Elohim’s Names Reveal His Nature

I AM

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am (ehyeh asher ehyeh)” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am (ehyeh) has sent me to you.’” This statement alone should cause us to wonder who Elohim (God) is and how He describes Himself to us.

Exodus 6:2-3 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord (aniy YHVH; I am Yehovah). ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name the LORD (YHVH) I did not make myself known to them. The Name, YHVH, contains the Hebrew consonants for Elohim’s name (יהוה). Most Bibles use the circumlocution LORD in place of YHVH, but these are often translated in certain versions as Yahweh or Yehovah. You may see several variants of these. This is nothing to be concerned about. You may see the letter J, which would be interchangeable with the letter Y. This is for the Hebrew letter yod (י). The name, YHVH, is a name derived from the three tenses for the word, “to be.” It means “He who was, is, and is to come.”

Jesus (’Ιησοῦς) is transliterated Iesous but pronounced Yay-sous in Greek. Jesus is Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) in Hebrew (reading right to left). Yeshua is short for Yehoshua (Joshua); His name means SALVATION. Different languages spell the names of God according to how their alphabet transliterates the Greek or Hebrew. Do not allow people to make an issue of this.

Titles for Elohim reveal His nature and attributes to us. These include but are not limited to:

• Genesis 2:4 YHVH Elohim = Yehovah God
• Genesis 14:22 YHVH El Elyon = Yehovah Most High God
• Genesis 15:2 Adonai YHVH = Lord/Master Yehovah
• Genesis 21:33 YHVH El Olam = Yehovah Everlasting God
• Genesis 22:14 YHVH Jireh = Yehovah who Provides
• Exodus 15:26 YHVH Rapha = Yehovah your Healer
• Exodus 17:15 YHVH Nissi = Yehovah my Banner (such as in battle)
• Exodus 31:13 YHVH Mekaddishkhem = Yehovah who Sanctifies you
• Judges 6:24 YHVH Shalom = Yehovah is Peace
• Judges 11:27 YHVH Shaphat = Yehovah the Judge
• 1 Samuel 1:3 YHVH Tsevoat = Yehovah of Hosts (Armies)
• Jeremiah 23:6 YHVH Tzidkenu = Yehovah our Righteousness
• Psalms 23:1 YHVH Roiy = Yehovah is my Shepherd
• Psalms 95:6 YHVH Osenu = Yehovah our Maker
• Isaiah 10:21 El Gibbor = Mighty God
• Isaiah 12:2 El Yeshuati = God is my Salvation

 Yeshua’s “I am” Statements (plus a few more)

• John 4:25-26 Messiah (Christ; Anointed One – “I am He.”)
• John 6:35, 48-51 I am the bread of life; I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. He is the source of our spiritual strength and eternal life.
• John 8:12 I am the light of the world. He is the source of spiritual light for our life.
• John 8:58 Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. By saying this, He equated Himself with YHVH in Exodus 3:4.
• John 10:7-10 I am the door of the sheep. (Satan is the thief in verse 10 who comes to steal, kill, and destroy). Repentance and belief in Yeshua are the means by which we enter into the new covenant with God and are saved (Romans 10:9; Acts 17:30).
• John 14:6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Again, Yeshua is the way into the new covenant.
• John 10:11-18 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep who are God’s people. (Satan is the wolf who cares nothing for the sheep.) Yeshua gave His life for us and was resurrected, so we could be saved. We are to learn to hear His voice and discern between His voice, our own thoughts, and Satan’s voice or that of his demons.
• John 11:25-26 I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die (referring to the second death, which is the lake of fire – Revelation 20:14).
• John 13:13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.
• John 15:1-10 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit …^.5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. (He is referring to the lake of fire in Revelation 20:15.) … ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

Yeshua has other titles that describe Him and/or what He has done for us. Some include:

• Immanuel (Emmanu El) – Elohim (God) with us
• Righteous Branch – He is the righteous one from the line of King David who is our King.
• Son of God – He is the image of Elohim who came to earth in the form of man to fulfill the Father’s plan as hidden in the types and shadows found of the law. 
• Last Adam – He reversed effects of the sin of the first Adam.
• Savior – He saved us from death and the power of the enemy.
• Redeemer – He fulfills the role of the kinsman redeemer. He bought us back from our former slave master – Satan.
• Lord, Master – He is our Lord/Master and Bridegroom.
• Mediator – He is the only mediator between Elohim our Heavenly Father and man; there is no other.
• King of kings, Lord of lords – He is the ultimate and highest sovereign authority and master.
• Prince of Peace – His blood gives us the ability to draw near to the Father. He breaks down the wall of hostility between people.
• Lion of the Tribe of Judah – He is the commander of Elohim’s warriors.
• Lamb of God – He was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.
• First and Last – He is the A and Z – Alpha and Omega (Greek), Aleph and Tav (Hebrew).

As you grow in your relationship with Elohim (God), you will want to experience who He is by knowing His names and titles.