What’s the Mystery of the Names of God?

January 4, 2018 Leave a comment

By Zheng Youming

There are many verses about God’s names in the Bible. The names God takes all hold
significance. Let’s see God’s names in the Old Testament:

Jehovah: Exodus 3:15 states, “And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say
to the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever,
and this is my memorial to all generations.”

Jealous: Exodus 34:14 states, “For you shall worship no other god: for the LORD,
whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org.
God was also called my shepherd, and Jehovahnissi in the Bible…. What recorded more
in the Old Testament was that God used the name “Jehovah” to do the work of guiding
man all through the Old Testament era.
God’s names in the New Testament:

Jesus: Matthew 1:21 states, “And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Emmanuel: Matthew 1:23 states, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted
is, God with us.”

It was recorded more in the New Testament that God’s name was Jesus, and the name
of Jehovah was no longer mentioned. At last the name of Jesus spread to the ends of the
earth. It’s not difficult to see from the Bible that God’s name is Jehovah in the Old
Testament, and Jesus in the New Testament. Why are God’s names different? What do
these names mean? And what’s the significance of them? I’m really curious about
God’s names, but don’t know the mysteries contained within all along.

What Does the Name of Jehovah Mean?

One day, I accidentally saw some words from a spiritual book. It says, “‘Jehovah’ is
the name that I took during My work in Israel, and it means the God of the
Israelites (God’s chosen people) who can take pity on man, curse man, and guide
the life of man. It means the God who possesses great power and is full of wisdom.
… That is to say, only Jehovah is the God of the chosen people of Israel, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God
of all the people of Israel. And so in the current age, all the Israelites apart from
the tribe of Judah worship Jehovah. They make sacrifices to Him on the altar, and
serve Him wearing priests’ robes in the temple. What they hope for is the
reappearance of Jehovah. … The name Jehovah is a particular name for the
people of Israel who lived under the law. In each age and each stage of work, My
name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents
one age. ‘Jehovah’ represents the Age of Law, and is the honorific for the God
worshiped by the people of Israel.” This paragraph makes it clear to us that although
the Old Testament recorded many God’s names, only the name Jehovah could represent
the work of that age. There is only one name for each age. Each name represents one
stage of work and one part of God’s disposition. The name Jehovah was God’s name
which was personally testified to by God when He called Moses to lead the people of
Israel out of Egypt, and also a particular name for God in the Old Testament Age of
Law. That is to say, the name Jehovah was taken for God’s work and saving His chosen
people. From then on, God began the work of the Age of Law under the name of
Jehovah, decreeing laws and commandments to lead the newborn mankind to live on
earth, requiring man to strictly abide by the law, learn to worship God and honor God
as great. Those who abided by the laws of Jehovah received God’s blessings and grace
while those who violated the laws would be stoned to death or burnt by the fire from
heaven. Therefore, the Israelites under the law strictly abided by the laws, honored
Jehovah’s name as holy and lived for several thousands of years under the leadership
of Jehovah, right up until the work of the Age of Law was concluded. The name of
Jehovah represents God’s disposition expressed toward man in that age: majesty, wrath,
curse and mercy. These words in this book are wonderful, which solved my years of
confusion at once. It turns out that there are so many mysteries about God’s name. God
is so wise. But why did God take the name of Jesus in the New Testament? What is the
representative significance of the name of Jesus? Then I continued to seek.

What Does the Name of Jesus Mean?

At the mention of Jesus, we know it is God’s name witnessed by the angel sent by God
personally. Just as Matthew 1:21 says, “And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall
call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:23
says, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Philippians 2:9-11 says, “Why God also has 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.” I continued consulting
in that spiritual book and found it also mentioned the representative significance of the
name of Jesus, “‘Jesus’ is Emmanuel, and it means the sin offering that is full of
love, full of compassion, and redeems man. He did the work of the Age of Grace,
and represents the Age of Grace, and can only represent one part of the
management plan. … ‘Jesus’ represents the Age of Grace, and is the name of the
God of all those who were redeemed during the Age of Grace. If man still longs for
the arrival of Jesus the Savior during the last days, and still expects Him to arrive
in the image He bore in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan
would stop in the Age of Redemption, and would be incapable of progressing any
further. The last days, furthermore, would never arrive, and the age would never
be brought to an end. That is because Jesus the Savior is only for the redemption
and salvation of mankind. I took the name of Jesus for the sake of all the sinners
in the Age of Grace, and it is not the name by which I shall bring the whole of
mankind to an end.” It turns out that Jesus is the name of the God of all those who are
redeemed, and it means the sin offering that is full of love, full of compassion, and
redeems man.

The Edge Group and Lion Hudson Ltd.

In the Age of Grace, all people worshiped Jesus’ name as sacred. We prayed in the
name of Jesus in the entire age. As long as we prayed in the name of the Lord Jesus,
our illnesses would be cured and all our sins would be forgiven, meanwhile, we could
enjoy bountiful grace of God. God used the name, Jesus to initiate the Age of Grace,
put an end to the Age of Law and express God’s disposition of love and mercy. Jesus
is the Lord God’s name which is above every name. It’s a testimony of God’s glory, a
proof of our being saved by grace and the name bestowed by God in which we win!

From God’s two stages of work in the Old Testament and New Testament we can see,
in each age, the name that God takes is not baseless, but holds representative
significance and depends on the needs of God’s work. In each age, God takes different
names to represent the work He did and the disposition He expressed in that age. At the
same time, His name allows us to see clearly the changes in eras and God’s work. For
example, at the end of the Age of Law, people became increasingly corrupt and
committed more and more sins, even could not keep the laws and were all faced with
the danger of being punished at any time for violating the laws. So in order to save this
mankind, God did the work of redemption in one stage under the name of Jesus, began
the Age of Grace, ended the Age of Law, expressed the compassionate and loving
disposition, and bestowed mankind abundant grace. At last, He was nailed to the cross
for the sake of man and redeemed us mankind from Satan’s grasp. When Jesus came to
do a stage of work, God’s name also changed. The name, Jehovah was not mentioned
any more. God did the work of the entire age under the name of Jesus. If the Lord came
to do the work in the Age of Grace under the name of Jehovah, not Jesus, then God’s
work would stop at the Age of Law. As a corrupt human race, we would be unable to
receive God’s salvation. In the end, we would surely be convicted and punished for
violating the laws. Likewise, if the Lord comes in the last days and is still called Jesus,
we can only be forgiven our sins but will never be able to be cleansed and saved by
God.

It is already the last days now. Acts 1:11 says, “Which also said, You men of Galilee,
why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” So the Lord
Jesus will surely come in the last days. Then will the Lord Jesus still be called Jesus
when He returns? The name of Jesus represents redemption. Although we have been
forgiven our sins after being redeemed by the Lord Jesus in the Age of Grace, we have
not cast off our sinful nature and still sin often despite ourselves. We are not completely
obtained by God. Then will the Lord change His name when He returns? Revelation
3:12 states, “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and
he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name
of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven
from my God: and I will write on him my new name.” Here it mentions “My new
name.” Since it is a new name, it means God has never used it or we haven’t heard it.
From this we can see, the Lord will take a new name when He returns in the last days.
Then what will God’s new name be? And what significance will the new name
hold? Please see the related link: When Jesus Returns, Will He Still Be Called Jesus?

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