We've all heard people who insist "God has many names." But is this really true? We, at The Refiner's Fire, contend that the Holy one of Israel has only ONE Name, and that what is being referring to as "names," would be more correctly described as "titles" - descriptive names ... appellations of dignity, honor, distinction, or preeminence attached to His Character and the things He does and is able to do.
The reality is, our God, the Holy One of Israel, only has
one Name, יהוה - which are the Hebrew letters Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, with the corresponding English letters being "YHWH," which are written out as "Yahweh" - and most likely (but not necessarily) pronounced "Yah-way." (Truth is, no one knows the correct pronunication.)
We can see this Name being used for the first time in Exodus 6:2, where YHWH tells Moshe (Moses) the following:
Exodus 6:2 "I am יהוה. 3 I appeared to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov
as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name. (CJB)
So, technically speaking, YHWH is the ONLY proper name for God. It is translated in many English
Bibles as "God" or “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The
revelation of the meaning of the Name יהוה is given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, as YHWH explains to him: “I Am who I Am." This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. יהוה/YHWH is present, accessible,
near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13) forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).
We first saw the "Name" (Title!) of ADONAI used in Genesis 4:26: "That is when people began to call on the name of ADONAI" (“Lord” or "God") and later in places like Genesis 15:2 and Judges 6:15. It was used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men.
However, most knew Him as “El Shaddai,” which means “The God who performs hidden miracles
and exercises mastery over Nature”; and “God Almighty” and “The Mighty One of
Jacob.” (See Genesis 49:24-25; Exodus 6:3; and Psalm 132:2.)
He was also known as "ELOHIM" (“Gods” or “Godhood”; “Creator, Mighty and Strong”) in Genesis 17:7, and Jeremiah 31:33. Elohim is the plural form of Eloah – which tell us that YHWH is many things in the form of ONE GOD, that we humans with our limited human mindsets, cannot possibly understand. From the Bible’s first sentence in Genesis 1:1, the superlative nature of YHWH’s power is evident as ELOHIM speaks the world into existence.
People also came to know יהוה/YHWH as the following Titles, describing His Character and what He accomplished at the time:
EL, ELOAH: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19). Etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19,
jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31); but the root idea of “might” remains.
ADONAI-YIREH: "ADONAI Will Provide" "Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be
sacrificed in place of Isaac.
ADONAI--RAPHA: "The Lord our Healer” or
“The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – emphasizing His role as a provider of
healing, both physical and spiritual. The term "rapha" itself means
to heal, mend, or restore.
ADONAI-NISSI: "Adonai is my banner/miracle (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory
over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.
ADONAI-M'KADDESH: God Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – It's a name for ELOHIM that describes His role as the one who sets
apart His people for a special purpose, making them holy in His presence.
ADONAI-SHALOM: ELOHIM Our
Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Midyah (Gideon) to the altar he built after the Angel of YHWH assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.
ADONAI-ELOHIM: "God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of His unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,”
signifying that He is the Lord of Lords. Yahweh signifies "to be" or
"being," highlighting self-existence. Elohim, derived from
"El," signifies "strength, energy, might, and power" and
"to swear, declare, or make a covenant". In the Hebrew Bible, both
names are used, with Elohim often representing a generic term for God and
Yahweh being the personal name of the specific Deity.
ADONAI-TZIDKENU: ELOHIM Our
Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with ADONAI-M’Kaddesh, it is He alone
who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man,
ultimately in the person of His Son and
Divine Messiah, Yeshua: ADONAI made this sinless man
be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might
fully share in God’s righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
ADONAI-ROI: ELOHIM is Our
Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep,
he realized that was exactly the relationship YHWH had with him, and so he
declares, “ADONAI-Roi is my Shepherd. I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
ADONAI-SHAMA: ADONAI Is
There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – a name for God found in the Bible, signifying YHWH’s presence and
dwelling with His people, both in the future and in the present for those who
believe the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that
the once-departed glory of ELOHIM (Ezekiel chapters 8 through 11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).
ADONAI-TZEVAOT: (צְבָאוֹת) is a Hebrew word meaning "hosts" or "armies,"
often translated as "Lord of Hosts" or "God of Hosts" in
English. It's a title used for God, particularly in the context of his power,
leadership, and sovereignty over all creation, including celestial beings and
the universe. The word "tzeva" (צְבָא) means "army" or
"host," and "tzevaot" is the plural form, indicating a
large, organized group.
EL ELYON: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the
implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes
exaltation and speaks of absolute right to Kingship.
EL ROI: "ELOHIM of
Seeing" (Genesis 16:1-14) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the
wilderness after being driven out by Sarah. When Hagar met the Angel of the ADONAI, she realized she had seen
God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her
distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.
EL OLAM: "Everlasting
God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – YHWH’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all
constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time
itself. “From eternity past to eternity future you are ELOHIM.”
EL-GIBBOR: "Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:7) –
the name describing the Messiah, Yeshua (who came straight from YHWH as he
always was, and had been with YHWH as The Word - John 1:1, 14), in this prophetic portion of
Isaiah. "The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot will accomplish this." It's a name or title
used for God in the Hebrew Bible, specifically to emphasize God's strength and
power. The term "El" (אֵל) means "God," while
"Gibbor" (גִּבֹּר) means "strong, mighty, or warrior". As
a powerful and mighty warrior, YHWH’s Divine Messiah will accomplish the
destruction of His enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).
As you can see, יהוה/YHWH "wears many hats." He is a compilation of Titles that
hardly do Him justice, because "WHO He is" and "WHAT He has
accomplished" encompasses the entire universe – or even universes! Mere
words CANNOT now, and could NEVER describe the AWESOME ELOHIM we serve.
Halleluyah!
