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Re: Additional Info About Girl Name, Maranatha...
Can any one please explain the history of the name? I have always been curious because I would have assumed that a name borne by an Archangel belongs to an early part of the history of the people. Were idiomatic expressions used as names of humans in that phase of history, or only of divine beings, i.e., is Michael original a human name that became an angel's name or vice-versa? If it was primarily an angel's name, what was the connotation: since angel's are not named by any one human, I would have expected their names to be more formulaic (e.g., in Gabriel).The answer may be unknown, but where else to satisfy one's curiosity but from this body of experts?
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The name simply means "Even so come Lord Jesus ". Other versions put it as "The Lord is returning". It's a prayer by Christians waiting for the return of their redeemer Jesus
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During the Jesus Movement (1960s & '70s), Jesus' return for His Church was a hot topic. "Maranatha" became more-or-less a slogan of the times. It appeared in music, names of churches and other Christian ministries. Its final -a lent itself to the feminine naming styles of American English and neighboring Spanish-speakers.IIRC, Michael was an angelic name first.

This message was edited 8/4/2014, 8:35 PM

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