Untitled 2

Religious figures of all kinds claim to be doing their work "in the name of God." This phrase means that what they are doing, they are doing having been authorized by God.
Rather than argue for days whether or not they have actually been authorized by God, let us address the idea of the actual name of God.
God is not a personal name - it is a title. Perhaps God has no personal name and perhaps he does. Those who believe that God has a personal name (primarily, but not exclusively, Jehovah's Witnesses) also believe that it is important to learn that name and to use it. Here's what they say:

“Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) These words stress that it is vital to know God’s name.

In his prayer on the mount (in the KJV version), Jesus says first, before everything else, “Hallowed be thy name.” A modern translation would be, “May thy name be kept holy.” When we sanctify God’s name, we do not make it more holy than it is. Rather we recognize it as holy, set it apart, hold it in the highest esteem.

Exactly what is the implication of the word “name”? God has a name, Jehovah, and that name appears thousands of times in the Bible. In the book of Psalms it says: the “Those knowing your name will trust in you, for you will certainly not leave those looking for you, O Jehovah.” (Psalms 9:10).

This is a reflection of the tendency in Western culture to believe that names have power, that the use of a name gives the speaker some degree of control over the person named. What is interesting is that this tradition continues into our time.

It was long traditional in Europe to have asecret name for a child, one which was not revealed except at the time of christening and which was not used in everyday speech.

What is quite interesting is that, even in our more "enlightened" age in which we have largely banished superstition, names still have power:

What is the worst possible sign a child can have that he is in trouble? His mother speaking hisfull name. "Mike, get over here!" simply does not have the same spine-chilling effect on someone as, "Michael Anthony Humphrey, get over here!"

Overly-agressive speakers tend to insert into the conversation the name of the person to whom they are speaking: "I think you're wrong," has a slightly different tone to it than, "Bill, I think you're wrong." Once may mean nothing, but doing it again and again over the course of a conversation it has the cumulative effect of applying a steady psychological pressure, a form of verbal agression.

Let agree that names are important and that it is important to know God's name. So, what is it?

In the Bible, the Hebrew word Elohim is the one most com-monly used for God. This is related to the proto-Semitic the biblical Aramaic Elah, and All these words are simply synonyms for "God". It is by no means the personal name of God.

In the Hebrew Bible many words are used for God. Take a look at the list in the column to the right:

Notice that all these "names" are either words which mean "God" or simply descriptions of God.

In the BIble, the first word for God is Elohim (Genesis 1:1). This is the plural of the word El, which means God. Elohim is the more common plural form of El. Just as we use the royal "we", the plural is often applied to Gods and kings.

Apparently Moses was curious about the name of God. During his encounter with theburning bush (Exodus 3:14): Moses asks what he is to say to the Israelites when they ask what God (Elohiym) has sent him, God replies, "I am what I am", adding, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I am has sent me to you.'

Most experts interpret the answer to mean that Moses does not know the name of God and that the Israelites will ask him the name in order to prove his credentials. But the Israelites never do ask Moses for the name of God. Reason suggests that, as is often the case, the "experts" are wrong and that the name was exactly what Exodus says it it was: אֶהְיֶה (YHVH).

The Egyptian conception of the universe centered on Ma'at, which was the fixed, eternal order of the universe and it was often personified as a goddess. She had existed since the creation of the world, and without it the world would lose its cohesion. The most important part of the Egyptian view of the cosmos was the conception of time, which was greatly concerned with Ma'at. Throughout the linear passage of time, a cyclical pattern recurred, in which Ma'at was renewed by periodic events the annual Nile flood and the succession from one king to another but the most important was the daily journey of the sun god Ra.

Now comes Moses who says he represents a God who has always existed without need of renewal. For that is exactly what "YHVH" means.

’Ehyeh is the first person form of hayah, "to be", and owing to the peculiarities of Hebrew grammar it means "I am", "I was", and "I will be".

The meaning of the longer phrase ’ehyeh ’aser ’ehyeh should not be rendered "I am what I am", but rather "I am always what I always am, i.e. eternal and unchangeable".

Having been raised with Egyptian theology, the Israelites were more likely to listen to someone with authority greater than even that of Ra, who rises and sets - a god who changes every day..

Name of God
Religious figures of all kinds claim to be doing their work "in the name of God." This phrase means that what they are doing, they are doing having been authorized by God. Rather than argue for days whether or not they have actually been authorized by God, let us address the idea of the actual name of God. God is not a personal name - it is a title. Perhaps God has no personal name and perhaps he does. Those who believe that God has a personal name (primarily, but not exclusively, Jehovah's Witnesses) also believe that it is important to learn that name and to use it. Here's what they say: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) These words stress that it is vital to know God’s name. In his prayer on the mount (in the KJV version), Jesus says first, before everything else, “Hallowed be thy name.” A modern translation would be, “May thy name be kept holy.” When we sanctify God’s name, we do not make it more holy than it is. Rather we recognize it as holy, set it apart, hold it in the highest esteem. Exactly what is the implication of the word “name”? God has a name, Jehovah, and that name appears thousands of times in the Bible. In the book of Psalms it says: the “Those knowing your name will trust in you, for you will certainly not leave those looking for you, O Jehovah.” (Psalms 9:10). This is a reflection of the tendency in Western culture to believe that names have power, that the use of a name gives the speaker some degree of control over the person named. What is interesting is that this tradition continues into our time. It was long traditional in Europe to have asecret name for a child, one which was not revealed except at the time of christening and which was not used in everyday speech. What is quite interesting is that, even in our more "enlightened" age in which we have largely banished superstition, names still have power: What is the worst possible sign a child can have that he is in trouble? His mother speaking hisfull name. "Mike, get over here!" simply does not have the same spine-chilling effect on someone as, "Michael Anthony Humphrey, get over here!" Overly-agressive speakers tend to insert into the conversation the name of the person to whom they are speaking: "I think you're wrong," has a slightly different tone to it than, "Bill, I think you're wrong." Once may mean nothing, but doing it again and again over the course of a conversation it has the cumulative effect of applying a steady psychological pressure, a form of verbal agression. Let agree that names are important and that it is important to know God's name. So, what is it? In the Bible, the Hebrew word Elohim is the one most com-monly used for God. This is related to the proto-Semitic the biblical Aramaic Elah, and All these words are simply synonyms for "God". It is by no means the personal name of God. In the Hebrew Bible many words are used for God. Take a look at the list in the column to the right: Notice that all these "names" are either words which mean "God" or simply descriptions of God. In the BIble, the first word for God is Elohim (Genesis 1:1). This is the plural of the word El, which means God. Elohim is the more common plural form of El. Just as we use the royal "we", the plural is often applied to Gods and kings. Apparently Moses was curious about the name of God. During his encounter with theburning bush (Exodus 3:14): Moses asks what he is to say to the Israelites when they ask what God (Elohiym) has sent him, God replies, "I am what I am", adding, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I am has sent me to you.' This answer can be approached in three ways: It is an evasion of Moses's question; It is a statementof the very nature of God. The author of Exodus (Moses?) is avoiding the issue with a slew of gobbledygook Most experts interpret the answer to mean that Moses does not know the name of God and that the Israelites will ask him the name in order to prove his credentials. But the Israelites never do ask Moses for the name of God. Reason suggests that, as is often the case, the "experts" are wrong and that the name was exactly what Exodus says it it was: אֶהְיֶה (YHVH). The Egyptian conception of the universe centered on Ma'at, which was the fixed, eternal order of the universe and it was often personified as a goddess. She had existed since the creation of the world, and without it the world would lose its cohesion. The most important part of the Egyptian view of the cosmos was the conception of time, which was greatly concerned with Ma'at. Throughout the linear passage of time, a cyclical pattern recurred, in which Ma'at was renewed by periodic events the annual Nile flood and the succession from one king to another but the most important was the daily journey of the sun god Ra. Now comes Moses who says he represents a God who has always existed without need of renewal. For that is exactly what "YHVH" means. ’Ehyeh is the first person form of hayah, "to be", and owing to the peculiarities of Hebrew grammar it means "I am", "I was", and "I will be". The meaning of the longer phrase ’ehyeh ’aser ’ehyeh should not be rendered "I am what I am", but rather "I am always what I always am, i.e. eternal and unchangeable". Having been raised with Egyptian theology, the Israelites were more likely to listen to someone with authority greater than even that of Ra, who rises and sets - a god who changes every day..		THE NAMES OF GOD
		ABBA: 'Father' 2 Sam. 7:14-15; Psa. 68:5; Isa. 63:16, 64:8; Mal. 1:6. ABIR: ‘Mighty One’, (“to be strong”) Gen. 49:24; Deut. 10:17; Psa. 132:2, 5; Isa. 1:24, 49:26, 60:1. ADONAI: Translated as Lord in English Bibles (Adonai is plural, the singular is “adon”). “Always plural when referring to God, when singular the reference is to a human being. EL: “might, power" used 250 times in the Old Testament. El is the linguistic equivalent to the Moslem “Allah.” ELAH: “god” it is Aramaic, Elah appears in the Hebrew Bible in Jer. 10:11 and is plural, “gods”). In Daniel Elah is used both of pagan gods, and of the true God, also plural. Elah is equivalent to the Hebrew Eloah whose origin is obscure, but some think it is dual. Eloah is used 41 times in Job between 3:4 and 40:2, but fewer than 15 times elsewhere EL-BERITH: “God of the Cove-nant” Used of Baal in Judges 9:46. Probably used originally to refer to the God of israel. EL ELYON: ‘Most High” (from “to go up”) Deut. 26:19, 32:8; Psa. 18:13; Gen. 14:18; Nu. 24:16;Psa. 78:35, 7:17, 18:13, 97:9, 56:2, 78:56, 18:13; Dan. 7:25, 27; Isa. 14:14. EL-GIBHOR: Mighty God (Isaiah. 9:6) EL-OLAM: “The Everlasting God” (God of everlasting time) Gen. 21:33; Psa. 90:1-3, 93:2; Isa. 26:4 EL ROI: “God of Sight” Genesis 16:13. The God Who opens our eyes. EL SHADDAI: God Almighty or “God All Sufficient.” 48 times in the OT, 31 times in Job. First used inGen. 17:1, 2. (Gen. 31:29, 49:24, 25; Prov. 3:27; Micah 2:1; Isa. 60:15, 16, 66:10-1] The idols of the heathen are called “sheddim.” JEHOVAH-ROPHE: “The Lord Who Heals” Ex. 15:22-26. From “rophe” (“to heal”); implies spirit-ual, emotional as well as physical healing. (Jer. 30:17, 3:22; Isaiah. 61:1) God heals body, soul and spirit. JEHOVAH ELOHIM:"LORD God” Gen. 2:4; Judges 5:3; Isa. 17:6; Zeph. 2:9; Psa. 59:5, etc. JEHOVAH-SABAOTH: “The Lord of Hosts” The commander of the angelic host and the armies of God. Isa. 1:24; Psa. 46:7, 11; 2 Kings 3:9-12; Jer. 11:20 (NT: Rom. 9:29; James 5:4, Rev. 19: 11-16) KADOSH: “Holy One” Psa. 71:22; Isa. 40:25, 43:3, 48:17. Isaiah uses the expression “the Holy One of Israel” 29 times. MAGEN: “Shield” Psa. 3:3, 18:30 MELEKH: “King” Psa. 5:2, 29:10, 44:4, 47:6-8, 48:2, 68:24, 74:12, 95:3, 97:1, 99:4, 146:10; Isa. 5:1, 5, 41:21, 43:15, 44:6; 52:7, 52:10. TSADDIQ: “The Righteous One” Psalms 7:9. YESHUA: “The Savior” (“he will save”). Isa. 43:3. The a contraction of Je-Hoshua.
The attitude as to the transmission of the name in many cultures was surrounded by secrecy. In Judaisn the pronunciation of the name of God has always been guarded with great care. It is believed that, in ancient times, the sages communicated the pronunciation only once every seven years this system was challenged by more recent movements. Among more conservative Jews the word God is written G*d, for the same reason the tetra-gramaton - the four-letters from which we get the names Jehovah and Yahweh - names which were absolutely never uttered, except by thehigh priestat Yom Kippur. These secret names - Elohim and Jehovah - are nothing more than descriptions of God. Names are used to distinguish an single individual from a similar group. God needs no name. He is the only one!