Creation Speaks

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (Psalms 19:1-4 NLV).

— Dan Wesol

As the prophet David describes, the tremendous breadth of animate and inanimate creation speaks of an almighty Creator. Investigating the heavens and surveying the earth, the superabundant variety of life displayed before the human eye teaches our reasoning mind to acknowledge its Creator.

David perceived how God uses nature’s still, small voice to reveal himself to his human creation, made initially in His glorious image. Anyone who listens in humility and reverence will hear this gentle voice. The Apostle Paul affirms David’s observations of God’s majesty. “That which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, (even) his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20 ASV).

The Unknown God

Paul proclaimed the Creator to the Epicureans, Stoics, and the men of Athens at the Areopagus. He declared the UNKNOWN GOD whom they ignorantly worshipped, “that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). What an extraordinary, encouraging thought! The mighty God, the only true and living God, the creator of the universe, will condescend to make himself known to every sin-sick person who seeks Him in sincerity and humility of heart.

After the humble heart finds God by studying the “book of nature,” God reveals himself further through the still, small voice of His words written in the holy Bible.

As the prophet Isaiah affirms, God has made himself known to his chosen people, Israel, through the Law and His holy prophets. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).

The scriptures, written by the prophets as God’s holy Spirit moved them, speak prophetically of Jesus (John 5:39). Today, Jesus provides the way for all mankind to seek their Almighty God. “All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27 ASV).

To Jesus’ followers, God is known as their Father in heaven. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” God’s name is to be hallowed. We are to hold His name as holy and pure.

Names and Titles of God

In this issue of the Herald, we explore some of God’s names and titles that describe His holy and pure character. The articles will provide insights into how God’s names and titles demonstrate His four attributes: power, wisdom, justice, and love.

His Names and Titles Reflect His Plan

This article examines how the names and titles of our mighty God provide an outline His plan of the ages. They reveal His plan to rescue the world of mankind from Adamic death, sin (disobedience to the principles of righteousness), Satan, and evil.

God’s name and titles hold the secret to His unconditional promise to Abraham to restore all those who are willing to everlasting life in Christ’s kingdom. These must choose to love and obey the principles of righteousness. Mankind will receive everlasting life by choosing to love and honor the author of those righteous principles, the true and living God, and His son, Jesus (Revelation 22:1-5).

The first ten words of the Bible (in Hebrew) speak of God’s almighty power to create. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Nothing speaks more to God’s mighty power or of His wisdom and understanding than these first God-breathed words of the holy Bible.

Elohim

The word translated God in Genesis chapter one is Elohim, which means supreme God. Two other definitions add the words “great” and “mighty.” In fact, there is none greater, none so mighty as the God of the holy Bible. There is no higher power than the Almighty God who created the universe. He is the highest power — “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14). He spoke, and the universe was brought into existence. “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host” (Psalms 33:6 ESV).

In Genesis 2:4, two words describe God to believers. They are translated LORD God. In Hebrew, LORD is Yehovah, meaning the Eternal, the self-existent, or he that was, he that is, and he that will be. Yehovah never had a beginning, nor will He have an end. The statement “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) means that love never had a beginning and will never end. Yehovah is the Eternal Almighty God, and each of His characteristics has likewise always existed. “I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5 ASV).

There is no other god that came before Elohim. None other can deliver like He can, nor save from any perilous predicaments. “I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour” (Isaiah 43:11 ASV).

El-Shaddai

God revealed himself for the first time to Abram as El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One, LORD God Almighty (Genesis 17:1). On this occasion, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “Father of a multitude,” and said that he, at one-hundred years old, would have a son with his wife, Sarai, who was eighty-nine years old. God also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, meaning “princess.” Sarah and Abraham laughed at having a child in their advanced years. The following year, Sarah gave birth to their son, Isaac. Nothing is impossible for the Lord God Almighty.

God’s name, El Shaddai, occurs seven times in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word Sheba means both “seven” and “oath” — like God’s oath to Abraham. With seven symbolizing completion or spiritual perfection, perhaps in El Shaddai, it is best understood that nothing can prevent God’s plan of salvation from progressing to completion. God is all-sufficient in all His people’s experiences. He is almighty to deliver them.

Miracles of the Mighty God

The Almighty God opened a way through the Red Sea to free His people from Egyptian bondage. Moses, the servant of God, led the people through the sea on dry land. This miracle pictured mankind’s ultimate deliverance from Satan, sin, and death through Jesus, the Son of God.

The mighty God of Israel brought down the mighty walls of Jericho. It was God’s spirit that came mightily upon His servant Samson and gave him the miraculous strength to burst his bonds and slay a thousand Philistine soldiers with the jawbone of a donkey.

The mighty God gave the young faith-filled David skill with a sling to bring down the blasphemous Goliath, the mighty giant Philistine warrior who came with a sword and a spear.

When Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to prove whether Baal or Jehovah was God, it was agreed that the sacrifice that would be accepted by fire would determine the identity of the true God. Jehovah mightily answered Elijah’s prayer by bringing fire down upon the altar. Not only did God completely consume the sacrifice, but there was no trace of even a drop of water from the drenched altar! “Then the fire of Jehovah fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, ‘Jehovah, He is God; Jehovah, He is God’” (1 Kings 18:38-39 ASV).

Babylon’s King Learns to Honor the True God

When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, wanted his dream defined and interpreted by his wise men, they told him that no man could fulfill his impossible request. They continued by stating that only the gods who do not dwell in the flesh could reveal his dream and its meaning (Daniel 2:11).

Their answer infuriated the king, and he ordered all the wise men to be slain, including Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel gathered his friends to ask God for mercy concerning the king’s secret lest they should perish. The dream and its interpretation were revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Daniel then blessed and praised God with these words. “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his” (Daniel 2:20, ASV).

In delivering the dream and its interpretation to the King, Daniel attributed wisdom and might to God. Daniel was in awe of Jehovah’s mighty power to pierce a man’s flesh and influence his mind. Jehovah had the power to put a dream into the mind of a heathen king, a prophetic vision of the universal kingdoms that followed Babylon through the stream of time.

God’s plan would be for His righteous kingdom to succeed mankind’s kingdoms, then fill the earth and bless all people. The Apostle Paul provides a glimpse into God’s mighty power to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. “For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight” (Hebrews 4:12-13 ASV).

When Daniel revealed the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the king’s thoughts no longer troubled him. Instead, he was awed by God’s power to reveal his mind’s secrets. He immediately fell on his face before God’s servant Daniel, “and said, of a truth your God is the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets” (Daniel 2:47).

Example of the Three Hebrews

As time passed, Nebuchadnezzar reverted to his old ways and erected a 90-foot-tall gold image, and demanded that all bow before it or be cast into a fiery furnace. Daniel’s three friends would not comply with the edict. Their faith and obedience to Jehovah was strong! Thus, they were brought before the king, and given a second opportunity to bow down to his image. They refused for a second time.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not worried about what will happen to us. If we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us; and He will deliver us out of your hand, Your Majesty. But if He doesn’t, please understand, sir, that even then we will never under any circumstance serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have erected” (Daniel 3:16-18 TLB).

The three Hebrews knew Jehovah as the Almighty God who had the power to deliver them. They were determined to obey Almighty God even if He would decide not to deliver them. They would gladly sacrifice their lives rather than disobey the righteous law of worshipping the only true and living God!

The king was furious. He commanded the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. His mightiest men bound the three faithful Hebrews with rope and threw them into the furnace. The tremendous heat killed the mighty men, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived. This was just the beginning of their story of faithfulness to Jehovah!

The three men stood up in the fire, no longer bound, and walked unharmed in the burning furnace. Witnesses saw a fourth man walking with them, one like unto the son of God.

Nebuchadnezzar was astonished. He called out to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, “servants of the Most High God. He commanded them to come out of the furnace.” Their hair was not singed, nor was the smell of fire on their clothes. The king saw that Jehovah God delivered, rewarded, and vindicated them for their faithfulness.

Nebuchadnezzar was in such awe of the almighty power of God that he decreed, “any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way” (Daniel 3:29 NASB).

In delivering the three Hebrews, their trust in God was revealed to all in the meaning of their Hebrew names, given by godly parents.
● Hananiah — God (Yah) protects
● Mishael — Who is like the mighty God
● Azariah — God (Yah) will Help
This difficult experience showed that each carried the faith of their parents. The Almighty God rewarded this faithful obedience with miraculous salvation. As time passed, God’s plan of salvation unfolded, and that same loving kindness and delivering power worked again for the miraculous salvation of mankind.

God’s Power Over Death

Jehovah exerted the same miraculous power to transform His son, the Logos, from spirit to human nature, born of a virgin in Bethlehem. When Jesus became a man, he gave his life on the cross as a ransom and will fulfill God’s miraculous plan to deliver the world from sin and death (John 1:1-4, 3:16, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Mark 10:45, 1 Timothy 2:6).

The Almighty God used His power to raise Jesus from the dead and exalt him to the divine nature. He has provided the means to release the entire human race from the chains of death (Philippians 2:6-11, Isaiah 61:1, Acts 2:22-36, Acts 4:7-12, Hebrews 1:1-4).

During the Gospel Age, God has used His same miraculous power to transform His spirit-begotten children into the character likeness of His son. This New Creation is transformed by studying and applying His word (John 1:12-13, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Colossians 1:24-29, 2 Timothy 2:15).

The Almighty God will use His same mighty power to give this little flock of faithful consecrated believers the crown of life. They, too, will be resurrected to the divine nature and sit down with Christ on his throne. As a Royal Priesthood, they will join Christ Jesus, their king, to bless all the families of the earth and change each willing heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Almighty God has now given resurrection power to Jesus, who will soon raise the dead world. All in their graves will hear the voice of Jesus and come forth (John 5:27-29). The kingdom of El Shaddai, the
All- Sufficient One, will fill the whole earth. The government will be on the shoulders of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. He will supply what is needed so that every person can choose righteousness and live. The leaves of the tree (of life) will be for the healing of nations. Whosoever will may take freely the water of life (Revelation 22:2, 17).

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV).

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable” (Psalms 145:3 ESV).