Did you know that our God, the God of the Bible has many different names? Each one of these is a significant revelation of a particular attribute of His character. As believers we know all these names are fulfilled in one powerful name, the name above all names, the name of Jesus or Yeshua.
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2-9-11)
Rabbi Kirt Schneider of Discovering The Jewish Jesus is an authority on the Hebrew Names of God. He can be seen on GOD TV regularly. Watch his video above on Yahweh Ropheka, the Lord who Heals. Here are 14 specific Covenant names of God with descriptions from Rabbi Schnieder:
The 14 Names of God
- Adonai: Lord God – Adonai is the plural form of adon (Lord) and means ‘My Lords’, referring to the Trinity. Adonai is never said out loud by Orthodox Jews, leading to its replacement by the title, HaShem (The Name). As the message of Yeshua is restored to the Jewish people, they will say, “Baruch Haba B’Shem Adonai” – “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”
- Yahweh: God – The name of God used most often in the Hebrew Bible is YHWH known as a tetragrammaton (four-letter word). Hebrew is read right-to-left so the letters Yōd, Hē, Vav and Hē are taken for consonants and expanded to Yahweh or Jehovah in English.
- El Shaddai: God Almighty – The all sufficient God of the Mighty Breasted One. It’s an expression that reflects on God’s strength, majesty, and power. When translated into English, it is usually rendered as: God Almighty. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)
- El Roi: The God who sees me – Hagar, Sarai’s maidservant, fled her jealous master who treated her harshly after she bore Abram’s child. Wandering in the wilderness, desperate and alone, an angel of the Lord appears before Hagar to bring her comfort. Hagar declares, in Genesis 16:13, “You are El Roi!” You are God who sees me!” Never believe you are alone, even in your darkest troubles. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
- Elohim: Father God / God the Creator – In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). This name comes from being in awe of His power displayed throughout nature. He is the Sovereign God, and God of Eternity. In the beginning, He created – just by the power of His spoken Word. What an amazing God we serve! “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created…” (Colossians 1:15-16)
- Yahweh Yireh: God Provides – When Abraham went up the mountain to sacrifice his son, he made this faith-filled statement: “God Himself will provide a lamb”. And Yahweh Yireh did provide! He supplied a ram to be sacrificed instead of Isaac. Abraham memorializes this divine intervention with the name Yireh, for the Lord’s unfailing grace and constant provision. For the Lord sees and provides for our every need! “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians. 4:19)
- Yahweh Ropheka: The God who Heals – He is our Healer, in both body and soul! Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” This name assures each of us that our Heavenly Father wants to restore us to wholeness. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.” (Psalm 103:2-3)
- Jealous God, Consuming Fire – Our God is a jealous God, desiring our praise to be for Him alone. His jealousy is not out of selfishness, but a passionate love saying, “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”. It is because of His burning love for us that His jealousy is so great. “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24) Give Him your whole heart today.
- Yahweh Nissi: The Lord is my Banner – We hear this name declared by the Israelites after a victorious battle (Exodus 17:15). Banners are like today’s flags. They are lifted to a height where they can be seen as a reminder that symbolizes: security, hope, and freedom. With the Lord as our Banner we are assured victory, we can run and not grow weary, and have peace and joy! “His banner over me is love” (Song of Songs 2:4)
- Yahweh Shalom: The God of Peace – Gideon was afraid he would die after seeing the angel of the Lord face to face. But the Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die”. This had such an impact on Gideon that he built an altar there and named it Yahweh Shalom (Judges 6:22-24). Shalom speaks of wholeness, harmony, and completeness. Shalom is not dependent on circumstances. True peace comes only from complete trust in the Lord in all areas of our lives. “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
- Yahweh Tsuri: God is My Rock. God is described as our Rock throughout the books of the prophets and Psalms. He is immovable, unbreakable, a safe place for retreat, and a fortress in battle! He is our true source of strength, our firm foundation, our support, and our defense. Cling to Him amidst all circumstances! “Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” (Isaiah 26:4)
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Yahweh Tsebaoth: The Lord of Hosts. Appearing over 250 times in the Old Testament, this name can also be translated as ‘The Lord of Armies’. It captivates His sovereignty over all spiritual and physical armies. He is the Lord of Hosts and gives charge to a multitude of heavenly beings to face our adversaries. The King of the universe is fighting on our behalf- the victory is already ours. “‘Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.” (Psalm 46:10-11)
- El Olam: The Eternal God. This name teaches us that God created time, yet exists outside of and beyond it. Before the creation of the universe there was God with no beginning and no end. All things we know of change through time, yet our Father never does. This means the character of God, His Word, His Kingdom, and all He stands for never change and never end. That means we have a unceasing, dependable, trustworthy and consistent God! God has eternity in view for you. “Lord, You have been our dwelling place for all generations… even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2) He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
- Yeshua: Jesus. Beloved, there is no more important question that we must be prepared to answer than: “Who Do You Say at I Am?” (Matthew 16:15). This is the question Jesus asked his disciples and the only sound conclusion was that He was who He said He was, and is who He said He is – Lord, Messiah and Saviour.
The name of Jesus is the fulfilment of all the other names of God as it is the name of salvation. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Furthermore as John 16:6 says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” If you have never done so, then call upon the Name of Jesus and be saved.