`Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him' (Phil. 2:9).

When Peter spoke of the exaltation of the Saviour he uses the verb hupsoo (Acts 2:33; 5:31), but when Paul

speaks of the Saviour's exaltation in Philippians 2:9, he uses the verb huperupsoo `to exalt highly'. This is the only

occurrence of this superlative word in the New Testament and it occurs twice in reference to the Lord in the LXX.

The first occurrence is in a Psalm of praise which opens with the words `The Lord reigneth':

`For Thou Lord art high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods' (Psa. 97:9).

In the context will be seen the exhortation `worship Him all ye gods', which is rendered in the LXX `worship Him

all ye His angels', and is quoted as of Christ in Hebrews 1:6 `When He bringeth in the Firstbegotten into the world,

He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him' (Heb. 1:6).

The second occurrence is found in the book of Daniel. Chapter 4 of that wonderful book is in itself a wonder,

for it was not written by Daniel, it was not given to him by revelation, it is the actual transcript of the proclamation

made by Nebuchadnezzar himself! After his proud boasting and humiliation Nebuchadnezzar was restored to his

kingly estate and he `extolled' and `highly exalted' the King of heaven (Dan. 4:37).

Something of the character of Christ's exaltation is foreshadowed in these passages `gods', `angels' and `pagan

kings' using the word huperupsoo which is reserved in the New Testament to the exaltation of Christ alone. This

super-exaltation will be travestied by the Beast, for 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says he `opposeth and exalteth himself

above all that is called God, or that is worshipped', where the word `to exalt' here is huperairomai. Huper is

associated with the Lord's ascension in Ephesians 1:21 and 4:10, where we read the words `far above all principality'

and `far above all heavens'.

This high exaltation is expanded by the apostle when he refers to the gracious bestowal upon the exalted Saviour

of `the name which is above every name' (Phil. 2:9).

The Revisers have rightly restored the article `The Name' and to a Hebrew `The Name which is above every

name' can mean nothing less than the sacred name Jehovah.

The ascension of Christ placed Him not only far above all principality and power, might and dominion but far

above `every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things

under His feet' (Eph. 1:21,22). `Every name that is named' must include every Name of God, for we do not need to

be told that the exalted Christ is far above angels or men. Yet the stupendous consequences of such a revelation

leave us over-whelmed by their immensity. What a sweep, from the infamy of the Cross to the name above every

name! The Psalm that supplies the prophetic words `all things under His feet' is the Psalm that begins and ends with

the words :

`O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!' (Psa. 8:1).

The LORD says in Isaiah 45 :

`... there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye

saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone

out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall

swear' (Isa. 45:21-23).

The fact that this glorious Name was given to the Son by the Father, shows that the `Man' Christ Jesus is still

before us. Nothing could so emphasize the superlative glory of `Jesus', than that He should be graced with the

incommunicable name Jehovah, and nothing could so emphasize the equally glorious fact that He Who was the Man

`Jesus' was nevertheless `God manifest in the flesh'.

We meet His name in the opening of the New Testament `Thou shalt call His name Jesus' with which the context

links the name Emmanuel `God with us' (Matt. 1:21,23). During the years of His humiliation that name `Jesus' was

associated with despised `Nazareth' and it was this name and title that was displayed upon the cross, `Jesus of

Nazareth, the King of the Jews' (John 19:19).