Transcript & Slides: Yahweh of Hosts

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Yahweh of Hosts
By David Feddes

The words of my title might not appear in the Bible that you have. The phrase "Yahweh of Hosts" might appear zero times in the translation that you're using. The name Yahweh (YHWH יהוה) appears almost 6,000 times in the original Hebrew language of the Bible, and the phrase "Yahweh of hosts"appears about 270 times. But those words vanish in some Bible translations.

In some versions of the Bible, the phrase "Yahweh of hosts" is translated as "Lord Almighty" or, if it's "Yahweh Elohim Sabaoth" (יהוה אלהי צבאות  in the original Hebrew), then it's translated as "Lord God Almighty." In the hymn"A Mighty Fortress," we sing "Lord Sabaoth." If you look at how that is spelled, you might think it has something to do with the Sabbath. Actually, it has nothing to do with the Sabbath. The word Sabbath is "Shabbat," meaning a day of rest. The Hebrew words sabaoth means hosts or armies. So when we sing of "Lord Sabaoth," we're singing of the Lord of armies, "Yahweh Sabaoth."

I don't want to make too big a deal of differing Bible translations because if you were to read a Bible that translates it as "Lord God Almighty," you're still reading about the great and exalted God, the God of angels and of the heavenly beings. But "Yahweh God of hosts" does have a different ring to it than "Lord God Almighty." Lord is a title or description; he's master. Yahweh is a personal name.

At some point in history, YHWH stopped being pronounced by most Jewish people because they were troubled by what was said in the Ten Commandments, "Do not take the name of YHWH your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7). They were so eager not to take the name Yahweh in vain that they avoided saying it at all. They'd be reading their Bible in Hebrew, but when they saw those four letters YHWH that represent the name of God, they would say "Adonai," which means Lord, instead of saying that personal name Yahweh.

When we use God's titles instead of his revealed names, we might be missing something. In the New Testament, you'll find that God gives another name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We're baptized in that name. It's a fuller revelation of who God is in the being of the Trinity. 

When we speak of Yahweh, we're not just giving him a title; that is the personal name, the name that means "I am" (Exodus 3:14)m by which he revealed himself as the covenant God.

And when we speak of "hosts," to translate it as Almighty is certainly not a lie. When you say God is almighty, that is absolutely true. He is omnipotent, the big word that means he can do anything he wants. God is certainly almighty, but it has different ring to it, doesn't it, to call God by a title and say he has all power versus speaking of him by his personal Name in command of real armies right now, big armies and lots of them! He is Yahweh Sabaoth, Yahweh of hosts.

Let's first think about the hosts of Yahweh and then focus on Yahweh of hosts.

Hosts of Yahweh

• Council of holy ones
  • Gods
  • Sons of God
  • Creations of God
• Angels: messengers
• Hosts: warriors
• Assembly: worshipers

Who are the hosts of Yahweh? This text describes "the assembly of the holy ones" and calls them "sons of God," while making it clear that God is their maker. In other passages, they're actually called gods. So, there is a council of "sons of God" or "gods," beings that are beyond our world and universe that form a council.

Scripture often speaks of angels. The word "angel" means messenger. It's not clear whether among the heavenly beings some are angels and others are part of God's inner council.  Some statements in the Bible sound like there are different ranks of angels and kinds of angels. We might think that all angels come out of the same cookie cutter with wings and so on, but there's probably as much variety among angels as there is among people or even among other species that God created.

In some of the visions, you see amazing beings. There are four living creatures close to the throne of God, then a council of 24 elders, then beyond them, hosts of angels (Revelation 4-5). So perhaps there are different kinds of heavenly beings with different ranks. At least some of these heavenly beings form a council.

The Bible speaks of millions of angels. "Angel" means messenger. Angels are the messengers of God, and much more besides. 

Another biblical word for heavenly beings is "hosts," meaning warriors, armies. 

Another word is "assembly." The Bible often speaks of a heavenly assembly gathered in worship of God. When you read in Revelation, you read of the four living creatures falling down before the throne, of the 24 elders falling down before the throne. They have harps, so they're musicians, and they're falling down before the throne and praising God. Sometimes they're saying, "Holy, holy, holy," sometimes they're saying, "You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things," and sometimes they're singing to the Lamb, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain." They are an assembly of worshipers.

So, those are the things that we find in this text and in some of the related texts of the Bible about the heavenly beings, the hosts of Yahweh. 

Council of holy ones

Scripture speaks of "the council of the holy ones" (Psalm 89:7). "God has taken his place in the divine council" (Psalm 82:1).

When God speaks of true prophets versus false prophets, he says of false prophets, "If they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed
my words to my people" (Jeremiah 23:22). But they didn't speak God's words, because they had never been in his council. True prophets, on the other hand, saw and heard God's council.

Micaiah saw God on his throne, with the hosts of heaven in council around him, discussing how to punish and destroy wicked King Ahab.

Isaiah wrote, "I saw Yahweh, high and lifted up... I saw the seraphim [the burning ones], and they had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, with two they were flying, and they never stopped saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh Sabaoth [Yahweh of hosts]; the whole earth is full of his glory'" (Isaiah 6:1-3). Again and again, God's prophets are brought into that heavenly council.

Ezekiel saw a vision of living creatures and wheels within wheels and a great throne, and above all these amazing creatures, God himself. Ezekiel is brought into the presence of God and the council of the holy ones. These great prophets of God in the Old Testament are brought into the council of Yahweh, which is hidden from most humans, and then they go forth from that council with a word from God. Often they say, "Thus saith Yahweh Sabaoth." The true prophets know what they're talking about because they have been there with Yahweh of hosts and his council.

In a council, what goes on? Well, there's discussion, there's decision, there's going forth and doing. One of the earliest examples would be from Genesis 1:26, "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness." Some understand "let us" to be an early reference to the Trinity. That's possible, but it's more likely that God is speaking to the others who are with him in the heavenly council and saying, "Let's do this." When the Tower of Babel is being constructed, Yahweh, says, "Let us go down and there confuse their language" (Genesis 11:7). That "let us" language of the Bible indicates a divine council with God and his other heavenly beings.

Gods

Sometimes members of this council are called "gods." One of the most striking is Psalm 82: "God (elohim) has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods (elohim) he holds judgment… 
I said, 'You are gods, sons of the Most High'" (Psalm 82:1, 6). Some scholars take that to be figurative language where God is actually speaking to human judges who are ruling on God's behalf. But more likely it is referring to the heavenly beings who are in God's council who had responsibility for governance on the earth in various ways and places. Some of them, as rebels against God, ruled in wrong ways. So, in Psalm 82, God is pronouncing judgment on the judges. Elohim, the plural word for gods, is often used in the singular to refer to God himself. But in the second part of that verse, it says, "In the midst of the gods [elohim], he holds judgment." In this psalm, you can tell whether elohim means singular "God" or plural "gods" by the pronouns. He is singular, but singular he holds judgment over plural them. Elohim can mean God himself, and it can mean gods, other lesser heavenly beings.

Sometimes we think religions that believed in many gods, many supernatural beings, were all made up. Probably not. People shouldn't have been worshiping those "gods," but that doesn't mean there was nothing to those religions and activities. Sometimes the Bible speaks of those gods as demons (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37). Paul says, "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons" (1 Corinthians 10:20). You can't go into temples where they worship other gods and then go into God's place of worship and take part in the Lord's Supper. On one level, an idol made of wood or gold is nothing. But the idols are backed by rebel gods, originally created by God as heavenly beings to hold governance. When they rebelled against God, they became hostile gods, and God promised he would judge them.

God of gods

When the Bible speaks of God, sometimes it uses the phrase "God of gods." "Yahweh your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God" (Deuteronomy 10:17). Would that be high praise of God if there's actually nothing to any other gods, if they don't exist? It's more impressive if there are real, powerful, supernatural beings that God is far higher than and that he rules.

The book of Joshua tells of some people who are misunderstood and accused of rebelling against God. They respond, "Yahweh, God of gods! Yahweh, God of gods, knows" (Joshua 22:22). When God's people praise him, they say, "Give thanks to the God of gods, for his loyal love endures forever" (Ps 136:2). Yahweh is not just the God of nothings and imaginary things. He's the God of lesser gods. 

God above gods

We should never think that God is just one among many gods and that he merely happens to be a little more powerful than the rest, like Zeus in Greek mythology or other myths about gods and goddesses. Elohim, God with a capital G, is the one who made all the other beings that can be called gods with a small "g."

"Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)This is the song of Moses after God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt by sending powerful plagues, bringing Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground, and then drowning their enemies in the sea.

We sometimes read the stories of the plagues in the book of Exodus and say, "How in the world did those Egyptian magicians manage to imitate some of Moses' miracles?" They could change a stick into a snake. They could change water to blood. They mimicked several of the other plagues on a much smaller scale. Eventually there came a point where they couldn't match the plagues that were being sent by Yahweh anymore. But how could they imitate any of the miracles at all?

As secularized, science-minded people, we might think there's a scientific explanation for everything. We assume the Egyptian magicians must have just been fooling people with illusions. But the gods that the Egyptians were worshiping probably had a real existence. They shouldn't be worshiped. We must not worship angels, and certainly not fallen angels. But there are supernatural beings that people of various religions manage to tap into, and these gods will sometimes act. Even so, God created them, and although they rebelled, God is awesome above all of them. Moses' father-in-law, upon meeting Moses, says, "Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods" (Exodus 18:11).

We sometimes think that monotheism means that there's one supernatural being, and only one. It is true to say there is only one great Creator, God above all, holy above all, but it's not true to say there's only one supernatural being. There are lots of them, hosts of them. Some of those hosts rebelled against God, but he's greater than the rebels, and he's also greater than those who are allies in his army.

Sons of God

Here's another biblical phrase for members of this divine council: "sons of God." Psalm 89 asks, "Who among the sons of God is like Yahweh?" (Psalm 89:6). The question obviously anticipates the answer: nobody. These "sons of God" are not God in the same sense that their Creator is God.

"Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of God, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due his name" (Psalm 29:1-2). These sons of God are called on to worship Yahweh.

The book of Job also describes the supernatural beings as the sons of God: "The sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh" (Job 1:6; 2:1). Among them was Satan with his suggestions. At any rate, the point here is that God has convened his council, and the sons of God, the supernatural beings, have gathered for discussion. Later Yahweh asks Job, "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation…  and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4, 7)

When we read Genesis, we tend to think that before God made the earth, sun, moon, and stars, there was nothing. But God says that the heavenly beings were already there, shouting for joy while God was creating everything in our world. This doesn't mean those "sons of God" were eternal. We'll see in a moment that they too were created, but they were created before God created what we call our world. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). In creating the heavens, he may not just have created the skies as we know them and the heavenly bodies as we know them, but the heavenly beings that the Bible describes. He created them before he made us.

In speaking of "gods" or "sons of God," we should not mistake them as being equal with God. " For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of God is like Yahweh, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?" (Psalm 89-6-7). Even in a council of such mighty and amazing beings, there is none that compares to God. He's to be revered, to be feared, even by the angels. They are awestruck by Yahweh.

In Isaiah's vision, the heavenly seraphs have six wings, and they use two of those wings to cover their faces. Even these greatest of beings closest to his throne can't look upon God directly or know him fully as he is. There is no other like Yahweh. The seraphs say, "Holy, holy, holy," and not just because God doesn't have any sin. The word "holy" means "totally different, and apart from everything else. 

Creatures

The heavenly beings are creatures. In Nehemiah, there's a prayer offered up by Levite leaders of worship, and they say, "You are Yahweh, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you" (Nehemiah 9:6). God created the heavenly hosts for his own glory, and they worship him constantly.

The New Testament says of Jesus Christ, "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). This shows the greatness of Christ, the Son of God. He's the Word, the second person of the Trinity, through whom all of these different beings were made. When we confess faith in the Father in the words of the Nicene Creed, we say, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible." The invisible realm is a very great realm. There's much we don't know about it, but learning just a little bit about it can enhance our appreciation of the greatness of the Father and Jesus the Son.

Scripture speaks of "the council of the holy ones" who gather and deliberate and act on God's behalf. Sometimes they're called "sons of God," sometimes they're even called "gods," but always they are creations of God. Their Maker, Yahweh, is far, far above them.

Messengers

Another word that's used  throughout the Bible for these heavenly beings is angels. That's the word we're most familiar with. In Old Testament Hebrew (מַלְאַ֣ךְ  malach) and in New Testament Greek (ἄγγελος angelos), the same word can mean either heavenly angel or human messenger. The only way to tell the difference is by context.

Often the word for angel can mean both heavenly being and messenger. One of the great things that angels do is bringing messages from God to people. Sometimes they are messages for the prophets, sometimes they're messages of guidance for an individual of where to go or what to do, and sometimes they are messages bringing the gospel.

An angel told some shepherds, "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10). Then the angel who gives that announcement is joined by the other messengers who praise God and say, "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14).

It was angels who said, "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said" (Matthew 28:6).

After Jesus returned to heaven and the disciples were gawking and wondering what had happened, angels came and said, "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come just as you have seen him go" (Acts 1:11). 

Throughout the Bible, angels serve as God's messengers to inform and guide people.

Warriors
Hosts צבאות (sabaoth) = armies

When Jesus comes again, he's not going to be coming alone. He will come with his holy ones, his hosts of angels, to sort out the wicked from the righteous. The angels are not only the messengers who spoke of Jesus coming again; they are the hosts of warriors who will be with him when he comes.

We are focusing on the hosts of Yahweh. Sometimes a host can just mean a multitude, a huge group, a crowd. But that's not what Sabaoth means; it means armies. The New Living Translation translates Yahweh Sabaoth as "the Lord of angel armies." 

Angels are warriors. Soldiers or police are very encouraging when you're in danger and need to be rescued or defended. If you have a flat tire, you're glad when you see a police car pull up by you. If you're getting mugged, you are happy to see a policeman coming to rescue you from the mugger. However, if you're speeding in your car, you're not so happy to see the police. If you're the mugger, you're not so happy if the police arrive.

Scripture describes the plagues that God sent on Egypt: "He unleashed against them his hot anger... a band of destroying angels" (Psalm 78:49). The angels of God were against Egypt. They were the warriors that God sent to bring about those plagues.

When we think of those heavenly warriors, we need to remember that angels are not the chubby little cute pink-cheeked cherubs that you sometimes see in really bad art. When people meet angels and see them, they almost always fall at their feet in terror and need to be told not to be frightened. Even God's friends could be terrified and awestruck when an angel appeared to them. But it was far worse when angels came against God's enemies.

The Egyptians found out the power of God and of his angels when ten terrible plagues ruined their nation. Sodom and Gomorrah were great cities. Two angels showed up, and Sodom and Gomorrah were smoking cinders. When Jerusalem was surrounded by 185,000 troops of Assyria, one angel showed up. By the next morning 185,000 troops of Assyria lay dead. This is what we're talking about when we talk about the power of the warrior angels, the hosts of Yahweh.

The Bible speaks of the day "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). They will cast all God's enemies into the lake of fire. 

So, when we think about angels, it is heartwarming to remember that "he gives his angels charge concerning us to keep us in our ways" (Psalm 91:11). God's warriors guard his people. But those warriors also fight God's enemies. If we don't take God seriously, he can unleash his avenging, destroying angels against his enemies. We must think with awe and seriousness of the hosts of heaven and the God who commands them all.

Warriors are always under command. Soldiers are servants. Servants do what they're told. Soldiers obey orders. Scripture says, "Bless Yahweh, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word. Bless Yahweh, all his hosts, his servants who do his will" (Psalm 103:20-21). The holy angels do what their holy Creator and Commander tells them to do. 

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14) Angels can be described as servants because they follow God's orders. They can also be described as servants, amazingly, because they serve us. They help us. They do things that we desperately need. (My book Jesus Firsthand includes 30 meditations on angels and the many ways they help us.)

Worshipers

Angels are God's council, his messengers, and his warriors. They are also worshipers. Isaiah heard heavenly beings saying, "Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Their worship exalts God's heavenly holiness but also his earthly handiwork. God's glory shines in what he's made here on Earth. May God help us to see the glory of what he's done here on Earth, not just in heaven.

Revelation 4 and 5 reveals God's throne surrounded by worshipers: the four living creatures, the 24 elders, those great beings who are part of the heavenly council, and the wider circle of thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand angels around the throne, all worshiping him. If you are a believer in Jesus, "you have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly" (Hebrews 12:22).

When you come into a rather humble church building, you're also gathering with the angels, and you're there together with the cherubim and the seraphim and all of God's mighty heavenly beings. That's why, in regulating worship among believers, the Bible calls for proper conduct "because of the angels" (1 Corinthains 11:10). Paul solemnly charges a pastor to do his duties "in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels" (1 Timothy 5:21). There's this sense of always being surrounded by these great worshipers.

If you read the early Church Fathers after New Testament times, you find that they are constantly talking about angels. The Fathers lived in a supernatural world. They lived in a world where it wasn't just the great Creator but also other supernatural beings who are very busy and very active and worshiping. So, when we think of the hosts of Yahweh, we think of the council, messengers, warriors, and worshipers.

Hosts of Yahweh

• Council of holy ones
  • Gods
  • Sons of God
  • Creations of God
• Angels: messengers
• Hosts: warriors
• Assembly: worshipers

Yahweh of hosts

• Speaks and listens to council
  • Loves and exalts his family
  • Shares reign with imagers
  • Creates splendid variety
• Speaks through messengers
• Commands mighty armies
• Deserves awestruck worship

Now, having thought about the hosts of Yahweh, let's think about what that means for Yahweh of hosts. It is valuable to know about angels, but the main purpose is to help us to know God better. God's relation to his angels shows us a lot about how he also relates to us. That's why we can pray, "As in heaven, so on Earth." 

God speaks and listens to his council. God has the first say and the final say, but he consults with this heavenly council a good many times in the Bible. Is that so strange? God also pays attention to his earthly council. Do you believe in prayer? Do you believe that God listens to beings who are a lot less and lower than he is and pays attention to what they say? Do you believe God speaks to little beings like us? He speaks to us, and he listens to us because he invites us, along with heavenly beings, to participate in his council.

We read of heavenly beings who are called "gods" and "sons of God," but remember what the Bible says of those who have been adopted into Jesus Christ: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). Peter even goes so far as to say, "You have become partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) There's something mysterious going on where God lets not only those heavenly beings but also earthly beings be part of his family. Then he exalts them in ways we cannot imagine, giving authority and rule. Those who are faithful in a few things will be put in charge of many things, says our Lord Jesus. He loves and exalts his family.

This tells us something about God: he likes to share. He shares his reign with his imagers. He likes involving others in the discussion and decisions, but also in the action. Some people might ask, "Why does God need a Divine Council?" Well, he doesn't need one, but apparently he has one. Why does God need you to bring the gospel to others? He doesn't need you, but he gives you the privilege of being his partner. God likes to work through angels. He likes to operate through people. God can, if he wishes, simply declare something and make it so without involving us, but very often he likes to involve and share his rule and his word with other people.

Another thing we learn about God is that he is very, very creative. You should get that idea just going to the zoo or looking at a nature. When you look at a little chick or a platypus or a rhinoceros, these are strange, strange critters, and so are we. You can go snorkeling and see a wide variety of life that's unlike anything you've seen on land. You see these amazing, multicolored fish. Or you look at a camel with those strange humps, and you think, "Wow!" Look at the different aspects of creation, its animals, its mountains and trees and plants. Just step back and look at the shape of them and the different things that God has made. Then think to yourself, "Now when I've looked at everything on Earth, the plant life, the animal life, the rivers, the mountains, and all of that, and when I look at the stars, I still haven't seen nearly everything that God has made." He has created hundreds of millions of heavenly beings who are part of an entirely different realm but that intersect with ours and have an influence on ours that we don't normally see. That just tells us what a lover of variety God is, and what an awesome Creator we have.

God speaks through messengers. If he wished, he could always speak with a voice straight from heaven, but sometimes he's chosen to involve his angels in bringing messages. I'm sure the angels love it.

They didn't apparently take it too kindly when they weren't believed. The angel Gabriel told the aged priest Zechariah that his barren old wife would have a son named John who would be a wonderful prophet preparing the way for the Lord." When Zechariah didn't believe it, the angel declared, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to bring you this good news." Then Gabriel made Zechariah unable to speak for many months until after the baby was born. An angel who stands in the presence of God considers it ridiculous, stupid, unbelievable that any little human pipsqueak wouldn't believe something God says. We, whose vision is clouded by our sin and by many other things, have a hard time believing certain things. But for an angel in the presence of God, a message from God is absolutely sure. As our Lord Jesus himself said to some unbelievers who didn't believe in the resurrection, "The reason you don't believe is you don't know the Scriptures or the power of God." We need to get into the Scriptures, and we need to understand the power of God.

God speaks through messengers: through angels and through humans who speak his Word.

Yahweh commands mighty armies, and not only angel armies. He calls us humans to be his agents. He calls us to be his soldiers. He calls us to put on the armor of God and to serve him as faithful soldiers. 

Yahweh of hosts deserves awestruck worship. If great and mighty heavenly beings are constantly adoring and worshiping and being amazed at him, then what should we be doing? We should be giving him awestruck worship because he deserves it.

If we neglect to think about the hosts of Yahweh, then we're missing out on some important things that we should know about Yahweh, the one true God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As you think about angelic activity in the Bible, let it cause you again to exalt the name of God. 

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Yahweh of hosts! … O Yahweh, God of hosts, hear my prayer… O Yahweh of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts you" (Psalm 84).  If you start talking to God not just as some vague figure out there but Yahweh of hosts—he has a name, and he has mighty armies—if you start praying like that, you might find your prayers have a lot more confidence and power. 

"Who is the king of glory? Yahweh of hosts, He is the king of glory!" (Psalm 24:10)

When we need revival, when we need help, how shall we pray? "O Yahweh God of hosts, restore us; cause your face to shine that we may be saved" (Psalm 80:19).

"Yahweh saves." That is the meaning of the Hebrew name Yeshua, Jesus. Yahweh saves not just by his great heavenly hosts but by the one through whom all those hosts were made, the one whom all those hosts adore and worship. He sent the Son of his love into the world. There is none like Jesus. The Father sent him to become one of us, to save us from sin and death by his own blood and to give us eternal life by his resurrection. Angels don't save us; Jesus does. Jesus is "above all rule and authority and power and dominion... not only in the present age but also in the age to come" (Ephesians 1:21). That is who Jesus is. 

Yahweh
of Hosts
Slide Contents
By David Feddes

LORD God Almighty

Yahweh God of hosts

Yahweh Elohim Sabaoth

יהוה אלהי צבאות 

⁵ Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Yahweh, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! ⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of God is like Yahweh, ⁷ a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? ⁸ O Yahweh God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Yah, with your faithfulness all around you? (Psalm 89:5-8)

Hosts of Yahweh

• Council of holy ones
  • Gods
  • Sons of God
  • Creations of God
• Angels: messengers
• Hosts: warriors
• Assembly: worshipers

Council

the council of the holy ones. (Ps 89:7)

God has taken his place in the divine council. (Psalm 82:1)

If they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed
my words to my people. (Jer 23:22)

Gods

God (elohim) has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods (elohim) he holds judgment… 
I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High.” (Psalm 82:1, 6)

God of gods

Yahweh your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God. (Deut 10:17)

Yahweh, God of gods! Yahweh, God of gods knows. (Joshua 22:22)

Give thanks to the God of gods, for his loyal love endures forever. (Ps 136:2)

God above gods

Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods. (Exodus 18:11)

Sons of God

Who among the sons of God is like Yahweh? (Psalm 89:6).

Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of God, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due his name. (Psalm 29)

The sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh. (Job 1:6; 2:1)

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation…  and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4, 7)

Above all

 For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of God is like Yahweh, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? (Psalm 89-6-7)

Creatures

You are Yahweh, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. (Neh 9:6)

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16)

Hosts of Yahweh

• Council of holy ones
  • Gods
  • Sons of God
  • Creations of God
• Angels: messengers
• Hosts: warriors
• Assembly: worshipers

Messengers

Angel means messenger.
מַלְאַ֣ךְ (malach) = ἄγγελος (angelos)

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. (Luke 2:10)

He has risen.” (Matthew 28:6)

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come. (Acts 1:11)

Warriors

Hosts צבאות (sabaoth) = armies

He unleashed against them his hot anger… a band of destroying angels. (Psalm 78:49)

… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. (2 Thessalians 1:7-8)

Soldiers serve

Bless Yahweh, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word. Bless Yahweh, all his hosts, his servants who do his will. (Ps 103:20-21)

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)

Worshipers

“Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts! The whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

The four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:14)

Hosts of Yahweh

• Council of holy ones
  • Gods
  • Sons of God
  • Creations of God
• Angels: messengers
• Hosts: warriors
• Assembly: worshipers

Yahweh of hosts

• Speaks and listens to council
  • Loves and exalts his family
  • Shares reign with imagers
  • Creates splendid variety
• Speaks through messengers
• Commands mighty armies
• Deserves awestruck worship

Yahweh of hosts

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Yahweh of hosts! … O Yahweh, God of hosts, hear my prayer… O Yahweh of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts you. (Psalm 84)

Who is the king of glory? Yahweh of hosts, He is the king of glory! (Psalm 24:10)

O Yahweh God of hosts, restore us; cause your face to shine that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:19)

⁵ Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Yahweh, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! ⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of God is like Yahweh, ⁷ a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? ⁸ O Yahweh God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Yah, with your faithfulness all around you? (Psalm 89:5-8)

¹ Praise Yahweh! Praise Yahweh from the heavens; praise him in the heights! ² Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! …⁵ For he commanded and they were created… ¹³ Let them praise the name of Yahweh, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148)