One of the great questions of the day is: Who is ELOHIYM?  We have the use of this word throughout scripture and it appears for the first time in the very first verse of Bere’shiyth (Genesis). 

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 1:1 
IN the beginning ELOHIYM created את eth the heavens and את eth the earth.

One of the great detractions, in my view, from this word, is the simplistic concept that because the word is in the masculine plural (-iym) therefore, the word is discussing gods, not a singular (echad) entity, but a multiplicity of entities.  From this flat-footed interpretation, historians and other academics have concluded that the earth was created by aliens, and that man himself was created by aliens, with the ones who were created (namely, us) referred to as gods (elohiym).

Another concept that arises is the notion that ELOHIYM refers to God in three persons, therefore the trinity (the polytheist view found in many branches of Christianity).  For purposes of our discussion here, I do not believe that is true, but that instead, the sevenfold doctrine of his whole creation is revealed even in the word ĕlôhîym (אֱלֹהִים).

Chanoch (Enoch) 93:12 
Afterwards, in the seventh week, a perverse generation shall arise; abundant shall be its deeds, and all its deeds perverse. During its completion, the righteous shall be selected from the everlasting plant of righteousness; and to them shall be given the sevenfold doctrine of his whole creation.

We are going to discuss this sevenfold doctrine here in respect of the word ELOHIYM, and see what we find.

Chanoch (Enoch) 61:10-14 
Then YAHUAH TSEVA’OTH seated upon the throne of his glory the Elect One; 11 Who shall judge all the works of the holy, in heaven above, and in a balance shall he weigh their actions. And when he shall lift up his countenance to judge their secret ways in the word of the name of YAHUAH TSEVA’OTH, and their progress in the path of the righteous judgment of EL ELYON; 12 They shall all speak with united voice; and bless, glorify, exalt, and praise, in the name of YAHUAH TSEVA’OTH. 13 He shall call to every power of the heavens, to all the holy above, and to the power of ELOHIYM. The Keruviym, the Seraphiym, and the Ophaniyn, all the angels of power, and all the angels of YAHUAH, namely, of the Elect One, and of the other Power, who was upon earth over the water on that day, 14 Shall raise their united voice; shall bless, glorify, praise, and exalt with the RUACH EMUNAH,  with the RUACH CHOKMAH  and NETSACH,  with the RUACH CHECED,  with the RUACH MISHPAT  and SHALOM,  and with the RUACH RAHTSON;  all shall say with united voice; Blessed is he; and the name of YAHUAH TSEVA’OTH shall be blessed forever and ever; all, who sleep not, shall bless it in heaven above.

Now, in this passage, we find so many things: the discussion of the Elect One (MASHIACH); who judges in the word of the name of YAHUAH TSEVA’OTH; and an additional Power other than the Elect One was upon earth over the water on that day.

We will be discussing this other Power here, although we have an immediate discussion in the very verse which follows in Chanoch (Enoch), namely, the identification of seven RUACHOTH.

RUACH EMUNAH - The Ruach of Faith
RUACH CHOKMAH - The Ruach of Wisdom
RUACH NETSACH - The Ruach of Longsuffering
RUACH CHECED - The Ruach of Mercy
RUACH MISHPAT - The Ruach of Judgment
RUACH SHALOM - The Ruach of Peace
RUACH RAHTSON - The Ruach of Benevolence

We see here one example of the sevenfold doctrine found in creation.  Can these words in Ivriyt (Hebrew) be bunched into these simple English interpretations? No, not really.  Emunah means faith, but what is faith if not belief? Chokmah means wisdom, but what is wisdom if not the Yir’ah YAHUAH – the fear of YAHUAH? Netsach means longsuffering, but it also means endurance; Checed means mercy, but it also means a form of grace. And so, it goes.  Equally important is the word RUACH itself, which means primarily breath, not spirit.

Before moving one, consider one more passage from Chanoch:

Chanoch (Enoch) 62:2-4 
YAHUAH TSEVA’OTH sat upon the throne of his glory. 3 And the RUACH TSEDAQAH was poured out over him. 4 The word of his mouth shall destroy all the sinners and all the wicked, who shall perish at his presence.

Now consider the language in Yesha`yahu (Isaiah):

Yesha`yahu (Isaiah) 11:2-5

And the RUACH YAHUAH shall rest upon him, the RUACH CHOKMAH  and BIYNAH,  the RUACH ETSAH  and GEVURAH,  the RUACH DA’ATH  and of the YIR’AH  of YAHUAH; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of YAHUAH: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, and faithfulness the belt of his reins.

As we can see, Chanoch and Yesha`yahu are consistent, one to the other.  Again, let us see the sevenfold doctrine in this passage:

RUACH YAHUAH - The Ruach of YAHUAH
RUACH CHOKMAH - The Ruach of Wisdom
RUACH BIYNAH - The Ruach of Understanding
RUACH ETSAH - The Ruach of Counsel
RUACH  GEVURAH - The Ruach of Strength
RUACH DA’ATH - The Ruach of Knowledge
RUACH YIR’AH - The Ruach of the Fear of YAHUAH

Now let us compare these seven RUACHOTH with the seven days of creation.

We begin now to answer the question as to who or what is ELOHIYM.  Let’s take a closer look at this word RUACH:

Ruach (רוּחַ) (Strong’s 7307) from H7306, is understood to mean wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions).  Its root is (רוּחַ) ruach, which means properly to blow, i.e. breathe.

We see this same expression in the Greek, where the phrase Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) is derived from the phrase: hágios pneuma. The word pneuma πνεῦμα (Strong’s G4151) meaning a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc.

So, when we talk about the RUACH HAQODESH, we are referring to the Holy Breath of YAH. Is this consistent with the account of creation in Bere’shiyth (Genesis)?  Yes, it is. Because the verses recount the phrase “and ELOHIYM said (אֱלֹהִים  אָמַר)” seven times: (Bere’shiyth 1:3; 1:6; 1:9; 1:14; 1:20; 1:24; and 1:29. We now see the plurality of the expression of YAHUAH the creator; creating creation by means of the seven breaths we call RUACHOTH; all together encapsulated in the word ELOHIYM. 

Final notes: Let us continue to discuss this heptadic schematic of scripture:

Zakaryahu (Zechariah) 3:8-9 
Hear now, O Yahusha the high priest, you, and your fellows that sit before you: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth את eth-my servant the BRANCH. 9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Yahusha; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, says YAHUAH TSEVA’OTH, and I will remove את eth-the iniquity of that land in one day.

Here is a photo of a stone taken from an ancient synagogue located in Migdal, Israel:

Zakaryahu (Zechariah) 4:10
For who has despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see את eth-the plummet in the hand of Zerubbavel with those seven; they are the eyes (עיני)(ayiniy) of YAHUAH, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

And also consider:

Chizayon (Revelation) 1:19-20 
Write the things את eth which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden menoroth. The seven stars are the angels of the seven called out assemblies: and the seven menoroth which you saw are the seven called out assemblies.