He is and will be...

Before time began, before the foundations of the world were laid, a Name existed—eternal, self-sustaining, and inexhaustible in depth. You may have heard it, but do you truly grasp its weight?

YHWH - Yahweh - יהוה

The LORD

Woven into the fabric of creation, first whispered in Genesis, and revealed in its fullness to Moses, this is more than a name—it is the very essence of God’s covenant, the ultimate Promise Maker and Promise Fulfiller.

It is a name held the Jews held with such awe and esteem that it was not uttered for millennia; except from one high priest to another, in the Holy of Holies. To this day, they still refer to Him as - the Name (HeShem)

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew Him, but not like this.

The question is: Do you?

Jesus has made a way (He is the Way) for us to enter into the Holy of Holies (secret place) and the right that all who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

Unlock the mystery behind the Name that still moves mountains today.

The Unfolding of the Name: “I Am Who I Am”

In Exodus 3:12, before unveiling His name to Moses, Yahweh declares, “Eh’yeh with you,” often translated as “I will be with you.” This is the first recorded appearance of the word Eh’yeh (אֶהְיֶה), the very essence of being. When Moses questions whom he should say has sent him, Yahweh responds with the iconic phrase: “Eh’yeh Asher Eh’yeh” (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) – “I AM WHO I AM.”

This phrase holds within it an eternity of meaning. Ehyeh (I AM) shares three of the four Hebrew letters of YHWH (יהוה), the sacred Tetragrammaton. The depth of meaning contained in this name transcends human language. Translations have attempted to capture its significance with phrases like “I AM,” “I WILL BE,” or “He Who Is.” Yet none can fully grasp the magnitude of what it means for Yahweh to be.

Existence and Being: The Essence of Yahweh

At its root, YHWH is intertwined with the Hebrew verb hayah (הָיָה), meaning “to be” or “to exist.” This is the same verb used in Genesis when God spoke light into being. In Hebrew, “Let there be light” is more directly translated as “Light, be”, and its response: “Light was.”

The form of “to be” in Hebrew—hayah (הָיָה)—demonstrates a fluidity that encompasses past, present, and future. It is why in Revelation, Jesus declares:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the One who is, who was, and who is to come.” Rev 1:8

This phrase, when written in ancient Hebrew, takes the form:

אשר היה והווה ויבוא (Asher Hayah WeHowah WaYavo), constructed from the very letters of Yahweh’s name (11 out of 13).

The Yod (י) at the beginning of YHWH that replaces the Aleph (א) in the “I AM” changes it to He is. Yod often is third person masculine personal pronoun. However, to capture this eternality within His Name it would be better said HE IS AND WILL BE. Yahweh is not merely existent; He is existence Himself. He is the Eternal Being who calls all things into being.

God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Rom 4:17

This is why His name is not just a title but a revelation of His nature—self-existent, self-sustaining, eternal, and sovereign.

The One who Is, already did it

When Jesus declared “It is finished”, we were invited to enter the finished work of the cross. It is very hard to do anything for the One who has already done it all. He has now rested from His works and invites us to join Him in His rest.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Heb 4:9-10

Yet because He is, and He exists and brings into existence – it is He who does. The One who was, who is, who is to come, means He is the One who did, is doing and will do. The doing is in the being and the will do is in the will be. The being does, but it is already done. The Eternal covenant maker and keeper. Without Him nothing would have existed or would come into existence, would have been or will be done.

The One who is, who was and who will be is the One who does, has done and will do. Yahweh means He is and will be and therefore He does and will do. It’s the other side of being. If being is the Beginning, then doing is the End and Jesus is the Beginning and the End.

The Contextual Usage of Yahweh’s Name

Throughout Scripture, Yahweh’s name is often revealed in specific contexts, magnifying aspects of His character through His direct intervention in history. His personal name Yahweh often accompanies a what specific part of His nature His is revealing to His children, at any given moment. Humans typically have a first and last name, Most often the first name changes in the family and the last name remains. With the Lord, His first name remains and His last name changes to whatever context that’s needed in the moment.

Yahweh Yireh (יהוה יראה) – “The Lord Will Provide” (Genesis 22:14)

He is and will be provision

Yahweh Shalom (יהוה שלום) – “The Lord Is Peace” (Judges 6:24)

He is and will be peace

Yahweh Rapha (יהוה רפא) – “The Lord Who Heals” (Exodus 15:26)

He is and will be healer

Yahweh Nissi (יהוה נסי) – “The Lord Our Banner” (Exodus 17:15)

He is and will be over us

Yahweh Tsidkenu (יהוה צדקנו) – “The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16)

He is and will be our righteousness

Yahweh Shammah (יהוה שמה) – “The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35)

He is and will be present and here

Yahweh Sabaoth (יהוה צבאות) – “The Lord of Hosts” (1 Samuel 1:11)

He is and will be armies

Each of these compound names reveals Yahweh’s active engagement with His people, reinforcing that He is not a distant deity but a present, covenant-keeping God who is involved in our affairs.

The Name Beyond Language: More than a Title, A Person

YHWH is not simply a theological construct; He is the Living God, relational and knowable. His name is personal, yet ineffable—so revered that the Israelites refrained from uttering it, substituting HaShem (The Name) in its place. The Tetragrammaton (YHWH), written without vowels, was a deliberate act to preserve the holiness of His name. Even today, there is scholarly debate over its pronunciation—Yahweh being the most widely accepted, while earlier translations rendered it as Jehovah.

In Exodus 34:6-7, as He revealed Himself to Moses on the mountain, Yahweh Himself declares His name and character:

“YHWH, YHWH, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

His name is not an abstract concept but the very foundation of existence, the wellspring from which life, identity, and purpose flow.

The Mystery of the Paleo-Hebrew Form

Looking at Paleo-Hebrew, the ancient script used before the Babylonian exile, the letters of YHWH (יהוה) hold profound pictographic meaning:

Yod (י) – An arm and hand, symbolizing action, work, or divine deed.
Hey (ה) – A man with raised hands, indicating revelation, breath, or beholding.
Waw (ו) – A nail or hook, signifying connection, securing, or fastening.
Hey (ה) – Again, indicating breath or divine presence.

When pieced together, the name visually conveys: “Behold the Hand, Behold the Nail.” This striking revelation aligns with the suffering Messiah, Jesus (Yeshua), who was crucified with nails through His hands. Yahweh, the eternal “I AM,” took on flesh to fulfill His promise of redemption.

YHWH in the New Testament: The Name Incarnate

Jesus’ declaration in John 8:58 stunned His audience:

“Before Abraham was, I AM.”

This was no mere claim; it was a direct identification with the divine Name. The Gospel of John continuously echoes this truth with seven “I AM” statements, each revealing an aspect of Yahweh’s character embodied in Christ:

I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35)
I AM the Light of the World (John 8:12)
I AM the Door (John 10:9)
I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
I AM the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)
I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)
I AM the True Vine (John 15:1)

Each of these statements affirms that Jesus is not only the promised Messiah but Yahweh Himself, made manifest in human form.

This treatise has laid the foundation for the inexhaustible depth of Yahweh’s name, its divine implications, and its connection to Jesus. But there is still more to explore. Before concluding, let us consider what else an enthralled seeker of Yahweh might desire to know about His Name.

YHWH – Yahweh