Names of the Son of God

God cannot be contained in a box. His infinite characteristics cannot be fully described with a simple label.

Unknown

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers has 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 shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:13-14)

God described Himself by pointing out one powerful aspect of Himself. He is self-existing. I AM is not a name, but a partial description.

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let you go, except you bless me. And he said unto him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince have you power with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray you your name. And he said, Why is it that you do 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.“ (Genesis 32:24-30)

Jacob wrestled with the Son of God, although he did not know it. The patriarch came away with a new name for himself, but no name for the Infinite One. His question was left unanswered.

And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is your name, that when your sayings come to pass we may do you honor. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why ask you thus after my name, seeing it is secret? (Judges 13:17-18)

It is possible this angel was just an angel, but it also could have been the Son of God. The I AM called Himself “the angel of the Lord” when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush. (Exodus 3:2) Because this angel’s name is secret, I lean towards it being God.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)

Christ has a name that no one but Himself knows, but He also has a public name “called The Word of God.” Throughout the Bible, Christ has many names and reveals Himself in many ways, yet He is still infinitely mysterious and cannot be contained by any name that our language can invent.

Known/Character

As we have seen, the Father’s name is unknown, but something representing Him will be written on the foreheads of the 144,000. This shows ownership and approval. God claims them as His own.

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1)

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (Revelation 7:2-3)

Whatever name is inscribed, it differentiates between the saints, who will be protected, and the wicked, who will not be protected.

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression 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. And Moses hurried, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. (Exodus 34:5-8)

This passage gives us an insight into the name of God written on the 144,000. It might be a literal name, but definitely it will be something describes God’s character which has become their character. What a transformation for a sinner to now be described with the same words as the gracious and longsuffering, just and merciful Father!

As God, the Son of God has a name that we can never fully know, but what about the times He manifests Himself as a created being? He is the Word (John 1:1) and the “express image of His person.” (Hebrews 1:3) When God walks in the garden of Eden, or visits Abraham in his tents, or walks the streets of Nazareth, it is the Son of God. Sometimes He has revealed Himself as an angel and often as a human. He must have similarly revealed Himself to the angels as an angel. What was His angel name?

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you. (Jude 1:9)

Let’s note carefully what this verse tells us and what it does not tell us. It does not tell us that Christ is Michael. It tells us the archangel, the chief of the angels, is Michael. Who is the archangel?

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one [first] of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. (Daniel 10:13)

The word used for “one” especially means “number one” or “first”. The phrase could mean “a chief prince” in the sense of one among many, but it also can mean “number one of the chief princes." This will become clearer as we continue.

there is none that holds with me in these things, but Michael your prince. (Daniel 10:21)

Here we see that no one else is equal to Michael. Also he is “your prince”, Daniel’s prince. However, Daniel is human, not an angel!

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-2)

Here Michael has a position that is entirely human oriented. When He stands up from the human judgment for which He sat down in Daniel 7, then the time of trouble begins and the resurrection takes place. This is clearly the second coming of Christ! And with that in mind, go back to the text in Jude about the dead body of Moses. Who raises the dead? Only Christ, because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Never in Scripture do we see an angel raise the dead. They only gather them after they are resurrected.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (Revelation 12:7-8)

For the full story and context of this passage see the article, Satan Expelled—Twice!. What is plain here is that Michael is the leader of the loyal angels—the archangel. The dragon, Satan, is the leader of the rebellious angels.

We have just read all five Scriptures that mention Michael. Now let’s step back and look at them all together.

1. Michael is the chief of the angels.

2. Michael is the strongest of the angels.

3. Michael resurrects Moses.

4. Michael stands for (judges, intercedes, protects) humans.

5. Michael prevails against the dragon.

Michael clearly has both angelic and human characteristics. So who best qualifies to be Michael, a regular angel or the Son of God? Especially consider resurrecting humans and interceding for humans.

Let’s look at three more texts to help seal this conclusion and learn a possible explanation.

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

This is the second coming of Christ when the resurrection will happen. The question is, Will He be accompanied by the archangel or is He the archangel? The trumpet will answer the question for us.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. (Revelation 1:10)

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

The voice that raises the dead and sounds like a trumpet is clearly Christ’s. Therefore, the voice of the archangel is the voice of Christ.

Our final question is, Why does Christ have an angel name?

First, Michael means “who is like God?” So it is not entirely angelic. It sets Him apart from the angels in a way. Imagine Lucifer (morning star) wanting to enter the glorious tribunal on the divine throne. Michael tells him that he cannot. “Why? You get to!” asks the angel. “Are you like God?" replies the Son of God.

Before humans there were angels. The Son of God needed a name by which the angels could refer to Him. He did not yet commit Himself to human form and a human name. Therefore, in the Old Testament or in the presence of angels, He was Michael.

Of course, He is now Jesus, Joshua, Yeshua (Hebrew), Eeyasoos (Greek). However, He will soon have yet another name.

We only have two angels that are named in the Bible. Lucifer was the first chief angel in the sense that he was the covering cherub. Then, after his fall it looks like Gabriel was granted his position.

Lucifer

How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14)

You are the anointed cherub that covers and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you. By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy you O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you. (Ezekiel 28:14-17)

These are the two main texts that describe Lucifer and his fall.

Gabriel

Here are all four of the Biblical references to Gabriel.

And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. (Daniel 8:16)

Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. (Daniel 9:21)

And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show you these glad tidings. (Luke 1:19)

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27)

Gabriel was probably the messenger in other human interactions, but just was not named. In these texts, we see he is the messenger of the prophecy of Israel’s turning point and the messenger of Christ’s birth. Notice what this #1 angel does not do. He does not raise the dead or judge people.

When the Son of God came to earth via His birth to Mary in the manger, He acquired a common human name.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 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. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:20-25)

Jesus, or Joshua, was a common name meaning “Jehovah saves.” This was a very fitting name for the Savior, but also common.

After Jesus returned to heaven, or after sin is taken care of, He will get a new name.

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 upon 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 upon him my new name. (Revelation 3:12)

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore 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. (Philippians 2:8-11)

Jesus will no longer be an ordinary Joshua. He will have a new name that is above every name and His accomplishments and sacrifice will be acknowledged by all. From Michael to Jesus to New Name we will worship Him in gratitude and praise forever!