A Mighty One Named El In the Bible, the Hebrew word El which means 'a Mighty One', is often translated as 'God'. In Exodus 17:1, El is combined with another Hebrew word Shaddai (El-Shaddai) which means 'the Almighty God' or 'God the Almighty One'. The 'I Am That I Am' When they first met, Moses asks God: "And Moses said to God, [Hebrew: Elohim] Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, The God [Elohim] of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say to them?" (Exodus 3:13, KJV). God tells Moses that he is Elohim. All of the documentation available says that Moses compiled the Book of Genesis and most of Exodus. In compiling the Book of Genesis, Moses uses the Hebrew word El and its descriptive combinations to address and describe 'A Mighty One'. Doesn't it seem strange that for the first 2,500 years of mankind's history Moses records the name of the Creator God as being El and not Yahweh (YHVH)? "And God [Elohim] said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM [Hebrew: Haya] has sent me to you . . . " (Exodus 3:14). The English word 'I AM' is a translation of the Hebrew word Haya, which means 'to be', 'to become', 'to exist', or 'to happen.' The Creator God told Moses to tell the people that the Haya (the 'One Who Is', the 'Self-Existent One') is who he is. If the Creator God wanted to be called Yahweh, he would not have had Moses call him Haya. "And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God [El] Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH [YHWH] was I not known to them" (Exodus 6:3). El confirms that he was only known to the Patriarchs by the names of El. But what about this name 'Jehovah' in the King James translation? The Word 'Jehovah' Although many people have been taught that Jehovah is the correct name of God, it is not. A quick and easy search of Bible concordances, references, dictionaries and word study books will show that the word Jehovah is a totally incorrect translation of the Hebrew word used for this deity: "This word 'Jehovah' is generally held to be the invention of Pope Leo X's confessor, Peter Galatin . . . who was followed in the use of this hybrid form by Fagius. But it seems that before Galatin, the name Jehovah had been in common use . . . since it is found in Raymond Martin's 'Pugio Fidei' written in 1270" (Jewish Encyclopedia, article, Jehovah, volume VII, Page 88). This and many other sources leave no doubt that the word Jehovah is an incorrect translation of the Hebrew word YHVH. Why All The Confusion? Why is there so much confusion about the name of God? The reason is that the true pronunciation of the Hebrew word YHWH has been lost. Because the Hebrew language uses consonants and semi-consonants and does not use vowels, it was easy for the exact pronunciation of YHWH to become lost. After the days of the prophet Jeremiah, the Jews became very superstitious and decided that the name YHWH was too holy to be spoken. Instead, they used the word Adonai, which means 'Lord' or 'Master'. Over time, the proper pronunciation of YHWH became lost. No one today knows exactly how to pronounce YHWH; therefore, there is much confusion about this name. The Tetragrammaton: Translation and Pronunciation Many people have done a lot of research concerning the tetragrammaton (YHWH) and they have assumed that by strength of mind, intellect, or divine guidance they would be able to discover the correct pronunciation of the tetragrammaton. However, even with the thousands of hours of scholarly research, labor, and reams and volumes of research papers and books written on the subject, the pronunciation of the tetragrammaton seems to be as elusive as ever. There are many who think that they have found the answer and can give a very convincing argument. But, so can their opposition. Where does this leave the non-scholar? Which researcher, scholar, body of theologians, or historians is one supposed to believe? The Name YHWH "And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, and by my name YHWH I never made myself known to them" (Exodus 6:3). The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament by Harris, Archer, and Waltke gives the following explanation of the mysterious word YHWH that is used in Exodus 6:3: "The tetragrammaton YHWH, the Lord, or Yahweh, the personal name of God and the most frequent designation in scripture, occurring 5,321 times . . . in the Old Testament except seven times where the name is particularly stressed [Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18 . . . Isaiah 12:2; 26:4] . . . or combined with other elements, such as Jehovah Jireh [Genesis 22:14; Exodus 17:15; Judges 6:24; consistently Jehovah]" (page 210). Although The Theological Wordbook has about two and a half pages of some of the best scholarly work to be found on this subject, it is not the final authority. There are many who disagree totally with the conclusions reached by the authors of this book. However, the most important authority on this subject is the Bible. God the Father and Theos In John 1:1-14 there are some very difficult scriptures, which cannot be understood without the knowledge of who and what the Family of God is. If one believes in Monotheism, Dualism, or Trinitarianism, one cannot understand what is being said in the first chapter of John. But, if one knows that the Family of God consists of two members - God the Father and the Creator God (God the Son) - these scriptures can be understood. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1 KJV) In this context, the 'Word' (Greek: Logos) does not mean a part of speech or language. It is a title of the Son of God: "Logos, the Word, the personal manifestation, not of a part of the Divine nature, but of the whole Deity" (Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 1253). At the beginning of creation there was one called the Word and this Word was with God (Greek: Theos which means 'Deity'). Not only was this Word with the Deity (God) but also the Word was a Deity. "The same was in the beginning with God" (John 1:2 KJV) John makes a further distinction between these two spirit-beings (the Logos and the other Deity) by restating the fact that this Logos was with the Deity. Why would John emphasize this distinction if there is only one God? "All things were made by him [The Word, i.e., The Logos]; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3 KJV) John says all things that exist were made by the Logos who was with the Deity. Why did John have to explain this? We know that he was writing to Christians and Israelites who should have known the identity of God. So why was he expounding on this fundamental principle? The Mystery Of God The apostle Paul spoke of God the Father and Jesus Christ as a mystery that was understood by the Colossians and the Ephesians. When this mystery is understood, it becomes much easier to comprehend the gospel message and its importance to the plan of God for the salvation of humanity: "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have concerning you, and those in Laodicea, and those who have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts may be comforted, being joined together in love, and to all the riches of the full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God, even of the Father, and of Jesus Christ" (Colossians 2:1-2). "And to make all see what the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent now to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal wisdom which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:9-11). See also verses 3-6. Paul also makes the same distinction that John did regarding these two distinct, individual spirit-beings and the relationship between them. Paul also substantiates the writings of John in stating that there is one God who is in charge (the Supreme Sovereign) and directed Christ to create all that exists: " But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him" (1.Cor.8:6, KJV). The apostle John stated: "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:4-5, KJV) Simply put, the vast majority of the people who saw and heard Jesus did not know or understand who he was or why he came to earth. The same can be said for the generation in which we live today; very few people really know who he was and the truth and purpose of his coming. This powerful spirit-being came to earth to perform a mission of great importance, and the vast majority of the people he came into contact with did not even know who he was: "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not" (John 1:10, KJV). This may seem sad on the surface; however, it was part of the plan that was made before the foundation of the earth by the one called 'Logos' and the One called Theos. John further explains who our Savior was: . "And the Word [Logos] was made flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. . . " (John 1:14, KJV) Here, John introduces the reality of the spirit-being called 'the Father,' and there is no doubt from the context that this spirit-being is distinctly different from the Word. The Father is the one whom John says the Word was with. The Father is also the one who Paul says made all things by Christ. If Jesus Christ is the Mighty One who created all that is, which is plainly stated by John and Paul and a multitude of scriptures, who is this spirit-being John calls 'the Father'? The Mighty One of Israel The Sacred Names groups assume that the Mighty One of ancient Israel is the one we call the Messiah, and that he and his Father are the same spirit-being. This assumption contradicts what Jesus and the apostles said about the Father. The truth is that the scriptures speak of two separate spirit-beings - God the Father and God the Son. No Human Has Seen God "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him" (John 1:18, KJV). "And the Father himself, which has sent me, has borne witness of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape" (John 5:37 KJV). Many people believe that these two scriptures refer to the Creator God when they say that no man has seen God. However they actually refer to God the Father, who sent the Creator God to become his physical son and to reveal him as the Sovereign Father of all that exists and to teach his message of salvation. John clearly says that no man has seen God, and Jesus says that no one has heard the Father's voice or seen his shape; therefore, there should be no question that the God spoken of by John and Jesus is not the same God that walked and talked with humans on earth. Adam and Eve Walked and Talked with God "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat" (Genesis 2:16, KJV). Some try to justify their monotheistic belief by explaining that the spirit-being people saw and talked with was only an angel who represented God. However, the scriptures plainly state in the accounts where God met and talked with people that it was actually God who spoke with people, not an angel: "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden" (Genesis 3:8 KJV). Not only did Adam and Eve hear the voice of God but also they were afraid to stand in his presence. "And the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, Where are you? And he said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat? And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. . .To the woman he said . . .And to Adam he said. . ." (Genesis 3:9-21 KJV). After speaking at some length to Adam, Eve, and the serpent, the Creator makes a statement that proves he was not the only God. "And the Lord God said, Behold the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" (Genesis 3:22). To whom was the Creator referring when he said "as one of us"? Was he talking to an angel or was he talking to someone else? Remember, the One we call our Savior was the One who created all things (John 1:1-5; Ephesians 3:9). This reference to a plurality of God-beings becomes very important in reaching a conclusion as to the Father and Son relationship. Cain Spoke with the Creator "And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he [the Creator] said, What have you done?. . ." (Genesis 4:9-10 KJV) There is no mention of an angel speaking for the Creator here. It is clear that the Creator is the one speaking. God Spoke to Noah "And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth" (Genesis 6:13 KJV). See also Genesis 7:1; 9:1. Conversations with Abraham The Creator appeared to Abram and also sat down and ate a meal with him and his wife Sarah: "Now the Lord had said to Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you" (Genesis 12:1 KJV). "And the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day" (Genesis 18:1 KJV). "And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hastened to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat" (Genesis 18:7-8 KJV). Because this type of food preparation takes a considerable amount of time, there would have been ample time for conversation while waiting for the food to be cooked and served. During this meeting God reveals to Abraham why he came: "And the Lord [YHWH] said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do . . ." (Genesis 18:17 KJV). The rest of chapter eighteen details the conversation between the Creator and Abraham about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jacob and the Creator "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let you go, except you bless me. And he said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince have you power with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray you, your name. And he said, Wherefore is it that you do ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God [Elohim] face to face, and my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:24-30 KJV). The common belief is that Jacob wrestled with an angel, but this is not true; it was actually the Creator who wrestled with Jacob: "And God [Elohim] appeared to Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And God said to him, Your name is Jacob: your name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name: and he called his name Israel. And God said to him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of you, and kings shall come out of your loins" (Genesis 35:9-12 KJV). Moses, Aaron, and Israel Exodus chapters 3 and 4, show that the Creator personally spoke to Moses and Aaron and he appointed them to be his servants. Moreover on one occasion, he spoke to the entire nation of Israel on one occasion: "And the Lord said to Moses, Lo, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai" (Exodus 19:9-11 KJV). In Exodus chapter 20, God speaks to the people of Israel, which was a very frightening experience for the Israelites. In fact, it was so frightening to them that they requested that the Creator speak to them through Moses, not directly to them. Moses and the Elders Moses and the Elders of Israel not only had a meeting with the Creator but also they ate a meal with him on Mount Sinai: "Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink" (Exodus 24:9-11 KJV). Face to Face "And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. . ." (Exodus 33:11 KJV). This is a very clear statement, which shows the kind of close, personal communication the Creator had with Moses. Most people seem to think that the Creator hid himself from mankind and only dealt with his creation through visions or angles. However, this was not the case. The Creator's Glory "And he said, I beseech you, show me your glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And he said, You cannot see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen" (Exodus 33:18-33 KJV). It is apparent from the biblical evidence, that many people have seen the Creator in the physical form of a man, and some people were allowed to see a small glimpse of his glorified form. Without a doubt, the scriptures show that humans have talked to and seen the Mighty One who created all that exists. Therefore, who is the being that Jesus and the apostles continually refer to as 'the Father' whom no one has seen nor heard? Jesus Sent To Reveal The Father "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whoever the Son will reveal him" (Matthew 11:27 KJV). See John 17:25-26. Only Christ can reveal who the Father is and he does this through the Bible for those who are sensitive to the things of the spirit. See Psalm 111:10. "I am one that bears witness of myself, and the Father that sent me bears witness of me. Then said they to him, Where is your Father? Jesus answered, You neither know me, nor my Father: if you had known me, you should have known my Father also" (John 8:18-19 KJV). Jesus says that if they had really known the God whom they professed to obey, they would have known that Jesus was the God of their fathers, whom they prophesied would come in the flesh. And if they knew that, they would have been able to know that Christ came to reveal the Father to them and they would know both Jesus and his Father. "I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do that which you have seen with your father" (John 8:38 KJV). "These things have I spoken to you, that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yes, the time comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he does God a service. And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father, nor me" (John 16:1-3 KJV). Christ Did Not Send Himself "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:16-17 KJV). Christ did not send himself, as some people teach. The scriptures clearly say the One who is called 'God the Father' sent him to become the Savior of humanity. "That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which has sent him" (John 5:23 KJV). "I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me" (John 5:30 KJV). See also verses 36-38. "I am come in my Father's name, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive" (John 5:43 KJV). See also John 5:30-37; 6:44,57 Jesus clearly says that he came to earth as a representative of his Father. Just as the people did not believe the clear statements of the Savior then, they do not believe his written word today: "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses in whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?" (John 5:45-47 KJV). Who is the Father? The Savior was the Mighty One who created all that exists, which is plainly stated by John, Paul, and in a multitude of scriptures. But, who is this Father who sent him to earth? Who is this being John calls 'the Father'? "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in your sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matthew 11:25-27 KJV). See also Mark 4:11-12. It is Jesus who is able to reveal the things concerning the Father and the mystery surrounding their Father-Son relationship. Why did Christ have to reveal certain things about the Father? The only logical answer to why the Father sent Jesus to reveal his existence and so many things about himself (e.g., who he is, what his name is, and what he is doing), was that humanity did not know of his existence and it was time to reveal himself in order for the next phase of his plan for humanity to go forward. "These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you: As you have given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent " (John 17:1-3, KJV) At this point in history, there were very few people who had any knowledge of who the Father and Jesus Christ were. "I have glorified you on the earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was" (John 17:4-5, KJV) Here, Jesus asks God the Father to return him to his former state of existence as an immortal God in the Family and Kingdom of God. "I have manifested your name to the men which you gave me out of the world: yours they were, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever you have given me are of you. For I have given to them the words which you gave me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from you, and they have believed that you did send me" (John 17:6-8, KJV) Jesus had fulfilled his mission to prepare those whom the Father had called to salvation and to be taught the truth of God concerning the Family and Kingdom of God and their plan for humanity. The Father is in Heaven "Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17 KJV). "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9 KJV). See Matthew 18:35. "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in your sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matthew 11:25-27 KJV). See also Mark 11:25-26; 4:10-12; John 17:25-26; Ephesians 6:19. These are just a few of the many scriptures that reveal the Father is in heaven. A small amount of study will reveal that the Father will not come to the earth to reside until the final phase of the plan for humanity. See our study concerning the Festival of the Eighth Day for details about the coming of the Father to earth. It is extremely important to understand that, unless a person knows who the Father is, there can be no understanding of the gospel message that Jesus taught, because it is the Father's message. What Is The Father Like? "Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not where you go; and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you should have known my Father also: and from henceforth you know him, and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us. Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father; and how say you then, Show us the Father? " (John 14:5-9 KJV). See 2.Cor.4:3-4. In reply to Thomas and Philip, Jesus says that he had revealed what the Father was like to them. Jesus revealed the Father's existence, attitudes, thoughts, desires, love, and personality through his own example and teaching. |
