“A NEW NAME” IN REVELATION 2:17 REMINDS US THAT GOD’S PROMISES ENDURE

From beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation, we can trace God’s enduring character in His Word. We discover that God keeps His promises and always has a plan for His people. When life feels overwhelming, we easily lose sight of who God is and what He promises to those who remain faithful. But God’s Word gives us hope. By tracing patterns in Scripture, we find that God’s Word is woven together to reveal His attributes again and again.

Today, we’ll take a look at Jesus’s promise of a new name in Revelation 2:17. This detail, which might seem random or even confusing, has much to say about God’s character. This verse shows us that when God makes a promise, He keeps it, and when we hold fast to His Word, we find strength in His character. 

Let’s look at the verse where we find the promise of a new name: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:17). 

In Revelation 2:17, we read that Jesus promises a new name to those who remain faithful to Christ in adversity—those who hold fast to His name. 

The idea of a “new name” bestowed by God is not unique to Revelation; it stretches back to the very first book of the Bible. In Genesis 17, God changed the name of Abram (meaning “exalted father”) to Abraham (meaning “father of a multitude”) and changed the name of his wife Sarai to Sarah (both meaning “princess”). God did this to mark the promise He made to Abraham and to represent what He would do through Abraham’s life. Abram and Sarai had nearly lost hope that they would ever have a child; their situation seemed impossible. But even still, God’s plan prevailed. God promised to make Abraham a “father of many nations,” and Abraham’s new name provided a daily reminder that God is faithful to His promises. 

In Genesis 32, God changed the name of Jacob (meaning “supplanter”) to Israel (meaning “he struggles with God”). 

In Isaiah 62:2, God promised to restore His broken people, saying “you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.” 

Even in the New Testament, we read about Jesus changing Simon’s name to Peter (meaning “rock”) in John 1:42. Before becoming a disciple of Jesus, Simon was a fisherman in Galilee. We often remember him for denying Jesus three times right after he declared that he would lay down his life for Jesus (John 18). But Simon’s new name served as a reminder that Jesus’s promise was stronger than Peter’s shame or doubt. After repenting before the Lord, Peter became a cornerstone of the early Church. His new name reminds us that God’s purposes prevail over every obstacle—even our weaknesses and shortcomings. 

When we study how and why God renamed these faithful followers, we are reminded that God’s plans are perfect. He always keeps His promises. The new names God gives believers highlight the faithfulness of His character and celebrate His enduring plan to renew and transform His people. This promise of a new name in Revelation does the same. 

Revelation 2:17 gives us hope that God hears His people, sees their perseverance, and will faithfully keep His promises to redeem His people. When God looks at His children, He sees them not wearing garments of sin, but clothed in Christ. Revelation 21:5 says, “He who is seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” God’s people are renewed and renamed because the God who saves them is faithful. His promises prevail.