172. Name
Revelation 3:12b [Him that overcometh…] I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
The second part of the sixth overcomer promise: the name of God will be written upon the believer, and the name of the city of God, and Jesus’ own new name. The powerful name of Jesus and of Yahweh will be written upon us. The Aaronic Blessing of Numbers 6:24-27 puts Yahweh’s name upon the people. Today we go out from the Divine Service wearing the name of God. (Do not bear it in vain.) This is a serious blessing and a serious promise. This Triune Name was placed upon us at our Baptism, and we wear it proudly. We go out into this world witnessing to this Name by which we must be saved and exercising its power in love. Now in the Book of Revelation Jesus promises us that we will bear this Name in eternity also.
The name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, is also written upon us. This new city, come from heaven, will exist and rule the new heaven and new earth for eternity. The fact that it is written upon us signifies that the city of my God is also our city; we belong to it; it is our home, our native land, the city in which we are born again. By faith, we live in that spiritual kingdom and city right now, even though at the same time we are living in the kingdoms of this world, the earthly world we can see. But we don’t belong here: we are traveling though on a sojourn until we reach our heavenly home, the New Jerusalem prepared for us by God. We know it is ours because the name of the city is on us.
Interestingly, Jesus has a new name; we don’t know what this means, but it probably has something to do with the exalted name of Jesus at which “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Either Jesus received a new name at the Ascension and Session at the Right Hand, or the name Jesus itself has received a new meaning and significance: the Name of Jesus now has absolute dominance and Lordship over absolutely everything. This Authority is most likely the “newness” of that name, all because of the Resurrection. That strong Name is now upon us: Amazing!