THE NAME
A SHORT NAME STUDY
In order to lay a foundation for this study, take a look at these Scriptures. There are many verses in Scripture that echo these, but these are sufficient for now:
Acts 4:12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Philippians 2:9-11:
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given him a Name which is above every name: That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
1 John 3:23:
“This is his commandment, That we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ.”
QUESTION: If you were singing all your songs and psalms, giving all your praise and praying all your prayers to the Almighty in the name of His one and only begotten Son “Brian”, do you think He would mind?
In light of the scriptures revealing that His Name is important, the answer is a resounding, “YES He would mind! Brian isn’t the name of our Saviour!”
Here’s the fact…Our Messiah’s Name isn’t Brian, and it isn’t Jesus either! Think about it…If the Messiah was born a Hebrew with a Hebrew mother then He would have a Hebrew name! Is “Jesus” a Hebrew name? No. Ask any Israeli or Hebrew linguist. The closest to Hebrew you can find is the Spanish “H’soos” which in Hebrew means “the horse”!!! “Jesus” is the English version of the Greek transliteration of the Messiah’s name: “Iesous”. Is it just merely coincidence that “Ieso” is the Greek goddess of healing, daughter of the chief deity Zeus?
Click the button below to see the first page of the 1599 Geneva Bible with Iesous:
The Name given by the Almighty to His Son is actually “Yahushua” meaning Yah is Salvation. That’s powerful!
Who is Yah? HalleluYah means praise Yah. He must be important and He is! Yah is the short form of the Name of “Yahweh” the one and only Creator. Look at these Scriptures and ask yourself, “What Name do I use for my Creator?”
(Psalm 7:17)
“I will praise “the LORD” according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the Name of “the LORD” most high.”
(Psalm 113:1,2)
“Praise ye “the LORD”. Praise, O ye servants of “the LORD”, praise the Name of “the LORD”. Blessed be the Name of “the LORD” from this time forth and for evermore.”
(Joel 2:32)
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of “the LORD” shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as “the LORD” hath said, and in the remnant whom “the LORD” shall call.”
These are a tiny sample of the references to “the name of “the LORD”. Here’s the magnitude of the crime!
The Name of “the LORD” is NOT “the LORD!”
The Name of our Creator is named nearly 7000 times in the Old Testament alone yet in nearly every case appears as “the LORD!” Remember the third commandment:
Exodus 20:7
“Thou shalt not take the Name of “the LORD” (Yahweh) thy God in vain; for “the LORD” (Yahweh) will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain.”
In “vain” is the Hebrew word “shav” and literally means “nothingness!”
H7723 from the same as 7722 in the sense of desolating; Shav’; Shawv; Noun; Masculine:
1.) Emptiness, vanity, falsehood.
a.) Emptiness, nothingness,vanity.
b.) Emptiness of speech, lying.
c.)Worthlessness (of conduct)
To obliterate the personal Name of our Almighty Creator, Yahweh and mask it with a title of “the LORD” or “God” is utter blasphemy!
The title of ‘the Lord’ is derived from old English, being one who had aristocratic rank and had control over a portion of land granted from a king. The ‘land-lord’ was subject to that king and as believers, we know that the Almighty Creator of all things is subject to no one!
The title of ‘the Lord’, by it’s origin and implication is totally blasphemous.
The whole of Christianity is guilty through the lack of use of bringing the Name of YAHWEH to nothingness.
Not only that but if you look up “Baal” in a good dictionary you will find that it is Hebrew and means “Lord”.
Websters: Ba’al (Ba’al; Heb, ba’al, Lord, possessor)
1.) A very common name for god among the phoenecians. The word is also used of the master or owner of a house (Exod. 22:7, Judg. 19:22); of a landowner (Job 31:39); of an owner of cattle (Exod 21:28, Isa 1:3), etc. The word is often used as a prefix to names of towns and men, eg., Ba’al-Gad, Ba’al-Hanan, etc.
This is startling to say the least and in light of Jeremiah 23:27 is shocking!
“How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my Name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my Name for Baal.”
(Jeremiah 23:26,27)
Just in case you thought His Name was “Jehovah”, do a little history search on the letter “J”. You will find that it is a little over 500 years old and even many early Bibles do not contain the letter “J”.
Aside from the “J”, the suffix “hovah” is No. 1943 in Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary and has the meaning of “ruin: mischief.” It is another form of No. 1942, havvah, which is translated “calamity, iniquity, mischief, mischievous (thing), naughtiness, naughty, noisome, perverse thing, substance, very wickedness.”
Satan must be laughing!
Even In the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., admit in their Foreword (pp. 23) that:
‘While inclining to view the pronunciation ‘Yahweh’ as the more CORRECT WAY, we have retained the form ‘Jehovah’ because of people’s familiarity with it since the 14th Century.’
Steven T. Byington, The Bible in Living English published by the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Bible & Tract Society in the preface states that the pronunciation Jehovah is “A BLUNDER”.
Watchtower literature states information about the word Jehovah, but elaborates as to its Catholic origin in 1270:
“By combining the vowel signs of Adhonay and Elohim with the four consonants of the Tetragrammaton the pronunciations Yehowah and Yehowih were formed. The first of these provided the basis for the Latinized form “Jehova(h).” The first recorded use of this form dates from the thirteenth century C.E. Raymundus Martini, a Spanish monk of the Dominican Order, used it in his book Pugeo Fidei of the year 1270. Hebrew scholars generally favor “Yahweh” as the most likely pronunciation.” Aid to Bible Understanding, Watchtower Bible And Tract Society, 1971, pp. 884, 885.
Proverbs 30:4
“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, if thou canst tell?”
Seriously. Who do we think we are that we can change the Name of our Creator or His Son? While it is certainly true that He has many descriptive titles e.g. Father, Adonai, Almighty, YahwehYireh, etc. But He has one personal Name. The Name YAHWEH.
Yahushua said that He came in His Father’s Name:
John 5:43
“I have come in My Father’s Name and you do not receive Me, if another comes in his own name, him you would receive.”
His Father’s Name is contained in Yahu-shua (Yah is Salvation). If the Messiah’s name is indeed Jezeus, doe that mean his father’s name is Zeus? The suffix ‘sus’ commonly referred to Zeus as the chief deity of the Greeks. Tarsus (where Paul was born) translates as “the arm of Zeus”and everyone has heard of ‘Pegasus’ – the winged horse of Zeus.
The Name of the Almighty has been known for a long, long time, so why do Bible translators continue to substitute His name for Baal? Could it be something to do with money?!!$
The Secretary of the Management Committee of the NIV, Edwin H. Palmer, Th.D., gave an interesting reason when he was asked why the name “Yahweh” was omitted from this translation. He explained:
“Here is the reason why we didn’t use it. You’ve got it right when you said that “Yahweh” is the distinctive Name for God, and that we actually should use it. But this translation cost us $2.5Million, and a sure way to throw it in the water is to translate Psalm 23 to: Yahweh is my Shepherd” Immediately our translation would be in vain. Nobody would use it.”
(Mark 7:8,9)
“For laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition of men… And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of Elohim, that ye may keep your own tradition.”
Many who have lived their lives Honouring “the LORD” and calling on the name of “Jesus” may respond, “He knows our hearts.” This is true, and He knows those who obey His Commandments and are searching for truth and will reveal it to them, but to refuse to obey the Truth is willful sin and will result in a delusion.
(2 Thessalonians 2:10,11)
“Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause Elohim shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.”
Have you noticed that a large number of Prophets and Soveriegns in Scripture have a name that ends with the three letters “iah”, e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Obadaiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Nehemiah, Zedekiah, Hezekiah, Zeruiah, Uriah, Benaiah, Gemariah, Hilkiah, etc. to name but a few.
The names when spoken clearly contain the short-form of the Name Yah (See Ps: 68:4) and indeed, the above Hebrew names all have meanings i.e Isaiah: Yah has saved, Jeremiah: Yah has appointed, Obadiah: Servant of Yah. Zedekiah: Yah is righteous… Etc.
Look them up in a Hebrew dictionary yourself. Just another testimony to the Name of Yahweh!
This is by no means an exhaustive study. Please look into this important issue for yourself. “Study to show thyself approved” (2 Timothy 2:15) There are many comprehensive studies accessible on the internet and through the links provided on this site.
“O Yahweh, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.” Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know Mine hand and My might; and they shall know that My Name is YHWH.”
(Jeremiah 16:19-21)
If you have read thus far and are thinking that all this name stuff is simply semantics and are excusing yourself with the age-old reasoning that, “He knows my heart”, then read the following testimony and Scriptures below…
HE KNOWS MY HEART
I was taught, however subtly, that it does not matter to Yahweh what day you worship, how you worship or what name you call Him, etc. as long as your heart was sincere for it is your heart he sees and judges.
But I saw how he dealt with Cain when he brought the improper offering. (Genesis 4) Some speculate that his offering was not accepted because his heart was not right but that is a given, when we are disobedient our hearts are NOT right.
Yahweh answers to Cain, “If you do well, is there not acceptance?”
I saw how Mosheh was deprived of entering the Promised land just because he struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it as instructed (Numbers 20:12)
Yahweh’s answer to Mosheh “But YHWH spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, ”Because you did not believe Me, to qadosh Me in the eyes of the children of Yisra’ĕl, therefore you do not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” ”
I saw Uzzah who reached out to steady the Ark of The Covenant and died for his best and sincere intentions. (1 Chronicles 13)
Then David realizes “”Because you did not do it the first time, YHWH our Elohim broke out against us, because we did not ask Him about the Right-Ruling.” ” (1 Chronicles 15:13) “Then Dawiḏ said, ”No one is to lift the ark of Elohim but the Lĕwites, for YHWH has chosen them to lift the ark of Elohim and to serve Him forever.” ” (1 Chronicles 15:2)
Saul’s intentions were well when he disobeyed Yahweh and took Agag, King of Amelikites, alive along with the best sheep and cattle for an offering (1 Samuel 15) but was dethroned because of it.
Yahweh’s answer through Samuel the prophet was, “”Does YHWH delight in burnt offerings and slaughterings, as in obeying the voice of YHWH? Look, to obey is better than an offering, and to heed than the fat of rams. ”For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of YHWH, He also rejects you as sovereign.” ”
Now all these and more displays of Yahweh’s UNCHANGING (Malachi 3:6) character lead me to ponder that He is WHAT?… Mean? Tough? Strict? Harsh? Just? Meticulous? Detailed? Orderly? You can come to your own conclusion but remember in the parable of the talents:
“And the one who had received the one talent also came and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed, 25 and being afraid, I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 “And his master answering, said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 ‘Then you should have put my silver with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to him who possesses ten talents.” (Matthew 25:14-28)
Again not knowing all. If I err, I prefer to err in favor of Yahweh If those who believe you can do whatever your heart sees fit are correct, then I am safe for my heart does see fit to obey His word according to the Scriptures and cast off all man-made traditions that do not coincide with His word. But if those who believe that you must worship according to Scripture are correct, then a lot of people are in trouble with Sun-day worship , pagan rituals and celebrations, and Pagan names for The Most High.
A final thought for those who defend their practises with, “He knows my heart”… “The heart is crooked above all, and desperately sick – who shall know it?” (Jer 17:9)
For a quick look at how to pronounce the Name of YHWH click on this button:
For an in-depth 300 page study on the Name of Yahweh with many historical references covering the use and abuse and pronunciation click the button below:
Note: Certain portions of the study are not necessarily the views of 2besaved.com
WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURES?
There are over 120 Scriptures pertaining to the Name of YAHWEH and His command to use it that are being ignored!….. How shocking!
For a complete list click the button below:
A PARTIAL LIST OF SCRIPTURE DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE NAME OF YAHWEH
HIS NAME: יהוה:
Psalm 83:18 “And let them know that You, Whose Name is יהוה, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
Psalm 68:4 “Sing to Elohim, sing praises to His Name. Raise up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts, By His Name Yah, And exult before Him.”
Jeremiah 16:21 “Therefore see, I am causing them to know, this time I cause them to know My hand and My might. And they shall know that My Name is יהוה!”
Jeremiah 33:2 “Thus said יהוה who made it, יהוה who formed it to establish it, יהוה is His Name…”
Isaiah 47:4 “Our Redeemer, יהוה of hosts is His Name, the Qadosh One of Yisra’ĕl.”
Isaiah 51:15 “But I am יהוה your Elohim, stirring up the sea, and its waves roar. יהוה of hosts is His Name.”
Isaiah 54:5 “For your Maker is your husband, יהוה of hosts is His Name, and the Qadosh One of Yisra’ĕl is your Redeemer. He is called the Elohim of all the earth.”
EVERLASTING:
Micah 4:5 “For all the peoples walk, each one in the name of his mighty one, but we walk in the Name of יהוה our Elohim forever and ever.”
Exodus 3:15 “And Elohim said further to Mosheh, “Thus you are to say to the children of Yisra’ĕl, יהוה Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Yitshaq, and the Elohim of Yaʽaqob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations.”
Psalm 135:13 “O יהוה, Your Name is forever, O יהוה, Your remembrance to all generations…”
2Kings 21:7 “And he placed a carved image of Ashĕrah that he had made in the House of which יהוה had said to Dawid and to Shelomoh his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, I put My Name forever…”
2Chronicles 7:16 “And now, I have chosen and qadosh this house for My Name to be there forever. And My eyes and My heart shall always be there.”
2Chronicles 33:4 “And he built altars in the House of יהוה, of which יהוה had said, “In Yerushalayim is My Name, forever.”
2Chronicles 33:7 “And he placed a carved image of the idol which he had made, in the House of Elohim, of which Elohim had said to Dawid and to Shelomoh his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, I put My Name forever.”
EXCELLENT:
Psalm 8:1 “O יהוה, our Aḏon, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth, You who made Your splendour above the shamayim!”
Psalm 8:9 “O יהוה, our Aḏon, How excellent is Your Name in all the earth!”
REMEMBERED:
Ezekiel 36:23 “And I shall qadosh My great Name, which has been profaned among the gentiles, which you have profaned in their midst. And the gentiles shall know that I am יהוה,” declares the Aḏon יהוה, “when I am qadosh in you before their eyes.”
Malachi 1:11 “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My Name is great among nations. And in every place incense is presented to My Name, and a clean offering. For My Name is great among nations,” said יהוה of hosts.”
Zechariah 10:12 “And I shall make them mighty in יהוה, so that they walk up and down in His Name,” declares יהוה.”
SAVED:
Joel 2:32 “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be delivered. For on Mount Tsiyon and in Yerushalayim there shall be an escape as יהוה has said, and among the survivors whom יהוה calls.”
Acts 2:21 “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be saved.”
Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the Name of יהוה, Maker of the shamayim and earth.”
FORGOTTEN:
Jeremiah 23:27 “…who try to make My people forget My Name by their dreams which everyone relates to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot My Name for Ba’al.”
Proverbs 30:4 “Who has gone up to the shamayim and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name, And what is His Son’s Name, If you know it? ”
A CURSE!
Malachi 2:2 “If you do not hear, and if you do not take it to heart, to give esteem to My Name,” said יהוה of hosts, “I shall send a curse upon you, and I shall curse your blessings. And indeed, I have cursed them, because you do not take it to heart.”
A PARTIAL LIST OF SCRIPTURE DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE NAME OF YAHUSHUA
NO OTHER NAME
Acts 4:12 “And there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the shamayim given among men by which we need to be saved.”
Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and mastery, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
Philippians 2:9 -11 Elohim, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of יהושע every knee should bow, of those in shamayim , and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue should confess that יהושע ha’Mashiaḥ is Aḏon, to the esteem of Elohim the Father.”
NAMED BY YAHWEH:
Matthew 1:21 “And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name יהושע for He shall save His people from their sins.”
Luke 1:31 “And see, you shall conceive in your womb, and shall give birth to a Son, and call His Name יהושע.”
CAME IN THE FATHER’S NAME
John 5:43 “I have come in My Father’s Name and you do not receive Me, if another comes in his own name, him you would receive.”
SAVED:
John 20:31 but these have been written so that you believe that יהושע is ha’Mashiaḥ, the Bĕn of Elohim, and that, believing, you might possess life in His Name.”
Acts 10:43 “To this One all the prophets bear witness, that through His Name, everyone believing in Him does receive forgiveness of sins.”
1John 5:13 I have written this to you who believe in the Name of the Bĕn of Elohim, so that you know that you possess everlasting life, and so that you believe in the Name of the Bĕn of Elohim.”
BELIEVE:
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of Elohim, to those believing in His Name…”
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged, but he who does not believe is judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only brought-forth Bĕn of Elohim.”
1John 3:23 And this is His command, that we should believe in the Name of His Bĕn יהושע ha’Mashiaḥ and love one another, as He gave us command.”
Revelation 2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast to My Name, and did not deny the belief in Me…”
REVEALED THE FATHER’S NAME:
John 17:26 “And I have made Your Name known to them, and shall make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me might be in them, and I in them.”
SIGNS:
Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall accompany the ones who believe: In My Name they shall cast out demons, they shall speak with renewed tongues…”
Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Aḏonai, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”
DO ALL:
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Aḏon יהושע, giving thanks to Elohim the Father through Him.”
Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in their midst.”
GIVE THANKS:
Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all to Elohim the Father, in the Name of our Aḏon יהושע ha’Mashiaḥ…”
ASK:
John 14:13-14 “And whatever you ask in My Name, that I shall do, in order that the Father might be esteemed in the Bĕn. “If you ask whatever in My Name, I shall do it.”
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name He might give you.”
John 16:23 “And in that day you shall ask Me none at all. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My Name He shall give you.”
HATED FOR HIS NAME:
Matthew 10:22 “And you shall be hated by all for My Name’s sake. But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved.”
Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”
Matthew 24:9 “Then they shall deliver you up to affliction and kill you, and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake.”
Mark 13:13 “And you shall be hated by all because of My Name. But he who shall have endured to the end, he shall be saved.”
Luke 21:12 “But before all this, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the congregations and prisons, and be brought before sovereigns and rulers for My Name’s sake.”
Luke 21:17 “And you shall be hated by all because of My Name.”
John 15:21 “But all this they shall do to you because of My Name, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”
Acts 9:16 “For I shall show him how much he has to suffer for My Name.”
After reading through all these Scriptures, ask yourself if you will have a good reason for using any other “name” or “title” when you stand before the throne of judgement and He asks you why you didn’t call upon His Name…
Who do we think we are that we, the creation would say to the Creator, “It doesn’t matter.”
NOTE:
Many other articles on this site are interesting topics to study but when it comes to the Name above all names the Scriptures are clear that “there is no other Name by which we must be saved”!
THIS IS A SALVATIONAL ISSUE!
As quoted earlier: Joel 2:32 “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be delivered. For on Mount Tsiyon and in Yerushalayim there shall be an escape as יהוה has said, and among the remnant whom יהוה calls.” This is a prophecy of the end times and will be your only means of help during ‘the great tribulation’. You need to KNOW whom you are calling on for deliverance.
CHALLENGE:
Find just one Scripture where Yahweh says you can call Him or His Son by another name!
ONE NAME
If you aknowledge Acts 4:12 that there is only ONE NAME by which we must be saved then consider this:
It is undeniable that the Hebrew Name for the Messiah is Yahushua. That’s ONE Name…
If you still insist that ‘Jesus’ is the Name above all names. That’s TWO names…
What about all those 500 years ago who called on the name of ‘Iesous’? That’s THREE names!
ANY names other than the Name given by Yahweh through the heavenly messenger is more than one name and is a LIE!
COMMON EXCUSES ANSWERED
If a person told you his name, would you argue with him about it? Would you tell him, “No, I don’t think so. I’ll call you something else instead”? Of course not, that would be absurd! You have no right to do such a thing and you would certainly not make him too pleased if you did.
Yet when it comes to the personal Name of the Father in Heaven, many believe that they have the prerogative to decide what they will call the One they worship. They will go to great lengths to avoid using the revealed Name of the Heavenly Father – YAHWEH. The most creative mental gymnastics are performed in an effort to justify the continued use of common titles over the personal Name Yahweh, which Scripture says is a Name above every name.
In an effort to quiet their consciences, some will argue, “He has many names.” Many will rationalize,“He knows who I mean no matter what I call Him,” while others will postulate, “His ‘name’ just means His authority.” Anyone looking into this important matter from the Scriptures, however, soon discovers that Yahweh Himself rejects all of these arguments, as well as other common assumptions about His Name.
Examining the Scriptures above shows that the issue of Yahweh’s Name is of paramount importance to Him – just as your name is important to you. He thunders:
“I am YAHWEH, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8)
The Hebrew original of this passage contains the Tetragrammaton YHWH, or Yahweh.
Yahweh is resolute about His Name. He is adamant that His people call on Him by the only Name that ensures salvation. The New Covenant Book of Acts tells us:
“And there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given among men by which we need to be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
He even wrote the Third Commandment specifically to address the neglect of His Name:
Deuteronomy 5:11 “You do not bring the Name of יהוה your Elohim to naught, for יהוה does not leave him unpunished who brings His Name to naught.”
The Hebrew behind that commandment says “bring to deso-lation and ruin,” which is exactly what will happen if you substitute other names and titles for the one true Name.
Following are the most familiar arguments given to justify the use of substitute titles like “GOD” and “LORD” in place of the true Name Yahweh. We will examine each in light of the Bible to see whether they have any validity.
• HE HAS MANY NAMES
This is one of the most popular justifications advanced to avoid using the Name Yahweh. If He has many names then it is implied that no single name stands out as His one, special, personal Name. Or in other words, He has many names but no name. The problem with this argument is the failure to recognize that generic titles are not names.
Take “Mr. Sam Jones,” for instance. “Mister” is not the name of “Sam Jones.” Mister is only a title for him. Sam Jones cannot sign a document with only the word “Mister” and expect anyone to accept it as his authentic endorsement. One is a generic term that applies to any man, the other is his real name.
The same goes for the various descriptive titles for Yahweh that some erroneously think are names, like eloah (“mighty one”), el shaddai (“the all-powerful”) and adon/adonai (“sovereign”). Others are confused by attributions that are sometimes used in connection with His Name, like Yahweh-Yireh (“Yahweh provides”), Yahweh-Zidkenu (“Yahweh our righteousness”) and Yahweh-Rapha (“Yahweh our healer”).
Regardless of certain titles and attributions, He still has only one Name – Yahweh. He inspired the prophet Isaiah in 42:8 to write:
“I am YAHWEH, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols.”
Psalm 83:18 confirms that He has but one Name:
“And let them know that You, Whose Name is יהוה, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
Nowhere in the pages of Scripture can we find a statement saying He has many names. But we can find many passages attesting to His one true Name.
• HE KNOWS WHO I MEAN NO MATTER WHAT I CHOOSE TO CALL HIM.
You cannot find such a statement expressed or implied anywhere in Scripture! Nowhere are we given the right to rename our Heavenly Father. To bestow a name is the sole prerogative of a superior, as when a parent names his child and as when Adam named the animals under his dominion. Since when does the one created have the right to address his Creator by any name he pleases?
To use this argument for the One who made us is the height of insolence and is utterly offensive to Yahweh. Notice His warning about such obstinacy:
“If you do not hear, and if you do not take it to heart, to give esteem to My Name,” said יהוה of hosts, “I shall send a curse upon you, and I shall curse your blessings. And indeed, I have cursed them, because you do not take it to heart.” (Malachi 2:2)
Yahweh’s Name is bound up in proper worship and in Psalm 68:4 He commands His people to praise Him by His Name. John 4:24 reminds us:
“Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship Him need to worship in spirit and truth.”
To deliberately ignore the Truth of His Name in favor of what pleases us as His worshipers is nothing less than vain arrogance deserving of rebuke. We cannot reverse the flow of authority – Yahweh our Creator tells us how to worship Him, not the other way around. Even beyond this, His knowing “who you mean” makes no difference to Him if you refuse to honor and glorify Him as He demands, which includes using the right Name. His Name represents Him and His Truths, something no other name does.
• THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE NAME HAS BEEN LOST AND WE DON’T KNOW HOW HIS NAME WAS SPOKEN.
Besides being false, this argument amounts to no more than an excuse – that because of supposed uncertainty we should not even try to pronounce His Name. The fact is, the Name is given us in the Hebrew in the form of the Tetragrammaton or “four letters,” which is YHWH (Yod, Hay, Waw, Hay). Jewish scribes went to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of this Name in the Hebrew, while the Masoretes or text guardians vowel-pointed the Hebrew letters to preserve the pronunciation.
It is not true that the pronunciation of the Hebrew Name was lost. If it were then the pronunciation of the entire Hebrew First Covenant was lost as well. It would also mean that in the passing-down process of the Hebrew tongue from one generation to another, that at some point all Yehudim (Jews) suddenly woke up and forgot how to speak their own language! If we can read the Old Covenant out loud in the Hebrew, then we can also read the Name Yahweh accurately in the same Hebrew. Today the Jews read Hebrew every Sabbath in their synagogues. They have no problem pronouncing it.
Here is what the noted Encyclopaedia Judaica says about this issue: “The true pronunciation of the name YHWH was never lost. Several early Greek writers of the Christian Church testify that the name was pronounced ‘Yahweh.’ This is confirmed, at least for the vowels of the first syllable of the name, by the shorter form Yah, which is sometimes used in poetry (e.g., Ex. 15:2) and the –yahu or –yah that serves as the final syllable in very many Hebrew names,” Vol. 7, p. 680.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica comments: “Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century, had used the form Yahweh, thus this pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was never really lost. Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh,” 15th Edition, Vol. X, p. 786.
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes: “The saying of God, ‘I am who I am,’ is surely connected with His name that is written in the Hebrew consonantal text as Yhwh, the original pronunciation of which is well attested as Yahweh,” 1967, Vol. 5, p. 743.
• BUT THERE ARE NO VOWELS IN THE HEBREW SO HOW CAN WE KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE FOUR LETTERS OF YHWH CORRECTLY?
Vowels do exist in Hebrew, as in all languages, or else it would be impossible to speak Hebrew. Vowels are spoken via the open mouth, while consonants are spoken by closure of the lips or by tongue contact on teeth or palate. Old Testament Hebrew is composed of words written in consonants with the vowels understood.
As noted, the Masoretes in the seventh century inserted vowel points or marks in and around the Hebrew letters to preserve the correct pronunciation. Just as with our letter “Y,” there are some Hebrew letters that serve as both consonants and vowels. Amazingly, all four letters of Yahweh’s Name are such consonant-vowels. This fact can be verified in most Hebrew grammars, including A Beginner’s Handbook to Biblical Hebrew (Horowitz), p. 7 under “Vowel Letters”; The Berlitz Self-Teacher, p. 73 under “The Vanishing Dots”; Hebrew Primer and Grammar (Fagnani and Davidson) p. 10, under “The Quiescents and Mappiq,” and How the Hebrew Language Grew (Horowitz), p. 28.
First-century priest and historian Falvius Josephus writes about the sacred Name that was engraved on the headpiece of the high priest (Ex. 28:36-38): “A mitre also of fine linen encompassed his head, which was tied by a blue riband, about which there was another golden crown, in which was engraven the sacred name [of Yahweh]; it consists of four vowels,” Wars of the Jews, Book 5, chapter 5, p. 556.
• WHEN THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF HIS NAME IT JUST MEANS HIS AUTHORITY, NOT HIS LITERAL NAME.
It is true that to do or say something in someone’s name can mean by the authority of that person. But that is only a small part of the meaning of Yahweh’s name in His Word. Through the Hebrew verb of existence, haYah, the Name Yahweh defines the very nature, character, and essence of Yahweh. His Name means to cause to be. To claim that references to His name refer only to His authority is incongruous in many important passages. To drive home the point, we have changed the word “name” to “authority” in the following verses. See whether each still makes proper sense:
Proverbs 30:4 “Who has gone up to the heavens and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is His [authority], And what is the [authority] of His Bĕn, If you know it?”
Psalm 83:18 “And let them know that You, Whose [authority] is יהוה, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
Psalm 68:4 “Sing to Elohim, sing praises to His [authority]. Raise up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts, By His [authority] Yah, And exult before Him.”
Amos 5:8 “He who made Kimah and Kesil, and who turns the shadow of death into morning and darkened day into night, who is calling for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth – יהוה is His [authority]”
Matthew 1:21 “And she shall give birth to a Bĕn, and you shall call His [authority] Yahushua for He shall save His people from their sins.”
Once we realize that Yahweh has a personal, life-giving, healing, covenant Name only through which we can find salvation, to continue calling on an inanimate, generic title to provide the same blessings that His Name gives is an affront to Him and His character.
• I SPEAK ENGLISH, NOT HEBREW, SO I USE THE ENGLISH ‘GOD’ AND ‘LORD.’
One problem here is that these are not names but common titles that can apply to any number of mighty ones or even less than mighty ones. Another problem with this statement is that “God” is not English at all but Germanic from the word gott. A “lord” is someone subordinate to a king. “Lord” derives from Old English hlafweard meaning “loaf keeper,” a person who headed a feudal estate under a king.Yahweh is King of the universe, and so to address Him with a diminutive title like “Lord” is a dishonor.
“Lord” is also related etymologically to Bel, a pagan deity. As one source notes, “In late Babylonian times the title Bel, ‘Lord,’ became synonymous with Marduk, who like Ishtar assimilated to himself various aspects of other gods,” Babylon, by Joan Oates, p. 172. The Companion Bible note on Isaiah 46:1 says, “Bel. Abbreviation of Ba’al=Lord. Here=Zeus, or Jupiter of the Greek and Roman mythology.”
Neither is the term “god” free of heathen trappings. Paul wrote that there are “gods many and lords many,” (KJV) 1Corinthians 8:5. One root of “god” means to pour as in a molten image (Oxford English Dictionary). No wonder idols are known as gods.
How can we justify using such terms when calling on the only true Father in Heaven, and His Son, Yahshua the Messiah? The language you speak has nothing to do with the Name of the one you worship, because His Name doesn’t change from language to language (Consider that there is no English form for the French name Napoleon and neither is there a German or Russian version for the English name Churchill. Specific names transcend language. They are transliterated, not translated).
• I HAVE HAD PRAYERS ANSWERED USING ‘GOD’ AND ‘LORD’ SO IT MUST BE OKAY TO USE THOSE TITLES.
Yahshua said that even an evil person won’t give his son a stone when he cries out for bread (Matt. 7:9). Each one who seeks the Truth of Yahweh first does so with a certain lack of understanding. If Yahweh let our ignorance get in the way of our heart’s desire to seek Him, then we would soon become discouraged and give up our quest.
After more truth is revealed to us, however, then we become accountable to make the proper changes in our lives and toward True Worship.
Acts 17:30 “Truly, then, having overlooked these times of ignorance, Elohim now commands all men everywhere to repent.”
Our true walk must start somewhere, and if calling on Him through common titles is all we know, then Yahweh will show compassion and toleration.
But as He gives us more knowledge and Truth, He expects us to walk in all the light we are given. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:8:
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Master. Walk as children of light.”
Yahshua said in Matthew 7:21:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the shamayim.”
The truth of His Name has been revealed to you and it is now your responsibility to use that knowledge to begin to honor Him by calling on His revealed, personal Name. See Psalm 34:3, 68:4 and 1 Kings 8:35.He reminds us repeatedly that His people are called by His Name, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Daniel 9:19 and Ephesians 3:14-15.
His Name is central to True Worship. We cannot say we truly know Him and have a personal relationship if we don’t know and call on His Name.
WARNING!
After reading all the Scriptures declaring the importance of His Name and the Commands to call on His Name. If you know the Name of Yahweh and continue to use the Pagan titles of Lord and God then you are practising falsehood!
Revelation 22:15 “But outside are the dogs and those who enchant with drugs, and those who whore, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and all who love and do falsehood.”
All Scripture quoted from ‘HalleluYah Scriptures’ – www.halleluyahscriptures.com