Marv Wiseman

The Holy Spirit in the Creation

      The Holy Spirit in Creation - Pr. Marv Wiseman

We need look no further than the very first chapter of Genesis to find critical activity of the Holy Spirit of God.  Genesis 1:1 tells us that “In the beginning,” Elohim-“God created the heavens and the earth,” And “God” is clearly in the Hebrew plural and rendered “Elohim”.  Following in verse 2, the Holy Spirit of God is referenced with the words “and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” The Hebrew word for “move” is the word translated into English as “brooded”, brooded in the way a mother hen broods over her anticipated chicks in incubation. Continue reading “The Holy Spirit in the Creation” →

Marv Wiseman

LORD = Adonai 

      Lord: Adonai - Pr. Marv Wiseman

The last in the list of names that designates the Deity is the name “Adonai”, “A-d-o-n-a-i”.  It’s different from other names assigned to the Deity because Adonai is also often used of men as well as the Deity.  While the name “Jehovah” is spelled in most English Bibles in all capital letters, Adonai is also translated in our English Bibles “Lord”, but only the first letter “L” is capitalized, with the “o-r-d” being in lowercase letters.  Continue reading “LORD = Adonai “ →

Marv Wiseman

El-Elyon & El-Shaddai

      El-Elyon and El-Shaddai - Pr. Marv Wiseman

In our ongoing consideration of the names of Deity, we need to include two of importance but seldom used.  Both names begin by the first two letters of Elohim, namely, the “El”.  In order of their appearance in Scripture, they are El-Elyon and El-Shaddai.  The first, El-Elyon, is found in Genesis 14:18.  It centers around Abraham’s encounter with the mysterious personage of Melchizedek.  He is called the “priest of God most high” or “the most high God”.  The Hebrew is El-Elyon.  Continue reading “El-Elyon & El-Shaddai” →

Marv Wiseman

Usage of Jehovah in Human Names 

      Usage of Jehovah in Human Names - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Having noted the fascinating connection between the name of God, Elohim, and how it is inserted into the many names the Hebrews gave their children, we now engage the same kind of usage with the name “Jehovah”.  The “a-h” ending of Jehovah is utilized in much the same way as “E-l”, the name for God.  We noted the name “Elijah” actually incorporates both Elohim and Jehovah.  The “El” references God, and the “j-a-h” references Jehovah.  Continue reading “Usage of Jehovah in Human Names “ →

Marv Wiseman

LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name – “Jehovah” (Part 3)

      LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name - \"Jehovah\" (Part 3) - Pr. Marv Wiseman

The distinction between the names of Deity expressed as “God” and “LORD” is important.  You may be sure the Holy Spirit, who inspired all of Scripture, did not allow the names for Deity to be used haphazardly or capriciously.  Where the word “LORD” was needed, “LORD” was used, and where the word “God” was needed, “God” was used.  Continue reading “LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name – “Jehovah” (Part 3)” →

Marv Wiseman

LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name – “Jehovah” (Part 2)

      LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name - \"Jehovah\" (Part 2) - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Six thousand, eight hundred twenty-three times, that’s how often the name “LORD” is used in the Bible as it refers to the Deity.  The usage of LORD far surpasses the use of all other names that address the Almighty, and the first time we encounter an explanation of the name is when the Creator speaks with Moses in Exodus, chapter 3.  You may recall it is in connection with His having called Moses to go to pharaoh and demand the release of the enslaved Israelites.  Continue reading “LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name – “Jehovah” (Part 2)” →

Marv Wiseman

LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name – “Jehovah” (Part 1)

      LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name - \"Jehovah\" (Part 1) - Pr. Marv Wiseman

We are briefly examining each of the names used in reference to the Creator throughout the Bible.  It seems logic to consider them in the order of their occurrence.  Our next designation for the Deity is LORD.  The English versions capitalize each letter of the name L-O-R-D, but the name translated “LORD” in our English Bibles is very different in the Hebrew language as was penned by Moses, whom God inspired to give us the first five books of the Bible.  Moses wrote “Y-H-V-H”.  What is that?  That’s the “tetragrammaton”, “tetra” meaning “four” and “grammaton” meaning “letters”, or the designation for the Deity that Moses wrote was “Y-H-V-H”.  How would you pronounce that?  Continue reading “LORD: Deity´s Most Used Name – “Jehovah” (Part 1)” →

Marv Wiseman

Usage of “Elohim” in Human Names 

      Usage of Elohim in Human Names - Pr. Marv Wiseman

The manner and frequency with which the names of deity are built into the actual names of people highlights their importance.  One can easily see the desire as a human to incorporate the name of your deity into one’s own name, and this is done all throughout Scripture, both Old and New Testaments.  It was a human’s way of honoring God by incorporating his name into the names of their children.  Continue reading “Usage of “Elohim” in Human Names “ →

Marv Wiseman

The Meaning of “God” – Elohim 

      The Meaning of \"God\" - Elohim - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Attention has been given to the designation of the deity using the name “God”, G-o-d.  Strikingly, we have noted that God is in the plural form, as found in the original Hebrew in which the Old Testament was written, and, it isn’t merely such in Genesis 1:1, where God created the heavens and the earth, but it’s same plural form is found another thirty-one times in Genesis, chapter one, alone.  So what does this name “God” actually mean?  Continue reading “The Meaning of “God” – Elohim “ →

Marv Wiseman

The Different Names of Deity 

      The Different Names for Deity - Pr. Marv Wiseman

The names of the deity as they appear in Scripture, beginning with Genesis, are as follows: the first is God, appearing in the very first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, the familiar “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  The word “God”, in our English version, is different in Hebrew, which was the actual language of the original Genesis document that was penned by Moses.  That word is “Elohim”, E-l-o-h-i-m.  Continue reading “The Different Names of Deity “ →