It's a joke we invented in college, and I confess I still use it from time to time. During a discussion or debate, should the other person accuse me of being judgmental, I remind them of this truth, "I'm not your judge, but I agree with Him." Usually said with a smirk. it is used to help lighten a conversation rising in intensity, but there is nothing light about the All-Powerful Lord, the Pantokrator (pant-oh-kray-tore). Pantokrator is a name for God that not many protestants are familiar with, but it is very old and very telling.

During the inter-testamental period, about 2- to 300 BC, the Jewish Bible was translated into Greek. There was a large Jewish community in Egypt at the time, many of whom had lost their native tongue. This translation was for them, the Greek-speaking Jews. Most of us know that the Hebrew name for God was never written in its entirety, the vowels were dropped and his name appeared simply as YWHW. When it came time to translate this name into the Greek the Jews decided on Pantokrator as a suitable replacement. Even today, while this name for God has fallen out of use in the Western church, it is still known in the Eastern Orthodox traditions.

A study of this Greek term is like a theological treatise. The apostle Paul only uses the name once, in 2 Corinthians 6.18, where it is translated into English as "All-Powerful Lord", but that is only the tip of the ice berg. The word has a wide range of meanings, including Lord Almighty, All Powerful, Omnipotent, only of God, ruler of all. In the New Testament, this rare name of God appears nearly exclusively in the book of Revelation (nine times, to be exact: 1:8, 4:8, 11:17, 15:3, 16:7, 16:14, 19:6, 19:15, and 21:22.). Today the name is usually associated with Jesus as the all-powerful judge of humanity. He is depicted in Eastern religious iconography holding the gospels in his left hand, signifying the source of mankind's judgment, while his right hand is extended to proclaim blessing; Judgment and forgiveness are both in view.

There may be a reason the New Testament writers used this name of God sparingly, and only in reference to his future role. In Luke chapter 24 Jesus is in his hometown of Nazareth and attended synagogue. He stood up to read that weeks Scripture, Isaiah 611-2a. It must have surprised the audience that he stopped mid sentence. He finished the reading by proclaiming, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” The reason Jesus stopped where he did, was because the Scripture he read was related to the ministry of his first coming, the remainder applied to his second coming. Even from the earliest of times Jesus understood his mission as the suffering servant. Here is the passage he read, and the remainder for comparison:

The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has chosen me.

He has commissioned me to encourage the poor,

to help the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,

[This is where Jesus stopped reading]

the day when our God will seek vengeance,

to console all who mourn,

to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,

by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,

oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning,

a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement.

The second half of the passage refers to Jesus' second coming, his second ministry. This division of the Messiah's role , suffering servant and returning king, was unknown to the Jews of Jesus' day (and still is for most), but Jesus understood it completely and passed this knowledge on to his disciples. While the name Pantokrator might have meant simply "All Powerful" to the Jews, the disciples came to understand it as a name for God that is associated with Jesus' return. Paul's single use of the term is following a quotation that refers to how life will be after his return. All of John's use of the name is in the book of Revelation, a description of his second coming. It seems that, to the New Testament writers, Pantokrator has a deeper meaning.

As the church grew, it appears this aspect of Christology was lost, retained only by the Eastern Orthodox church who would have been most familiar with the Septuagint, that version of the Old Testament translated to Greek back in the inter-testamental times. Coincidence? I think not. But it makes me wonder if this isn't the name referred to in Revelation 19.16: "He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Something for your consideration, and mine.