What is his son's name? Definition and Key Question This query arises especially from Proverbs 30:4: “Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!” Throughout Scripture, the question of God’s Son points to a profound revelation: the Son’s name is Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah and the unique Son of the Most High. Scriptural Background Proverbs 30:4 introduces a rhetorical question that highlights both the awesome power of the Creator and the existence of God’s Son. It naturally leads the reader to search the Scriptures for evidence of this Son’s identity. The Old Testament provides foreshadows of a divine figure who would come to save and rule God’s people, while the New Testament fully unveils His identity as Jesus. Old Testament Foreshadowing 1. Prophetic Indications • Isaiah 9:6 features the prophecy: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This child, this “son,” holds divine titles revealing both human birth and divine nature. • Micah 5:2 predicts Bethlehem as the birthplace of a ruler “whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.” The suggestion of eternal origins aligns with the concept of God’s Son. 2. Echoes in the Psalms • Psalm 2:7 contains the declaration, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” Early Jewish and later Christian interpreters recognized this as pointing to a special, anointed King who, by New Testament times, is revealed as Christ Jesus. 3. Expectations of a Messiah • Various Old Testament themes—ruling over Israel, crushing evil, being a descendant of David—coalesce in the figure of a coming Messiah. By the time of the Second Temple period, many awaited this Son who would establish God’s kingdom and bring salvation. New Testament Identification 1. Direct Claims of Sonship • John 3:16 addresses the Son’s love and identity directly: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This reveals the Son’s name: Jesus. • At Jesus’s baptism (Matthew 3:17), a voice from heaven declares: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” This divine affirmation points unmistakably to Jesus as God’s Son. 2. Fulfillment of Prophecy • The New Testament writers repeatedly show how Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah find their completion in Jesus. From His miraculous birth (Matthew 1:22–23) to His role as ultimate Redeemer (Galatians 4:4–5), every prophecy affirms that Jesus is the long-foretold Son. 3. Resurrection as Confirmation • Romans 1:4 states that Jesus “was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead.” Early preaching (Acts 2:24–36) likewise points to the resurrection as definitive proof of Christ’s divine Sonship. Understanding the Divine Sonship 1. Eternal Co-Existence with the Father • John 1:1–2 testifies, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” This eternal reality indicates that the Son does not have a created origin but shares fully in God’s divine nature. • Colossians 2:9 asserts, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily.” Thus, Scripture presents the Son as co-eternal and co-equal with the Father. 2. Trinitarian Implications • Matthew 28:19 commands baptism “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” underscoring that the Son exists within the Godhead without diminishing the oneness of God (Deuteronomy 6:4). Biblical Manuscript Consistency Biblical manuscripts—such as the early papyri, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Vaticanus—consistently affirm the unique Sonship of Jesus. Cross-references survive across thousands of Greek and Hebrew manuscripts attesting to key passages (John 1:1–18; Romans 1:1–4; Hebrews 1:1–4) that identify Jesus as the Son of God. Despite variations in spelling or minor textual details, the central teaching regarding Christ’s deity and Sonship remains intact and unified across these manuscript witnesses. Historical and Archaeological Corroboration 1. Early Testimonies • Non-biblical sources, such as Tacitus (Annals 15.44) and Josephus (Antiquities 18.3.3), refer to Jesus as a historical figure who had followers proclaiming His resurrection. These early attestations corroborate key events in Jesus’s life, including His crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. • The willingness of the earliest believers to suffer martyrdom provides indirect historical evidence that they sincerely believed in Jesus’s divine Sonship. 2. Archaeological Discoveries • Findings from first-century synagogues in Galilee, inscriptions mentioning Pontius Pilate in Caesarea, and the documented layout of Jerusalem in the first century affirm that the Gospels accurately reflect people, places, and customs of the time. These reinforce the claim that the Son named Jesus truly walked those lands. Philosophical and Theological Importance Proverbs 30:4’s question—“What is His Son’s name?”—presses for a recognition of the transcendence and immanence of God. While God is sovereign over the universe, He also reaches intimately into creation, revealing Himself in a relational manner through His Son. Jesus’s name is not a mere label; it reflects His mission—“Yeshua,” meaning “the LORD saves.” This underscores a personal God who enters history to redeem humanity, culminating in Christ’s atoning sacrifice and victorious resurrection. Answering the Question When Scripture asks, “What is His Son’s name?” the comprehensive testimony of both Old and New Testaments leads clearly to Jesus—“the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). He is the Messiah anticipated by Israel’s prophets, confirmed by His teachings, miracles, crucifixion, and resurrection, and exalted as the Son of God. Conclusion In sum, the answer to Proverbs 30:4 is found throughout the entirety of the biblical narrative. The One who descended from heaven, secured salvation, and who ascended in victory is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His name, borne out by prophecy, history, and divine testimony, remains the definitive response to the question: “What is His Son’s name?” |
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