The names of Jesus Christ in the Old and New Testaments Part-8
Son of Man (Matt 20:28)
Christ is referred to as both the Son of Man and the Son of God. Christ referred to himself as the “Son of Man” more than he used the title “the Son of God.”
He is the Son of God in two ways, first he was the firstborn spirit of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother in our pre-earth existence, and second, he is the physical offspring of God the Father in the flesh, being born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father.
He is the Son of Man in two ways. First it refers to the fact that he was a human being. Daniel refers to his humanity as a very exalted figure, a king with dominion and power (Daniel 7:13-14). In Luke he refers to himself with that title (Luke 9:22; 21:36). Second, it meant the Son of Man of Holiness. In the LDS Guide to the scriptures “Son of Man,” it states that “It meant the Son of the Man of Holiness. Man of Holiness is one of the names of God the Father. When Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, it was an open declaration of His divine relationship with the Father. This title is found frequently in the Gospels. Latter-day revelation confirms the special meaning and sacredness of this name of the Savior (D&C 45:39; 49:6, 22; 58:65; Moses 6:57).”
Teacher (John 3:2)
The Savior taught the truths of the gospel. He emphasized the first principles and ordinances—faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost. He taught us to love and serve one another. He taught of priesthood, covenants, and ordinances, and of all we must know, do, and be to come unto Him.
He explained things in a simple, clear way. He spoke about birds and flowers and other ordinary things to help people understand God.
Examples of the Savior teaching: He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues (Matt 4:23); He opened his mouth and taught them (Matt. 5:2); For he taught them as one having authority (Matt. 7:29); He began to teach them many things (Mark 6:34); And he taught in their synagogues (Luke 4:15); He sat down and taught the people out of the ship (Luke 5:3); We know that thou art a teacher come from God (John 3:2); Jesus went up into the temple, and taught (John 7:14); He sat down, and taught them (John 8:2); He expounded all things to his disciples (Mark 4:34); he opened to us the scriptures (Luke 24:32); the people were astonished at his doctrine (Matt. 7:28); He taught them many things by parables (Mark 4:2); My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me (John 7:16)
The Almighty (Rev. 1:8)
The term “almighty” refers to one who is the singular, all powerful-one; thus Christ is the single, most powerful God of all Gods, the creator of heaven and earth (John 1:3) and everything in them that dwells. The term almighty also means omnipotent, that is capable of doing anything. whatsoever. “Almight God” would be a holy, divine, sacred individual wo has absolute power.
El Shaddai (Hebrew: אֵל שַׁדַּי, ʾēl šaday; IPA: [el ʃaˈdaj]) or just Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel. El Shaddai is conventionally translated into English as God Almighty (Deus Omnipotens in Latin). It’s one of the most common terms in the Bible for God. “The Almighty” conveys the idea God is an all-powerful being, able to control everything in the universe at all times.
The Amen (Rev. 3:14)
Amen means “so be it,” when used at the end of an utterance, a hymn or a prayer. The basic meaning of the Semitic root from which it is derived is “firm,” “fixed,” or “sure,” and the related Hebrew verb also means “to be reliable” and “to be trusted.”
Christ in his role of God can be seen as firm, fixed, sure, reliable and to be trusted. John refers to Christ as the “Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God,” which means we can completely and surely place our confidence, faith and trust in Christ to lead us back to the Kingdom of God/Heaven (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 5:3; 6:10; and Mark 14:25)
The Beloved (Eph. 1:6)
A beloved person is one is dearly loved.
God the Father refers to his Son as “his beloved” on several occasions — at Christ’s baptism, “my beloved son,” (Matt. 3:17); at the Mount of Transfiguration, “my beloved son,” (Matt 17:5); at the appearance to Joseph Smith, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith — History 1:17)
Christ offers us some insight as to how he is beloved of his Father when he says, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again” (John 10:17). Paul refers to Christ as one who God has blessed us with “[God’s] glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6).
The term “beloved” is also applied to members of the community of Jehovah/Christ as in Nehemiah 13:26 (loved by God), Deut. 33:12 (the beloved of the Lord), and even wayward Israel Jer. 11:15 (my beloved), 1 Thess. 1:4 (brothers and sisters loved by God).
The Creator (John 1:3, 16; D&C 93:21)
There are three personages before the organization of the earth; these personages are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the witness or Testator (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 190).
Christ, acting under the direction of Elohim, the Father, created all things. “And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth. And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:31–33). “The worlds were made by him (Christ); men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him” (D&C 93:8–10).
In that creation, he brought life to the planet and to the universe. On the first day – light; on the second day – the sky; on the third day – dry lands, seas, plants and trees; on the fourth day – the sun, moon, and stars; on the fifth day – creatures that live in the sea and creatures that fly; on the sixth day – animals, and finally man (who was created in God’s image).
This creation was an act of organization rather than a creation out of nothing as many mistakenly believe. “Now, the word create came from the word baurau which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence, we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time he had. The pure principles of element are principles which can never be destroyed; they may be organized and re-organized, but not destroyed. They had no beginning, and can have no end” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 350–52).
The creation of the earth was a two-fold process, first spiritually and second, physically. “This earth was created first spiritually. It was a spirit earth. Nothing then lived on its face, nor was it designed that anything should. Then came the physical creation, the paradisiacal creation, the creation of the earth in the Edenic day and before the fall of man. …Man and all forms of life existed as spirit beings and entities before the foundations of this earth were laid. There were spirit men and spirit beasts, spirit fowls and spirit fishes, spirit plants and spirit trees. Every creeping thing, every herb and shrub, every amoeba and tadpole, every elephant and dinosaur—all things—existed as spirits, as spirit beings, before they were placed naturally upon the earth” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, 642–43).
Christ not only created/organized the heavens and the earth, his spirit is omnipresent throughout the universe. The light of Christ ” lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9, D&C 84:46-47, Mormon 7:16, 18). This refers to the innate ability to distinguish good from evil which we commonly call conscience. This “light” proceeds forth from God through Christ and testifies of the divinity of Jesus Christ and influences people for good and prepares them to receive the Holy Ghost. It is also referred to as the spirit of the Lord, spirit of God, the breath of life, etc.
