“And I looked, and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Zion and with Him an hundred and forty and four thousand having His Father’s name written in their foreheads,” Rev. 14:1-5.
IN RECEIVING HIS NAME, WE
As we continue our meditation on the 144,000 that are with the lamb, it should have become clear to us that we are not just dealing with literal numbers. Rather, we have the mind of God here communicated to us in symbols by the Spirit, and that it is as the Spirit of truth is opened unto us can we really fathom the gem that is contained therein. Here we want to see more clearly what the name is all about.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE NAME OF THE FATHER?
This is an interesting question, but one of the most confusing aspects of Christian doctrines as wars can be waged as to what the name of God is. Some say it is Jehovah, others believe it is ‘Yahweh,’ etc., etc. But the question is which of the myriad of names known in Christendom are we now saying is written on the forehead of these faithful ones?
Now remember what is written is not ‘names,’ but ‘name’ (singular). In John 5:43 Jesus said, “I am come in my Father’s name and ye receive me not, If another shall come in his own name, him ye receive.”So what can we make of the statement of Jesus? What was the father’s name that He came in ?
Let us compare another Scripture to see if we can find an answer to the above question. When David was still on the run because of Saul after the death of Samuel we are told he went down to the wilderness of Paran where there was a man named Nabal with Abigail, his wife, who was also great in possessions to whom David sent his servants.
On hearing that he, Nabal, was shearing his sheep they requested of him some food. The record says, “…and David said unto the young men (ten in number) get ye up to Camel and go to Nabal and greet him in my NAME…” and getting to Nabal they said “…wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day, give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto they servants and to thy son David. And when David’s young men came they spake to Nabal according to all those words IN THE NAME OF DAVID and ceased,” 1Sam. 25:1-9.
Can’t we see from the above passage that the “name of David” simply means on behalf of David or in the authority of David? Sure! That is what it means. They spoke according to the commandment David gave to them as his servants.
It becomes plain that Jesus coming in the name of the Father, simply means He came as a representative of the Father. He was simply here as an ambassador. Therefore, we can see here that the name simply means the authority of an individual who is in power.
And of course, the words of Jesus was a prophetic fulfillment as promised to the children of Israel when Moses told them that God will raise up a prophet like unto him, to whom they should listen.
“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; …I will raise up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak IN MY NAME, I will require it of him,” Duet. 18:15-19.
And this is exactly what Jesus meant in John 5:43 of coming in the name of the Father even as he was sent of the Father to be his representative on earth, just as Moses was sent to deliver the children of Israel. He came with and in the authority of the Father. He spake only what the Father gave to Him.
Oh! How one wishes that Christians as ambassadors of Christ (2Cor. 5:18-21) could speak only as they are commanded. Of course, we would have had more results than what we are experiencing now. Why? Because, then, the words would be more empowered by Him who has so sent us.
In addition to the name of a person being his authority, we also do discover that the name of a person equally means his character or nature. Take for instance the statement of Jesus about the Holy Ghost that will be sent after His departure.
In His words, “But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send IN MY NAME, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you,” John 14:26.
Primarily, His name was called ‘Jesus’ because – “He shall save His people from their sins,” Matt. 1:21. So you see, the name here is not just the word ‘JESUS,’ but what that name stands for – he shall save His people from their sins. Therefore, His name speaks of His nature; it shall speak of His character, His attitude, what He does.
Therefore, in comparing the works of the Comforter with what He came to do which His name represents, He said,
“And when He has come, He will convince the world of its sin, and of the availability of God’s goodness, and of deliverance from judgement. The world’s sin is unbelief in me. There is righteousness available because I go to the Father and you shall see me no more. There is deliverance from judgement because the Prince of this world has already been judged… When the Holy Ghost, who is the truth comes, He shall guide you into all truth for He will not be presenting His own ideas, but will be passing onto you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future,” John 16:8-13 TLB.
Again, you can see here that the Holy Ghost is completely in the name or nature of Jesus Christ. His nature is best described in Exo. 33 when Moses demanded for God’s presence and His glory. The word said, “And He (God) said I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the NAME OF THE LORD before thee…” (v. 19).
“…The Lord stood with him there and proclaimed the NAME OF THE LORD. And the Lord passed by before him (Moses) and proclaimed: THE LORD. THE LORD GOD, MERCIFUL AND GLORIOUS, LONGSUFFERING and ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS and TRUTH, KEEPING MERCIES for thousands, forgiving iniquity and TRANSGRESSIONS and SIN, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation,” Exo. 34:5-7.
So we can see what the name of the Lord is all about, it is completely the nature and character of God.
To be continued…