The Lord of Sabaoth
2025-04-11
The phrase “Lord of Sabaoth” appears twice in the New Testament.
And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. (Romans 9:29)
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. (James 5:4)
The first reference defines the “Sabaoth” for us, because it is an Old Testament quote: “Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:9).
The “Lord of Sabaoth” means “LORD of hosts.” What are hosts? Armies. The “-oth” in Sabaoth indicates that the word is plural.
The Armies of the Lord
This is significant because the LORD, who is the Almighty God, has His own armies. Consider these: “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). Jesus knew there were more than 12 legions of angels that the Father has at His disposal. A legion, according to a quick internet search, would be thousands soldiers. Angels are far more powerful than any human being, so consider the immensity of the power of the Lord’s hosts.
Again, we see that the LORD “dwelleth between the cherubims” (1 Chronicles 13:6). The ark had cherubim on it, but this is a picture of a heavenly reality: the LORD dwells amid cherubim. The suffix “-im” also indicates the plural.
Consider how the LORD’s armies are greater than any army on earth. When the Syrians came against Israel, Elisha the prophet gives us this insight:
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (2 Kings 6:16-17)
Angels like Gabriel and Michael are involved in spiritual warfare with the princes of the world’s empires. “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:12-13).
The Lord has many armies, and He leads many armies, but the power of the armies is from Him. Does the Lord really need any armies? However, for our sake, we can see that the Lord has many allies that fight on behalf of Him. This brings us much comfort. “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
Examples of Instances of “the LORD of Hosts”
The “hosts” can mean the host of His people. “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:41). Here, the hosts of the LORD refer to His people leaving Egypt, the great Exodus.
There is heavy usage of the phrase “the LORD of hosts” in the prophets. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, refers to the LORD this way. “And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head” (1 Samuel 1:11).
Hannah knew that she could not have children on her own as she was barren for a long time. However, she knew the power of the LORD was greater than her circumstances.
David had the same faith when he faced Goliath, knowing that God and His armies were more powerful than the champion from Gath. “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).
Consider Psalm 24. This psalm shows the limitless power of the LORD over creation. He defeated the subdued the primordial waters. No man can enter His presence. Only the pure and righteous can see Him.
The final verses tell us more about His might. The King of Glory comes to His throne in great majesty, where the doors themselves must open and expand for Him to enter. In Psalm 24:8, the Spirit says the King of Glory is “The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” In verse 10, the King of Glory is “The LORD of hosts.” The LORD of hosts refers to His power and prowess in battle. Nothing limits Him, and He cannot lose in battle.
The phrase “the LORD of hosts” should cause one to fear. Not only is He mighty in battle, but He does fight against enemies.
Consider Isaiah 2:6-22. Consider the grievous sin of Judah. It has come to the point where there is no more forgiveness. They were given time to turn to the LORD but did not. Then we see the phrase “the day of the LORD of hosts” after this. The Day of the LORD is a future event, not merely the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Everything rich and powerful will be leveled. Everyone will be hiding in caves and rocks, knowing that the LORD’s judgment has come. Revelation reiterates this, when the people shall say:
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:15-17).
There are about 200 such examples throughout the prophets. The bottom line is that the LORD has armies, but does not need them. The emphasis is on His power and might to destroy His enemies. There is end times significance in this phrase “LORD of hosts.”
The New Testament Usages
And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. (Romans 9:29)
The first example is from the apostle Paul in Romans. Chapters nine through eleven teach concerning election and the hardening of the Jews. There has always been a remnant of Jewish people who believed the Gospel. This is the “remnant” or “seed” discussed here.
Because of the unfaithfulness of the people, they recognize (or will recognize) that it is by the power and might of the LORD only that they survived and are still a people today.
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. (James 5:4)
But what of this second verse? The rich have squandered their wealth in the last days and were taking advantage of the poor that they enslaved to do their work for them. Those who were trampled down by these wealthy people cry out to the Lord of hosts. The implication is that the Lord, with all His power and might, shall be swift to take vengeance on these rich ones. The Lord is at the door, and His Day is near. Their destruction will be swift, but they have a moment, perhaps, to turn to this Lord of hosts and receive mercy before the Day arrives.