The Seven Last Words of Jesus

When someone dies, don’t we like to talk about the person’s last words?  It gives us insight into what mattered to them when they knew that there was nothing else awaiting them in this world but death. In the past, I have found it interesting to read accounts of the experiences and last words of various saints immediately before their death, as well as those of wicked people. But today I want to talk about the famous last words of our Savior and Redeemer, the One who gave His life for all mankind.

There were seven things Jesus said as he hung on the cross.  They offer us deep insight into His great heart.  One is recorded in Matthew's gospel, three in Luke's, and three in John's. Here they are under seven headings that describe what occurred when He said them:

Forgiveness Full and Free

The first of Jesus' last words is about forgiveness full and free.

But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luk 23:34).  

All we need to do is read Psalm 31 to see what the righteous human normally wants for their enemies.  The psalmist said, “…Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt.  (Psa 31:17-18).  Any one of us would be inclined to wish these things upon the wicked who would persecute us unjustly.  Yet Jesus had such a big heart of love and mercy that he resisted that temptation to curse them back.  Instead He prayed for them that they might be forgiven.

Assurance of Salvation

The second of Jesus' last words is about receiving from Him an assurance of salvation.

And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luk 23:43).

Here was an admitted thief, who had broken God’s commandment not to steal.  Yet Jesus assured him of his salvation.  We can observe this man’s repentance and faith in Christ very plainly.  It’s clear that he had remorse for his own sin, he openly acknowledged it, and accepted the punishment being meted out to him as fair.  He said in his penitence, "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."  (Luk 23:41)  

Notice how he also declared Jesus innocent as well when he said, “this man has done nothing wrong.”  And he confessed Jesus' Lordship when he asked Jesus to remember him in His kingdom.  And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"  (Luk 23:42). It’s clear this man considered Jesus Lord and King. He actually believed that the sign over Jesus head on the cross was true, which said, “King of the Jews.”  And for his repentance and faith in Christ, Jesus granted him salvation.  His sins were immediately washed away and he received the promise that he would be with Jesus that same day in Paradise!  

This is the power of God for salvation.  Jesus saves the vilest sinner instantly and perfectly.  And without any further opportunity to express his faith with ceremonies or good deeds, he went on to be with Jesus in Paradise that same day when he died.  This shows us that when we repent and believe in Jesus, we can be assured of our eternal destiny.

Caring for His Mother

The third of Jesus' last words is about Him caring for His mother.

When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He *said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. (Joh 19:26-27).

It’s normal for people to think of themselves first when they are suffering.   It’s normal for sinful humans to forget about what others might be going through when we are in dire straits ourselves.  But Jesus did not do this.  As He hung there in pain, bearing the weight of our sin, He thought of Mary’s needs.  Her heart was being pierced by what she saw that day.  She was old and had become a widow.  As the oldest son, it was Jesus responsibility to take care of his mother.  We know He had brothers, and we know they eventually came to put their faith in Jesus, but the Scriptures tell us here that Jesus entrusted his closest disciple, John, with the responsibility to care for Mary as his own mother from that point on.

This is such a great example for us to follow.  When we are suffering, do we think only of ourselves, or do we look out for the needs of others who are also suffering?  We should especially look out for widows and most especially our own parents.

God Forsaken by God

The fourth of Jesus' last words is about Him being forsaken by God His Father. 

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  (Mat 27:46).

In his humanness, Jesus cried out asking God why He had forsaken Him.  This was the moment that God was forsaken by God. Consider it.

If Jesus was praying silently in His Spirit through Psalm 31 as he hung on the cross, as I believe He may have been, then we can gain insight into Jesus words here to the Father about being forsaken.  The psalmist wrote: “As for me, I said in my alarm, ‘I am cut off from before Your eyes’; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You.” (Psa 31:22)  While Jesus said this to the Father in His alarm, the Father had not forsaken Him and heard the voice of Jesus' supplications when He cried to Him.  

We know the very nature of God is faithfulness to never leave nor abandon us.  The psalmist said: “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up.” (Psa 27:10) He says, “For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.” (Psa 94:14).

From these Scriptures, we can assume the Father did not leave or forsake Jesus, although for Jesus it probably felt like he had in fact been forsaken when he hung on the cross.  Although he had never sinned, he bore the full weight of all our sin upon him on the cross.  He surely must have felt completely forsaken and alone, which is a most terrible feeling.  

We can learn from this ourselves.  At some point, we all wonder if the Lord is still with us.  When we have sinned, we sometimes feel this way, as though God has deserted us.  But we can always remember that nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:35-38) and he will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Mt 28:20), just as He promised.

He Thirsted

The fifth of Jesus' last words is about Him being thirsty.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, "I am thirsty." (Joh 19:28)

Note that it was only after Jesus knew all things had been accomplished that He talked about his own physical suffering. Prior to that point, although He was certainly in a tremendous amount of pain, He never said, "My back hurts," or made any other such complaint. 

He was most likely very thirsty for quite some time, since he had probably not drank anything since the Passover Supper the previous night. He had lost copious amounts of bodily fluid through his beatings, his long journey up Golgotha hill, and His crucifixion.  Blood, sweat, and tears had poured from his body.  Now He finally spoke up about it at the very end.  

Again, it’s natural for us to talk about our own needs when we are suffering.  This is normal.  We desire to receive help from others to meet these needs, so we tell people about them.  But Jesus put the need to fulfill Scripture and the Father’s will above his own basic human need for a drink of water.  That’s love.  That’s obedience.  That’s commitment.  What an example for us when the Lord shows us what we are to do for Him. His will and purpose comes before even our own basic needs, and sometimes fulfilling those needs must be delayed until we have accomplished the mission He has given us to carry out.

A Finished Work

The sixth of Jesus' last words is about Him finally completing all that the Father sent Him to do, fulfilling all that was written in Scripture about His death.

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (Joh 19:30)

Here we learn that Jesus left absolutely nothing unfinished.  Every last thing the Father commanded Him to do was completed.  There were no loose ends left undone when He died.  

We learn from Hebrews that Jesus, “having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb 10:12)

No further sacrifice needs to be offered for sins.  The work of Calvary is a finished work.  For those who repent and believe in Jesus, there is no further sacrifice necessary for their sins than the one Jesus paid on the cross.  

And we know we’ve been perfected by it, too.  “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  (Heb 10:14)

By one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected us for all time.  

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (Heb 7:26-27)

The sacrifice of Jesus was made only once and it was made for all.   This gives us great faith when we come to Him that we can put our trust in his finished work at Calvary.  There’s no need to continue offering up more sacrifices and no need to fear that we will some day need to pay further for our sins after we die. It is finished.

He Gave His Life

The seventh of Jesus' last words is about Him offering His life up to God on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, proving that no one took His life, but that He gave it.

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luk 23:46).

If Jesus had truly held onto the belief that the Father forsook him, why would He have finally prayed this way to the Father?  He had no new evidence that the Father was still with Him!  Yet in spite of that, His very last act of obedience on the cross was when He committed His Spirit to the Father. That’s the kind of faith that pleases God (for more on the faith of Christ, please see Faith in Action).

When we go through trials of many kinds, we are tempted to give up praying.  But Jesus did not give up in the very darkest moment of all. He knew He could entrust Himself to His Father’s heart in the very face of death itself.  Right to the very end, He was clinging to God with a right heart.

We also learn from these very last words of Jesus that no one took Jesus life from Him, as I said. The devil certainly did not take it. He laid it down of His own accord, as He told His disciples in advance that He would do:

"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (Joh 10:17-18)

Jesus freely went to the cross, and in the end He gave up His own Spirit to the Father.  

Putting it All Together

We learn from these seven last words of Jesus the following truths:

1. Jesus’ forgiveness is full and free.  Just as he forgave His enemies when they persecuted Him, he forgives us of all our sin.  And we should forgive others no matter what they’ve done.

2. Jesus wants us to have an assurance of our eternal destiny. When we repent and put our trust in Him to save us, we have an assurance that we will go straight to heaven when we die.

3. Jesus fulfilled His responsibility to take care of his mother.  We should especially look out for widows and most especially our own parents.

4. Jesus will never leave nor forsake those who trust in Him, even when we feel abandoned by God.

5.  Jesus thirsted.  He was tempted and tried in every way, just as we are, yet without sin.  Only after Jesus knew all things had been accomplished did He talk about his own physical suffering.  His will and purpose comes before even our own basic needs, and sometimes fulfilling those needs must be delayed until we have accomplished the mission He has given us to carry out.

6. Jesus gave His life.  He was not a victim.  His very last act of obedience on the cross was when He committed His Spirit to the Father.  That’s the kind of faith that pleases God.  When we go through trials of many kinds, we are tempted to give up praying.  But Jesus did not give up in the very darkest moment of all. He knew He could entrust Himself to His Father’s heart in the very face of death itself.  Right to the very end, He was clinging to God with an obedient heart.

7.  Jesus’ work on Calvary is a finished work.  No further sacrifice needs to be offered for sins.  For those who repent and believe in Jesus, there is no further sacrifice necessary for their sins than the one Jesus paid on the cross.  By one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected us for all time.  

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures quotations taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Graphic image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Faith in Action, Is Jesus God?, Three Stages of Christ's Earthly Mission, Coronation of Christ as King, Supremacy of Christ, The Sinlessness of Christ, The Son of Man.  You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what G-d's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of G-d, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Sinlessness of Christ

In this day and age when liberal pastors and theologians are challenging the sinlessness of Christ, it would do our souls well to protect ourselves from such lies by holding fast the faithful Word. If anyone doubts whether Christ was sinless, they need only to examine the Scriptures to see that He was. Here are seven verses that speak of the sinlessness of Christ:

He Committed No Sin
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1 Pe 2:22, NIV). The meaning of this verse is clear. Jesus Christ committed no sin.

He Had No Sin
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21, NIV). Once again, the the Bible says that Jesus had no sin. The only sin he ever had was yours and mine, which he bore in his body and paid the penalty for on the cross.

In Him There is No Sin
"You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin." (1Jn 3:5). As with the previous verses written by the apostles Peter and Paul, the apostle John here affirms that there is no sin in Jesus Christ.

Without Sin
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15). The Scripture plainly says that Jesus was without sin.

Always Pleasing to God
Jesus said, "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." (Joh 8:29). The Lord explicitly says that He was always pleasing to God, and God would not have always been pleased with Him if he had committed even a single sin.

Without Blemish or Defect
"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Pe 1:18-19, NIV). The apostle describes Jesus as a lamb without blemish or defect. If he had committed even one single sin, then he would not be without blemish or defect.

Perfect as the Heavenly Father is Perfect
Jesus said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mat 5:48). He taught us that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Since Jesus did not require us to do anything that He Himself did not do, we know that He was perfect. And just in case there is any uncertainly over what the word "perfect" means, Jesus compared this to the Father's perfection. That's the highest level of perfection, which He Himself was walking out, and He said we must be like that.

He said, "I and the Father are one." (Joh 10:30). Since Jesus and the Father are one, we would expect perfection from Him just as the Father is perfect. The apostle alludes to His perfection when he says, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." (Col 2:9). This means that all he fullness of the Godhead, which includes His perfection, dwells in Jesus in bodily form.

Putting it All Together
In these seven verses, along with the supplemental ones I quoted in the final section, we have explicit, biblical proof that Jesus was in fact sinless. According to God's Word, He committed no sin, He had no sin, in Him there is no sin, He was without sin, He was always pleasing to God, He was without blemish or defect, and perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. The implications of this for us are twofold.

First of all, He alone is the one person who is entirely without sin. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, except for Jesus, since He is God incarnate. He came and led a sinless life, and then died on the cross as our sacrifice of atonement to take away our sin. He died in our place, the innocent for the guilty. He's a perfect Savior, and your life is in good hands when you turn it over to Him, trusting Him to save you.

Secondly, if Jesus lives in you, and you no longer live, because you have been crucified with Christ, then we know what kind of fruit that should produce in your life. It should produce only the good fruit of the Spirit, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Christ will not produce any sin in us, but only righteousness, holiness, and truth. As we trust and obey the Lord, abiding in His Word, we will see the evidence of that in our lives, because He is a perfect Lord. Since He was sinless, then we, too, should aim for perfection.

Perhaps the best way to summarize these two implications is with the words of John the apostle, who said, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." (1 Jn 2:1, NIV).

I hope this has give you a new appreciation for Jesus our perfect Lord and Savior, and some insight into what it means for us to follow in His steps.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New International Verion, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scriptures taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright of ShareFaith.com, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Aim for Perfection, Following in His Steps, and Called to Be Blameless.  Supremacy of Christ, You're Better Off The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ, Is Jesus God?, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Jesus Alone Reveals the Father

Many people have looked for God in all the wrong places. They have looked for Him through yoga, meditation, mysticism, occultism, New Age, Islam, Hinduism, idolatry, taking drugs, and many other ways. If you want a revelation of God, then look no further than the Lord Jesus Christ, who reveals the Father.

Jesus said, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." (Luk 10:22).

This means that the Lord Jesus is the only one who knows who the Father is, and anyone to whom He chooses to reveal the Father. In other words, if Jesus doesn't choose to reveal to you who the Father is, then you will not know God. You may believe in one God according to the Scriptures, and still not truly know the Father. That was true of the Jews to whom Jesus spoke in John 8, who had believed in Him (Joh 8:31).

He told them, "You are doing the deeds of your father."

They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." (Joh 8:41). They truly believed they had one Father, which was God. But He told them their father was the devil.

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (Joh 8:44)

Likewise, you may call yourself a Christian or profess Jesus as Lord, but not know who the Father is or do His will. You don't believe me? Listen to what Jesus said:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" (Mat 7:21-23)

These people call Jesus their Lord and perform miracles in His name, but He does not know them, because they practice lawlessness, rather than do the will of His Father who is in heaven. A person naturally takes after their father and wants to do the desires of their father. The way to tell whose child you are is to observe your deeds. You will do the deeds of your father, whether you are a child of God or a child of the devil. Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham." (Joh 8:39)

So they were saying to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also." (Joh 8:19).  If you knew Jesus, you would know His Father also. He said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (Joh 14:9b). To know Jesus is to know the Father, because He reveals the Father.

The apostle John said, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (Joh 1:18). This means Jesus is the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, and that He has explained, made known, or revealed the Father.

"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power." (Heb 1:3a). This means that Jesus is the exact representation of God's nature or being.

This does not mean that Jesus is the Father. It means that Jesus and the Father are one. He said, "I and the Father are one." (Joh 10:30)

Therefore, if you seek to know God and who God is, seek the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Joh 14:6). That means Jesus is the only way to the Father.

He said to His disciples, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (Joh 14:6-7). He will make known who the Father is to those who truly seek Him.

Let me give you an example. When Jesus was on the cross, they said, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  (Mat 27:42-43)

You see, their view of God was that God would not let anyone hurt Him or nail Him to a cross. God would not suffer. God would not allow mere men to subdue Him. God would not die. God would prove who He is by miraculously coming down from the cross. They assumed God would use His divine power to save Himself. But they were badly mistaken.

They failed to realize that God is love. God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (Joh 3:16). No greater love has any man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. And that is what Jesus did for us, and in doing so, He revealed to us the Father's heart.

You need to know the Father for yourself, and nobody else can do that for you. Your parents cannot do it for you. Your husband or wife cannot do it for you. Your boyfriend or girlfriend cannot do it for you. Your pastor cannot do it for you. Instead you must get to know Him for yourself. Let me encourage you to to do that today. And if you believe you already know Jesus and the Father, check your deeds to see if it is really so. If your deeds are those of the devil, then you don't know the Father, no matter what you believe or say with your mouth.

If you do the deeds of your heavenly Father, then you will be bearing good fruit. We will recognize you by your fruit (Mat 7:16,20). You should have the fruit of the Spirit in your life, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Gal 5:22-23). If you do see those fruit in your life, then that's great. Now let me encourage you to seek to know the Father more through His Son Jesus Christ.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I recommend reading my articles Jesus is Yehova and The Name of Jesus. Other related articles include Yehova as Both Father and Husband to the Hebrews, Is Jesus God?, Christ the Beginning, The Holy Trinity, Baptized with the Spirit and Holy Fire Baptism.

You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Bodily Form of God the Father

Artist's depiction of twenty four-elders around the throne

Prior to His incarnation, Jesus was always the Word and was always with God, self-existent from the beginning.  John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1:1-2, 14)

We know from Scripture that Jesus has a body now, because took on human likeness when He was born (Phil 2:7).  There was a definite point in time when the Word became flesh (Joh 1:14), and that body of His was crucified on the cross.  We also know that He subsequently rose from the dead after three days, and appeared to His disciples in a body made of flesh and bone, which they could touch.  In that body, He could eat food and walk through locked doors.  He could materialize and dematerialize at will.  He also ascended to heaven in the body right before the eyes of His disciples.  Now He sits at the right hand of God in His glorified body.  While He still has that eternal, corporal body, we know that the Church is His Body on earth indwelled by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:23; 4:12; 5:30).  All of these are well-known, elementary truths of the Word.

However, did you know that the Father in heaven also has a bodily form?  Some people think that He does not have a form, because the Scripture says God, who is Spirit, is invisible and that no one has ever seen God (Joh 4:24; Col. 1:15; 1Ti. 1:17).

It's true that Jesus did say, “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.” (Joh 5:37)  Yet when He spoke of "the form" of the Father, He did not deny that the Father has a form, but merely said that those to whom He was speaking had never seen it. The Greek word for “form” is “eidos” meaning “1) the external or outward appearance, form figure, shape; 2) form, kind” (Thayer).

The Father does have a form, figure, or outward appearance. In fact, Moses beheld the form of the LORD in the pillar of cloud.  In the account of Aaron and Miriam's sin of criticizing Moses, God said of Moses, "With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?" (Num 12:8). 

In fact, there was one occasion when not only Moses, but also Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders saw God up on the mountain. Scripture says, "Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank." (Exo 24:9-11). This proves that it is possible to see God.

Jesus said, "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” (Joh 6:46).  Up to that point, nobody on earth had seen the Father, except for the instances I just mentioned, because God allowed it.  But Jesus did affirm that He had seen the Father, indicating that the Father can be seen by those in heaven.

We know that the Father is in heaven, according to Jesus, who always referred to Him as such the heavenly Father or the Father in heaven (Mat. 5:16,45; 6:1,9; 7:11,21; 10:32,33; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10,14,19; 23:9; Mark 11:25,26; 13:32; Luke 10:21; 15:18,21).  And we know that He is shrouded with a cloud of glory, encircled by pure light.  But He does condescend to commune with man, since that was the purpose for which He created man.  And that means He can reveal Himself to man in such a way that man can relate to and comprehend.  So let’s look at Scripture to find evidence of God’s form, even prior to the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Face of God
The Scriptures speak of God's face:

Moses spoke to God face to face. "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Exo 33:11)

Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! (Psa 27:9)

God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us. (Psa 67:1)

Jesus said, “"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 18:10).  So even while Jesus was on earth, the angels in heaven were able to see the face of the Father in heaven continually. That means the Father’s face is visible to those in the spirit realm.

"For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."  (1Pe 3:12)

Also see Psa 10:11; 80:3; cf., 80:7,19; Eze 39:29; Dan 9:17; Isa 59:2.

Nostrils
The Scriptures speak of God's nostrils:

Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.  (Psa 18:8)

Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.  (Psa 18:15)

"Who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.  (Isa 65:5)

Eyes of God
The Scriptures speak of God's eyes:

"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," Declares the LORD.  (Amo 9:8)

“Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” (Psa 17:8)

"Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God.  (Isa 37:17)

"For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."  (1Pe 3:12)

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:8)

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." (2Ch 16:9)

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.” (Pro 15:3)

Also see Deu 11:12; Deu 21:9; Psa 34:15; Pro 5:21; 22:12; Zec 2:8; 4:10, as well as The Eyes of the Lord.

God’s Ear
The Scriptures speak of God's ear:

“Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.” (Isa 59:1)

“The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.”  (Psa 34:15)

“Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.”  (Psa 86:1)

Also see 2Ki 19:16; Isa 37:17; Neh 1:11; Psa 10:17

Mouth of God
The Scriptures speak of God's mouth:

“Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.” (Psa 18:8)

"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” (Deu 8:3)

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.” (Psa 33:6)

“For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Pro 2:6)

"But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isa 1:20)

Psa 138:4; Isa 34:16; 40:5; 58:14; 62:2; Jer 9:12, 20; 23:16; Mic 4:4

God’s Head
The Scriptures speak of God's head:

"Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.”  (Psa 108:8)

God’s Arm
The Scriptures speak of God's arm:

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon? (Isa 51:9)

“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”  (Isa 53:1; cf., Joh 12:38)

'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.” (Deu 5:15)

“O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” (Psa 98:1)

“Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,” (Jer 32:17)

Isa 30:30; 40:10; 48:14; 62:8; Deu 4:34; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8; Eze 20:33

Hand of God
The Scriptures speak of God's hand:

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.  (Isa 59:1)

Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”  (Jer 1:9)

“As is Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.”  (Psa 48:10)

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa 41:10)

“So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mar 16:19)

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Act 7:55-56)

Some prefer to believe the theologians, who think that the term "right hand" of God is simply figurative, meaning the place of authority.  If you believe that, then you need to read the section below on the apostle John's revelation of the throne.  The Father was actually holding something in his hand.

Also see Deu 4:34; Luk 22:69; Act 2:33; Act 5:31; Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; 1Pe 3:22; Heb 10:12; 12:2.

Finger of God
The Scriptures speak of God's finger:

“When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.”  (Exo 31:18)

"The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.”  (Deu 9:10)

Jesus said, "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Luk 11:20; cf., Exo 8:19)

Feet of God
The Scriptures speak of God's feet:

"But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.”  (Mat 5:34-35)

“Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet; what kind of house will you build for Me?' says the Lord, 'or what place is there for my repose?”  (Act 7:49; cf., Isa 66:1)

God’s Sandal
The Scriptures speak of God's sandal:

“Moab is my wash-pot; upon Edom will I cast My sandal; over Philistia will I shout aloud.” (Psa 108:9)

God’s Wings
The Scriptures speak of God's wings:

“Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.”  (Psa 17:8)

“He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” (Psa 91:4)

God's Back
The Scriptures speak of God's back:

Moses had asked to see God's glory. "But He said, 'You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!' Then the LORD said, 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.'" (Exo 33:20-23)

To See Jesus is to See the Father
The prophet Isaiah said, “In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’" (Isa 6:1-5)

Isaiah said, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne.” He even saw His robe! He said, “My eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”  Whom did he see?  Was it the Father or the Lord Jesus?  The apostle John said, “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.” (Joh 12:41).  John said He saw the glory of Jesus, and that happened seven hundred years before the birth of Christ.  Jesus Himself said, "He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.” (Joh 12:45)

The apostle writing to the Hebrews says that He is the radiance of His glory (He 1:3a).  So even before He had a body, He had glory with the Father in heaven, as Jesus Himself said (Jn 17:5).

The Prophet Ezekiel's Revelation of the Throne of God
The prophet Ezekiel also had a revelation of God's throne. In the opening of his first chapter, he describes the awesome appearance of the four living creatures that are always around the throne of God, and he described the One who is on the throne above the expanse that is over the heads of the four living creatures. You have to read the entire first chapter to get the full picture, but here is what he saw and recorded specifically about the throne:

"And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli [sapphire] in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking." (Eze 1:25-28).

As we can see from this passage, there was a figure with the appearance of a man. The Hebrew word for "figure" is "shape", so we see that he was referring to the form of the one on the throne as resembling that of a man's appearance. In addition to all of the features of God's form that I have already described in this post, Ezekiel also described God's loins and upward appearing as glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it. He further described God's appearance from His loins and downward appearing as something like fire. Moreover, he described the appearance of the glory around the Lord as a radiance that surrounds Him, which resembles a rainbow in the clouds. What a glorious picture the prophet has given us of God's awesome and majestic figure!

The Apostle John’s Revelation of the Throne of God
The apostle John had a revelation of God's throne, too, which helps us to properly understand the Trinity. In order to do so, you must read Revelation chapters 4 and 5 together, where you will see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So I will quote the two chapters here in their entirety:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’ Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’  (Rev 4:1-11)

In this fourth chapter of Revelation, John described One sitting on the throne, Who is called The Lord God, the Almighty, and seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. He saw the Father and the Holy Spirit. Then John continues in Revelation 5, where he describes Jesus.

“I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders *said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they *sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.’ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.” (Rev 5:1-14)

In this fifth chapter of Revelation, John stated that in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne was a book. The Father has actual hands!  Then John saw between the throne and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God.  The angel also described Him as the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.  We know this is our Lord Jesus Christ. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. If Jesus were the One whom John saw sitting on the throne in chapter four, He would not be taking the book from His own right hand.  The fact is that He took the book from the right hand of the Father.  The heavenly worshipers then sang “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”  Notice they worshiped both Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb.  This is a clear reference to the Father and the Son.

Personal Testimonies About the Heavenly Father
All personal testimonies must be subjected to God’s Word.  But now that we have seen what the Word says, here are some testimonies from people who have been to heaven, regarding what the Father looks like. 

Anna Rountree describes what the Father is like in her books, “The Heavens Opened” and “Priestly Bride.”  She says, “The Heavenly Father has Huge hands of light. He has two huge eyes aflame -- beautiful, terrible beyond description. Within the resplendent light, part of the Father’s form can be seen. You can see what appears to be His feet and that which looks like a garment falling in drapes to the sea of glass. Flashes of lightning are in this garment. Within the searing light there is something of His hands and the loose sleeves covering His arms. Above His waist, the light emanating from Him is so blinding in its intensity, purity, and holiness that one can see no further…The Father can change his appearance into a burning flame of love.”

She also said, “The Father’s heart is represented by white-hot coals of fire, aflame with love. The heart of our Father is pure, aflame, and holy. You must be invited to walk amid the coals of fire, for although our Father loves all, not all are invited within.”

She continues, “The dark cloud that surrounds God is actually the dense oil of the Spirit, a great good, a visible sign of the magnitude of the anointing, incomprehensible to mankind and therefore seemingly dark. To the majority of mankind, He is hidden in darkness. Light that they cannot see emanates from Him. To many of His children He seems hidden, but the fire of His love is burning through the density of that oil now and will allow His children to see His love, His mercy, and His fatherly compassion, as well as the startling reality of His holiness.”

Listen to "The Heavens Opened" 

Listen to "Priestly Bride"

Brother Yong Doo Kim, in his book, “Baptize by Blazing Fire,” says, “The Heavenly Father’s hand is bigger than a giant mountain.”

In his book, a woman in his church described her experience of being caught up to heaven to the throne.  She stated:

“Jesus took me to Heaven…Jesus asked me, ‘Yoo-Kyung, remember the promise I made to you yesterday? Do you recall?’ I answered, ‘Yes, Jesus. You promised to show me God the Father.’ Jesus faithfully kept His promise and took me to meet His Father. Our Father is larger than we can imagine, reaching up to the top of the Heavenly sky and shines brighter than the sun. He was sitting on an enormously large throne.

I was filled with joy, singing praises before God. I sang  ‘Bless the Lord, my soul’ and God the Father listened to me sing. He danced with joy and whenever He moved, unfathomable colorful rays of light brightly poured out of Him. In front of Father God was a book, larger than a mountain, and He was looking at it. God’s huge hand stretched out and gently stroked my head. The magnitude of how large His hands are can’t be described in words. The upper part of God’s body was covered with fog, like a cloud. Jesus requested I continue singing praises, so I did. God rejoiced in my praising by clapping His hands together and holding my hands swinging back and forth. I was so happy I swung my arms all around. Jesus cautioned me, ‘In the presence of our Father God don’t swing out of control!’ He taught me to raise my arms up high with my head bowed down respectfully. Later, Jesus took me back to the Church.”

Regarding another instance when she was taken to heaven, she described it like this:

“While I was dancing, I saw Father God swaying on His throne. From the throne, Father God displayed a brilliant shining light. God was light. I wasn’t able to look at Him. There were several angels and they were all busily writing something onto books that were displayed in front of the throne. Father God is enormously huge. One cannot imagine His size. Even if one attempted to glance at Father God, it would be impossible due to the brilliant light. The light is too strong for one to look toward. Father’s gown was very long and it reached down to His ankles. I was only able to see His feet.”

“Father God spoke to me as His voice echoed. ‘Yoo Kyung, isn’t it great to be here? If you continue to pray earnestly, I’ll bring you here more often. Therefore, earnestly pray without ceasing.’ I bowed down and replied, ‘Yes sir, Amen.’ After I had spoken, His huge hand appeared from the light and patted my head. Jesus then said, ‘Yoo Kyung, look at me!’ When I turned to see Jesus, I became very sad and my heart broke. I almost cried. On both His wrists, I saw the huge scars where He had been pierced by nails. I also saw the scars on His feet. The Lord continued, ‘As I had my blood poured out, I died for you. Always think of me!’”

Brother Kim also recorded his son Joseph’s testimony of being caught up to heaven.  Joseph described the heavenly Father like this:

“A gigantic…giant?..was wearing a garment that was whiter than the snow. He was sitting on the throne. There were rainbows surrounding and shinning all around, and there are no words to describe what I was seeing. Also, the area above the chest was covered by fog-like clouds. As soon as I tried to lift my head up, it automatically bowed down, and the majesty, glory and light weighed down on me. I thought inside, ‘This is Jehovah God,’ and I lifted my head up to see. God’s figuration was like us humans, and He reached the top of the sky sitting down. He was tremendously big and seemed unfathomable…An intense light poured out from God the Father’s facial area, and my head automatically bowed down once again. God spoke with a strong, thundering voice, ‘Oh, Joseph, my little pig has come. You went through a lot to get here. I will give you mighty abilities, so continue praying diligently!’ As soon as I heard our Father God’s voice, my body froze in place like I was just hit with an electric shock, and I could not move at all.” 

Joseph quoted Revelation 4:2-3 to describe the Father and stated:

“After that, I followed Jesus to travel around heaven, visiting many places that were like the Garden of Eden. It was an amazing place.” He went on to describe it in detail.

Joseph also described another instance when he was taken to heaven:

“That day we started with prayer first and then later pastor followed with praising and a sermon. While I was worshipping, I could see clearly the throne of God. I could see it with my eyes closed as well as opened…I resumed praying in tongues and I was immediately taken before the throne of God. I felt even more insignificant than a speck of dust before God’s presence…Then, while I was still at the throne of God, I saw precisely four beasts: one was a lion, a calf, a beast with the face of a human, and an eagle soaring with its wings -- just as it is mentioned in the book of Revelation 4:7. There were six wings attached to it, with countless eyes in the front as well as the back, and it looked closely and observed what was happening on earth where we lived. As the angels opened up the book of life before the throne of God, God turned the pages of the book one by one looking for something. A short while later God’s enormous hand found and confirmed the matter He had in mind from the book of life. So, after He found it, He pointed at me saying, ‘Joseph Kim!’ and then commanded, ‘Bring me Joseph’s bottle for his tears, as well as sister Shin, Sung-Kyung’s tear bottle to me.’” Then Joseph quotes the psalmist, ‘Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?’ (Psalm 56:8).

Joseph continues, “Immediately after the command was given, in a blink of an eye, an angel brought the bottles, but some were big and some were small. I didn’t know the reason why God asked for deaconess Shin and my tear bottle, but lately she’s been crying often while she prayed, so I think God wanted me to verify it with my eyes.”

Another member of brother Kim’s church described her experience before the throne of God.  She stated:

“Today, Jesus took me to Heaven. One cannot possibly express the sight of Heaven with human words. We were in front of the Father's throne. The Father's majesty and glory were so great, I could not lift my head. I bowed before Him. The essence of the Father is indescribable. His majesty is beyond great. I attempted to lift my head to get a glimpse of the Father, but the pure brightness of the light prevented me from seeing Him. Father God is light. A finite mind cannot comprehend or imagine His glory. The magnitude of Father God appeared as though He covers the height and depth of Heaven. His throne appeared as though it covers the ends of Heaven from east to west. There seemed to be a formation of clouds hovering over His throne. A luminous light brighter than the sun showered down. I felt like a speck of dust as I stood before God.”

Rev. Oden Hetrick described God’s face in his book, “Inside the Gates of Heaven.”  He stated: “When God sits on His Throne before a gathering of saints, He makes Himself big enough so that all may easily see Him.  But when His is giving a personal interview, He appears to be, if He were standing, only twelve to eighteen feet tall.  And His Throne also appears to change in size.”

So God can dial Himself down to the level that we can handle.  He can dial down His brightness, His glory, and the level of His presence to a level that we can handle.

Brother Oden said, “One day Jesus wanted to present me to His Father in Heaven.  Now I knew from previous experiences that Jesus refuses to let me think that I am unworthy, because He has told us to pray that we should be considered worthy to stand with Him.  (Luke 21:36)  So although I was a little afraid, I did want to go with Jesus to see God the Father.”

“Jesus said to His Father, ‘This friend of Mine has been wanting to see You,’ -- and I looked into the face of Love!  My anxiety vanished.  His expression was so loving and kind that I lost all my fear, and my soul was calm.  His love made me feel free, and able to love Him in return.  He gave me the impression that He waited from eternity just to see me face to face.  He looked like a handsome young man and Light was shining from His face.  He completely ignored the fact that I am only a creature, and His manner of speech made me feel like a long-time good friend of His.  Being in His presence has not only changed my idea of Him but has also changed me -- forever!

“Seek His presence.  Seek His face.  He loves YOU.”

Putting it All Together
So we can see from Scripture that God has a bodily form with a head, face, eyes, ears, a nose, mouth, arms, hands, fingers, loins, feet, and sandals.  He may even have wings, as the Scriptures say.  Even Jesus spoke of God’s feet in the third person as His feet, finger, and face, and it seems quite clear that most of these references in the Bible are about the Father in heaven. 

Therefore, the body of Jesus Christ is not the only body God has.  The incarnation of Jesus was the only time God’s body ever became flesh and bone. The Father and Jesus are one, yet the Father appears in a bodily form, too. His body is not one of flesh and bone, but of Light and Spirit, since God is Spirit.  Jesus said that He had seen God the Father.  He also said the angels in heaven were able to see the face of the Father in heaven continually, even while Jesus walked on the earth. That means the Father’s face and body, although invisible to those in the natural realm, are visible to those in the spirit realm, to whom He chooses to reveal Himself.

"Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually." (Psa 105:4)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: Please prayerfully watch and review these testimonies in their entirety, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to these people.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Name of Jesus, The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ,  The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit,  Is Jesus God?  The Holy Trinity, The Eyes of the Lord. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Selected readings:

Inside the Gates of Heaven - Testimony of Oden Hetrick	Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell	Angelica Zambrano Second Visit to Hell
Baptized by Blazing Fire	Vision of Hell by Emmanuel Agyarko	Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven
Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Name of Jesus

If we could only grasp the power and anointing that is on the name of Jesus, then we would believe in it, and nothing would be impossible for us.

Yet many today use His name as a byword or a swear word.  And even among those who believe in Him, many are ashamed of His name.

Let's look at what the Scriptures say about His marvelous Name.

The Father and Jesus Have the Same Name
It may come as a surprise to you that the Father and Jesus have the same name, so let me prove it to you. Jude referred to God the Father as the only God our Savior.

He said, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jud 1:24-25)

The object of this sentence is "the only God our Savior," whom Jude refers to as "Him."  When Jude gives glory to "Him," the only God, he is referring to the Father in heaven. We know this for certain, because Jude says that we give this glory to God "through Jesus Christ our Lord."

This is consistent with the Scriptures written before Christ, in which God was referred to as Savior (2Sa. 22:3; Psa. 17:7; 106:21; Isa. 19:20; 43:3,11; 45:15,21; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8; Jer. 14:8; Hos. 13:4).

Likewise, in Revelation, we read about the great multitude around the throne, declaring that salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb. "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Rev 7:9-10)

And Jesus was named after His Father, for the name "Jesus" in Hebrew is "Yeshua," which means "Yehova [the Lord] is Salvation."  The angel of the Lord told Joseph, "...You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Mat 1:21) Likewise, before the child was conceived, the angel told Mary to give Him this name. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."  (Luk 1:31-33; cf., 2:21-22)

Jesus said, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him." (Joh 5:43)

Jesus prayed to the Father, saying, "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. (Joh 17:6).  What name did Jesus manifest?  He manifested or displayed the name of the Father, which is the same as His name, Jesus.

Again in His prayer to the Father, Jesus said, "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are." (Joh 17:11).  Jesus said that the Holy Father had given Him His own name. That's key!

Once more He prayed to the Father, "I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." (Joh 17:26)

Isaiah prophesied, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)

Jesus also equated Himself with the "I AM" title God gave Himself in Exodus 3:14, when "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.'" (Joh 8:58). (I expand on this more in my post Jesus is Yehova). In Hebrew, this name that we translate "I AM" in English is "YHVH," the tetragrammaton for Yehova, meaning approximately "he causes to be" or "he creates".  The Hebrews understood the holiness of this name, and did not write it out in full, preferring to use only the four consonants.  Rather than pronounce it, they preferred to say instead, "the Lord."

We know that Jesus is our Redeemer, "who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Tit 2:14).  But did you know the Father is also called our Redeemer? The prophet Isaiah prayed saying, "For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your Name." (Isa 63:16)

These passages and others make it clear that the Father and Jesus have the same name.  It is part of the ancient Hebrew culture for a son to be named after his father, which is why it was so surprising to everyone when Zechariah named his son John (Lk 1:59-63).  We still do the same thing today, naming sons after their father.  The son always carries the father's family name, or surname.  For example, I have the same "Lacroix" name as my father, which is French for "The Cross." And sometimes a son also carries the father's given name.  For example, a father named "Charles" may name his son, "Charles." 

The heavenly Father did this when He named His Son, Yeshua (Yehova is Salvation, or Jesus).  However, having the same name does not mean they are the same Person.

The Holy Spirit Shares the Lord's Names
I would also like to mention that the Holy Spirit also shares the Lord's names.  For example, Jesus said the Holy Spirit is another Counselor or Advocate:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever--" (Jn 14:16 NIV).  The Holman Christian Standard Bible refers to the Holy Spirit here as the Counselor.  The original word "parakletos" means counselor, advocate, or comforter.  And this is the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the believer.

This is the same name used for Jesus in the prophecy of Isaiah quoted earlier, where it states: "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)

The Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name.  Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (Joh 14:26)  Just as Jesus came in the name of the Lord, the Holy Spirit comes in the same name.

He is also the Spirit of Truth (Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).  In fact, the apostle John said, “the Spirit is the Truth.” (1 Jn 5:6), and Jesus said He is the Truth (Jn 14:6).  One more example will suffice to prove my point.  In Acts 16:7 and Phil 1:19, He is referred to as "the Spirit of Jesus."  So we could say that in one sense, the Holy Spirit shares the Lord's Name just as Jesus does.

Jesus Performed Miracles in His Father’s Name
Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. (Joh 10:25)

We Anoint the Sick in Jesus' Name
"Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;" (Jas 5:14)

We Perform Miracles in Jesus’ Name
But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. (Mar 9:39)

But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" (Act 3:6)

"And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.” (Act 3:16)

“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by this name this man stands here before you in good health.” (Act 4:10)

“While You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." (Act 4:30)

We Cast Out Demons in Jesus’ Name
 Paul "said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!' And it came out at that very moment." (Act 16:18)

The psalmist said, "Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your Name we will trample down those who rise up against us." (Psa 44:5)

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mar 16:17-18)

But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." (Act 19:13)

The Name of Jesus is Magnified by Signs and Wonders
When the seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out demons using Jesus' name, it didn't work and they were severely injured.  This happened because they did not know Jesus personally or have faith in Him. “This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.”  (Act 19:17)

The Name of Jesus is Feared
For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your Name. (Psa 61:5)

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name.  (Psa 86:11)

The voice of the LORD will call to the city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear Your Name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? (Mic 6:9)

"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Rev 15:4)

Also see Deut 28:58; Neh 1:11; and 1 Ki 8:43; cf., 2Ch 6:33.

His Name is Great and Awesome
The psalmist said, "Let them praise Your great and awesome Name; Holy is He." (Psa 99:3)

"There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your Name in might." (Jer 10:6)

"He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name." (Ps 111:9) 

The Name of the Lord is Holy
All throughout Scripture, we see that the name of the Lord is holy.

The psalmist said, "For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name." (Ps 33:21)

Referring to the Father in Heaven, Mary said, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name." (Luk 1:49)  Jesus also taught us to pray, "Father, hallowed be Your name." (Luk 11:2b)

Also see Lev. 20:3; 22:2,32; 1Ch. 16:10,35; 29:16; Psa. 30:4; 33:21; 97:12; 103:1; 105:3; 106:47; 145:21; Eze. 20:39; 36:20,21,22; 39:7,25; 43:7,8; and Amos 2:7.

Every Knee Will Bow at the Name of Jesus
It is the name above all names!  Paul said, "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name," (Php 2:9)

‘So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (Php 2:10)

Baptized in the Name of Jesus
Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Act 2:38)

"For He [the Holy Spirit] had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Act 8:16)

“And [Peter] ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. (Act 10:48)

Jesus commanded His disciples to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit..." (Mat 28:19)

Clearly Jesus commanded that we must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Is this one single baptism or not? Is it in one name or three names?  All the other Scriptures above refer to water baptism as baptism in Jesus' name. But they must be understood based on the command that Jesus gave, since He is the foundation of the Church.

When Paul met the men in Ephesus, he discovered that they had only been baptized with John's baptism.  But once they believed on Jesus, they were baptized with water in Jesus' name.  “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  (Act 19:5)

It was after they were water baptized that the Holy Spirit came on them.  "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying." (Act 19:6).  John the Baptist referred to this experience as the baptism with the Holy Spirit, when he prophesied, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mat 3:11).  John the Baptist also testified, "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 1:33)

Peter referred to it as receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, when he said, Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Act 2:38)

Therefore, believers must be baptized in water in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  For He is one triune God in three Persons, who share the same names.  Perhaps this is why Jesus said "baptizing them in the name (singular) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" and not "baptizing them in the names (plural) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Then in addition to water baptism, there is a definite second experience, which may occur before or after water baptism, known as the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Moreover, there is yet another experience known as the baptism with fire that may occur in conjunction with or separately the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  All three experiences are distinct aspects of one baptism, and often happen separately.  Yet all three experiences are necessary to live a holy life for Jesus, separated from the world, and to be a powerful witness for Him.

Jesus Came and Will Come Again in the Name of the Lord
At the beginning of the week when Jesus was crucified, as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the people shouted prophetically that He had come in the name of the Lord. "The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!'" (Mat 21:9)

Only days before He was crucified, Jesus spoke prophetically over Jerusalem of Himself these words: "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (Mat 23:39; cf., Lk 13:35).

The Apostles Preached and Taught in Jesus' Name
"For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles." (3Jn 1:7)

“And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Act 4:18; cf., 5:40)

“But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Act 8:12)

“But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.” (Act 9:27)

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Co 1:10)

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.” (2Th 3:6)

The Enemy is Hostile to the Name of Jesus
Jesus told His disciples, "You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." (Mar 13:13; cf., Lk 21:17)

The apostle Paul said of himself, before he knew the Lord, "So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” (Act 26:9; cf., 5:40)

John wrote of the coming beast, "And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven." (Rev 13:6)

For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your Name in vain. (Psa 139:20)

The Apostles Suffered and Risked Their Lives for Jesus’ Name
Ananias was afraid to go lay hands upon Saul of Tarsus, since he was persecuting Christians, "But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."  (Act 9:15-16)

“…men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 15:26)

“Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’" (Act 21:13)

Saints Call on Jesus’ Name
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:” (1Co 1:2)

We Must Receive Children in Jesus' Name
"And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;” (Mat 18:5; cf., Mar 9:37; Luk 9:48)

False Christs and False Prophets May Come in Jesus’ Name
"For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.
(Mat 24:5)

"Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and will mislead many.
(Mar 13:6; cf., Luk 21:8)

We Pray and Ask the Father in Jesus’ Name
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (Joh 14:13)

"If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  (Joh 14:14)

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (Joh 15:16)

"In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” (Joh 16:23)

"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” (Joh 16:24)

"In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf;” (Joh 16:26)

We Assemble in Jesus’ Name
Jesus said, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." (Mat 18:20)

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (1Co 5:4)

We Are a People for His Name
God concerned Himself about taking a people for His Name.  James said, "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name." (Act 15:14)

James continued to quote Amos 9:12, when he said, "so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My Name," (Act 15:17).  We who believe in Jesus are among the nations called by His Name.

His Name Will Be on the Foreheads of His Servants
John wrote: "Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads." (Rev 14:1)

John also wrote: "There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads." (Rev 22:3-4)

We Give Thanks in Jesus’ Name
“Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” (Eph 5:20)

In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your Name forever. Selah. (Psa 44:8)

Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your Name, O LORD, for it is good.  (Psa 54:6)

Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your Name; The upright will dwell in Your presence. (Psa 140:13)

"Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your Name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me." (Psa 142:7)

O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your Name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. (Isa 25:1)

We Lift Up Our Hands and Bless His Name
It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High; (Psa 92:1)

So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your Name. (Psa 63:4)

"All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your Name." Selah. (Psa 66:4)

So I will sing praise to Your Name forever, That I may pay my vows day by day. (Psa 61:8)

I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your Name forever and ever. (Psa 145:1)

Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your Name forever and ever. (Psa 145:2)

We Glorify His Name
"Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad." (1Ch 16:10; cf., Ps 105:3)

"I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your Name forever." (Psa 86:12)

"All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your Name." (Psa 86:9)

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your Name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. (Psa 115:1)

Paul said that Jesus’ Name will be glorified in His Saints. He wrote: "To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Th 1:11-12)

We Must Do Everything in the Name of Jesus
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Col 3:17)

His Name is Everlasting
Your Name, O LORD, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations. (Psa 135:13)

Eternal Life in the Name of Jesus
The apostle John said: “But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (Joh 20:31)

He also said: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1Jn 5:13)

We Are Justified in the Name of Jesus
“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1Co 6:11)

Forgiveness of Sins is in His Name
The psalmist said, "For Your Name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great." (Psa 25:11)

Jesus said we must preach "repentance for forgiveness of sins...in His name to all the nations..." (Luk 24:47)

"I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake." (1Jn 2:12)

We Must Believe in the Name of Jesus Christ
“This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” (1Jn 3:23) 
  
Whoever Calls on the Name of Jesus Will Be Saved
“For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom 10:13)

There is No Other Name by Which We Must Be Saved
In all the Scriptures written before the incarnation of Christ, referring to the name of the Lord, of whom was the Holy Spirit speaking?   Whose name did He mean by "the name of the Lord"?  If not the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, then please tell me what name is meant by "the name of the Lord."

The apostles gave us a very definite the answer. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."  (Act 4:12)

Putting it All Together
The Father and Jesus have the same Name, as well as the Holy Spirit, and that name is holy.  Jesus performed miracles in His Father’s Name.  He displayed the Father’s Name, Yehova is Salvation, to His disciples.  We have eternal life in the Name of Jesus. We must be baptized in the Name of Jesus, as well as the name of the Father and the Holy Spirit.  There is water baptism, baptism with the Holy Spirit, and baptism with fire.  You could say that all three experiences are distinct aspects of one baptism, and often happen separately.  Yet all three experiences are necessary to live a holy life for Jesus, separated from the world, and to be a powerful witness for Him. The Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name. 

We perform miracles in Jesus’ Name, cast out demons in Jesus’ Name, as well as speak in tongues, and lay hands on the sick and they recover.  The Name of Jesus is magnified by signs and wonders. It is the name above all names. Every knee will bow at the Name of Jesus, for it is great and awesome. His name is feared!

Jesus came in the Name of the Lord, Yehova.  The apostles preached and taught in Jesus' Name. The enemy is hostile to the Name of Jesus. The apostles suffered and risked their lives for Jesus’ Name. Saints call on Jesus’ Name. We must receive children in Jesus' Name.  Even false christs and false prophets may come in Jesus’ Name, so we should beware of this.

We pray and ask the Father in Jesus’ Name. We assemble ourselves together in Jesus’ Name. We are a people for His Name, called by His Name. We must receive children in Jesus' Name.  We give thanks in Jesus’ Name. We lift up our hands and bless His Name. We love His Name and seek it.  We must do everything in the Name of Jesus. Jesus’ Name will be glorified in His saints. We are justified in the Name of Jesus. We must preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus' Name. We must believe in the Name of Jesus Christ.  Whoever calls on the Name of Jesus will be saved. There is no other name by which we must be saved.

This name is unique in that it is the only name with all these wonderful and amazing attributes!  This is the name of the Lord Himself. The one true God has no other another name higher than this one with any greater attributes than this name.

Jesus said, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mar 8:38).  Don't be ashamed of Jesus' Name.  Lift it up, seek it, confess it, proclaim it, glorify it, and exalt Him.

Then it will come to pass for you, as recorded in Exodus 20:24, “In every place where I cause My Name to be remembered I will come to you and I will bless you.”

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading the companion message Jesus is Yehova, as well as The Bodily Form of God the Father, The Holy Trinity,  Baptized with the Spirit and Holy Fire Baptism.

You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Image: "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.