God of heaven

God of heaven is a name for God that states God’s presence and dominion in the spiritual domain.

You won’t find heaven on an interstellar map! Although the Bible speaks of it in quite physical terms, it is a spiritual domain. God is spirit and He dwells everywhere. However, all the names of God must condense different attributes of God into restricted human language. At first glance, that language can mislead us.

According to the Hebrew worldview, there were three spheres of the heavens: the atmosphere, stellar heaven, and God’s dwelling (the third heaven). The phrase, “heaven and the heaven of heavens,” might be a reference to the last two. The Hebrew word for heaven, shamayim, is constructed like a plural—perhaps a reflection of the worldview. The word can refer to anything in the created universe that is not solid: air, sky, space. It can also mean the dwelling of God. The equivalent Greek word ouranos has a similar meaning. The New Testament tells us that Jesus (Yeshua‘) has passed through or above the heavens and that Paul was once caught up to the third heaven.1

A name of God pictured in the Hebrew text: God of heaven (El hashamayim) in Psalm 136:26.

God of heaven (El hashamayim) in the Hebrew text of Psalm 136:26.

 

God of heaven in Hebrew:

’El hashamayim

Strong’s Concordance numbers: 410, 8064

Bible reference: Ps. 136:26

O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:26, KJV)

 

’Elohei hashamayim

A name of God pictured in the Hebrew text: God of heaven (Elohei hashamayim) in Genesis 24:3.

God of heaven (Elohei hashamayim) in the Hebrew text of Genesis 24:3.

Strong’s Concordance numbers: 430, 8064

Bible references: Gen. 24:3, 7; 2 Chron. 36:23; Ezra 1:2; Neh. 1:4, 5; 2:4, 20; Jonah 1:9

I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth,that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites,among whom I am living. (Genesis 24:3, NIV)

 

God of heaven in Aramaic:

’Elah shemayya’

A name of God pictured in the Aramaic text: God of heaven (Elah shemayya) in Daniel 2:37

God of heaven (Elah shemayya) in the Aramaic text of Daniel 2:37

 

Strong’s Concordance numbers: 426, 8065

Bible references: Ezra 5:12; 6:9, 10, 7:12, 21, 23; Dan. 2:18, 19, 37, 44

Because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. (Ezra 5:12, NIV)

God of heaven in Greek:

Theos tou ouranou

A name of God pictured in the Greek text: God of heaven in Revelation 16:11.

God of heaven in the Greek text of Revelation 16:11.

 

Strong’s Concordance numbers: 2316, 3372

Bible references: Rev. 11:13; 16:11

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:13, NIV)

There are several similar biblical names for God. God in the heavens, Lord of heaven, and King of heaven are in the Old Testament. Some names emphasize His dominion over heaven; others focus on His dominion over the earth. A few express both.

 

  1. 2 Cor. 12:2; Eph. 4:10, Heb. 4:14; 7:26 [↩]