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perfection, and introduces circumcision, and the change of name for Abraham and Sarah.
In the words of The Companion Bible:--
"EL is the God who knows all (first occ. Gen. 14: 18-22), and sees all (Gen. 16: 13)
and that performeth all things for His people" (Psa. 57: 2).
Jehovah is the name of God in covenant relation with His people. As Jehovah, He
spans the ages and accomplishes His purpose. Newberry sets out the Hebrew title as
follows:--
"First, Yehi, `He will be', long tense. Second, Hove, `being', participle.
Third, Hehyah, `He was', short tense used in the past. Taking the first three letters of
Yehi, Yeh, the middle two letters of Hove, ov, and the last two letters of hahyah, ah,
we have Yehovah, or Jehovah, in full."
Rev. 1: 4 gives an interpretation of the name, "From Him which is (ho on), and which
was (hơ en), and which is to come (hơ erchomenos)".
Dr. Bullinger, in The Apocalypse or Day of the Lord says:--
"Three times we have this periphrasis of Jehovah, and yet it is varied according to the
emphasis we are to place upon it; in 1: 4 and 8 it is `is, and was, and is to come'; in
4: 8 it is `was, and is, and is to come', in 11: 17 it is, "art and wast' (the third or future
verb being omitted according to the critical Greek Texts, L.T., Tr., W.H., A.V., and
R.V.)"
It will be observed that in the last occurrence of the title the name dealing with the
future is omitted. Quoting again, as above, we learn the reason:--
"It clearly is out of place here, because the twenty-four elders say, `We give Thee
thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and wast, because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy
great power, and reignest' (not hast reigned)".
The coming had already taken place in Rev. 11: 17, and therefore the title of "the
coming One" is omitted.
This being so, the suggestion that "Jehovah signifies--He that always was, that
always is, and that ever is to come", falls to the ground. What do we understand by the
words (Newberry's and others), "ever is to come"? Does it lend dignity and greatness to
our God to use such mysterious titles? Will He never fulfil His promise and come? Yes,
says the Scripture, and when He does come, and fulfils the meaning of that part of His
title, that name passes. It is to the glory of God that we learn that the name Jehovah is not
eternal. If it were, it would be a standing memorial of failure to accomplish His purpose.
The God of heaven and earth took the name of Jehovah in connection with His
covenants, and when those covenants are fulfilled that name, like many other age-time
titles and functions, will be given up "that GOD may be all in all".
Abraham looked to God to fulfil all His word, he therefore called on Jehovah, the God
of the age. The moment this title of God is seen, the Satanic opposition to His purposes