Names of God
1. Abba Father
Have you ever thought about God as a daddy?
Galatians 4:6 says, "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'"
"Abba" is the Aramaic word meaning "Daddy" or "Father." It's a term of warm affection,
intimacy, and respect for one's father. For some of you, that may sound like an irreverent way to
address God, but Jesus called God, "Our Father," in Matthew 6:9 and He gave us that same right.
In America, children call their fathers, daddy. But in the Middle East, they say Abba. Jesus says
that we can call the great God of the Universe, Abba Father. Daddy Father.
2. Alpha and Omega (The Beginning and the End)
Alpha (Α, α) and omega (Ω, ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and a
title of Christ and God in the Book of Revelation.
The name Alpha and Omega represents God as the Beginning and the End.
The noted historian, H. G. Wells, made a list of the ten greatest men of history and number one
on that list was Jesus Christ. But, Jesus doesn't belong on that list. He doesn't belong on
anybody's list. He is Jesus the First and the Last.
Jesus said in Revelation, "I am Alpha and Omega." Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet.
Omega is the last. If Jesus was speaking to an English audience, He would say, "I am A and Z."
Did you know that the Bible is made up of just twenty-six letters? What Jesus is saying about the
written word is true about the living Word. John 1 tells us that "In the beginning was the Word…
and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Jesus was in the beginning as the Word of
God. And He is God's final word for all eternity.
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3. Christos (The Anointed One)
1 John 4:2 says, "By this, you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses
(acknowledges) that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God."
John uses two names: Jesus, which refers to His human name, and Christ, which refers to His
divine title. Jesus Christ is fully man and fully Messiah at the same time. Christ, which means
Messiah, the Anointed One is His divine title. Jesus is God in human flesh. This is the
fundamental doctrine of our faith - which God stepped out of Heaven and took upon human
flesh. We call that the incarnation (embodiment, personification, materialization). Carnis means
flesh.
When Jesus Christ took upon Himself humanity, He did not take it while He was here on earth
and then laid it aside when He went back to Heaven. He took His humanity back to Heaven with
Him. For all eternity Jesus Christ will be a man.
4. El Chuwl… (elchol) (The God who gave you birth)
El Chuwl is the name for the God who gave you birth.
Isaiah 43:1-3b says, "But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who
formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You
are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they
shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the
flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.'"
God is saying, "I made you, I saved you, I'm going to take care of you." God has made you for a
purpose. And He's going to take care of you. Even when sin marred God's original creation, God
didn't say, "I'm finished with it." No. God made it and God stays with it. Isn't that a wonderful
arrangement?
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5. El Elyon …elelion..( The God most high, The strongest strong
one)
El Elyon speaks of the supremacy of God. He is above all. Now, what does El Elyon mean? The
word means the strongest of the strong and the highest of the high. Hinduism and Pantheism
speak of God as a part of the universe. But God is not a part of the universe. He is the
transcendent God. He is above all. He is the Most High God. Jesus is our El Elyon. Colossians
1:16-17 says, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created
through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him, all things consist." God is
above all things. Jesus is our El Elyon.
“El” is a shortened form of Elohim and speaks of God's strength. Elyon is like the superlative of
“El” and could be translated “strongest.” El Elyon, therefore, is the strongest strong One, or “the
most high God.” The Bible interprets this to mean that El Elyon is the “possessor of heaven and
earth” (Gen. 14:19).
6. El Olam (The everlasting God)
El Olam is the everlasting God.
God never changes. Psalm 90:1-2 says,
"Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought
forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You
are God."
What a wonderful thing to know that in a changing world, God does not change! Time does not
alter God. Psalm 90:4 says, "For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past,
and like a watch in the night." Well, what do all these verses mean? There are no surprises to
God. As Corrie Ten Boom says, "There's no panic in Heaven." God knows the past and the
future at the same time. Jesus is our El Olam. He is the King of the Ages. Hebrews 1:8 says,
"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your
kingdom."
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7. El Shaddai… (God Almighty )
El Shaddai is the God Almighty.
The name El Shaddai appears seven times in the Word of God. As I read the newspapers, I can
go back to the Book of Genesis and see that immutable, unbreakable promise that God made to
father Abraham. Genesis 17:1-2 says, "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord
appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And
I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.'" This
promise has changed the world. Every Jew upon the face of the earth is a living testimony of the
faithfulness of Almighty God. And this God who keeps His promise to Abraham is the same God
that keeps His promises to you and me through Jesus Christ.
8. Immanuel (GOD WITH US )
In Isaiah 7:14, the Bible says, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Immanuel means,
"God With Us."
The Bible tells us in this verse that Jesus would be virgin-born. Later, in Isaiah 9:6, the Bible
says, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given." A child is born speaks of Jesus'
humanity. A Son is given speaks of Jesus' deity.
Jesus left His throne in glory, stepped out of the ivory palaces, and came down into this world of
woe. Our Lord came not in a jeweled chariot accompanied by angels but through the portals of a
virgin's womb. There's no way that you can be saved apart from the virgin birth. It is
fundamental. Jesus was born of a virgin so that He might be the God-man. Immanuel: God in
human flesh, sent to Earth for us.
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9. Jehovah-Bore (The Lord Creator)
Jehovah-Bore means "The Lord Creator."
Can you imagine what a modern writer would do if he tried to describe the creation of the
heavens and the earth? Even if he believed in God, what an avalanche (fall) of adjectives he
would pour out! What double-jointed and obtuse terms he would have to use to describe the
creation of the earth! Aren't you glad that God said it, surely, sweetly, sublimely, and simply: "In
the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth"? Gen. 1:1 How beautiful that is. It always
tickles (delights) me when I read about how scientists are trying to discover the mystery of the
creation of the universe. They just scratch their heads and say, "We've got to go back to the
laboratory now, a lot of things we thought we knew we didn't know." God just spoke and it was
so.
10. Jehovah-M'Kaddesh (The Lord Who Sanctifies)
“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. And you
shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Leviticus
20:7-8).
This name for God describes who He is (holy) and what He does (makes us holy). His purpose
for you, His priority, is holiness. This is more than moral purity; it’s being set apart only for God.
God said in Leviticus 11:45, “Be holy, for I am holy.” This may sound impossible, but God gives
this command with the promise that He will work holiness into you. “I am the Lord who
sanctifies you.” In the New Testament, Philippians 1:6 promises, “He who has begun a good
work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Praise Jehovah-M’Kaddesh for His
faithfulness to make you holy.
11. Jehovah-Rapha (The Lord Healer)
Does Jesus heal? Yes! He is the Almighty Lord, our healer. He can heal instantaneously by a
miracle. He can heal over time through medicine. But let me add, that not every saint will be
healed in this lifetime either by miracle or by medicine, or instantaneously or in time. Right now,
God is more interested in having you holy rather than healthy. Our bodies are not yet redeemed.
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The redemption of the body is going to come at the rapture of the church and the resurrection of
the Christian dead. It is at that time that we will be made like unto Him. There is no sickness in
the Lord's body and there will be no sickness in our resurrection body. If you are not healed in
this life, child of God, you will be healed in eternity.
12. Jehovah-Sabbaoth (saabo) (The Lord of Hosts)
Jehovah-Sabbaoth literally means the Lord Almighty. It speaks of the sovereignty of God over
all the powers of the universe. The second stanza from Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress
Is Our God" says, "Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not
the right man on our side, The man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ
Jesus, it is He, Lord Sabbaoth His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle."
David understood the greatness of God when he went against Goliath with five smooth stones
and a sling. David said to Goliath, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a
javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel,
whom you have defied." (1 Samuel 17:45). Oh, that each of us would have this same conception
of God in our battles.
13. Jehovah-Shammah (The Lord is there)
Psalm 139:7 asks, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?"
And what is the answer? God is omnipresent. He's everywhere. Somebody said that God is a
circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference (border) is nowhere. There is not a
murmur, but that He hears it. There's not a movement, but that He sees it. There's not a motive,
but that He knows it. Neither Death, darkness, nor distance can hide us. When I am discouraged,
His presence sees me through. When I am lonely, His presence cheers me up. When I am
worried, His presence calms me down. When I am tempted, His presence helps me out.
14. Jehovah-Tsuri (The Lord our rock)
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will
trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).
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Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with references to God as a rock; He is permanent,
faithful, and protective. He is the firm foundation for your life, your hiding place in trouble, your
shelter in the storm. Jesus is also pictured as the spiritual rock that saw the Israelites through
their long trek to the Promised Land (See 1 Corinthians 10:1-5.) and as the stone the builders
rejected that has become the cornerstone of the Church. (See Matthew 21:42.) Perhaps the most
beautiful thought to contemplate as you address Jehovah-Tsuri is that He has made His followers
into “living stones.” Scripture says: “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual
house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”
(1 Peter 2:5).
15. Logos (The word)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John
1:1).
For those who love the Bible and love Jesus, this name for God is one of the most meaningful
names in all of Scripture. It encompasses the entire story of God’s relationship with man from
the beginning of creation in Genesis 1:1—when God spoke the world into existence—to Christ’s
spoken promise to “come quickly” in the final verses of the Book of Revelation. Jesus is the
fulfillment of the words of prophecy written in the Old Testament, the Word made flesh in the
New Testament, the Word of hope for all who believe in His Second Coming, and the eternal
Word securing the promise of Heaven. Seek Him in His Word, the Bible; you will find Him to be
the truth.
16. Messiah (The anointed one)
“He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is
translated, the Christ)” (John 1:41).
When Andrew told Simon (later called Peter), “We have found the Messiah,” he believed Jesus
to be the anointed, or chosen one. Scripture had promised a deliverer for the Jewish people.
(See Isaiah 42:1; 61:1-3; Psalm 16, 22, Daniel 9.) The disciples learned over the course of Jesus’
ministry that the salvation they expected—delivery from Roman masters, and an earthly
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kingdom—would be far exceeded. After Christ’s death and resurrection, they finally understood
the Messiah’s true aspiration—delivery from sin and an eternal Kingdom. Do you ever miss the
true role of Messiah by focusing on what you want Him to do for you today and forgetting what
He came to do for you eternally? Go to The Anointed One in prayer and thank Him for ultimate
salvation.
17. Adonai (Lord Master)
“Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says
the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 16:8b).
When you call God Adonai, you are acknowledging both His leadership and His ownership as
your Lord, Master, and Ruler. While this should cause you to approach God with great
reverence, it can also evoke emotions of deep gratitude because you recognize His loving
ownership. You can abandon your will to Adonai because you know He commands you for your
good. You can thank Him for the times He has brought you through difficulties, protected you,
or even corrected you for your benefit.
18. Attiyq Youm (The Ancient of Days)
What do you think about when you hear this name for God: "Ancient of Days"?
Isaiah 46:9-10 says, "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I
am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’"
Only God can tell in ancient times the things that are not yet done. Thomas Watson, who was the
chairman of IBM, said in 1943, that there's a world market for maybe five computers. In 1977
Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment, said, "There's no reason anyone would want a
computer in their home." It's comments like these that help us see how foolish we are to think we
can know the future. Only God is the Ancient of Days.
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19. El Chay (The Living God)
“My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for
the living God” (Psalm 84:2).
Your God, the Living God, is real and powerful. When you acknowledge Him as El Chay, you
understand that all the little gods with a lowercase “g”—the wood and stone idols of the past and
the entertainments, enticements, and stock-market tickers of today—are not worthy of worship.
The little gods, “cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by
themselves...They cannot do evil, nor can they do any good” (Jeremiah 10:5). The Living God,
El Chay, transcends culture and time. He speaks to you through His word and walks with you
through your struggles. No wonder the Psalmist’s soul longed for Him!
20. El Deah (The God of Knowledge)
Think about God's omniscience. He knows everything. God is the God of all knowledge. God
inhabits eternity. God sees the beginning. God sees the middle. God sees the end. God sees it all
at one time. God is all-knowing - He can't learn anything. God knows everything that's going to
happen. Not a blade of grass moves but what He knows it. If you're saved, God knew that you
would receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing takes God by surprise. God never says, "Oops. I
never thought of that." God is omniscient. I don't understand how He swung the stars in the night
sky. Or scooped the oceans and heaped up the mountains and runs this mighty universe. Romans
11:34 says, “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” We
don't have to know all that our Father does for Him to be our Father.
21. El Gibhor (The Mighty God)
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His
shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
This Scripture, written more than 700 years before the birth of Christ, prophesies Messiah will be
“El” (the one true God) and Gibhor (the Mighty God). As you pray, recognizing prophecy’s
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fulfillment in Jesus as El Gibhor, see His might in creation before His earthly life began; all
things were created through Him and for Him (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16). See Him as the
mighty God of ministry—commanding the weather as He calms the storm, dominating physical
elements as He turns water into wine, overpowering diseases of the body and mind (and even the
demons of Hell). Contemplate His might in rising from the grave. And thank Him for His power
giving you strength for every challenge, and security for all eternity.
22. El Roi (The God who sees)
El Roi was first revealed in the Bible by Hagar. She was Sarah's handmaiden, who
became pregnant with Abraham's child so, in their minds, they could fulfill the promise
of God. Soon after the child was conceived, things became very difficult between Sarah
and her. So much so, that Hagar fled out into the wilderness. Friendless, homeless,
pregnant, not knowing what would become of her, she laid down by a fountain in the
wilderness. There, an angel appeared to her to give her comfort and to speak of God's
grace and mercy. Genesis 16:13 says: "Then she called the name of the Lord who
spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him
who sees me?'" Did you know that God sees you right now? God knows your very
thoughts. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.
24.
THE CREATOR
Elohim
Elohim is the name for God, Our Creator.
Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." It literally
says, "In the beginning, Elohim created the heaven and the earth." That's the Hebrew
word from two root words: 'El,' which means strength and unlimited power. And the last
part is 'allah,' which means to keep a promise. Elohim is also a plural noun. I believe
that right here on the threshold of the Bible we see an indication of the nature of God,
as shown in the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All
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three were present in creation. (See John 1:3.) Aren't you glad we find the Savior in
chapter 1, verse 1? Aren't you glad we find the Holy Spirit in chapter 1, verse 1? Aren't
you glad we find the Father in chapter 1, verse 1 of the Word of God?
25.
THE SELF-EXISTENT ONE
Jehovah (Yahweh)
The name Jehovah is used some 6,800 times in the Bible. It is the personal covenant
name of Israel's God. In the King James Version of the Bible, it's translated as "Lord
God." Not only does it speak of God's strength, but also it speaks of the sovereignty of
God and the goodness of God. The root of this name means "self-existing," one who
never came into being, and one who always will be. When Moses asked God, "Who
shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" God said, "I AM THAT I AM." Jehovah or Yahweh is
the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce
the name. When possible, they use another name.
26.
THE LORD OUR PROVIDER
Jehovah-Jireh
Yireh (Jireh) is from the same Hebrew word as Moriah, which is the name of the region
where God sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). In Genesis 22:11-13, we
read, "But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham,
Abraham!'
So he said, 'Here I am.' And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to
him; for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only
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son, from Me.' Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a
ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it
up for a burnt offering instead of his son." God provided the lamb. And Abraham called
the place Jehovah Jireh (Yahweh-Yireh) - God is our substitutionary sacrifice.
27.
THE LORD OUR BANNER
Jehovah-Nissi
The Lord is a reigning banner over us all the time. The Hebrew for "banner" comes from
the root word "to be high" or "raised." This was the name given to the altar that Moses
erected to commemorate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-15).
He goes before us and behind us to give us victory in all circumstances of life. Even in
the midst of the battle, the banner of the Lord is raised over us. Psalm 23:5 says, "You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over." Who is the God who prepares a table of celebration in the presence
of the enemy? When the enemy shall come in like a flood, then shall the Lord hold up a
banner before him. The victory in all of life is the Lord's.
28.
THE LORD OUR SHEPHERD
Jehovah-Rohi
Psalm 23 and John 10 are the most beautiful descriptions of God as our Shepherd,
Jehovah Rohi. When we say "Lord," we think of God's deity. When we say "my
Shepherd," we think of God's humanity. God in human form - Jesus Christ - prophesied
in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. The Jehovah of the Old
Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. As the Good Shepherd, He dealt with
the penalty of sin. As the Great Shepherd, He deals with the power of sin. As the Chief
Shepherd, He's coming to take us from the very presence of sin.
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29.
THE LORD IS PEACE
Jehovah-Shalom
The Lord greeted Gideon in peace, so he built an altar and named it "The LORD is
Peace." (See Judges 6:23-24.) You have probably heard the blessing "Shalom" from
Jewish friends and acquaintances. It means peace. More importantly, it means the Lord,
our peace. Where does the Shepherd lead His sheep? Beside the peaceful, still waters.
"He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters"
(Psalm 23:2). When your heart is content, you are at peace. And where does that
contentment come from? The grace of God. There's no man more discontent than one
who is not experiencing the amazing grace of God. Only in Jesus will you find security,
sufficiency, and serenity.
30.
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Jehovah-Tsidkenu
We are not righteous in and of ourselves. Our righteousness comes from God and God
alone. Jesus imputes His righteousness into us so that we can see God. For you
see, Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness, no man will see God. 2 Corinthians
5:21 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him." Isn't that terrific? You see, if you are a child of God,
you are holy. Are you feeling that you can't live the Christian life? That's right where you
need to be. You see, God never asked you to live the Christian life apart from Him. He
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wants to be your strength, He wants to live the Christian life through you and do for you
what you could never do for yourself.
31.
THE LORD SAVES
Jesus
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His
people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
God’s names would be merely an academic exercise if we failed to connect the names
to the Person of Jesus Christ. The Angel told Joseph in a dream to call his son JESUS
for a reason. When Joseph and Mary dedicated their son at the temple, the old Priest,
Simeon, immediately connected salvation with the person of Jesus and praised God he
had lived to see His Savior (See Luke 2:30). If you have not yet given your life to Him,
call on JESUS: The Lord Saves. He very much wants to draw close to you. Ask Him to
forgive your sins, be your Lord, and grant you the salvation that can be found in no
other name but His.
32.
OUR DWELLING PLACE
Ma'on
“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations” (Psalm 90:1)
Moses called God His dwelling place. That is a significant statement considering Moses
lived as an infant hidden in slaves’ quarters and in a basket in the Nile River, grew up in
a palace but fled to the desert, and spent the last several decades of his life wandering
in the wilderness. Sometimes we put down roots and believe we “own” a place; we grow
attached to the land. But Moses, throughout his nomadic life, knew the truth: our real
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home is found only in Ma’on. This was true for Moses and his generation, and it is true
more than 3,000 years later. It is true for the homeless and it is true for the mansion
dweller. Hold fast to Ma’on: Our Dwelling Place; wherever you are, you will always be at
home.
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