Millions of people around the world break a commandment almost every day and they are mostly ignorant of their act of lawbreaking. This is not a new occurrence; it has been happening for centuries. All of these people violate the laws of their Creator. They are seemingly unaware of their transgressions and the momentous results that their lawbreaking will have on their lives.
In this study, we will learn how the world has come to violate the Creator’s laws and the results of their disobedience.
The Bible
The most widely held book in the world is the Bible. Christians compose one of the largest religious groups in the world. The title, Christian, is taken from the Messiah’s name, as it is written in the English version of the Bible. The name of the Son in the English Bible is Jesus Christ. Thus, followers of the Bible have come to call themselves Christians. They believe they are following the teachings of the Messiah as written in the English version of the Bible.
They are sadly mistaken. Millions of people will not go to heaven when they die, as they are taught in their religious services. They are taught many things that are not in the bible. One incorrect teaching involves the names of the Father and His Son. Millions believe the name of the Father is god or lord. How can this not be correct since these so-called names are written in the pages of English versions of the bible and have been that way for centuries?
The Torah
Let’s go back in time to when the Scriptures were first written. Moses is believed to have written the first five books of the Bible, or Pentateuch. The word Pentateuch comes from the Greek word, pentateuchos, literally meaning a 5-volume book. The first five books of the Bible are also known by Jews as the Torah, which has the general meaning of the law, or to teach. You can check these definitions for yourself by using any good Bible dictionary or encyclopedia.
The first book of the Bible, Genesis, describes the creation and the early history of man. The next four books, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, give us the early history of Israel and the laws and statutes the Creator gave Israel by which they were to live their lives.
Today, most Christians believe that the laws of the Torah or Pentateuch no longer apply to those who follow the teachings of the Messiah. In the book of Exodus, chapter 20, the commandments are given for the first time in a codified form to the Israelites on Mount Sinai. According to the book of Exodus, this great event occurred the first year of their journey to the land which Yahweh promised them through their ancestor Abraham. As a matter of fact, this codified law known to us as the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by Yahweh on very day we now know as the day of Pentecost. The third commandment states that man is not to make the name of the Creator useless or vain. It goes on to state that the Creator will not hold anyone guiltless who makes His name useless or vain.
At this point in the study, we should remember that the Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language. The name of the Creator was given to Moses in Hebrew. Some may argue there is no evidence that the Creator spoke in Hebrew, only that Moses recorded the conversations he had with the Creator in Hebrew. But if you believe the Bible, you will note that the Creator wrote the commandments in stone Himself. The Creator also spoke to Moses, as recorded in Exodus, chapter 3, verses 14 &15, and revealed to him His true name. There is no evidence or even the smallest reason to believe that Moses converted the Creator’s words to Hebrew from some other language never mentioned in the Scriptures.
Father’s Name
If you have a good study Bible, you can read in the footnotes what name the Creator gave to Moses. You can also find the true name of the Creator in good Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. You must study carefully because even good Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias have error often based on uninformed Christian bias. A prime example is the liberal use of the false name of the Creator, Jehovah. Those who did not study deeply enough to learn that Jehovah was an incorrect translation of the true Hebrew name of the Father have used the name Jehovah. This error came about because scribes of Israel placed vowel points on the Hebrew Tetragrammaton that sounds the Father’s name. Some scholars write that the Hebrew Tetragrammaton that is depicted by the English letters YHWH is unpronounceable. However, as language scholars have become more familiar with the Hebrew language and the history of this name, they have come to understand that the name is pronounced Yahweh. Names are constant from one language to another. The sound of a personal name sounds the same in all languages. Letters have different sounds in different languages. The letter j in English has the sound of the letter h in Spanish. This can be clearly seen by the name Jesus. In English, the name is pronounced Jesus with the sound of a j, but in Spanish, the name is pronounced Heysus where the sound of an h replaces the sound of a j.
Important Definitions
Transliterate: transcribe something into another alphabet; to represent a letter or word written in one alphabet using the corresponding letter or letters of another, so that the sound of the letter or word remains approximately the same.
Trans·la·tions [version in another language: a word, phrase, or version in another language that has a meaning equivalent to that of the original. Mid-19th century. Formed from trans- + Latin litera (see letter) + -ate.]
Thus, we see the difference between transliterate and translate. Proper names have the same sound in every language even when a language has a character that is pronounced as another character in another language. As we saw in our example above, Spanish does not have a letter that is pronounced as a j. The character j in Spanish is pronounced as the character w in English. An example of this is the name, Juan. In Spanish, it is pronounced Wuan where the sound of a w replaces the sound of a j.
Why is it important to know the true name of the Father? This study will reveal the meaning of the Father’s name and why He considers it to be so important.
To understand why the Creator made the use of His name a commandment, let’s look at the meaning of names in Hebrew. Before we study this, however, have you ever wondered why there are so many people in the Old Testament whose names end with the letters iah? Some examples are Jeremiah, Zechariah, Obadiah, Isaiah, Nehemiah and many others. Also, have you ever thought about why so many people in the Old Testament had names that ended in el? Israel, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Michael are some of the most prominent examples.
Hallelujah
While we are questioning the meaning of names, have you ever wondered what the word, hallelujah, means? All of these names and words are from a base word in the Hebrew language.
As we learned earlier, the Tetragrammaton, sounded YHWH in English, is taken from the Hebrew Tetragrammaton for the name of the Father and is pronounced Yahweh. Now notice that when people pronounce the word hallelujah they pronounce the j as if it were a y so the word is pronounced halleluyah. What you will also learn is that this word is pronounced with the y sound instead of the j in every language of the world.
This same word is sometimes pronounced alleluia, which is taken from the Greek language. The word is defined as:
hal·le·lu·jah [hàll? l?y?] or hal·le·lu·iah [hàll? l?y?] or al·le·lu·ia [àll? l?y?] interj 1. used to express praise to God: used to express praise or thanks to God 2. used to express relief: used to express relief, welcome, or gratitude, Hallelujah! The old car finally started on the fifth try. n (plural hal·le·lu·jahs) (plural hal·le·lu·iahs) (plural al·le·lu·ias) 1. cry of “hallelujah!”: a thankful cry of “hallelujah!” 2. hymn of praise: a song or piece of religious music expressing praise to God [Old English , via Latin from, ultimately, Hebrew halleluyah, literally “praise ye the Lord”] Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002. © 1993-2001.
The Lord
The above definition is representative of most English dictionaries, which explain the meaning of alleluia as taken from the Hebrew word, hallelujah, which means praise be to g_d. But is that the meaning or is it now obvious that the words mean “praise be to Yah,” the shortened name of Yahweh? You will notice that the dictionary cited above defines hallelujah as “praise be to the Lord.” Lord is the word we see in the English versions of the Bible, used as the name of the Father Creator. But is Lord the name of the Father?
The very first thing we should understand is that the word, lord, is not a name. It is merely a title.
Lord n 1. Christian God: a title Christians give to God or specifically to Jesus Christ
- 2. Jewish God: a title that Jews give to God
- 3. U.K. title for a man: used as an alternate title for a marquess, earl, viscount, or baron
- 4. U.K. courtesy title for a man: used as a courtesy title for the younger son or sons of a marquess, or duke
- 5. U.K. form of address for a man: used as a form of address for an earl, viscount, or baron, and for the
younger son of a duke or marquess
- 6. title of high-ranking official: a title given to some high-ranking British officials
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Is God A Name?
In the above definition, you will note that the word lord is never called a name. It is defined as a title given by Christians to God. But is God a name?
God n 1. religion supreme being: the being believed in monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity to be the all-powerful all-knowing creator of the universe, worshiped as the only god 2. christianity the Trinity: one supreme being worshiped by Christians in the form of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
El. Another important root name for God in the Old Testament is El. By itself it refers to a god in the most general sense. It was widely used in ancient eastern cultures whose languages are similar to Hebrew and therefore may refer either to the true God or to false gods. The highest Canaanite god was El whose son was Baal. In the Bible the word is often defined properly by a qualifier like Jehovah: “I, the LORD (Jehovah) your God (Elohim), am a jealous God (El)” (Deut. 5:9). (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Elohim. Elohim is the plural form of El, but it is usually translated in the singular. Some scholars have held that the plural represents an intensified form for the supreme God; others believe it describes the supreme God and His heavenly court of created beings. Still others hold that the plural form refers to the triune God of Gen. 1:1-3, who works through Word and Spirit in the creation of the world. All agree that the plural form Elohim does convey the sense of the one supreme being who is the only true God. (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publisher)
Elohim, in Hebrew, means mighty one and it can also be plural, meaning mighty ones. The Greek word theos has the same meaning as elohim, and means God in the English language. It can mean any god, good or evil, and is not a personal name identifying a personal Supreme Being. Therefore, we now can understand that god or Elohim is not a name of a god or Supreme Being. God or elohim can mean mighty one or ones and refer to any number of gods.
The Only True Name
The Mighty One in the Old Testament tells us plainly that His name is Yahweh. He tells us that it is His only name and it will be His only name forever.
Then Moses said to Elohim, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” Elohim said to Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’” Elohim, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘ Yahweh, the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations, Ex. 3:13-15, NASU.
These verses are taken from the New American Standard English Bible. If these same words were read in Hebrew as they were recorded by Moses, the name, Yahweh, would be the name the Creator gave Moses as His memorial name that would be His only name throughout all generations.
The Interlinear Bible shows the following for verse 15:
shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD
559 413 1121 3478 3068
to’mar ‘el- bªneey Yisraa’eel Yahweh
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
430 1 430
85 430
‘Eloheey ‘ªboteeykem– ‘Eloheey ‘Abraahaam ‘Eloheey
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:
3327 430 3290
7971 413
Yitschaaq wee-‘Eloheey Ya`ªqob– shªlaachaniy ‘ªleeykem
this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial
2088 9999 8034 5769 2088 9999 2143
Zeh- shªmiy lª`olaam wªzeh zikriy
unto all generations.
1755 1755
Ex. 3:15 Interlinear Transliterated Bible. Copyright (c) 1994 by Biblesoft
The above Scripture is taken from the Hebrew Interlinear Bible. The words can be seen in English and their original Hebrew words as transliterated into the English language. You will note that the Creator said His name is Yahweh, not I am as has been translated into English Bibles. You can also learn that the word God was taken from Eloheey, which is a form of Elohim, here meaning mighty one. You will also see that Jacob was pronounced Ya qob because there is no “j” sound in the Hebrew language. There was no “j” sound in the Hebrew language when Yahweh spoke these words to Moses, and there still is no “j” sound in the Hebrew language today.
When we look at the words spoken by the Creator, as taken from the Interlinear Bible of the Old Testament, we can clearly see that the Creator told Moses that His name was Yahweh. In addition, the Creator also told Moses that this was His name for all generations. He did not say that His name would be any other name or form. In addition, the Creator, called Lord or God in English Bibles, also made the use of His name a commandment. In the book of Exodus, Moses was given the Ten Commandments by the Creator at Mount Sinai.
Consequences Of Misusing His Name
The third commandment had to do with the use of the Creator’s name. The third commandment said that people were to not cause the name of the Father to become vain or useless. It also said that anyone who caused the name to become useless would not go unpunished.
You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your Elohim, for Yahweh will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name, Ex. 20:7 New International Version.
The NIV English version of the Bible is more closely translated to the Hebrew used in the Interlinear Bible than are other versions of the English Bible. The NIV version says the Creator will hold guilty anyone who misuses His name. It seems ironic then to see that the writers of the NIV wrote the name of the Creator as Lord in their English version of the Bible.
Now, let’s look at the King James Version of the English Bible and see how they translated the third commandment.
Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh thy Elohim in vain; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, Ex. 20:7 KJV.
In the Old Testament Interlinear Bible, the word for the name of the Creator is Yahweh. The name the Creator used when He gave this commandment was Yahweh. The Creator told Moses and all who read the Bible that anyone who misused his name would be guilty. We note that the KJV of the English Bible used the word vain instead of useless. Now let’s take a look at the meaning of the word vain in Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew words.
OT:7723, shav’ (shawv); or shav (shav); from the same as OT:7722 in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain): KJV – false (-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity. (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Notice carefully the meaning of the word used as vain in the KJV and useless in the NIV English Bibles. The word in Hebrew is shav and is number 7723 in Strong’s dictionary. You can also see the number for the root word from which number 7723 is taken. By examining these words you will learn that the meaning adverbially is vain, subjectively is useless, and figuratively is idolatry. These words are very important to understand. Many people including theologians, ministers, scholars, and people in general do not understand that the Bible contains much that is figurative in meaning.
By just studying the meaning of the Hebrew word shav, we can learn that this commandment means that anyone who uses the wrong name (adverbially) or misuses the name (subjectively) has committed idolatry (figuratively). In plain English, anyone who uses the wrong name of the Creator or changes His name commits false worship. Anyone who commits false worship will not have salvation from Yahweh. This will be their punishment for being guilty of breaking the third commandment.
How Was His Name Changed
Given the above information, we must wonder just how did the true name of the Creator get changed from Yahweh to Lord or God in the English versions of the Bible? The answer to this question is surprisingly not hard to find. In fact, it’s in just about every good study bible you find. First, let’s go to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia to begin our search for the answer to this question.
LORD. This English word in our Bible represents one Aramaic, 3 Greek and 9 Hebrew words, two of them in two forms. It thus expresses all grades of dignity, honor, and majesty. It is not always possible to be sure of the sense in which the term is to be taken. In Gen. 18:3; 19:18, the translators waver between interpreting of the Divine Person and a finite angel (compare marginal readings). It represents the most sacred Hebrew name for God, as their covenant God, Yah, Yahweh, and the more usual designation of Deity, ‘Adhonay, ‘Adhon, a term which they adopted to avoid pronouncing the most holy designation. They had placed on Lev. 24:16 an interpretation that aroused such a dread that they seldom dared use the name at all. When two of the words usually translated “Lord,” both referring to God, occur together, the King James Version renders “Lord God” and the American Standard Revised Version “Lord Yahweh.” the American Standard Revised Version has adopted the rule of using the covenant name transliterated, instead of the term “Lord,” in which the King James Version adopts the rule of the Hebrews to avoid the holy name.
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblesoft.
Read the above carefully and begin to understand that man changed the name of the Creator whose only name is Yahweh. The change of the Creator’s name began centuries ago. To learn just when the change began and why, let’s go again to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
When His Name Was Changed
“Yahweh”: The name most distinctive of God as the God of Israel is (Yahweh, a combination of the tetragrammaton (YHWH) with the vowels of ‘Adhonay, transliterated as Yehowah, but read aloud by the Hebrews ‘adhonay). International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft.
It is the personal name of God, as distinguished from such generic or essential names as ‘El, ‘Elohim, Shaddai, etc. Characteristic of the Old Testament is its insistence on the possible knowledge of God as a person; and Yahweh is His name as a person. It is illogical, certainly, that the later Hebrews should have shrunk from its pronunciation, in view of the appropriateness of the name and of the Old Testament insistence on the personality of God, who as a person has this name. The American Standard Revised Version quite correctly adopts the transliteration “Yahweh” to emphasize its significance and purpose as a personal name of God revealed. International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft.
When we read the above, we must remember that god and lord are not names; they are merely titles. What is striking from the above commentary is that the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, had vowel points added to change the pronunciation from Yahweh to adhonay. We also see that Yahweh is the personal name of the Creator, yet the Hebrews shrunk away from the use of the personal name of the Creator. The writer of this commentary thought the shrinking away from using the personal name of the Creator Yahweh was illogical because of its significance.
Who Changed His Name
So who were the men who changed the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, to adonhay? These men were called Sopherim. They were Jewish scribes who expanded the Torah as written without vowel points to the Masorah that was written with vowel points to better define the Hebrew language. It is generally accepted by historic and language scholars that the Torah as originally written by Moses had no vowels, only consonants. The Sopherim or scribes that wrote the Masorah did not exist until the exile of Judah into Babylon in 586 BC. Upon the return of some of the exiles to Jerusalem seventy years later, the book of the law was found in the temple. The Jews who came to Jerusalem from Babylon had not seen or heard the laws of Yahweh as written by Moses.
In the book of Nehemiah, readers are given the history of the return of the Jews from Babylon. They had been captives in Babylon for seventy years. In that period, the Jews had lost most of their ability to speak or understand the Hebrew language. They had learned the language of the Babylonians and surrounding nations and that tongue was called Aramaic. There were several dialects of the Aramaic language. The eastern dialect was more cursive than the western dialect that was more block-like and similar to the Hebrew block writing.
When the book of the law was found in the temple and read to the Jews, most of them could not understand the language. This necessitated that men would stand beside the person reading the Hebrew text and repeat what was read in Hebrew into Aramaic. These men became known as meturghemen. These men would listen to the reading of the Scriptures in Hebrew and then would repeat the Scriptures out loud to the crowd in the Aramaic tongue. This practice became a tradition throughout Jerusalem in worship services that took place in buildings that were later called synagogues.
The Sopherim were the authorized revisers of the Sacred Text, and when completed, the Massorites were its authorized custodians. Their work was to preserve it. The Massorah is called “A Fence to the Scriptures” because it locked all words and letters in their places. It does not contain notes or comments as such, but facts and phenomena. It records the number of times the several letters occur in the various books of the Bible; the number of words, and the middle word; the number of verses, and the middle verse; the number of expressions and combinations of words, etc. The purpose of the Massorah was to safeguard the integrity of the Scriptures by preventing addition or subtraction to the Scriptures.
These Jewish scribes, however, changed the vowel points on the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, (pronounced Yahweh) so as to render the sound of the name of the Creator as Adonai, which, when converted to English, meant lord. Because of the deliberate changing of the name of the Creator by the pious, mistaken Jewish scribes, the name of the Creator was later translated by Bible scholars as Lord, having little or no access to the Hebrew Scriptures.
The following text is taken from the Companion Bible and is representative of similar passages found in various studies concerning errors found in English versions of the Bible.
| The 134 Passages Where The Sopherim Altered “Jehovah” to “Adonai”. This Is Appendix 32 From The Companion Bible.Out of extreme (but mistaken) reverence for the Ineffable Name “Jehovah“, the ancient custodians of the Sacred Text substituted in many places “Adonai“ (see Appendix 4. viii. 2). These, in the Authorized Version and Revised Version, are all printed “Lord“. In all these places we have printed it “LORD”, marking the word with an asterisk in addition to the note in the margin, to inform the reader of the fact. The official list given in the Massorah (§§ 107-15, Ginsburg’s edition) contains the 134. Genesis 18:3,27,30,32; 19:18; 20:4. Exodus 4:10,13; 5:22; 15:17; 34:9,9. Numbers 14:17. Joshua 7:8. Judges 6:15; 13:8. 1Kings 3:10,15; 22:6. 2Kings 7:6; 19:23. Isaiah 3:17,18; 4:4; 6:1,8,11; 7:14,20; 8:7; 9:8,17; 10:12; 11:11; 21:6,8,16; 28:2; 29:13; 30:20; 37:24; 38:14,16; 49:14. Ezekiel 18:25,29; 21:13; 33:17,29. Amos 5:16; 7:7,8; 9:1. Zechariah 9:4. Micah 1:2. Malachi 1:12,14. Psalm 2:4; 16:2; 22:19,30; 30:8; 35:3,17,22; 37:12; 38:9,15,22; 39:7; 40:17; 44:23; 51:15; 54:4; 55:9; 57:9; 59:11; 62:12; 66:18; 68:11,17,19,22,26,32; 73:20; 77:2,7; 78:65; 79:12; 86:3,4,5,8,9,12,15; 89:49,50; 90:1,17; 110:5; 130:2,3,6. Daniel 1:2; 9:3,4,7,9,15,16,17,19,19,19. Lamentations 1:14,15,15; 2:1,2,5,7,18,19,20; 3:31,36,37,58. Ezra 10:3. Nehemiah 1:11; 4:14. Job 28:28. To these may be added the following, where “Elohim“ was treated in the same way: – 2Samuel 5:19-25; 6:9-17} Where the Authorized Version has “LORD.“ |
The writers of the Companion Bible did not understand that Jehovah was an improper translation of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, and consequently used this incorrect translation, as did many others. In later years, scholars had access to older, more correct writings.
In the Hebrew language, names have meaning. That is why there are so many names in the Old Testament that end with the letters iah. The “I” was converted from a “Y”, which meant the names ended with the sound of YAH. Let’s look at some of the meanings of the names in the Old Testament and learn how important names were in the Hebrew language.
Names Have Meanings
The following text is taken from the International Bible Encyclopedia under NAMES:
I. Form of Hebrew, or, More Broadly, Semitic, Proper Names. – 1. Various Types: -The Hebrew proper name consists of a single word, a phrase, or a sentence. (1) Where the name is a single word, other than a verb, it may be (a) a common noun, concrete, as Barak, “lightning” Tola, “crimson worm,” Elon, “oak,” Achsah, “anklet,” Deborah, “bee”; or abstract, as Uzzah, “strength,” Manoah, “rest,” Hannah, “grace”; or either abstract or concrete, as Zebul, “habitation”; (b) a participle, as Saul, “asked,” Zeruiah, “cleft”; (c) an adjective, as Ikkesh, “perverse,” Maharai, “impetuous,” Shimei, “famous”; or (d) a word that may be either an adjective or an abstract noun according to circumstances. Such are formations after the norm of qaTTul, as shammua`, which are generally adjectives; and formations by means of the ending -am or -on, as Adullam, Zalmon, Gideon, or, with the rejection of the final -n, Shilo (h) and Solomo (n). (2) The name may be a phrase, consisting of (a) two nouns, as Penuel, “face of God,” Samuel, “name of God,” Ish-bosheth, “man of shame”; or (b) an adjective and a noun, as Jedidiah, “beloved of Yahweh”; or (c) a preposition and one or more nouns, as Besodeiah, “in the intimacy of Yahweh” (Neh. 3:6).
When the name is a sentence, the predicate may be (a) a noun, the copula being implied, as Abijah, “Yah is a father,” Eliab, “God is a father,” Elimelech, “God is king”; or (b) an adjective, as Tobijah, “Yah is good” (Zech 6:10); or (c) a participle, as Obed-edom, “Edom is serving”; or (d) a finite verb This last type exhibits five or six varieties: the subject stands before a perfect, as Jonathan, “Yahweh hath given,” Jehoshaphat, “Yahweh hath judged,” Eleazar, “God hath helped,” Elkanah, “God hath formed”; or before an imperfect, as Eliahba, “God hideth Himself”; or the subject comes after a perfect, as Benaiah, “Yahweh hath built,” Shephatiah, “Yahweh hath judged,” Asahel, “God hath made; or after an imperfect, as Jezreel, “God doth sow.” Very often the subject is the pronoun included or implied in the verbal form, as Nathan, “he hath given,” Hillel, “he hath praised,” Jair, “he enlighteneth,” Jephthah, “he openeth.” Occasionally the predicate contains an object of the verb, as Shealtiel, “I have asked God” (Ezra 3:2), or a prepositional phrase, as Hephzibah, “my delight is in her” (2 Kings 21:1). The sentence-name is usually a declaration, but it may be an exhortation or a prayer, as Jerub-baal, “let Baal strive,” and Hoshea, “save!” (Num 13:16), or it may be a question, as Micaiah, “who is like Yahweh?” All of the foregoing illustrations have been taken from the Books of Judges and Samuel, unless otherwise noted.
2. Vocalization: The proper name is treated as one word, whether on analysis it consists of a single word, a phrase, or a sentence; and as such it is subject to the laws of accent and quantity which govern the Hebrew word. (1) A common noun used as a name undergoes the variations of pronunciation due to the custom of lengthening a short vowel in pause and to the laws which control the aspiration of certain labials, linguals, and palatals. Thus, the name Perez, “breach,” which appears also as Pharez in the King James Version of the Old Testament, occurs in the Hebrew text in the four forms perets, parets, pherets and pharets (Ruth 4:18; Neh 11:4,6). (2) In a name consisting of a phrase the normal advance of the accent as usual causes the loss of a pretonic vowel, as is indicated by the suspended letter in Jedidiah, “beloved of Yahweh”; requires a short vowel in a closed unaccented syllable, as in Mahalal’el, “praise of God”; allows contraction, as in Beth-el, “house of God”; and occasions the return of a segholate noun to its primitive form, as in Abdiel, “servant of God,” where the vowel i is an archaism which has lingered in compound names, but
has generally disappeared elsewhere in speech. (3) Names which consist of a sentence are also accented as one word, and the pronunciation is modified accordingly.
The synonyms Eliam and Ammiel, “God is a kinsman,” not only exhibit the common archaism in the retention of the vowel i, but the name Eliam also shows the characteristic lengthening of the vowel in the final accented syllable, so common in nouns. The four forms Eliphelet, Eliphalet, Elpelet and Elpalet, meaning “God is deliverance,” represent the variations of the Hebrew due to the causes already mentioned (1 Chron 3:8; 14:5,7; see the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)). The requirements regarding the ellsion and the quantity and quality of vowels, on the shifting of the accent, are also regularly met. International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft.
In the foregoing text, from the International Bible Encyclopedia, one can understand the meaning of those names in the Old Testament that end in iah. We also learn that the title, god, is derived from the Hebrew word, Elohim, which can be either a single person, or plural, to mean mighty one or mighty ones. The names in the Old Testament that end with the letters el, such as Michael and Bethel are a reference to Elohim. Michael, for example, means who is like Elohim? All Bible students should remember that whenever the title, god, appears in the Scriptures, it is not the name of the Creator, but a reference to the mighty one of Israel and can refer either to the Father alone or both the Father and Son, collectively. Israel is another good example of Hebrew names and meanings. The name, Israel, in Hebrew means “Soldier of Elohim”.
The Third Commandment
Do those people who do not use the true Hebrew name of the Father break the third commandment? Read Exodus, chapter 20, verse 7 in different versions of the English Bible, and you will learn that the translators did not always agree on the words spoken by Yahweh to the Israelites at Mount Horeb.
You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your Elohim, for Yahweh will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name, Ex. 20:7 New International Version.
You shall not take the name of Yahweh your Elohim in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain, Ex. 20:7 NASU.
The English translators did not have use of accurate Hebrew manuscripts when the King James Version of the Bible was translated in the early years of the sixteenth century. Today, it is possible for students to obtain a better understanding of Yahweh’s intent by examining study aids such as Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words. The word translated vain in the English Bible is number 5375 in Strong’s. The Hebrew word has both a literal and a figurative meaning. Now that we have studied the meaning of names, let’s look at this word more deeply and understand its full meaning.
OT:7723,shav’ (shawv); or shav (shav); from the saruinme as OT:7722 in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain). Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.
The Hebrew word is shav’ and it means literally ruin and figuratively idolatry. This word is extremely important to understand because of its double meaning. Consider the meaning of the word vain in English and you can understand that the commandment given by Yahweh concerning His name has been quite misunderstood by people through the centuries since the dispersion of the Israelites.
Synonyms for the word vain are: otiose, ineffective, hopeless, unsuccessful, unproductive, futile, useless, abortive, worthless and antonyms are: successful, hollow, empty, idle, pointless, futile, reliable. Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Today people think this commandment only instructs them not to utter a curse using the false name for the Father. By looking at the meaning of the word vain, we can learn this is not what Yahweh intended. Yahweh told the Israelites that they, and everyone else, should not make His name useless or worthless. Do you think it is an accident that the Hebrew word shav’, translated vain by English Bible translators, has a figurative meaning of idolatry?
Meaning Of idolatry
i·dol·a·try [i dóll?tree] n 1. extreme admiration: extreme admiration or fanatical devotion to somebody or something
2. idol worship: the worship of idols or false gods (disapproving) [13th century. Via French idolâtrie from, ultimately, Greek eidololatreia , literally “image-worship,” from eidolon (see idol).] Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
It should be clear that Yahweh’s commandment regarding His name meant that no one is to cause His name to become useless or worthless. By making His name useless, people are led into idolatry or false worship. Yahweh also said that if anyone makes His name useless or worthless, they will be guilty and will not go unpunished. Do you think the Jews who translated the Scriptures and who added vowel points changing the name of Yahweh to Adonai, after the exiles returned from Babylon, had a hand in making Yahweh’s name useless?
Correct Name Known But Not Used
What about the more modern day translators of the English versions of the Bible, did they know the Jews had changed the name? Read the following statements of why the name is not used in several modern translations of English Bibles:
For two reasons the [Revised Standard Version] Committee has returned to the more familiar usage [of substituting YHWH with either the LORD or GOD] of the King James Version: (1) the word ‘Jehovah’ does not accurately represent any form of the name ever used in Hebrew; and (2) the use of any proper name for the one and only God … was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church. (3)
The above statement is from the editors of the Revised Standard Version of the bible. The statement following is from the editorial board of The New American Standard Bible:
This name [Yahweh] has not been pronounced by the Jews…. Therefore, it has been consistently translated LORD. (4)
The editors of the Smith and Goodspeed English version made the following statement for their version of the Scriptures:
In this translation we have followed the orthodox Jewish tradition and substituted “the LORD” for the name “Yahweh” and the phrase “the Lord GOD” for the phrase “the Lord Yahweh.” (5)
Not only did the Jews knowingly make the name of Yahweh useless to the reader of the Scriptures, but so, too, did the translators and editors of modern versions of the English Bible!
Why would these men commit such a foolish act as to knowingly break one of the Creator’s commandments? Do you think they failed to understand that Yahweh would punish those who cause His name to become useless? What punishment did Yahweh have in mind for those who broke the third commandment?
For the answer to this question we must go to the New Testament and begin in the book of Acts, chapter four.
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Yahshua Messiah the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom Elohim raised from the dead– by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved,” Acts 4:8-12 NAS.
Correct Name Used
Peter was speaking to the Jewish leaders who were accusing him of breaking a commandment by healing a man on the Sabbath. In verse 12, Peter plainly tells the Jews, and us, that there is salvation in no other name than the name by which he, Peter, healed this man. The English versions of the Bible record that Peter spoke the false name of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Study will show that Peter could not have spoken the false name, Jesus Christ, because the letter J did not exist in the Hebrew or the Greek language and still does not exist in those languages today!
So what was the name Peter spoke so boldly to the accusing Jewish leaders at this time? The Messiah tells us Himself in the scriptures.
I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him, John 5:43 NASU.
Yahshua answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me,” John 10:25 NASU.
What is the Messiah’s personal name? We only have to read under the heading of Jesus Christ in the International Bible Encyclopedia to learn the true name of the Messiah:
I. The Names. – 1. JESUS: – (1) “Jesus” (Iesous) is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Joshua” (yehoshua`), meaning “Yahweh is salvation.” It stands therefore in the Septuagint and Apocrypha for “Joshua,” and in Acts 7:45 and Heb 4:8 likewise represents the Old Testament Joshua; hence, in the Revised Version (British and American) is in these passages rendered “Joshua.” In Matt 1:21 the name as commanded by the angel to be given to the son of Mary, “for it is he that shall save his people from their sins” (see below on “Nativity”). It is the personal name of the Lord in the Gospels and the Acts, but generally in the Epistles appears in combination with “Christ” or other appellative (alone in Rom 3:26; 4:24; 1 Cor 12:3; 2 Cor 11:4; Phil 2:10; 1 Thes 4:14; Heb 7:22; 10:19, etc.).
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft.
The Son’s name means Yahweh is salvation, as explained above. We know His name could not have begun with a J since the letter J did not even come into existence until the 15th century (see YNCA’s booklet, The Mistaken J). So, what name means Yahweh is Salvation and is like Joshua. First, the name could not have been Joshua for the very same reason. No J or J sound exist in the Greek or Hebrew languages.
We are told the Son’s name comes from the Father’s name. It is simple to see that when you replace the J in Joshua with a Y, you change the sound to Yoshua. If you put in the shortened version of the Father’s name, as you find it throughout the Old Testament as an ending for the names of many individuals, you have the Son’s name, Yahshua. You can verify the Son’s name for yourself by checking other Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias.
So now, we should readily understand that the punishment Yahweh had in store for those who made His name useless is no salvation. Since those who are to be saved must call upon the correct name of the Son (Romans 10:3), and there is no salvation in any other name (Yahshua, Acts 4:12), it is imperative that all know the correct, true names of the Father and the Son.
Do not be deceived by false teachers who tell you that the Creator knows you are praying to Him no matter what name you use! Nowhere in the Scriptures does Yahweh tell us that we can use any other name than His Hebrew Sacred Name, which is the only name in any language that means I Am, I Was, and I Always will be.
Choice Is Ours
Everyone must understand that Elohim will not force Himself upon anyone. He will make it possible for people to have a life that will never end, full of blessings and happiness. He is merciful, generous and kind. He will not torture men in a burning fire if they do not accept His ways. He is, however, deliberate and exacting. He has put His terms and conditions for entering His family in writing for all to read and either accept or reject. He has given to mankind these terms and conditions in a book called the Bible that is written in a manner that requires deep study to fully understand.
Why has He given us the Bible written in symbols and with figurative meanings? The Scriptures themselves give us the reason. In the book of John, chapter 4, we find Yahshua speaking to His disciples and saying:
Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father, John 16:25, New International Version.
Most who have read this verse in the other versions of the English Bible did not read the word figuratively. They read proverbs or the word darkly, which does not fully convey the symbolic way in which the Scriptures are written.
Yahshua also spoke in parables, which is a figurative manner of speaking. He told His disciples why in the book of Matthew chapter 13:
The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables, Matt. 13:10-13 New International Version.
Holy Spirit A Necessity
Here, Yahshua tells His disciples that whoever has will be given more and whoever does not have will have what he has taken from him. What was Yahshua referring to? The question is whoever has what? What do people need before they will understand what He (Yahshua) says in the Scriptures? Yahshua Himself gives us the answer in the book of John chapter 16:
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you, John 16:12-15 New International Version.
In these verses, Yahshua tells His disciples that they cannot bear or understand all that He had to tell them without the Holy Spirit. The English translation that renders the Holy Spirit as masculine is an error. The pronoun should have been rendered it instead of he. The Holy Spirit is the power of Elohim that works within men and women after they have met His conditions for receiving its gift.
In the book of John, chapter 16, verses 12 through 15, Yahshua tells the disciples, and us, that people cannot understand the Scriptures without the help of the Holy Spirit of Elohim. Only those who have met the terms and conditions of Elohim can receive the power of the Holy Spirit to assist them in understanding the Scriptures. Although people with advanced educational degrees may be very knowledgeable about physical, worldly matters, they cannot understand the true meaning of the hidden things of the Scriptures without it. Many men and women who claim to know what the Scriptures really say have written volumes of material. Many pastors, rabbis, theologians, priests, and ministers claim they know the true meaning of the Scriptures, but the Scriptures teach otherwise.
At that time Yahshua said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure,”
Matt. 11:25-26 New International Version.
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not Elohim made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of Elohim the world through its wisdom did not know him, Elohim was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe,” 1 Cor. 1:19-21 New International Version.
The wise of the world do not understand the true meaning of the scriptures, no matter how much they think they know. Scholars, teachers, ministers, preachers, priests, theologians, politicians, educators, businessmen and others who do not follow the terms and conditions of the Scriptures lack understanding. Do not be deceived by them!
Each person who wants to know what the Scriptures really say must follow the Scriptures, and study to understand both their symbolic and figurative meanings, guided by those who have accrued true Scriptural understanding. This does not mean that people with education or advanced degrees cannot understand the Scriptures, but they cannot understand them fully without the Holy Spirit. Many people incorrectly claim that they have the Holy Spirit.
Those who claim that the true Hebrew names of the Father and the Son are not essential for their entry into the family of Yahweh are incorrect, according to the Scriptures. Can this statement be substantiated from the Scriptures? Let’s now look at Scriptures that tell how important Yahweh’s name is to Him and to all creation.
His Name Important To Yahweh
Keep my commands and follow them. I am Yahweh. Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am Yahweh, who makes you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your Elohim. I am Yahweh, Lev. 22:31-33 New International Version.
Earlier we covered the third commandment’s instruction not to make the name of Yahweh useless. Now we are told by Yahweh not to profane His name. The word, translated profane, from Hebrew to English, is number 2490 which comes from number 2470 ‘chalah’, which means to weaken when understood figuratively. When men do not use the true Hebrew name of the Father, do they weaken the name?
Anyone who blasphemes the name of the YAHWEH must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death, Lev. 24:16 New International Version.
The word, blaspheme, is number 5344 in Strong’s dictionary, and the Hebrew word is naqab, which figuratively means to libel. Libel means to:
i·bel [l?b’l] n (plural li·bels) 1. law defamation: a false and malicious published statement that damages somebody’s reputation. Libel can include pictures and any other representations that have public or permanent form.
2. attacking somebody’s reputation: the making of false and damaging statements about somebody
3. law written statement: the plaintiff’s written statement in a case under admiralty law or in an ecclesiastical court
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Everyone should understand the importance of this verse in the Scriptures. Anyone who makes a false statement about Yahweh or His name is blaspheming His name. The scholars, theologians, ministers, educators, editors and learned men and women who allowed the English versions of the Bible to be printed with false names committed blasphemy.
The people who use the false name of the Father and the Son and teach it to others commit blasphemy. Yahweh tells us in the Scriptures that anyone who does not use the correct name of the Father and Son should be put to death. Today, it is against the law to do this. However, anyone who makes false statements and does not use the correct names will be put to death because they will be thrown into the lake of fire and thus have eternal death. (Rev. 20:15)
Yahweh said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other elohims, must be put to death,” Deut. 18:17-20 New International Version.
Notice carefully, when these Scriptures were written by Moses that he used Yahweh’s true name and the one and only name that Yahweh personally gave to him. We have previously studied this when we covered Exodus, chapter 3, verse 14 and 15. The word for prophet in these verses is number 5030, naba, and it means a man who is giving a discourse about something with or without inspiration. Yahweh told Moses, and those that read the Scriptures, that if a man presents himself as speaking for Yahweh and he is not sent or inspired by Yahweh, through His Holy Spirit, that that man is a false prophet and must be put to death. Yahweh also said that if that man speaks in the names of other elohims (gods), he must be put to death.
In verse 19 of Deuteronomy 18, Yahweh told Moses if anyone does not listen to a prophet sent from Him, in His name, He (Yahweh) would take that person into account personally. Think carefully as it is each person’s responsibility to be able to identify who really speaks for Yahweh. If a man or woman listens to false prophets or ministers and does not listen to a prophet of Yahweh, then Yahweh, the Almighty Creator of the world and universe, will hold him or her personally accountable. Everyone will be accountable for his or her actions. They will face judgement and they will be held responsible for their actions. The decisions people make throughout their lives will determine whether they will have eternal life or eternal death.
Find Truth And Keep It
If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—Yahweh your Elohim — Yahweh will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses, Deut. 28:58-59 New International Version.
These are the words spoken to Moses by Yahweh. Everyone should pay attention. False ministers, priests, and theologians do not teach these things even though the Scriptures are in their Bibles, and there are no Scriptures voiding these words. If men and women do not revere the glorious and awesome name of Yahweh, He will send plagues, disasters and severe illnesses upon them and their descendants. Has this happened to the world? Why do false prophets not proclaim this message? Do these verses make you think that Yahweh takes lightly the misuse of His glorious and awesome name (His own words)?
Day Of Yahweh
In the Scriptures, we are told that there will be a day of Yahweh. His Son will return and it will be a terrible time for the inhabitants of the earth. Yahweh gave the prophet Joel this prophecy with some very important words for the world’s inhabitants.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh. And everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as Yahweh has said, among the survivors whom Yahweh calls, Joel 2:31-32 New International Version.
When Yahshua returns to establish His kingdom on earth, many people will perish in the disasters that will take place. Only those who know and use the true names of the Father and Son will be saved. This verse does not mean someone only has to use the true names once to be saved. Read the Scriptures for yourself to learn the terms and conditions for your salvation.
“Therefore wait for me,” declares Yahweh, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them-all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of Yahweh,” Zeph. 3:8-9 New International Version.
Yahweh also told His prophet Zephaniah about the coming of His wrath when He will assemble the nations and pour out His wrath with all of His anger. The world will be consumed by fire. At this time, Yahweh will purify the lips of the people that are left so they will call on the true names of the Father and the Son. You can read for yourself about the coming day of Yahweh in the pages of your Bible and in the literature of Yahweh’s New Covenant Assembly.
Today, Yahweh gives readers of His Holy Scriptures ample warning about the future of the present evil world. He gave the description to several of His prophets. Zechariah also was given inspiration to write about the coming and terrible day of Yahweh. Zechariah was given some graphic details about what is going to happen to those who attack Jerusalem at this time.
Yahweh will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one sovereign, and his name the only name, Zech. 14:9 New International Version.
This is the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
On that day men will be stricken by Yahweh with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected-great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps, Zech. 14:12-15 New International Version.
Yahweh’s Names Must Be Revered
The nations that gather against Jerusalem will not only lose their soldiers, their animals will rot while standing on their feet. They will not expect the quick awesome power of Yahweh and its destructive force. Those who are not destroyed initially will panic and attack each other because they will be surprised by the awesome power of Yahweh’s attack. In verse 9 of Zechariah 14, we are told that the name of Yahweh will be the only name of any Elohim on the entire earth. All the names of false elohims will be obliterated from the face of the earth along with many, if not all, of those who used those false names.
The prophet Malachi was also given inspired words from Yahweh about His name and its importance to the inhabitants of the earth.
“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says Yahweh Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says Yahweh Almighty, Mal. 4:1-3 NIV.
Those who revere the true name of the Father and the Son will have joy and happiness. The wicked that have ruled the earth until Yahshua returns will be burned like stubble and trampled under the feet of those who know and use the true Hebrew names of Yahweh and Yahshua. Remember there is not a single Scripture or verse in the Bible that tells mankind that Yahweh has more than one name and that it is alright to call Him by a false title.
The New Testament also has many Scriptures that teach the importance of the true names of the Father and Son. Educated men and women have often written about their reasoning as to why the true Hebrew names of the Creator and His Son are not relevant to worship in today’s world. In their educated way, they try and convince whoever reads their words that worship according to the Scriptures is not the same as the worship described in the Old Testament. Many have even tried to tell their readers that the Old Testament is no longer important to understand with regard to their salvation. These are people that teach that salvation now comes from calling on the false name of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Bah, Humbug To Evolutionary Evolvement
Those that believe that no Supreme Being exists have somehow become convinced that the universe and all its inherent logic of physical laws is a fluke of happenstance. Incredibly, they think that all life forms have evolved from some single life source that has evolved into the vast array of different species that exist on the earth, in the air, in the waters and under the earth. They believe that frogs, snakes, eagles, vegetation and man all have a common cellular beginning. These so-called intellectuals and educated people believe this false concept in spite of what the Scriptures say. Despite the fact that there is no evidence that has ever been found and been substantiated that supports the theory that all life has evolved from a single cell source, they still believe in it. There is no evidence, in spite of all the years of searching, that a chicken evolved from a reptilian ancestor, or has any mammal including man. Will they have an excuse for these false beliefs?
The wrath of Elohim is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about Elohim is plain to them, because Elohim has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world Elohim’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse, Rom. 1:18-20 New International Version.
Only One Name For Our Savior
We have already studied that the name of the Messiah is not, was not and never will be the false name Jesus Christ. No matter how many degrees these intellectuals have, and how convincing their arguments may be, the facts are as we have previously studied. The true name of the Messiah is, was, and always will be Yahshua. His name contains the name of the Father, Yahweh. The Father, Yahweh, has given mankind the opportunity to be a member of His family through His only Son, Yahshua. Elohim, jointly, the Father and Son, will not provide family membership to those who do not follow their instructions. Those who falsely teach and believe that they do not need to follow the Scriptures as given by Elohim will have no excuse when they face judgement.
Our Savior’s Name
If people listen to false teachers, and not to the Scriptures, then their fate will be just as the Scriptures foretell. When you study the Scriptures, you must study with the realization that Yahweh has made available written instructions about how to have your name written in His book of life. When studying man’s writings, we must compare them with the Scriptures to confirm their correctness. We must always use the Scriptures as our true and correct foundation of learning.
Many men and women have said that the Hebrew names of the Father and Son are not important to salvation or eternal life. We have studied the Scriptures in the Old Testament showing the importance of the true Hebrew name of the Father. Now, let’s look at some Scriptures in the New Testament to better understand that there has been no lessening of the vital importance of the name of the Father and the corresponding name of his Son.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yahshua, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what Yahweh had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means, “Elohim with us”), Matt. 1:21-23 New International Version.
In the above verses of Matthew, we read that a Son will be born that will save His people from their sins. The English versions of the Bible incorrectly state that the Savior, the Son of Merriam, was to be named Jesus. If you look in Strong’s dictionary at the Greek word used in the Scriptures, it is number 2424, which is taken from the Old Testament word, number 3091. This word, according to Strong’s, is Joshua, which is the sound of Yahshua when the J, which does not exist in either the Hebrew or Greek language, is replaced with the Y, as it would have been pronounced in Hebrew.
In the very next verse, we read that the word, Immanuel, means god is with us in the English versions of the Bible. However, when you look at the Greek words and the Hebrew source word, you learn the Scriptures really mean El, which is short for Elohim is with us.
Merriam was given the name of Yahshua for her Son, which means Yahweh is salvation. This Son of Yahweh, fathered by the Holy Spirit, was the key to salvation for those who become family members of Elohim. We must ask if the name of the Messiah is important if it contains the name of the Father, and the Father Himself, through His angel, provided this name.
Revere Yahweh’s Name
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,’ Matt. 6:9-10 New International Version.
Yahshua is instructing us how to pray to the Father. The Son tells us that His Father’s name is hallowed. The word for hallowed, used in this Scripture, is number 37 in Strong’s, which comes from the Greek word, number 40, hagios, which means sacred, pure, and morally blameless.
Then Yahshua came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” Matt. 28:18 –20 New International Version.
Yahshua commanded His disciples then and today to go into all nations to make disciples, teaching them to obey His commands and baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son. We learned earlier in Acts 4:12 that there is no salvation in any name other than the Son, who has the name of the Father. This is the punishment for those who break the third commandment making Yahweh’s’ name useless.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of Elohim-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of Elohim, John 1:10-13 New International Version.
What do these verses say? To all that receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of Elohim. The importance of this verse should be apparent. If someone does not believe in the true name of the Son, and consequentially the Father, he will not have the right to be a child of Elohim.
Is Seeing Believing?
Natural man cannot accept or believe what they cannot physically see or feel. Men cannot see all the stars and planets. Even with powerful telescopes they still cannot see all the elements of the vast universe. Yet, scientists believe and accept the fact that black holes do exist. They accept the concept that back holes do exist because man can calculate the existence of black holes by the physical laws of matter without physically having seen them. Einstein was able to calculate the formula for energy because of these same physical laws.
In like manner, just because we cannot see something spiritual does not mean it does not exist. Yahweh has told us in the Scriptures that men are able to understand His existence and greatness by looking at what He has created. Yahweh’s great power is far beyond our human comprehension. Therefore, we must have faith in His power and His existence based on the physical evidence that He has provided for us.
Our human spirit coupled with Yahweh’s Holy Sprit by the laying on hands by the elders should reveal to us that the universe did not happen by accident, even if the natural mind cannot understand how it was created. Yahweh has told us through the Holy Scriptures that He alone planned out and created the universe, the earth, and everything on the earth. There is no evidence to the contrary.
Yahweh, through his Word, has also told us that we can become His family members if we believe in the name of his Son and consequently His name. There is no evidence to the contrary.
Yahshua answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me,
but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one,” John 10:25-30 New International Version.
We Must Believe
When Yahshua knew His time for physical death was near, He prayed a prayer recorded in the book of John, chapter 17, and verse 11. In this prayer to the Father, Yahshua clearly tells us that the Father gave Him His name. He asks that His disciples be protected from the world in that name. Yahshua also tells us that none would be lost because they were protected by the name of the Father and the Son.
Yahshua did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Yahshua is the messiah, the Son of Elohim, and that by believing you may have life in his name, John 20:30-31:1 New International Version.
Yahshua performed miracles so those who witnessed them could believe that He was no ordinary man. He gave them evidence so they could believe and have life in His name.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Yahshua for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom Yahweh our Elohim will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:38-41 New International Version.
Depart From Carnality
The apostles also taught those who would listen that people must repent and depart from the corrupt ways of man if they want to be saved from eternal death.
“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but Elohim raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom Elohim had already chosen-by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom Elohim appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name,” Acts 10:39-43 New International Version.
Peter tells us in these verses that Yahshua was sacrificed by hanging on a tree, that He was raised from the dead on the third day, and that the disciples were witnesses to this death and resurrection. This would allow them to testify about the gift of salvation for those who received forgiveness of sin through the name of the Son. Notice carefully that there is no mention in the Scriptures of salvation in any other manner, except through the name of the Father and the Son.
Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of Elohim.
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of Yahshua and by the Spirit of our Elohim, 1 Cor. 6:9-11 New International Version.
The apostle Paul told the assembly at Corinth that they were not to be deceived by the immoral acts they witnessed daily in the pagan country in which they lived. Paul gives us the very same message, that we are not to believe that those who act immorally, are greedy, drunkards, slanderers or swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of Elohim. Those that wish to enter the kingdom must do so by being justified in the name of Yahshua.
Are You A Chatterbox
Avoid unrighteous chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more unrighteous. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, Elohim’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “Yahweh knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the master must turn away from wickedness,” 2 Tim. 2:16-19 New International Version.
In these verses, Paul instructs Timothy to avoid chatter that is unrighteous, and that denies the teaching of the Scriptures. Paul warns that people would accept this unrighteous chatter, just as they do today, and that it would spread and destroy the faith of some. Paul also tells Timothy that no matter how much men carry on this worthless chatter, Yahweh’s plan of salvation for those who confess His name will stand firm, and that people must turn away from the wickedness of the world. Only those who confess the true names of the Father and Son will receive the opportunity to become a member of Elohim’s family.
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Yahshua, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us, 1John 3:23-24.
The apostle John tells us that the command of Yahweh is to believe in the name of the Son, which contains the name of the Father. This is exactly what we are told in the third commandment given to Moses and recorded in English Bible versions in Exodus, chapter 20, and verse 7. This is not a suggestion, but a commandment that is recorded in the New Testament as well as the Old. There are no Scriptures in the Bible negating this commandment. Do not be deceived!
There are many other verses in both the Old and New Testaments that indicate the importance of the names. Those who are serious about salvation should take the time to study these Scriptures and understand this vital message Elohim gave to the prophets. A Scripture in Revelation relates the critical significance of the name of the Father and the Son.
Know, Keep And Use The Sacred Names
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to Elohim and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless, Rev. 14:1-5 New International Version.
As we have learned from previous studies, the 144,000 who will be with Yahshua at Mount Zion will have the name of the Father and the Son on their foreheads. These Scriptures symbolically tell us that those who will rule with Yahshua and Yahweh will know the names of Elohim. These people will be unsoiled by false worship; they will keep the commandments of Elohim and their faith in the testimony of Yahshua.