Ex 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH (YHWH) was I not known to them.
Look at what God communicates to Moses. This is one of the places in the Old Testament where the word Jehovah was used to represent the tetragrammaton. The Lord comes right out and says, that he was not known to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the name YHWH. In other words, he never told them his name. We do not know how God actually spoke to Moses or if he actually ever pronounced the YHWH. He may have just spoken the letters, or he may actually have pronounced the name to Moses, we do not know. What we do know, is the pronunciation was lost.
Jud 13:17-18 And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
In a different encounter with a manifestation of God, Manoah, the father of Samson, asks the same question. The Angel of the Lord again answers with a question, saying, why do you ask my name, since it is a secret? Here the Lord actually tells Manoah that the name is secret, or in other words it is not for you to know the name. It is none of your business.
Pv 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
The book of Proverbs, has a wonderful prophetic utterance, that would be fulfilled by the coming Messiah. The verse asks several questions. These questions show the limitations placed on man by God. Who has ever ascended to heaven? Who has descended from heaven? Who binds the water? Who established the ends of the earth? The final question asks, what is his name and what is his son’s name? King Solomon did not know God’s name. King Solomon, the wisest man on the earth, the recorder of the Proverbs, could not answer the question. He did not know God’s name or the name of the Messiah.
Jer 23:27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
Jeremiah says that the fathers or forefathers of the Jewish people had forgotten God’s name. Because of their idolatrous practices and the use of pagan names, they lost the name of the Lord.
Is 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.
The Lord said that the Gentiles would see his righteousness and he would be called by a new name. This name would be a name that the Lord would name. God himself, at some future time, would give His people a name to know Him by.
Is 11:10-11 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left,
The Lord says that the Gentiles will have as an ensign or standard that will be the root of Jesse. Root implies life giver and nourisher of Jesse. Jesse was King David’s father. The Lord also promises in that day to return to his people Israel a second time and recover a remnant of his people.
Rv 22:16 . . . I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Jesus is identified as the root and the offspring of David. Plants are nourished by their roots. Life comes from the roots. He was both the originator or life of David and the offspring of David through his mother Mary’s lineage or genealogy.
Mt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
It is not until the New Covenant era, that the Messiah’s name was revealed. But is that all there is to the name, JESUS? Is it just the name of the Son of God, who we have established is a human vessel, God created, to reveal himself? It is interesting that the translators of the King James version of the Bible chose to capitalize the name Jesus. Everywhere in the Old Testament a word representing the name of God appeared, it was always capitalized. When the angel Gabriel tells Mary, though shalt call his JESUS, does that have a deeper, more powerful significance?
Jn 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men …
The Messiah, or human flesh through which the Spirit of God revealed Himself was praying to the Spirit. This points to the dual nature of the Messiah. He was fully man or human and fully God through the Spirit. The flesh says to the Spirit that he manifested or revealed the name of God to men. How did Jesus reveal the name of the Father to men?
Jn 5:43 I am come in my Father’s name . . .
Jesus said, I am come in my Father’s name. In other words, the name that I have come to you in, is the name of the Father. Just like a child who is given his fathers sir name, Jesus received his father’s name. The name, also signifies the power, and authority that Jesus had. In order for him to have authority, he needed to have his father’s name. We can equate this to business, where the president of a corporation, carries a high level of authority, within the corporation. If we are instructed to act by the president of our corporation, we act over the authority of his name. If we run into a problem or resistance, we simply have to invoke the name of the president, because that is the highest level of executive authority.
Jn 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name …
Again the Messiah or human flesh of God praying to the Spirit says, I have declared or proclaimed your name.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Peter full of the Holy Ghost, preaching to the Pharisees says, there is no other name under heaven, given to men, that will save us. No other name. Not Budda, not Allah, not Brahman, not even Jehovah or Yahweh can save us. “No other,” is absolute. There is only one name. This fulfills the old testament prophesies about the day when there would be one name, and we would know that name.
Zec 14:9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
Zechariah, near the end of the Old Testament, prophesied of a time when their would be one Lord who’s name would be one. Isn’t that what Peter was telling the Pharisees. There is only one name that will save us.
Phl 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paul writes in his letter to the Phillipians, that the Messiah had a name that is above every name. If God has a name that is greater than Jesus, then the Messiah did not have a name that is above every name. This precludes Jehovah or Yahweh even being equal to the name of Jesus. If there is something equal to the name of Jesus, then Jesus is not above every name. If every knee in heaven bows at the name of Jesus, then there is nothing higher in heaven than the One represented by that name.
Jn 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
The Apostle John wrote that to those who would believe on the name of Jesus, to them would be given power to become sons of God. In other words only those who, know the name, and believe in the name, would be given the power to become sons of God. How do we believe in the name? When we understand what the name really represents. It is the covenant name of God.
Act 4:18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
The Jews forbid Peter and John to teach using the name of Jesus. In other words, they were not to invoke the authority, that was carried by that name. The Pharisees saw men being healed, and miracles being performed, by the authority of the name of Jesus. They were fearful of losing their power, and authority within the congregation of the Jews. They were also fearful of losing the people, their followers. What were Peter and John teaching about the name that was so offensive. The answer is obvious, they were teaching that Jesus is the name of God.
Ac 18:14-15 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.
The religious Jews were kicked out of Gallio’s court because they were arguing with the Apostle Paul over the name of Jesus. It would be ludicrous to insinuate that the Apostles were teaching, that the name of a Messiah in whom the Jews did not believe, was named Jesus. If they did not believe in the Messiah, what would they care, what his name was? But on the other hand, if they were teaching that Jesus was the name of God, that is a whole other issue.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Many people who call themselves Christians today do not know or believe that the covenant name of God is Jesus. Paul explains this phenomenon, by explaining that if we think in terms of the flesh, that is all we will know about. But if we think of the things of the Spirit, we will understand Spiritual things. We will understand that the name, Jesus applies to the Spirit, as well as the flesh of the Messiah. A person who only sees Jesus as the Messiah, has his mind only on the things of the flesh, and does not see the Spiritual implication of the name. In other words a person can only recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, or the earthly vessel through which God’s Spirit was revealed, if he has a carnal mind. On the other hand, those who are thinking in Spiritual terms, when the name of Jesus is spoken, see it as the name of the Spirit of God the Eternal Father and Creator of all things.
Mt 13:13-15 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Jesus said that the reason he spoke in parables is because people would be blind to the truth. Even though they have eyes they would not see and ears they would not hear. Their hearts would be hardened. If they would listen, open their spiritual eyes and spiritual ears, he could heal them spiritually.
II Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
So why are men blinded? Because of their not wanting the truth, Satan, the ‘god of this world,’ has blinded men to the truth. The Bible clearly says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. If we look to him, and call upon His name, he has power to save us. Oh, bless that wonderful name of Jesus.
