Dane Tyner

Hallelujah-Alleluia Means . . .



Posted: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

by Dane Tyner
Home Improvement Ministry

Two words, familiar to the biblically literate, are Hallelujah and Alleluia. They are the same words essentially. Hallelujah comes from the Old Testament which was mostly written in Hebrew. Alleluia is the Greek form of that word, the language used in the books of the New Testament. Hallelujah is found only in the Psalms, which was basically the Hebrew's ancient hymn book. Alleluia is found only in the last New Testament book, The Revelation, where heavenly praise of God is reported.

These words have become a universal expression of praise to God. For the Hebrews to say Hallelujah was to say "Praise Yahweh" or "Praise the Lord". Yahweh and Jehovah are various pronunciations of the name of God proposed by theologians. Faithful Hebrews, however, never pronounced the Name. They believed that God's name, spelled with four Hebrew letters (identified by theologians as the Tetragrammaton), was so holy as to be beyond human utterance. When that Name would appear in Scripture, they would simply say "the Lord" or "the Name of the Lord."

"Hallelujah" is a strong expression of praise of the One True God, the Creator, the Almighty. It, like the very Name of the Lord, should not be spoken flippantly. The word should be packed with meaning when spoken by a believer. It means things like the following . . .

Lord, You are Holy. There is none like You!

You are great and what you do is great!

You are perfect in every way.

Your purity, integrity and generosity are incomparable and incomprehensible.

All that has power derives its energy from You, the Almighty.

Even the accumulated knowledge of all men falls far short of Yours.

You are mighty! Nothing is too difficult for You!

Your handiwork is amazing!

You made every tiny part of every tiny atom!

You made every part of this astoundingly vast universe!

You are the Author of life!

You have given me life and I am truly amazed.

You are the Waymaker for the wayward soul! You have made a way for me!

You are Love. You are Light. And You are Life!

You are too wonderful for words! Your majesty defies description!

I salute Your unrivalled glory and grandeur!

You deserve the unabated adoration of Your creation!

You are worthy of far greater worship than I ever render!

I earnestly honor You with my mouth and with my heart!

You are awesome! You are Lord of all!

You are the Only True God! You are my God! I love You!

To say or shout Hallelujah is to express all of these things, and far more. So, again I say Hallelujah to You, my Lord! Hallelujah, indeed!

When you say or shout Hallelujah, may that word always express expansive praise from your heart to the Worthy One of Heaven. Would you pause for a few moments and contemplate God's goodness and greatness; then say it to Him afresh from your heart?

Dane Tyner is founder and director of Home Improvement Ministry, a Christian family counseling service in Tulsa, OK.  The ministry website is http://www.forhim.org.

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