In the late 1980’s, while I was in university, I had the fortune to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Through having meetings and reading the Bible, I learned that God’s name was Jesus, that He created heaven and earth, that He is the one true God who rules over all things, that for the sake of redeeming mankind, He was crucified, that He is our only Savior, and that we must uphold the Lord’s name at all times, because the Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Moved as I was by the Holy Spirit, I yearned to read more of the Bible and attend meetings. My heart was full of peace and joy.

Afterward, I didn’t know why, but my church became more and more desolate. My pastor had nothing to preach, there were disputes and jealousy between my co-workers, and the faith and love of the believers grew cold. To search for the work of the Holy Spirit, I visited many more churches, but what I found was largely the same, which left me very disappointed. In late November of 2017, I went to hear the sermon of a famous preacher. There, I met Sister Wei. We got along well and had deep conversations. Later, Sister Wei introduced a website where I found and joined a Bible study class, and there, I met a brother named Peter. In our Bible study meetings, Brother Peter often shared the Lord’s words, such as how to do the heavenly Father’s will, what kinds of people can enter the kingdom of heaven, what the wise virgins are, how to distinguish God’s voice, and so on. He also fellowshiped with us on the reasons for desolation in the church, the background of God’s work in the Age of Law and the Age of Grace, the relationship between the two Ages, and many other things that were eye-opening for me. He helped me understand many aspects of the truth that I hadn’t understood in the past. I was very happy to attend a gathering like this, as if I had the feeling I once had when I was a new believer in the Lord. This meeting was filled with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and I was moved and felt enriched in my heart. Later, I often attended the Bible study meetings, hoping that I could understand more of the truth and gain more provision of life.

Knowing the Relationship Between God’s Name and God’s Work

In one meeting, Brother Peter said, “Today, we see scenes of desolation everywhere in the religious world, believers live their lives in a cycle of sinning and repentance, and they cannot escape the bondage and constraints of sin. God said, “you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). Hebrews 12:14 also says, ‘Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.’ God is holy. And we are filthy and full of satanic dispositions of arrogance, deceitfulness, being selfish and despicable. Besides, we always live in sin, and often lie and cheat. When we encounter things that are disagreeable to us or when our family is not at peace, we even blame and misunderstand God. It is impossible for people like us who often cannot help but sin and resist God to be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. So, to completely save us from sin, God is doing a stage of work in the last days to remove our sin under the name of Almighty God, so that we can completely escape the bondage and control of sin, be transformed and purified by God, and enter God’s kingdom.”

Brother Peter’s words were very surprising to me. I thought: We indeed live in a sin-and-confess state, unable to escape the bondage of sin and unqualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. It seemed possible to me that the Lord, based on humanity’s needs, could do new work to completely remove our sin, but how could it be possible that the Lord would change His name and adopt a new name? For over 2,000 years, Christians had upheld and prayed in the name of the Lord Jesus, and only by believing in and relying on the Lord Jesus could we receive grace and salvation. How could the Lord possibly change His name? I found it impossible to accept, and said, “Brother, the Bible says, ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ It clearly says here that there is no other name but the Lord Jesus by which we can be saved. How can you say the Lord will have a new name and be called Almighty God when He returns? Is there a biblical basis for this fellowship?”

Peter patiently explained, “Sister, actually, the Bible already contains prophecies saying that the Lord will have a new name when He returns in the last days. Let’s read some verses from the Bible. Revelation 3:12 says, ‘Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name.’ Revelation 1:8 says, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’ Revelation 11:17 says, ‘Saying, We give you thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which are, and were, and are to come; because you have taken to you your great power, and have reigned.’ And Isaiah 13:6 says, ‘Howl you; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.’ Revelation clearly mentions ‘my new name,’ which is to say that His new name will not be ‘Jesus,’ and the following verses prophesy the name ‘the Almighty,’ so we can confirm from these prophecies that when the Lord Jesus returns, He will have a new name and be called Almighty God.”

As I listened to Brother Peter’s fellowship, I looked up these verses in the Bible, and thought, “Yes, Revelation clearly mentions God will have a new name, and so many prophecies mention ‘the Almighty.’ It seems that when the Lord Jesus returns, He will have a new name. It can’t be wrong. I’ve read the Bible many times, why haven’t I noticed these verses before?” I was especially shocked by the verse “Howl you; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.” Almighty God would do the work of destroying the world, not the Lord Jesus! The thought both shocked and excited me. We are already living in the last days, and disasters of all kinds are growing worse, so could this mean that the Lord had already returned, and was called Almighty God? When I realized this, I decided to take this matter seriously and investigate further.

At this time, Brother Peter said, “Sister, I’ll read you a few more passages of God’s word. After that, you’ll understand more clearly the truth about God’s names. Almighty God says, ‘Some say that the name of God does not change. Why, then, did the name of Jehovah become Jesus? It was prophesied that the Messiah would come, so why then did a man by the name of Jesus come? Why did the name of God change? Was such work not carried out long ago? May God not do newer work today? The work of yesterday can be altered, and the work of Jesus can follow on from that of Jehovah. Cannot, then, the work of Jesus be succeeded by other work? If the name of Jehovah can be changed to Jesus, then cannot the name of Jesus also be changed? None of this is odd; it is just that people are too simple-minded’ (“How Can Man Who Has Delimited God in His Notions Receive the Revelations of God?” In The Word Appears in the Flesh). ‘Why is it that Jehovah and Jesus are one, yet They are called by different names in different ages? Is it not because the ages of Their work are different? Could a single name represent God in His entirety?’ (“The Vision of God’s Work (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). ‘You should know that God originally had no name. He only took on one, or two, or many names because He had work to do and had to manage mankind. Whatever name He is called by—did He not freely choose it Himself? Would He need you—one of His creations—to decide it? The name by which God is called is a name that accords with what man is capable of apprehending, with the language of mankind, but this name is not something that man can encompass’” (“The Vision of God’s Work (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

After reading God’s words, Brother Peter fellowshiped, “God clearly says that God didn’t originally have a name. It’s only because God would do the work of salvation of mankind that He adopted different names to represent the work of the present age. God’s name is updated with His work. Just like in the Age of Law, God promulgated laws and commandments and guided man in his daily life. God was called Jehovah. When the Age of Grace arrived, God did the work of redeeming humanity. The work of God changed, so His name became Jesus. In the last days, God is doing the work of judgment beginning from the house of God. It is a new and improved form of work and God’s name surely changes. However, regardless of how God’s name might change, it is owing to the needs of the work, and we humans have no right to interfere, much less use our own conceptions and imaginations to delimit God. Otherwise, we’re utterly insensible. The Bible says, ‘Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span…. Who has directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counselor has taught him?’ (Isa 40:12, 13). God is the Creator and Ruler of the heavens and earth and all things. God’s thoughts are higher than man’s thoughts. Regardless of whether God has a name or adopts a new name, it all contains God’s wisdom, and we mankind cannot fathom this. So only if we maintain a heart of humility and seeking can we understand the mysteries therein, and can we find God’s footprints and attain God’s salvation in the last days.”

My heart felt light after hearing Brother Peter’s fellowship, and I happily said, “I understand, God’s work is not unchanging, and God’s name changes with His work. God does not keep to the old, and when God’s work changes, His name also changes. It seems I really do need to learn to be a clever virgin and have a humble heart that seeks God’s work of the last days!”

Understanding the Significance of God’s Names

When Brother Peter heard my understanding, he was very happy and excitedly expressed his thanks to God. When I pondered over Almighty God’s words and what Brother Peter had fellowshiped, I thought: “Since God uses different names in each age according to His work, what is the significance of these names?” Thinking of this, I spoke out about this confusion.

Hearing this, Brother Peter said, “Sister, this question is answered very clearly in Almighty God’s word, so let’s read a passage from God’s word. Almighty God says, ‘“Jehovah” is the name that I took during My work in Israel, and it means the God of the Israelites (God’s chosen people) who can take pity on man, curse man, and guide the life of man; the God who possesses great power and is full of wisdom. “Jesus” is Emmanuel, which means the sin offering that is full of love, full of compassion, and which redeems man. He did the work of the Age of Grace, and He represents the Age of Grace, and can only represent one part of the work of the management plan. That is to say, only Jehovah is the God of the chosen people of Israel, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God of all the people of Israel. And so, in the current age, all the Israelites, apart from the Jewish people, worship Jehovah. They make sacrifices to Him on the altar and serve Him in the temple wearing priests’ robes. What they hope for is the reappearance of Jehovah. Only Jesus is the Redeemer of mankind, and He is the sin offering that redeemed mankind from sin. Which is to say, the name of Jesus came from the Age of Grace and came into existence because of the work of redemption in the Age of Grace. The name of Jesus came into existence to allow the people of the Age of Grace to be reborn and saved, and is a particular name for the redemption of the whole of mankind. Thus, the name Jesus represents the work of redemption, and denotes the Age of Grace. The name Jehovah is a particular name for the people of Israel who lived under the law. In each age and each stage of work, My name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents one age. “Jehovah” represents the Age of Law and is the honorific by which the people of Israel called the God whom they worshiped. “Jesus” represents the Age of Grace, and is the name of the God of all those who were redeemed during the Age of Grace. If man still longs for the arrival of Jesus the Savior during the last days, and still expects Him to arrive in the image He bore in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan would have stopped in the Age of Redemption, and could not have progressed any further. The last days, furthermore, would never arrive, and the age would never be brought to an end. This is because Jesus the Savior is only for the redemption and salvation of mankind. I took the name of Jesus only for the sake of all the sinners in the Age of Grace, but it is not the name by which I shall bring the whole of mankind to an end. Although Jehovah, Jesus, and the Messiah all represent My Spirit, these names only denote the different ages of My management plan, and do not represent Me in My entirety. The names by which people on earth call Me cannot articulate My entire disposition and all that I am. They are merely different names by which I am called during different ages. And so, when the final age—the age of the last days—arrives, My name shall change again. I shall not be called Jehovah, or Jesus, much less the Messiah—I shall be called the powerful Almighty God Himself, and under this name I shall bring the entire age to an end. I was once known as Jehovah. I was also called the Messiah, and people once called Me Jesus the Savior with love and esteem. Today, however, I am no longer the Jehovah or Jesus that people knew in times past; I am the God who has returned in the last days, the God who shall bring the age to an end. I am the God Himself that rises up from the end of the earth, replete with My entire disposition, and full of authority, honor, and glory. People have never engaged with Me, never known Me, and have always been ignorant of My disposition. From the creation of the world until today, not one person has seen Me. This is the God who appears to man in the last days but is hidden among man. He resides among man, true and real, like the burning sun and the blazing flame, filled with power and brimming with authority. There is not a single person or thing that shall not be judged by My words, and not a single person or thing that shall not be purified through the burning of fire. Eventually, all nations shall be blessed because of My words, and also smashed to pieces because of My words. In this way, all people during the last days shall see that I am the Savior returned, and that I am the Almighty God that conquers all of mankind. And all shall see that I was once the sin offering for man, but that in the last days I also become the flames of the sun that incinerate all things, as well as the Sun of righteousness that reveals all things. This is My work in the last days. I took this name and am possessed of this disposition so that all people may see that I am a righteous God, the burning sun, the blazing flame, and so that all may worship Me, the one true God, and so that they may see My true face: I am not only the God of the Israelites, and I am not just the Redeemer; I am the God of all creatures throughout the heavens and the earth and the seas” (“The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

When we finished reading God’s word, Brother Peter continued his fellowship, “From God’s word, we can understand that the name He takes in each era has its own significance. In the Age of Law, God took the name Jehovah, which represented that what God expressed in that age was His dispositions of majesty, wrath, cursing, and pity. With the name Jehovah, God began His work in the Age of Law. He issued the laws and commandments and taught the newly created mankind how to live on earth. Those who obeyed Jehovah’s laws would receive God’s blessings and grace, while those who violated the laws would be stoned or burned to death. Under the law, the Israelites saw that Jehovah God’s disposition allowed no offense, so they rigorously kept the laws and regarded Jehovah’s name as holy. Under Jehovah God’s guidance, people lived a normal and orderly life for a few thousand years. At the end of the Age of Law, mankind were corrupted far too deeply by Satan and they could no longer abide by God’s laws and commandments, so that they didn’t have enough sin offerings to atone for their sins, and were in danger of being condemned and put to death by the law. Therefore, in order to save mankind, God used the name Jesus to do the work of redemption. He expressed His disposition of love and mercy. He laid His boundless grace upon man, and finally was crucified to redeem man from Satan. From then on, people who believed in the Lord began to pray in Jesus’ name, and to enjoy the forgiveness of God and His boundless grace. The name ‘Jesus’ existed to allow the people of the Age of Grace to be reborn and saved. The name ‘Jesus’ represents God’s redemptive work, and also God’s disposition of love and mercy. Though we have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus, our satanic disposition is still deeply rooted within us, and controls us to sin and resist God at any time. In order to completely save us from sin, God has carried out His work of judgment and chastisement with the name Almighty God. God will thoroughly transform and purify those who truly believe in Him and thirst for the truth, and save them from sin, so that they can return to the original likeness of when God created man. Meanwhile, God will reveal all those who hate and despise the truth and resist God, thus separating mankind according to their type, and then rewarding the good and punishing the evil, and concluding the work of His six-thousand-year management plan to save mankind. So in the last days, God reveals Himself to men with a disposition of righteousness, majesty, wrath, and intolerance of offending. He shows them His original disposition and all that He has and is. Then we can see that He not only created everything, but also holds dominion over all things. He can not only be man’s sin offering, but can also perfect, change and purify man. He is the First, and the Last. None can fully fathom His wondrousness, or His deeds. So, in the last days, this is the significance of God taking the name ‘Almighty God.’ During God’s management plan for the salvation of mankind, He opens up a new age and brings the age to an end with a new name. If the Lord Jesus were still called Jesus when He returns in the last days, then God’s management plan to save humanity would remain in the Age of Grace and couldn’t progress forward, and we would live in sin forever and couldn’t be cleansed and enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Brother Peter spoke logically and backed up his argument with evidence. God uses different names to do different work in different ages, and each of God’s names represents God’s work and dispositions of that age. This is the reason for God taking a name in each age. I had awoken a little by this time, and realized that the verse “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” means that we can be saved as long as we accept God’s work of redemption and call on the Lord’s name. But being saved only refers to having one’s sins forgiven, and if we always hold on to the name of Jesus, then we will forever be stuck in the Age of Grace, our corrupt disposition can’t be changed and we can’t be cleansed and saved by God and finally we can’t enter the kingdom of heaven.

I quickly answered, “Yes! Amen! Brother, your fellowship has opened the door of understanding for me. I won’t ever again be confused about why God’s name changes. I have believed in the Lord for decades, but I’ve never heard such truth as this. My pastors ask us to uphold the Lord’s name, but no pastor has ever been able to make me understand where God’s name comes from or what significance it holds. Now, Almighty God’s word has revealed the mystery of God’s name. God originally had no name and He is called by a different name in a different age because of the needs of His work. Each name represents God’s work and the disposition He expresses in that age. It’s meaningful and this is not something that can be determined by people. Now I am certain that the Lord Jesus has truly returned, and that He is Almighty God! So, I am willing to accept Almighty God’s work of the last days.”

Only by praying in God’s new name can we receive the work of the Holy Spirit

Once when the meeting was about to end, Brother Peter said I should pray in the name of Almighty God. But I had been praying in the name of the Lord Jesus for decades, so I was not very comfortable praying in God’s new name. So I told my true state to Brother Peter.

Brother Peter said, “Sister, when I first started praying in Almighty God’s name, I had the same thought, but I came across a passage of God’s word that changed my mind. Let me read you that passage. Almighty God says, ‘The work of the Holy Spirit changes from day to day. It rises higher with each step, the revelation of tomorrow higher than today’s, climbing ever higher, step after step. Such is the work by which God perfects man. If people cannot keep pace, then they could be cast out at any time. If they do not have a heart of obedience, they will be unable to follow to the very end. The former age has passed; this is a new age. And in a new age, new work must be done. Particularly in the final age in which people are perfected, God will perform newer work, more quickly, so without obedience in their hearts, people will find it difficult to follow the footsteps of God’ (“Those Who Obey God With a True Heart Shall Surely Be Gained by God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). From God’s words, I understood that only those who obey God and obey His latest work with a true heart can gain the work of the Holy Spirit and receive God’s perfection; while those who don’t truly obey God but are conservative can’t receive the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit, much less be perfected by God. Now God brings about the end of the Age of Grace and ushers in the Age of Kingdom with the name Almighty God. The work of the Holy Spirit has been transferred to uphold God’s work of the last days. Those who accept and obey the work of Almighty God and truly pray in the name of Almighty God receive the work and the guidance of the Holy Spirit and enjoy the delight of the work of the Holy Spirit. But those who don’t accept Almighty God’s work or pray in the name of Almighty God can’t receive the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Just as when God became flesh to do His work with the name Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit was transferred to uphold the work of the Age of Grace. As long as we prayed to and called on the name of the Lord Jesus, we could gain the work of the Holy Spirit and enjoy the grace, peace and happiness bestowed by the Lord Jesus. While those who still abided by the laws and didn’t accept the name of the Lord lost the work of the Holy Spirit, living in darkness and being abandoned by God. After recognizing this, I prayed in God’s new name—Almighty God. When I don’t understand the truth, I pray to Almighty God and seek His will, and then through reading God’s words, my heart feels that everything suddenly becomes clear, and I understand God’s earnest intentions and feel peaceful and happy. So if we want to receive the work of the Holy Spirit, we should accept and obey God’s new work from the heart and pray in His new name. Only in this way can we follow the footsteps of God’s work and receive God’s salvation.”

After hearing God’s words and Brother Peter’s fellowship, I understood: Once God’s new work begins, the Holy Spirit’s work also shifts to the new work, just as when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, which is why those who accepted the Lord Jesus’ work and called on the Lord’s name received the Holy Spirit’s personal guidance and supply. Those who rejected the Lord’s name were unable to keep pace with the Holy Spirit’s new work, and were rejected and eliminated by the Holy Spirit. In the same way, God has now begun a new age and has a new name, so now I must accept and obey without hesitation. Only by praying in God’s new name can we receive the work of the Holy Spirit. I should act according to God’s word and shouldn’t be conservative.

Thanks be to God. When I changed my views and prayed in Almighty God’s name, I felt calm and secure in my heart, and the more I prayed, the closer my relationship with God became. At the same time, I realized that the reason why the religious world becomes desolate and why believers gain no enjoyment in meetings is because they don’t follow God’s new work but hold to the past name, words and work of God, so their spirits are in darkness and they have no way to go. After realizing this, I became more grateful for God’s salvation that allowed me to hear the voice of God and return before God’s throne.

Today, in the more than half a year since I accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days, I have lived church life, read God’s word and shared my personal knowledge and experience with my brothers and sisters, and in this half year I have gained more than I did in my previous decades of believing in the Lord. And I have truly enjoyed having the irrigation and supply of God’s water of life. Thanks be to God!

Editor’s Note:

Brothers and sisters, now the age has changed, so both God’s work and God’s name have changed with it. Sister Xuelan has accepted God’s new work and prays in God’s new name. She has followed God’s footsteps, advanced into a new age and received the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit. She enjoys sweetness in her heart and her spiritual state has transformed. Do you want to have such an experience too?

Extended Reading:

How to Ascertain that Almighty God Is the Return of the Lord Jesus?