Hallowed Be Thy Name

by Doug Fortune

"Hallowed be thy name." The word translated as hallowed is hagiazo in Greek. It meanings include- to make holy, purify or consecrate, mentally to venerate, sanctify. As we saw in an earlier chapter, in Biblical symbolism when we look at the NAME of a thing it speaks of the NATURE of the thing. My children have my family name and (whether they like it or not) they have my nature also! So when we put this all together, to HALLOW means to make holy, and His NAME speaks of His nature. Well it is obvious that His nature is ALREADY holy, yet Christ instructs us to pray "Hallowed be thy name." So what on earth IS this all about?

Herein lies the answer... Just WHERE has He put His Name and His nature? He has put His Name and His nature in US! Yes, we have this Treasure- His Name and His nature- in earthen vessels. When we pray "Hallowed be thy name" we are praying that His holy, purified, consecrated, sanctified NATURE be established IN US! The book of Exodous spells it out as it declares, "Thou shalt not take the NAME of the LORD thy God (His NATURE) in vain..." (Exodus 20:7) I don't really believe this verse has much to do with "cussing", although bad language is distasteful to me. When I take on His Name, thus becoming His offspring, part of His family and His nature, it is not in vain!

Indeed, as His Name and His nature is hallowed IN US, it is not in vain as His Throne is accurately established in us.

Twenty-some years ago I did a fair amount of study on the Name of God, particularly the redemptive names of God found in the Old Testament. Indeed, this is a rich study that brings a clearer understanding of Who God is. However, as I realize that His Name and His nature is to be hallowed IN US, it sheds a whole new light!

Jehovah Tsidkenu- The Lord Our Righteousness:

The prophet Jeremiah introduces us to the redemptive name of Jehovah Tsidkenu; "In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jehovah Tsidkenu)... In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu)." (Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16) The prophet Isaiah gives us a clear picture of the natural state of righteousness of the carnal man before God- "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness's are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) This is a pretty bleak but accurate picture of our own righteousness. However, Father in His infinite wisdom knew that the only way to rectify such a situation was a complete exchange of identity; "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Or to put it in the Doug Fortune paraphrased version of the Bible (smile), "He became everything I was (sin), in order that I may become everything He is (righteousness/ no sin)." By virtue of our being IN Jesus Christ we have the judicial standing of "righteousness/ no sin" before God. However, I believe that as His Name, His nature, is truly hallowed IN US, that judicial standing of "righteousness/ no sin" will begin to work out in living practicality in our everyday lives. May my fervent prayer be, Hallowed be Thy Name, Jehovah Tsidkenu- The Lord My Righteousness, as Your righteousness is brought forth IN me!

Jehovah M'KaddeshKem- The Lord Our Sanctification:

The book of Exodus introduces us to the redemptive name of Jehovah M'KaddeshKem; "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you (Jehovah M'KaddeshKem)." (Exodus 31:13) I have always viewed "sanctification" as progressive, the process of the outworking of the salvation of the soul. I still hold to that thought, only I believe that the "process" may be more a matter of our mind being renewed to the fact of who we already ARE in Christ.

In other words, we are not sanctified by what we DO, based upon our performance. "Getting it together" spiritually will not make us any more sanctified. "By the which will we are sanctified through the OFFERING of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE for all." (Hebrews 10:10) We were sanctified by one thing- the OFFERING of the body of Jesus Christ, and that was done ONCE for all! The more our mind is renewed to the fact that we are ALREADY sanctified in Christ is what will produce our "getting it together" spiritually. This is the appropriation of the finished work of Christ! May my fervent prayer be, Hallowed be Thy Name, Jehovah M'KaddeshKem- The Lord My Sanctification, as Your sanctification is brought forth IN me!

Jehovah Shammah- The Lord The Everpresent:

The prophet Ezekiel introduces us to the redemptive name of Jehovah Shammah; "It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD IS THERE (Jehovah Shammah)." (Ezekiel 48:35) Of course we know that God is omnipresent- His Presence is everywhere all the time. "Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there." (Psalms 139:7-8)

The objective truth of His omnipresence is certainly reassuring, however the subjective truth of His manifest Presence as Jehovah Shammah- The Lord The Everpresent, is life-transforming. His manifest Presence is my greatest desire, my goal, my rest, my delight.

Friend, His manifest Presence is not to be found in the past. His manifest Presence is not to be found in the future. His manifest Presence is only to be found in the PRESENT. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord the Ever-PRESENT. This is why we cannot live in the past. This is why we cannot live in the future. We must live in the ever-PRESENT NOW of Jehovah Shammah if we are to truly experience His manifest Presence.

Yes, I am thankful for where I have been, I am very thankful for my past. Yes, I am anticipating where I am going, I am greatly anticipating my future. However I cannot live there. "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the PRESENT TRUTH." (2 Peter 1:12) I can remember the past with thanks and anticipate my future, but I must be established in the PRESENT truth.

The word translated as "established" in that verse is sterizo in Greek, and it means to set fast, to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or figuratively to confirm, to stedfastly set. I must be turned resolutely in the certain direction of PRESENT truth. To be "established" means that is where my life issues from... my life issues from PRESENT truth because His Presence is in the PRESENT.

May my fervent prayer be, Hallowed be Thy Name, Jehovah Shammah- The Lord The Everpresent, as I am established in the PRESENT truth of Your manifest Presence brought forth IN me!

Jehovah Shaphat- The Lord The Judge:

How befitting that it is the book of Judges that introduces us to the redemptive name of Jehovah Shaphat; "...the LORD the Judge (Jehovah Shaphat) be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon." (Judges 11:27) Indeed, He IS the Lord the Judge. I believe however that there is much misunderstanding in the Church today concerning His judgment.

Peter declares, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God..." (1Peter 4:17). Of course we know that WE are the house of God, so Father's judgment must begin in US. The book of Hebrews says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27). We also know that we are DEAD in Christ, because WE DIED when He died; "We know that our old (unrenewed) self WAS nailed to the cross with Him..." (Romans 6:6 Amplified Bible) When we put all that together, we see that we died in Christ on the cross, and now Father's judgment is at work in us. Now before you start worrying, let us find out what New Covenant judgment is all about.

"And Jesus said, For JUDGMENT I am come into this world..." (John 9:39 KJV) "Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment, as a Separator..." (John 9:39 Amplified Bible) Most of the misunderstanding stems from the fact that so many try to live out their Christianity under an Old Covenant, law-based mentality. The prevailing thought when it applies to judgment is that of punishment or retribution. This is clearly NOT New Covenant understanding, for 2 Corinthians 5:21 is quite plain as it states, "For He hath made Him to BE SIN FOR US, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." The New Covenant emphasis of judgment is not punishment or retribution, rather the emphasis is that of SEPARATION. Jesus came into the world as a Separator! "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the EARTH..." (Matthew 10:34 Amplified Bible) As we've discussed before, earth is symbolic of carnality. Jesus definitely did not come to bring peace to our carnality! "I have not come to bring peace, but a SWORD. For I have come to PART ASUNDER..." (Matthew 10:34-35 Amplified Bible) He came to bring a Sword to our carnality! And what kind of Sword does He bring?... "For the WORD of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged SWORD, piercing even to the dividing ASUNDER of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) The Sword that He brings to divide asunder our carnality is the "engrafted Word (Christ IN us), which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21 my input in parenthesis)

You see, judgment in the New Covenant is upon carnality. Jesus came as the One to separate us from our carnality. The New Covenant emphasis is not so much a matter of bringing judgment upon individuals for their sin (as in the Old Covenant), but rather bringing judgment upon the kosmos, upon carnality itself. The emphasis is not that God is mad when individuals reject Him and therefore He will bring judgment upon them. God loves people... what He hates is carnality, because carnality brings death and decay to people. The LAW could never separate us from our carnality, but Christ IN us is well able to bring the necessary judgment.

Jesus speaks of this in John chapter 16 when He says, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the WORLD (kosmos in Greek) of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment... Of judgment, because the prince of this world (kosmos in Greek) is judged." (John 16:7-8, 11) Christ IN us, as the Comforter (the Holy Spirit), reproves the world (the kosmos) of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. It is HIM that does the reproving, not ourselves! The word translated as "world" in those verses is kosmos in Greek. As we have seen in previous studies, its' meanings include- an orderly arrangement; the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family; the ungodly multitude; world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly; the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ. Or to put it plain language, the kosmos speaks of the "worldly system", that which originates from carnality. "Then Jesus said, I came into this world (kosmos in Greek) for judgment, as a Separator..." (John 9:39 Amplified Bible) Jesus came as a Separator to bring judgment, to bring a separation to the kosmos of the "worldly system", to bring a separation to all that originates from carnality.

Let judgment begin in the House of God! May my fervent prayer be, Hallowed be Thy Name, Jehovah Shaphat- The Lord The Judge, as Your judgment that separates carnality is worked out IN me!

Jehovah Shalom- The Lord Our Peace:

The book of Judges also introduces us to the redemptive name of Jehovah Shalom; "Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites." (Judges 6:24)

The word translated as "peace" is shalom in Hebrew. Its' meanings include- completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, safety, health, prosperity, tranquillity, contentment. How befitting as Christ IS my completeness... Christ IS my soundness... Christ IS my welfare... Christ IS my peace... Christ IS my safety... Christ IS my health... Christ IS my prosperity... Christ IS my tranquillity... Christ IS my contentment!

In the New Testament, the word translated as "peace" is eirene in Greek and I particularly like the definition of this word. Eirene is from a primary verb, eiro, meaning to JOIN, to set at ONE again, quietness, rest. When we consider that definition in the light of 1 Corinthians 6:17, the implications are awesome; "But the person who is united to the Lord becomes ONE SPIRIT with Him." (Amplified Bible) James 1:8 tells us, "A DOUBLE minded man is UNSTABLE in all his ways." The word translated as "unstable" is akatastatos in Greek, and it means unstable, inconstant, RESTLESS. In double mindedness, not being ONE with Christ, there is no peace, no REST, constant upheaval! I don't know about you, but I don't want to live like that! May my fervent prayer be, Hallowed be Thy Name, Jehovah Shalom- The Lord Our Peace, as You set me at ONE again with the Mind of Christ, that Your peace be brought forth IN me!

In considering the redemptive names of Jehovah Shaphat- The Lord The Judge and Jehovah Shalom- The Lord Our Peace, it would be easy to possibly see these as almost contradicting forces in our lives. However this is not the case at all... in fact, quite the opposite. You see, it is JUDGMENT or separation that brings the ONENESS that Jesus prayed for in His last prayer before He went to the cross; "That they all may be ONE; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be ONE IN US: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in ONE." (John 17:21-23) There cannot be ONENESS with duality, there cannot be ONENESS as long as there are the "two men" (Adam and Christ) in the same "bed" of our lives. One of the "men" must go!

Let us pray "Hallowed be thy name"- Your Righteousness, Your Sanctification, Your Ever-Presence, Your Judgment, Your Peace, Your holy, purified, consecrated, NATURE be established IN US!

To be continued...

Doug Fortune

www.dougfortune.org