The Almighty

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

The Montana Night Sky

When I look into the Montana night sky, it often looks like I can see forever. There is one place in particular I love to go to called Fairy Lake. It’s up a bumpy mountain road. After getting jousted around, you find yourself at this stunning, majestic lake. We camped there once, and the sky was breathtaking. There are just no words to describe it.

I remember the night, at twelve years old, when I looked at the stars with my dad on a camping trip in west Texas, and he said there was no end to the universe. Staring into the sky, my young mind could not grasp the concept then, nor can I understand it now.

When I think of the vastness of the universe and the depths of the oceans, I realize how immense God’s creation is. However, none of that stretches my mind as much as the thought that God has no beginning or end. He has always been and always will be. He has no limitations. Our human minds struggle to understand His realm of no boundaries.

The Third Heaven

Paul extends this thought for me when he states in the third person about a man taken to the third heaven.

“And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.”

2 Corinthians 12:3-4 NIV

According to Hebrew belief, the air we breathe is part of the first heaven. The stars we gaze at would be in the second heaven. The place God dwells, that we see so vividly in Revelation, is what Paul refers to here as the third heaven or paradise. This place of ‘inexpressible things’. If this is how I feel about places on earth, I cannot even fathom what the third heaven will be like.

In the same way God’s creation woos me, so do the names of Jesus. When I look deeper into each one, I feel an even greater awe than I feel when I look at the sky, or see a magnificent view from a mountain peak. The name we will look into this week does not disappoint. It fills me with that same sense of wonder.

The Almighty

Revelation contains many of these beautiful names of Jesus and we find this next name right in the first chapter, the Almighty. Jesus tells John what will soon take place and finishes by calling Himself several names.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:8 NIV

If you use Bible Gateway Plus you can find the Hebrew and Greek meanings for the scriptures. When you do this for the Almighty, you will see it is the Greek word παντοκράτωρ pantokratōr. This Greek word is translated from the Hebrew words, ‘Lord’ and ‘Shaddai’.

Lord

This version of Lord means Lord of hosts, or Lord of the heavenly armies. Stop with me for a moment. This takes me right back to the scene I shared about in the post Alpha and Omega where Jesus returns on His beautiful white horse, followed by the armies of Heaven. Now that will be a sight to behold.

This name also emphasizes Jesus’ sovereignty, power, and authority over all creation. It signifies His role as a mighty warrior, protector, and defender of His people, ready to intervene on their behalf and ensure justice prevails.

Don’t you love this? When the world seems to come against us, we can remember the Lord of hosts fights on our behalf. No matter what or who comes against us, we can find refuge and strength in His presence.

“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”

Revelation 21:22 NIV

I love this so much. Revelation ends with the new heaven and new earth and there will be no need for a temple because Jesus, the Lamb, and God Almighty are the temple. We will live eternity in the security and power of God Almighty.

El Shaddai

“Shaddai” means powerful and immovable. He is our rock. No matter how unstable life may feel, He is our firm foundation. The name Shaddai reminds us of God’s limitless power, His abundance, and self-sufficiency. He will meet our every need.

I mentioned a few months ago that we were looking for a new place to live. I laid in bed many nights, crying and worrying about where we would go. It seemed impossible to stay here in Montana. As I laid there, one sleepless night after another, God kept revealing Himself as el Shaddai.

He gave me peace and reminded me of all the other ways He had provided in the past, and I knew He would never fail me. I am happy to report, we have found a place to live. Not only that, God has shown up in multiple ways to provide for us. My motto is “We serve a big God that loves to do Big things.”

Authority

This name reminds me He is the source of all provision, the one who meets every need and fulfills every desire. This name reflects His authority over all things and His capacity to protect and provide for His people.

I pray for you today that you will find your strength in the Almighty, the One who loves you more than you can fathom and wants to do big things in your life.

Shop ‘Write The Word – The Gospels’ from Cultivate