Dear webservants:
I have been reading the many articles written by Michael Vinson. Indeed they have opened up my mind to the word of God, especially the spiritual aspect or meaning of the scriptures. Of late I have been introduced to the IsWasAndWillBe website and many questions have been cleared up. I started reading the articles of Mr. Vinson’s just as the leftside column is designed. Been to the website many times, and I will be there many more. I have just finished for the second time reading the article “The Law of Moses Versus The Law of the Spirit”. This article is quite lengthy, and I, being the slow reader that I am, took a couple, maybe three sessions to read this article completely. I know there will be future readings of this article to completely absorb and understand everything written there. There is a question that pops up in my mind from one of Mr. Vinson’s statements in this article and seems to contradict the scriptures. I would appreciate if someone on the webservants list would help me to clear up this issue.  Here is the statement which I will copy verbatim: 

No doubt our relationship will be even more glorious after the thousand years, but it is also true that “the time is AT HAND” (Rev. 1:3). New Jerusalem is Christ’s “new name”; “He that overcometh… I will write upon him… New Jerusalem… my new name” (Rev. 3:12).

The particular verse in question states: 

KJV Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh 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 cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Jesus Christ is saying that those who overcome, He shall write upon them 1) the name of my God, and 2) the name of the city of my God. Two items are mentioned here. Yet Mr. Vinson claims that Christ’s new name is new Jerusalem of which will be written upon he who overcomes. I find this contradicting to Rev 19:12 which states:

KJV Rev 19:12 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.

I feel that new Jerusalem is the name of the new city of God, not the “name of my God” as is stated. I would appreciate if one of the webservants would clear up this contradiction that I have in my mind. Thank you all for the many FAQ’s, articles and information that is written on the site. I know I will be reading the many, many articles and will be listening and viewing the many DVD’s on the site. If the Lord be willing I shall make one of your conferences in the near future too! Fellowshipping is wonderful but even better when one can do so with like minded individuals. May God bless this website and its contributors for doing such a wonderful service to those who desire the meat of the Word, Your brother in Christ,
R____

Hi R____,
 
I am so pleased that you have been learning about the mind of God in the writings on iswasandwillbe. com.
I also want to thank you for this question. I hope that the answer to this question will help you to see what is the mind of God behind the Biblical use of the word ‘name.’
I have no doubt that when I, or any Christian, mention the “lamb of God,” you immediately know that we are not talking about a young sheep which is owned by God. John the baptist certainly knew better:

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Neither do you think of a big wild beast when you hear the words “Lion of the tribe of Judah.” I hope you don’t think of a literal woman when you read of “the great whore… the mother of harlots,” etc.

I could go on with clouds, rain, earth, heaven, all the numbers, colors, metals and creatures mentioned in the Bible, and in every case you will find that there is a spiritual message behind the word which, just as the word ‘lamb’ means Christ as the sacrifice for our sins, the message behind every word of scripture is really a spiritual meaning that has nothing in common with the primary physical definition of the words used to convey the spiritual thought.

Look at this verse of God’s Word which declares this to be true:

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

God’s Words are spirit, they are not physical. Look at how Paul uses God’s Word:

Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Now let’s go read this verse of God’s Word as it is used in the Old Testament, and see if you think that this is a command to Paul and Barnabas to start going to the Gentiles:

Isa 49:1  Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Isa 49:2  And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isa 49:3  And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Isa 49:4  Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: [ yet] surely my judgment [ is] with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Isa 49:5  And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb [ to be] his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

“Listen to me… the Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. ” Who is ‘me’ in this verse?
“And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword.” Whose mouth is like a sharp sword?
Verse three comes right out and tells us that “me” in all of this is talking about Israel:

Isa 49:3  And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Verse four continues with all the same personal pronouns: Isa 49:4  Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: [ yet] surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Verse five reiterates that “the Lord formed me from the womb,” and concludes with “yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.”

Isa 49:5  And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

There it is. We have five verses which are filled with the personal pronouns I, me and my. And verse three tells us that this is Israel. Now we come to the verse that Paul quotes in Act 13. It is verse 6 to which Paul is referring when we read:

Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Now here is verse six of Isa 49:

Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

According to verse three the ‘thee’ and the ‘thou’ being spoken of in this verse is Israel, not Paul and Barnabas. But according to Paul’s application of this verse, Israel is being rejected by God as “judging themselves unworthy of  everlasting life,” and for this reason Paul and Barnabas will “turn to the Gentiles.”

Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Now if we take your approach to scripture concerning the use of the word ‘name’ and we were to insist that the verses Paul quotes are to be understand by the primary physical application of the words we are reading, then we would all be forced to conclude that Paul is completely distorting God’s Word out of all recognition. Nowhere in the sixth verse of Isa 49 is there as much as a hint that Paul and Barnabas were being commanded to take the gospel to the Gentiles. What we can conclude from verse three is that Israel was the subject of these verses, and Paul is telling us that Israel is being cut off so that the gospel can go to the Gentiles:

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Rom 11:30  For as ye [ Gentile Romans] in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have t hese [ Israel] also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Now I explain many such verses as Act 13:47 in the paper on iswasandwillbe. com entitled Rightly Dividing The Word Using A Principle Only The Apostles Understood. If you have not yet done so, I would urge you to read that paper and become familiar with the way the apostles handled God’s Word. Their way should be our way, and let all of today’s scholars and professors of theology be liars. What you will discover is the ‘is, was and will be’ nature of the word of God. What you will discover is that whatever applies to Christ also applies, in God’s Word, to all the types and shadows of Christ in the Old Testament. So when we become familiar enough with God’s Word we will understand that the real “father of the faithful” is not Abraham, it is really Christ:

Gen 15:5  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Gen 48:4  And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee [ for] an everlasting possession.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The words in the Old Testament referring to the manna as “bread from heaven” do not really refer to physical manna at all, but to the “true bread from heaven”, which is Christ.

Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

The word ‘bread’ doesn’t even mean bread. It means Christ. I could go on at length demonstrating to you that the words of scripture are all to be understood in their spiritual sense and application.
The natural man doesn’t stand a chance of understanding the things of the spirit both because of the fact that, in scripture, every word has a spiritual meaning that has no more to do with its natural primary physical meaning than the word ‘bread’ in its primary, physical application has to do with the name Jesus Christ and add to that the is, was and will be nature of God’s Word, and the natural man is as spiritually blind as a bat. Spiritual matters become total foolishness to the natural man. And so we are plainly told:

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world [ Greek – aion – ages] unto our glory:
1Co 2:8  Which none of the princes of this world [ Greek – aion – age] knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

God’s wisdom is “hidden wisdom” which “none of the princes of this age knew.” How does this “hidden wisdom” affect the natural man? Here is the affect that spiritual hidden wisdom has on the natural man:

1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit [ Christs words are spirit – John. 6:63] of the world, but the spirit [ word] which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but [ words] which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [ them], because they are spiritually discerned.

“The holy spirit teaches; comparing spiritual with spiritual.” Unless you are given eyes to see that every word of God’s Word is a spiritual parable from Gen 1:1 to Rev 22:21, “comparing spiritual with spiritual” will have no meaning at all to you. But when you come to see that every historical event recorded in God’s Word has a spiritual message hidden behind the actual event, then you will see that “coming up out of Egypt” really has nothing to do with coming out of the country of Egypt, but it has everything to do with coming out of sin and death and coming into righteousness and life.

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

And now to answer your question about the “name that no one knows but he who receives it.” The word ‘name’ like every other word in the word of God, has nothing in common with its primary physical and natural meaning. “The holy spirit teaches us [ what the word name means] by comparing spiritual with spiritual.” The spiritual meaning of the word name is “knowing God and Jesus Christ who He has sent.” Knowing either God or Christ or our new name, is simply coming to know God.

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

In this verse God calls His Son “Israel.” But in the New Testament, we are told that this is talking about a child who is to be called Jesus:

Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Mat 2:14  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Is this a contradiction? Only to those who cannot “compare spiritual with spiritual.” The word ‘name’ is clearly demonstrated for what it means to God in this statement:

Rom 2:22  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Rom 2:24  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

This has nothing at all to do with whether we pronounce God’s name as Yahweh, or Yahveh, or whether we pronounce Christ’s name with a ‘J’ or a ‘Y’ or an ‘I.’ God could care less how we physically pronounce His name. Blaspheming God’s name among the Gentiles has to do with whether you are telling others to obey God while you yourself are disobeying God. Blaspheming the name of God is calling Him “Lord, Lord”, but not doing the things He says. Blaspheming the name of God is telling people to pronounce God’s name just so, while in the same breath telling those same people to go out and fight and kill their fellow man for the sake of God and country, and spitting on the words of Christ with quips like “Jesus was too smart to run for public office,” while ignoring the words that Christ gave us to “love thine enemies.” “The name of our God,” our “new name” and the name “New Jerusalem” are all one and the exact same thing.
Here is that verse again:

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh 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 cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [ I will write upon him] my new name.

We are told in the first verse of the first chapter of this book that the things in this book are “sign ified”. These three statements concerning the word ‘name’ in this one verse are obviously no exception to the fact that Jesus Christ has “sign ified” the words of this book. Will anyone actually contend that all overcomers must go about with three different names written upon them.
Look closely at that verse. Do you see the words that are bracketed? The brackets indicate the words that are not in the Greek. Now let’s read that verse as it actually reads:

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh 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, new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and my new name.

“The name of My God… the name of the city of my God, new Jerusalem, and my new name are all a matter only of “knowing God and Jesus Christ who God hath sent.”

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

“No one knowing that name but he who has that name” is a reference to those who have the “name” of Christ and are “in Him.” In Him we have His name and only those in Him know that name.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Our salvation depends on “knowing God and Jesus Christ”. How do we know them?  We know them when we love them, and we love them when we obey them:

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

We may think that knowing a certain physical name has something to do with our salvation, but this is what Christ has to say about that:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

And even more specifically concerning what we physically call God, we are told:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

There is no one word in the New Testament where Christ makes a issue out of physical names being spoken and pronounced just so. Yet right after giving us the definition of what is eternal life, we are told this:

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Joh 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

  How did Christ “manifest the name of His Father?” We need not guess:

Joh 17:8  For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

“I have given them the words which you gave me… and they know that I came out from you.” We are all named after those who beget us. Our physical fathers all have one name, and that is our name.
I hope this all helps you to see that just as surely as a sheep and a lion and a Son are all names referring to our one and only Savior, the Son of God, so too, do all names refer only to that one “name of God.” I hope you now see that that one name is better to be chosen than great riches or precious ointment,” because it is simply a matter of having the mind of and knowing God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Rom 2:24  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Pro 22:1  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches , and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Ecc 7:1  A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

You mention Rev 19:12 as proof that this is a separate and third name:

Rev 19:11  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 doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12  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 [ those “in Him”].

When you come to understand the New Testament doctrine of “our Lord and His Christ,” you will understand that this is simply a reiteration of the promise made in Rev 2:

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Christ is that “white stone” of approval that we are given as His elect. In Him we share in His “new name that no one knows but He [ Christ] himself [ which “Himself” includes “our Lord and { those who are ‘in Him’} His Christ.”]
This is the Truth of God’s Word and the Truth of the gospel:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

I urge you to read about this truth in the study notes on the talk I gave in Dallas 2007, entitled The Revelation Of Jesus  Christ  As The Christ. Here is the link to the video: http:// video. google. com/ videoplay? docid=-1032092279812654607
What I hope you will see is that the word ‘name’ has nothing to do with a physically printed, or physically audible sound like the name ‘Mike,’ or my wife’s name ‘Sandi,’ or your name, or any other physically written or physically spoken name. If God grants you to see what is the spiritual significance of the word ‘name,’ then you will understand that what you now see as “two names” will become one, just as “they twain shall be one…” and “there is but one God…” and “that they may be one, as we are one.” All in Christ bear the one name of our Father, to which all the types of names in scripture refer. All of the dozens of ‘names’ given our God throughout scripture, are all mere physical types of the various facets of the wonderful, beautiful, and loving character of our one God and Father. He doen’t really have dozens of different names, but He is revealed in dozens of stages as we are able to receive Him into our hearts, minds and lives.
Here are but a few of the Hebrew ‘names’ of God, with their English translations.
 
Jehovah- Jireh — The Lord our Provider (Gen 22:14 YLT)
Jehovah- Nissi — The Lord our Banner (Exo 17:15 YLT)
Jehovah- Shalom — The Lord our Peace (Jdg 5:24 YLT)
 
With these names in view let’s look at the verse I referenced and which you now question:

Rev 3:12  He who is overcoming– I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and without he may not go any more, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, that doth come down out of the heaven from my God– also my new name. (YLT)

Now, to make the point of the spiritual significance of the meaning of the word ‘name,’ which of these ‘names’ is referred to in these verses:

Rom 2:24  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
1Ti 6:1  Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.
Rev 16:9  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Put in that light, it should be clear to all with eyes to see and ears to hear that the various references to various ‘names are all the ‘names’ of God’s children and those ‘names’ are all referring to the one ‘name’ of our one heavenly Father, our “one God.”

Your brother in Christ,
Mike