What is the name of God that we must know to be saved? Many believes that it is through the name Jesus we can be saved and he is the true Savior. Then why do people believe like that? It is because the bible says that the name of Jesus is the name of Savior and we must accept and believe in.
Jesus, the Name of God
Apostle John and Peter testified that Jesus is the source of Salvation.
Act 4:11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
They testified to the Jews who are versed at the bible, and said that “no other name” except for the name of Jesus was given to them to be saved. It was a strange idea to the Jews of the time. It was because the name of Savior they had known and accepted was not Jesus to them. It was always God the Father Jehovah who could be called the name of Savior.
Isaiah 42:8 “I am Yahweh (or Jehovah).
That is my name.
I will not give my glory to another.
I will not let statues take the praise that should be mine. (ERV)
And he proclaims that he alone is the Savior and none other.
Isaiah 43:10 The Lord (or Jehovah) says, “You people are my witnesses and the servant I chose. I chose you so that you would help people believe me. I chose you so that you would understand that ‘I Am He’—I am the true God. There was no God before me, and there will be no God after me. 11 I myself am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.
The name of God to the Jews who originally believed in the bible was God Jehovah. That is why when disciples started to preach that Jesus was the Savior and the true God, the Jews could not accept the teachings and dismissed them as cult. But then why did the disciples preach that Jesus is the name of Savior and Jesus is God Jehovah. Physically we cannot say that the name Jesus and Jehovah same because they have different spellings and pronounce differently. Despite these apparent difference between the two names, the disciples of Jesus preached Jesus was the true savior and accept the name of Jesus.
Romans 9:5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah (or Christ Jesus), who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
Paul says that Christ Jesus is the true God and he is the true Savior.
Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Acts 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Apostles who preached Jesus as Savior were also Jews who had been taught throughout their life that Jehovah is the Savior. Then what made them change their mind and accept the name of Jesus as the name of Savior, rather than Jehovah?
The Name of Savior Fulfilled through the Prophecies of the Bible
Then was there any part or verse in the Old Testament that taught that the name of Savior would be changed into another name such as Jesus in the later time? No, there is not a single verse that mentions Jesus in the Old Testament. Considering that their faith was based on the Scriptures, it is strange that they started to call out the name Jesus as the name of Savior because the Scripture testifies over and over again that God the Father Jehovah is the only Savior and only God.
To understand the reason we have to look at the teachings of Jesus Christ who testified about himself. What did he say about himself?
John 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.
Jesus’ teaching sounds more strange. Jesus said that he (Jesus) came in the name of Father (Jehovah) and by saying this he is alluding that he (Jesus) is Father (Jehovah). However, as we can see the name and spelling, the two names are not the same, but completely different. Then why did he teach that he came in the Father’s name? If he did, he must be called “Jehovah,” rather than Jesus 2000 years ago.
Here we can see that he is not teaching in the literal sense of the words, but he is teaching through a parable as usual. Therefore, to understand his teaching correctly, we have to read between the lines and find out the hidden meaning behind the words. Then how can we explain his teaching about the name of God.
By looking at the previous verses we can grasp the meaning and understand what he wanted to teach the people about the name of Savior.
John 5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
He is speaking about the Scriptures (the bible) and says that through the Scriptures we can receive Salvation because through the Scriptures we can know who the Savior is and can come to him to receive Salvation. But the Scriptures he was speaking about the Old Testament because the New Testament was not recorded and compiled yet during Jesus’ lifetime. And he makes an unbecoming argument when he said that the Scriptures or the Old Testament was given to teach the people about himself who was to come as Savior to give them eternal life. However, none of his argument seems to be true because the Scriptures testifies that Jehovah is the Savior and come to Father Jehovah.
Then on what ground could he say that he was God the Father Jehovah and he came in the Father’s name? We can understand this through the fulfillment of the prophecies of the bible. God gave many prophecies (rather than a name) so that we could recognize the true Savior by the fulfillment of the prophecies. For example, in one prophecy God said that he would come as shepherd to save his people:
Ezekiel 34:11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord (or Jehovah) says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
Since the shepherds did not take care of the sheep entrusted to them, God prophesied that he would be a shepherd for his people himself in the future by searching them, gathering them, healing them, comforting them with good pastures. Then who came and fulfill this prophecy of good shepherd? It was fulfilled through Jesus Christ:
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
Through these teachings we can easily see that Jesus was the one who fulfilled the prophecy of the good shepherd made by Father Jehovah. If we believe that these two passages are related with each other through the prophecy and fulfillment, it is also easy for us to know who Jesus was. In the Book of Ezekiel, the one who would appear as shepherd is God the Father Jehovah himself. Therefore, we can say that Jesus, even though he came as man in the flesh like one of us and he had physically a different name from Jehovah, is God Jehovah because of the fulfillment of the prophecy.
The Prophecy of a New Covenant
Let us take a look at another prophecy:
Jeremiah 31:31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord (or Jehovah)),
“when I (Jehovah) will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
In this prophecy Jehovah said that he would make a new covenant to his people again to give them the forgiveness of sins. Even though he made an old covenant (the Law of Moses), his people disobeyed the covenant and got destroyed because of the sins they committed and the covenant came to be broken and forgotten by his people since it was written on the stone tablets. That is why he said that he would write the new covenant in the tablets of people’s heart so that they would never forget and keep the covenant forever so that they would receive the forgiveness of sins and salvation.
Then who fulfill this prophecy by making the new covenant with the people of God?
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
When Jesus kept the Passover with his disciples, he said that that was THE new covenant. What does it mean? What was the new covenant he had in mind when he established the new covenant with the bread and wine of the Passover? He was referring to a prophecy of the Scriptures and all throughout the Scriptures there is only one instance where God Jehovah said that he (Jehovah) would make A new covenant. And that prophecy was achieved by Jesus by establishing THE new covenant which was mentioned by Father Jehovah. Then in this prophecy who is Jesus? The prophecy said I (Jehovah) would make a new covenant and therefore Jesus must be Jehovah who appeared as man in the flesh and established the new covenant.
I just mentioned two of the prophecies of the Scriptures for the sake of time. Actually, all the verses of the bible teaches us the savior who would appear and gives us the salvation and all those prophecies which were made by God Jehovah was fulfilled by Jesus. When the disciples of Jesus realized this, they could boldly proclaim that Jesus was Father Jehovah and Jesus thus was the true Savior and God.
The Name of God in the Last Day
Then why are all these important? It is because what happened in the past would happen again in the last day. Jesus Christ already prophesied about his coming and he says about the name of Savior which would be revealed in the last day.
John 14:26 But the Advocate (Counselor), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Here he is speaking about the Holy Spirit who would come in the last day to teach the truth to people so that they would receive salvation. But then who is the Holy Spirit who would appear in the last days? Many say that the Holy Spirit is a invisible spiritual force as it was once manifested on the Day of Pentecost by descending upon people and giving the power of God. That is true. But in another aspect, the Holy Spirit is just a title given to God just like the Father and the Son. According to the bible, the Holy Spirit is the title given to the Second Coming Christ.
Jesus Christ always called himself as “the Son of Man” or people called him as “the Son of God or David.” It was because the Christ must appear as son in the prophecy of Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus and that is why Jesus himself and people called him as son. In reality, however, he was the Mighty God and Everlasting Father or God Jehovah himself. Especially, he appeared as Counselor or Advocate who “speaks to the Father in our defense.” (1 John 2:1) According to the teachings of Jesus, he says that he would send another Counselor like him so that our sins would be forgiven through his supplication for us.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father , and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth.
And about this Counselor, he refers him as the Holy Spirit. It means that God would send Christ again and when he appears he would come with the title of the Holy Spirit. And when he appears he would teach us everything that we must know for our salvation and he would speak to the father for us so that our sins would be forgiven. In the Book of Revelation, we can see Jesus who would appears with the title “the Holy Spirit” and “a new name.”
Revelation 3:11 I (or Jesus) am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Jesus who would be coming in the future must be the Second Coming Christ. When he appears for the second time, however, he does not use the title “Son” anymore, rather he uses the title (Holy) Spirit instead as we can see in Verse 13 of the passage above and many other verses throughout the book, especially, Chapter 2, 3 and 22. Again and again he refers himself as “the Holy Spirit,” letting us know that these prophecies about his second coming. But when he comes, what is the name he would use? In the book of John, he already said that God would send the Holy Spirit in his name and therefore the Holy Spirit seems to have to appear in the name of Jesus if we try to understand this verse literally.
However, through the example of Jesus who came in the Father’s name, now we must have the spiritual eyes to know the hidden meaning behind it. It means the Holy Spirit would not literally appear in the name of Jesus any more, but rather he would appear with a different name. About this, he said that he would appear with “his new name.” (Revelation 3:12) It means when he appears in the last days we would not be able to know who the Christ is through his name. Then how would we know the Second Coming Christ.
Christ Ahnsahnghong Who Came in the Name of Jesus
The only way for us to know the name of God is through the fulfillment of the prophecies of the bible. Just as the disciples could accept Jesus as Savior or God through the fulfillment of prophecies made by God Jehovah, the only way for us to know the true Second Coming Christ who would appear as the Holy Spirit with a new name is through the fulfillment of the prophecies of the bible.
2000 years ago, Jesus made a lot of prophecies about his Second Coming in Matthew 24: the Son of man coming on the clouds of sky, the Son of Man coming along the blossoming of the fig tree, the Son of Man coming like lightning which shines from east to west, etc. Therefore, the one who fulfills all these prophecies made in the name of Jesus is the one who we must accept because he is Christ Jesus who would appear a second time. It does not matter where he is coming from, how he looks like, what language he speaks, what customs he follows. What is important is the prophecies of the Scriptures and the fulfillment of those prophecies.
All the prophecies Jesus made 2000 years ago was fulfilled by Christ Ahnsahnghong by coming on the clouds of heaven in the time of fig tree giving out the leaves from the east bringing the words of God. Not only these, all other prophecies such as Melchizedek, David, Elijah, Moses, etc were fulfilled through his coming. Therefore, by looking at the fulfillment we should be able to see who Christ Ahnsahnghong is in spite of all the unbecoming outward appearances which seems to be contrary to the public expectation of Christ. Remember that only those who truly believed the words of God in the bible could accept the Christ testified in the bible. We must be the same and accept Christ Ahnsahnghong by trusting the words of God in the Scriptures because these are the Scriptures that testifies about Christ Ahnsahnghong.