The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 5
“Who has gone up to Heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name and the Name of His Son? Tell me if you know!” (Proverbs 30:4).
Meeting someone, be it on a bus or at work, the playground, or a trip to a foreign land, when we meet someone, the first thing we learn is his or her name. Never have I known anyone for more than a few moments without knowing their name. It is indeed the first step in a relationship. Without a first step, can there really be a second, third, or fourth?
How many of you have been offended when someone blasphemed around you? Be honest. Even if you are alone, raise your hand and say, “I.” Is it not distressing when someone says God, Lord, or Jesus Christ, along with, or even as, a vulgarity? They know you love the Almighty, and yet they use His Name as a cuss word. I have heard many Christians talk about how they have walked away from people, shut books, turned off movies, and the likes, after such immoral behaviour.
Many say, “I love the Lord.” but it seems they only love their idea of Him. Mention a commandment, or that He sometimes gets very angry, and they quickly throw up their shields of the doctrines of men, which is nothing more than closing one’s eyes to the Truth. Many claim to love Him but do not even call on His Name. How can this be love? It is because few people even know the Heavenly Father has a personal Name, and this knowledge makes me, as well as my Father, weep. To know my dear brothers and sweet sisters do not even know His Name is a sorrowful knowledge I desire to see changed.
When a man calls his wife, “spouse,” it simply doesn’t do much. When he calls her, “My lovely [insert her chosen name her],” then there is power. What power? The most amazing power the world has ever known. It has changed men. It has conquered nations. It has healed, and it has crushed. It is the most powerful force known: it is love. That is the essence of His Name! Never forget that.
Love is seldom considered amazing, as it is so often talked about and rarely shown, making it a little thing, rather than the biggest part of our lives. However, while love has healed, ill-placed love has crushed those who grab tight of falsehood. In life, there are many obstacles that we must conquer through His Word, prayer, and love. Alas, some sins have taken a stronghold in our lives that are hard to overcome. For someone out there it may be profanity. For another, it may be coveting, and not just your neighbor’s items, but also the stores’ and catalogs’ items, in the form of greed. However, there is one stronghold above all others. It is a tower, which once torn down, makes all other strongholds weaker. What is this power? What is the strongest stone Satan has put before us? What is our greatest downfall? Not only is it the refusal to speak His Name, but also the names and titles we have wrongfully given the Heavenly Father. Please hear me out.
Let’s take a quick glance at the power and importance of names within the Scriptures. In Genesis 21:3 we see Abraham’s wife, Sarah, had a son whom she named Yitzchak (Isaac), which means laughter. We find just a few chapters earlier, Genesis 17:19, the Heavenly Father commanded that he be named this, in response to Abraham and Sarah’s laughter of disbelief in His promise that they would have a child.
The word used for “name” is 8034 in the Strongs Concordance. The Hebrew word for name is Shem, and the word used in reference to the most Holy Name is HaShem, meaning: The Name. Whether the word “name” is in reference to a person, or the Name of the Most High, it is the same word … Shem. Names throughout Scripture are very important: “A good name is preferable to great riches. Favour is better than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1). So important are names that sometimes they were changed, such as Abram’s, (Genesis 17:5), whose name meant, “high father,” and now is changed to Abraham, which means, “father of a multitude.” One Name, however, that the Father never changed was His own.
No one can see the Father unless He reveals Himself. Pray. I can teach you nothing. I can only show you. But if your heart is not prepared then this knowledge will crush what it could have healed. Kneel and pray with me, “Dear Heavenly Father, my Awesome Creator, I pray to You upon my knees to ask You to show me Your Truth. Whatever Truth is in what I am about to read, I ask You, for Your Name’s sake, to show me in Scripture and in my heart the Truth. If I fail You, Father, please do not give up on me! Keep showing me Your true Name and what You would have me do, so that I might live a life that is a life of worship. Thank You, my Saviour. In Your Name, I do pray. Amen.” Please read my words as a peaceful cry. Let our desire in this be to love He Who loved us first in the way He desires to be loved. I write to you concerning the first step to a personal relationship.
“And in them the prophecy of YeshaYahu is completely filled, which says, ‘Hearing you shall hear and by no means understand, and seeing you shall see and by no means perceive, for the heart of this people has become thickened, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart, and turn back, and I heal them.’” (Matthew 13:14-15).
(I don’t do this often, but I must insist: If your heart is not open to this then stop reading and pray. Pray for months if need be. If you are in a Bible study, and even though you are not ready, they are going to keep going—then leave! Never approach something you have not prayed for guidance in first. Please make it very clear that it is no bad thing to take more time to pray. Go to the Creator until you have a burning desire to know His Name—to worship Him in Spirit and Truth! Only then, read on. Pray!)
Next I ask that you would go get your encyclopedia, dictionary, concordance, Bible prefaces, commentary, and history books from friends and libraries, and do a word study on the following words before reading past this section: Lord, God, Allah, Jesus, Baal, Gad, Son of Man, and Christ. Don’t just look for things that are in favor of these names, but that which is also not in favor. Do a real study. Not a biased one. Ask yourself questions such as, “Does calling on Baal-Gad save us? What if our heart is right?” Take the time to learn for yourself first regarding the Name above all names. Then please read my letter to you.
Let’s do a little test before we begin. A fun test for which you’ll receive an A no matter what. Get a sheet of paper and write down everything you know about Nimrod. When you are done, then continue reading again.
Now, for the next week find one article on him each day. From any source, such as a Bible dictionary, Jewish history books, stories of Babylon, mythologies, archeology, the Internet, and above all the Scriptures. At the end of the week, write down what you know about Nimrod. Does it all line up? Did you learn more? Now you will see a foundation of the great, “Babylon Mystery Religion,” of sun worship that has plagued us all, even to the very end of days.
Scripture says to call upon the Name of the Lord. Because of this, a good many of us sit there and say, “I’d love too! … What is it?” The tip of the iceberg is His Name. It is so highly important that, without it, our ship will sink. The pronunciation of the Name has been debated for many years. For a long time people thought we should only call Him Adoni and Elohim, as I once did, but then, with further studies, we see the error in this. Was I lost when I cherished His Name and called Him Jesus, crying so hard that no one could understand my words but Him? Was I lost when I embraced the title Adoni, and wept it in prayer and sang it with my not so good singing voice? Will I be lost if I pronounce His Name incorrectly? Certainly not. So then should I stop trying to call Him by the Name He would have? Never! I love His Name, and let me tell you why: My Love is for more than His magnificent Name as a word. My Love is more than the dictionary definition of His Holy Name. My love for Him runs deep into Who He really is.
There is much more than just the sounding of His Name. If you know only my name and dwell just on the sounding thereof, then your not going to really know me … just my name. You have to get to know me to understand my name. Thus, concerning the Father’s Name, we will never know it unless we truly get to know Him in service and festival, and by dwelling on, and living in, His Teaching, yes, His Torah and His Spirit (Psalms 1:1-3). There are many people who do not know the Messiah’s Name,but they know the meaning of His Name better than some ofthose who know the pronunciation. (Romans 2:11-16). I pray to know both, and let them both be known, by word and action.
If you chose to call Him by His appropriate Name, then do not look down on those who don’t. Nor should you form a cult, or as it is known most commonly: a denomination. For His Word is full beyond measure. If you read this letter as just a “You’ve got to say it like this” then you have missed His Name entirely.
Please allow me to share with you some of what I have learned, not over a week, but over decades of study. This is not to say I am perfect, or smarter than you. For the only true wisdom comes from our Rabbi. Study what I present to you in earnest desire to get to know He Who loved you first, better.
The name “god” is in Scripture, but in a manner that may surprise you. Baal-Gad is mentioned in Joshua 11:17 and other verses. Gad is pronounced as god. (Capitalizing the g does not make a difference as there is no case distinction in Hebrew.) God is a Canaanite word retained by the Israelites. God means luck, prosperity, good fortune, or troop. Leah, who gave Zilpah’s son the name of God, “Then Leah said, ‘What good fortune / troop!’ So she named him God / Gad / Gawd.” (Genesis 30:11), was herself born and raised in the very pagan household of Laban, who worshiped many idols (Genesis 31:19-30). She was raised believing in God, the deity of fortune, in addition to many other idols. The power of this false deity’s name is more than you may believe. In over thirty years, it is my best assumption that 99% of the prayers to God that I have heard have been for fortune. There is power in that name, but a lesser power. His Name, the Name above all names, is Yahoweh!
While I know that my Saviour knows the hearts of men and seeks our love regardless of our current state, should we call such a loving Saviour by a false name or sterile title? There is power in the One Name that Salvation comes by (Acts 4:12).
As believers, we recognize that Satan does not want us to call upon the Creator with the Name that the Father gave to Himself. Satan would much prefer that we call upon Yahoweh (YAH-ho-Vway) with the name of a false idol, which, as the apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:19-20, is not an idol at all: “What then do I say? That an idol is of any value? Or that which is offered to idols is of any value? No, but what the gentiles offer they offer to demons and not to Elohim, and I do not wish you to become sharers with demons.”
“Trust in Yahoweh with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” (Proverbs 3:5).
God cannot beconsidered a translation of Yahoweh, but rather a transliteration of the name of an idol. Therefore, is this “God” in any way connected to “God?”A truth seeker bent on serving Yahoweh will not gamble on offending Him in any way. Yahoweh says that God is the name of a false idol worshiped by those who forsake Him. Let’s look at the Scripture in Isaiah 65:11:“But you are those who forsake Yahoweh, who forget My set-apart mountain, who prepare a table for Gad, and who fill a drink offering for Meni.” (Meni / Destiny). (Please read the rest of this chapter.) The word that is translated “Gad” is pronounced “God.” In many translations, they render the Babylonian deity of fortune as “Fortune.” Yahoweh’s Name is not of Babylonian origin, nor is His Name of Hebrew origin; rather Hebrew is of His origin, and thus His Name is of Hebrew word. His Name is Yahoweh, not the sterile title given to every deity in existence: god. Is this important? What does the Holy Spirit tell you? Does your heart line up with Scripture?
“And in all that I have said to you take heed. And make no mention of the name of other mighty ones, let it not be heard from your mouth.” (Exodus 23:13).
(When writing if you place a dash between the first and last letter, such as g-d, it means you have a Babylonian respect for that title or name. However, in writing, I am afforded the ability to write out these pagan names. I simply ask if you are reading this aloud to say ‘g dash d’ instead of uttering the name of a pagan deity. I also encourage you not to mock the false name as some who are yet weak in the faith may see it as evil, and this may cause a brother to stumble, which is as vile as vile can be. In the Babylonian Talmud it is mans’ law to substitute the Name for a title, and saying the Name was considered blasphemy worthy of death. Indeed, we hold fast to the teachings of the Pharisees, men, if we refuse the Name of the Saviour.)
Let us rely on our Rabbi. Let’s not attempt to logically place more faith in our questionable logic than in the evidence provided in the Father’s Word. If the word god (speak g-d) is to be used as a substitute / replacement for the Name Yahoweh, it must be acknowledged that we placed ourselves above the Creator. It is sensible to consider that if an appropriate term for Yahoweh is god, then why didn’t any writers of Scripture ever call Him god? God was a word back then, after all.
His Name first appears in Scripture at Genesis 4:26 (though some say Exodus 3:15, but, in Truth, it was Exodus 3:15 when we began to know Yahoweh as the Warrior of His people!). It is without a doubt that Adam and Eve called Him Yahoweh, but never lord, god, or mister. Why? Adam walked with Yahoweh (how awesome that will be) and knew Him well enough to know His Name. Let us walk with Him and come to know His Name and all that He is.
The title “lord” is also in Scripture. Every time you see “LORD” written out in all capital letters in many translations, the real word is the most wonderful Name and most powerful in all the lands of any galaxy—The Name Yahoweh. The term “lord” in Hebrew is a little scary as well. The word for lord is Baal. We have been taught that Baal is a pagan deity; however, sometimes when we read about the worshipers of Baal, what we have are worshipers of the Creator, who, little by little left behind the Name above all names, and His teachings (Torah), and adopted titles along with the customs and practices of pagans. A completely separate religion emerged, apart from the true faith, with Baal (Lord) as the name of the deity being worshiped. Sound familiar? Christianity is the only religious system that calls on their deity by a title. Their deity has no name. My landlord is called lord, yet I do not pray to him. Is lord truly a Name above all names? Daniel called an evil king “lord.” Would we use these same empty titles for the Most High? Only if we want to provoke His anger, or if we want Satan, who masquerades as an angel of light, to answer the prayer, showing us wonderful signs to keep us from loving the Creator in Spirit and Truth!
Many wouldn’t dream of referring to Yahoweh as their Baal; yet they refer to Him using titles such as Adoni (Master) on such a regular basis that they may as well call Yahoweh by the identical sterile title, lord. We would never refer to Yahoweh as Zeus or Apollos or such idols as Nisroch, an Assyrian deity mentioned in 2 Kings 19:37, nor would we call Him Doc, Dude, or Senior. What about the deity whose name is Baal-God, or lord god? Yahoweh Himself identifies this deity as one worshiped by those who forsake Him. May we never forsake Yahoweh by changing His Name to god as a title for Him. Yet, is there a title that we can use instead?
Yahoweh is worthy of the Name above all names, so I use titles sparingly. There is nothing wrong with calling Yahoweh our Father, Master, Creator, or the Almighty; these are all fitting titles. However, Yahoweh has a problem with the changing of His Name from Yahoweh to anything else, even Rabbi, Father, Love, or Saviour, which are some of the titles I call Him. The problem lies in replacing, changing, and failing to baptize, anoint, forgive, drive out demons, give thanks, perform miracles, heal, assemble, and pray in, as well as praise, exalt, bless, love, minister, preach, believe, honor, and call on His Name as Scripture teaches us. Let’s look at what Yahoweh declared to Jeremiah now that we understand the title Baal means lord. “Till when shall it be in the heart of the prophets? —the prophets of falsehood and prophets of the deceit of their own heart, 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 Baal.” (Jeremiah 23:26-27). And also Hosea, “‘And it shall be, in that day,’ declares Yahoweh, ‘that you call Me “My Husband,” and no longer call Me “My Ba‘al.” And I shall remove the names of the Ba‘als from her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.’” (Hosea 2:16-17). “Ishi,” is to say, and is changed to, “My Husband.” “Baal,” is to say, but is never changed to, “My Lord.” (No one calls Him “My Baal,” just the equivalency of “My Lord”). Our fathers forgot Yahoweh’s Name for “lord” just as the prophet spoke, but the time is now to forget the title of Baal / Lord. It is true that our fathers inherited lies: “O Yahoweh, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no value in them. Would a man make mighty ones for himself, which are not mighty ones? 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 Yahoweh!” (Jeremiah 16:19-21), however, that does not mean we have to keep them and knowingly teach our children lies as well. It would appear the Jews are not the only people affected by Babylon. Why Babylon? That is where the tradition of not saying the Name is said to have begun and said to be kept. I for one do not heed un-Scriptural traditions.
In Scripture we see His people calling on His Name from the time of Adam, in Genesis 4:26, to you and I in Revelations 2:13. We see those who truly love Him call Him by Name. His Name is above every Name and a Word of both beauty and power, and so I ask, “Why not call on His Name?” The title Baal is never changed or translated and therefore lives on, while Yahoweh’s Name is changed to Baal (lord) many thousands of times in Scripture! Alas, if translators translated the title Baal to lord, and switched LORD to Baal, then there would be too many offended and too many questions, and so the men simply do nothing. An example of this falsification is found in Isaiah 42:8 stating, “I am Yahoweh, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols.” This has been changed to, “I am the lord, that is my name, and my esteem I do not give to another, nor my praise to idols.”
(Now, while some say Baal / Lord is always a reference for a false elohim, such as in Deuteronomy 4:3, this is simply not the case. Regardless: either side of this debate provides ample reasoning not to call Yahoweh by a sterile title given to every deity, king, or land owner in existence. There are no Scriptures showing that He loves being called lord.)
Note: While some groups claim to love His Name, and some translations as well, they seldom call on His Name, but instead use the terms: god, Adoni, Elohim, lord, and other titles. The Almighty, David, Daniel, and every other servant in the Bible did not follow the theology that we should replace His Name. Be on your guard. The devil would hand you all the truth in the world if you would but agree to keep half his lies right along with it.
In the letter concerning the greatest trap, I asked what evidence are we willing to accept as Truth worthy enough to change our view. I suggested we looked to see what it has taken for us to believe something in the past. What did we accept from the past as proof that Jesus was His Name? Were we just told that was His Name? … That’s it? … Oh, my.
In Hebrew and Greek, the languages spoken in Scripture, there is no “J.” It is impossible for the Messiah’s Name to be Jesus. Then who does the name “Jesus” belong to? The Teutonic name Jesus roots to a female pagan goddess of healing, Iesos, a derivative of both the goddess Isis and the sun god Zeus, of Egyptian origins, traceable all the way back to Babylon. What is the power of this name of a pagan deity of healing? Again, the most common prayer I have heard unto Jesus is for healing. There is power in that name. However, it is a lesser power than in a Name in which the Father’s Name resides (John 17:11-12), the Name of our Saviour is Yahoshuah, Who is wrongfully called Jesus in our Bibles. Did you find something different? I hope you have studied this. If you have not found this, then use this letter as a stepping stool. I hope you all see higher and higher and run the race set before us.
I know His Name is Yahoshuah (YAH-ho-shoe-ah) for the reason of that is what He was called. If we go to a Concordance of the Bible, or countless texts about the Messiah, we see that “Joshua” is the most common name given for the Messiah. However, Joshua starts with a J, so we know that this simply cannot be correct. The common name is Yeshua (Saviour). However, this name is a nickname. The term nickname means to nick or knock off part of the Name that is most holy or precious. In today’s culture nicknames are sometimes fun to have or give, but these nicknames are no different than a boy named Andy being called Ann. We know the most holy Name begins with “Yah,” as shown in many Biblical texts, and we also know that the Father’s Name was given to the Messiah, thus we can determine the Messiah’s True Name. First, we need to look in the Torah. When Moses knew that he was not taking the people into the promise land, he asked Yahoweh who would. “Yahoshuah,” was Yahoweh’s answer. What does this Name mean? “Yahoweh is Saviour.” Is this the Messiah’s Name? Yes. His Name is Yahoshuah. Now passages like, “And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name Yahoshuah for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21). makes so much more sense, considering the name Jesus meant nothing to anyone living during the time of our Messiah and still has no meaning in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, or English. This, too, is why He said, “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.” (John 5:43). … But why?
Now how do I know the Father’s Name is Yahoweh? Yahweh (without the o) is His Name as proven by many scholarly people. I could have included some academic study on this, but it is very easy to come by so I will leave it to you. Yahweh is almost right, but not quite. In simple terms, there has to be a center vowel with four constants. How do we know which one it is? We don’t. However, if Zechariah had no vowel pointing for four hundred years after it was written then surely we can determine the sounding of His Name. We simply do our best. The sound “u” after Yah would signify ownership as it does in many other Hebrew names. Could that be it? He is the Self-Existent one after all. It could be an “a,” “o,” or “u.” I would say the vowel “o” simply because that is in the Messiah’s Name. The first part of the Messiah’s Name is Yah, and the last part is Shuah, which means Saviour / Salvation. I believe it is the “o” possibly spoken with more of a short rolling gruff. I do my best. That’s all we can do. We cannot change the past, but we can zealously return to the faith that was once delivered to the saints, and worship the One who causes rain and lightning to fall: the absolute and unchangeable, Yahoweh. What does ‘Weh” mean? If you will accept it: “Who was, Who is, Who is to come”.
The first time I heard the Name is a night I will never forget. For the first time in my life, I attended a Sabbath class. I, however, had gone to church all my life. I already knew all this. So, I quickly went into daydream land. In daydream land, I began fighting ninjas and doing fun stuff like that. Hey, you have your daydreams and I have mine, all right. Regardless, I did not hear a word the speaker was saying until I heard him say, “Yahoshuah,” I had not been paying attention at all, and that is all I heard. My reaction, though, was one of instant attention. Interrupting the man I blurted out, “Who is that?” Now I had no idea what this word was, let alone a Who, yet I asked again in excitement before he could answer, “Who is that?” He said to me, “Yahoshuah is the real Name of the Messiah.” I know this may sound fishy to some, but I was immediately convicted that this was indeed true and was thrilled to know His Name. I got home after midnight that night and wrote His Name down and stayed up ‘til I could study no more. Finding book after book and web site after web site—I had to know Him more. I said His Name and knew He is Awesome. I had to share this wonderful news! And while the lack of even interest in His Name by the tens of people I told the first day was non-understandable, one thing was for certain: I found joy in calling my Creator, my Saviour, my Friend, by His Name.
In Act’s 4, we see a man healed by the power of Yahoshuah through Peter. The council of the Sanhedrin called for Peter, and the men ministering with him, to trial, and, after hearing that Peter boldly spoke the Name, they ordered him to never speak it again. Peter’s and John’s answer needs to be our answer to those who would have us not speak the Name. “You must judge whether it is right in the sight of HaShem to listen to you rather than HaShem. As for us, we can’t help talking about what we have actually seen and heard.” To which the Sanhedrin threatened them even more! The Jewish apostles prayed to Yahoweh asking, “Stretch out Your Hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the Name of your holy servant Yahoshuah.” We continue to chapter five and see again that they are asked to not speak the Name. Thankfully, Peter and the apostles did not listen. However, when they were about to be killed, Paul’s old instructor, Gamaliel, stood up to speak, and, after having the apostle’s leave, addressed the Sanhedrin. After Gamaliel had explained other such risings that had come and gone, he said, “… So in the present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these people, but to leave them alone. For if this idea or this movement has a human origin, it will collapse. But if it is from HaShem, you will not be able to stop them; you might even find yourselves fighting HaShem Himself!” His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them again not to speak in the Name of the Messiah, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” Indeed, the feather hurts us more than the Rod. Do we love the Saviour so much that it is a joy to us when we are hated for speaking the Name above all names? Or are we opting for a seat on the Sanhedrin? Gamaliel was indeed one of the most renowned minds of all time. He was wise to let it go. For if it was from men then it would die. His healing power and His Name are not from men, and His Truth is not dead but rather forsaken. Gamaliel was wise in this. So was his student Paul, and also Peter, for not forsaking the Name above all names. I test myself often in looking in the Word to see who mirrors me, and the One Whom I should mirror. I pray I never emulate the men who hated the Name and said, “We will not say it and forbid you to continue speaking this Name.”
“Dear Yahoweh, thank You for Your servants who gave their blood for Your Son’s good Name. I pray for us all to have the same heart. Create in us this heart. Thank You for revealing Your Name to me. To be able to say … Yahoweh … it is such a joy and an honor to call You by Name. In Your Son’s Name, Yahoshuah I thank You. Amen.”
Satan has tried to remove the most wonderful Name of all. A Name so holy that by it alone salvation comes (Joel 2:32 and Acts 4:12). A Name so holy that every knee will bow (Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11). A Name so jealous that we are to destroy the names of false deities and forms of worship to them (Deuteronomy 12:3 and Joshua 23:7). A Name so jealous that all other names of false deities and empty terms like lord will be gone. We will not remember them (Zechariah 13:2 and Daniel 2:44). A Name of One so loving I am willing to die rather than forsake Him.
Do you know how many times the Name of our Saviour occurs in Scripture? The Name of our Saviour occurs over six thousand eight hundred times in the Hebrew Scriptures, and is especially associated with His holiness, hatred of sin, and salvation. The Name is very important, and so today I am writing to you a very hard letter. I know it is sharp because it first cut me. So let’s take a moment and step back to take a fresh look. Let’s say I’ve just come from our president in Washington. He has given me the power to convert our Muslim and Buddhist friends. Standing behind the Christian pulpit, I begin to demand, upon pain of death, that people praise the name Buddha and praise his son, our Saviour, Mohammed. I share how Buddha sent the Saviour Mohammed to die for all our sins, and now, because of the blood of Mohammed, we can come to the throne of our creator, Buddha. While I am at it, I adopt the celebrations from these two faiths into our faith. However, I tell people that it’s okay because in our hearts we know we are still talking to the same Saviour. This will win more converts!
Will you adhere?
Similar occurrences have happened in the past, documented in history. Most records of the offending nations were destroyed—if the people did not do as commanded by the lord of the land they were killed. Landlords such as Alexander the not-so-great, and Constantine the sun worshiper, to name but two, have done this. This is what happened in the first few centuries to the Jews who followed the Messiah. Make no mistake, it will happen again. It is happening again, as there are a few translations referring to Yahoweh as, “it”! Another Bible calls the Son of Man the “Complete Person.” In truth, though, Son of Man is often actually: Bridegroom. It is written in Revelations 12:17 that the dragon will wage war with those who have the testimony of the Messiah and keep the commandments! We cannot win this war without the power and love of His Name and all He stands for!
From our perspective, to say “believers” took on these pagan names of God and Jesus sounds offensive. However, when you insist that we change the names from God to Buddha and Jesus to Mohammed, even with the good intentions of “winning” many from other faiths, the idea becomes as appalling as vomit.
I put myself in a similar situation when I need clearer understanding. I know that to call on Yahoweh by a pagan or empty name is called an abomination. (Exodus 20:7). It is hurtful to Him. Yet, people say it only matters what is in the heart. I test this and see if it is true. (Test with me.) Thinking deeply to myself, I envision people calling me, not profane and derogatory names liken to false deities, but the good title of, “Sir.” My wife, parents, brothers and sisters, the church members and clerks, the stranger on the corner and my own friends, all call out to me using the name Sir. I sink in my chair in sorrow at just the thought. The envisioning of their happiness to see me, and the love shown for me, is of little help in lifting my spirit. I am crushed. I am sad because no one loves me enough, even though I ask thousands of times, to call me by the gift of my parents—to call me by name. Then, from a distance, I hear a voice calling, “Val, hey Val, come here.” A smile comes on my face, and a joy leaps in my heart as I spring from my chair, and run out to him. A stranger who cares is better than a friend that hates. It does matter what is in the heart, but in truth, the heart shows its concern for the Father’s Good Name by voice and action. However, if I do the same test with just my name, then it becomes bothersome, too. We ought not say His Name over and over and over. Proper titles do indeed have their place.
Thus, a fitting title for the Saviour is “Messiah,” which means “Anointed One of Yahoweh.” There are also the titles King or High Priest, yet a common title, Christ, was given to all Greek idols / gods. From A to Z, from Apollo to Zeus, however, the Messiah is not a Greek idol, but the High Priest of all who call upon Him with their hearts more than their lips.
Side note: We see that there is no evidence linking any Biblical personages named after a heathen deity (such as the man named Apollos) who changed their names upon conversion. Thus, I will not speculate upon it.
I have wondered if the Holy Spirit, the Breath of Yahoweh, has a Name. The Hebrew title is Ruach HaKodesh (Rue-auk Ha-Ko-desh). Ruach means, “Spirit.” Ha always means, “the.” And Kodesh means, “Holy.” Calling Him the Holy Spirit is proper. Throughout this collection of letters, a bit here and a bit there, we will look closer at the Holy Guide, and His Name.
It is a joy to know and call on His Name! Perhaps I should have brought this up to begin with. I am unsure. No, not that calling on His Name is a blessing beyond words; rather, concerning the hatred from the church received, even from friends, created by the decision to reject the name god and embrace the Name above all names. It has been painful. Some of our family does not want to see us because of our faith. (I say this so you will not feel alone in it.) Yahoweh created us to be social beings who long for acceptance, fellowship, and love of others. Alas, you will be hated for calling on His Name much like Peter was. The only comfort I can give is to say, take joy in it. Why take joy? Know that if you love Him so much that you will call on His Name no matter what, then our Messiah, Yahoshuah, will call out your name to the Father … no matter what. I earnestly desire for all to come to the Messiah, but not at the expense of Truth, because in Truth, they cannot come to Him by lies! (John 4:23). Do not be afraid to call on His Name. Be honored to. Yahoweh loves us in a way that is beyond our understanding.
Some consider the concept of rejecting the names we have been taught since childhood, such as god, in favor of the Name above all names, Yahoweh, as cultic. When this is all we embrace, then they are right. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 shows that we must prove all things so we may hold fast to that which is good. It is frightening that the name we are taught as belonging to the Creator of the universe is the name of a Canaanite, and then Babylonian deity, worshiped by those who forsake Yahoweh. Referring to our Father with a title that matches the name of a heathen deity (basically every deity) does not honor Him! Who, upon discovering the Truth about the Name desires to refer to the true Creator with a worthless title or a false name? Those who love His Name? Or the children of Satan? I will let His Word answer that question. Yet you cannot show those who reject His Name the Truth, as they reject Truth. You can only pray for them and live a life of Truth and Spirit by honoring Him, not by compromising His Word and acting bullheaded by pushing His Name. Pray for opportunities to minister, and for their eyes to be opened to the absolute Truth. Pray.
Concerning the Name Jehovah: The pronunciation Jehovah was unknown until 1520 when Galatinus introduced it. The addition of the J did not occur to the tongue of men until 1400-1500. Jehovah’s Witness’s have literature on, and truthfully admit, that this is not the way you pronounce His Name. According to many Encyclopedias, the word “Jehovah” comes from replacing the vowels of the Name YHWH with the vowel signs of the word Adoni or Elohim, and changing the Y to a J. Jehovah does not start with a Y and has a V rather than a W, thus the artificial name Jehovah came into being with very little wisdom applied. Also, the first part of the Creator’s Name is Yah, not Yeh. The first part of Jehovah, “Jeh’s”, meaning, is uncertain, as it does not exist. “Hovah,” however, does. This Hebrew word means ruin, disaster, and mischief (Strongs Concordance number 1943 hovah, another form for 194.) This word is found in passages such as Isaiah 47:11. That does not sound like our Creator. Should a man change the Name of the One who created him to “ruin”?
While “JeHoVaH,” ought be “YaHoWeH,” at least the people who use this name are trying to honor His Name. I may very well not be 100% perfect in my saying of His Name, but I will do my best to because I love Him. Someday the Saviour and I will be walking side by side, and He may say something like, “Remember when you used to do your best to honor My Name, but you said it with an ‘o’ sound instead of a ‘u’?” as we both smile. I wonder what the conversation would sound like with those who did not care about His Name at all. Or are they there?
A couple of years back I viewed a Bible that had replaced everyone’s name. Peter was called Rocky, and various other American names were given to not only the prophets, but the Creator as well. But the truth of this didn’t hit me until a few weeks ago when I saw an article in the newspaper about a Catholic “priest” urging people to call “god” by the name “Allah” to gain more converts. He also wanted to change the Messiah’s Name to Mohammad in a new version of the Bible. Would you read a Bible that “translated” His Name to Allah and Mohammad? In a way … you already do! No matter how offended we get, it does not change that Mohammad is as accurate of a translation, or transliteration, as Jesus is for Yahoshuah. Study the Name and see how special and sanctified it is. Do a word search in a Concordance on “name,” both Hebrew and Greek. If His Name is this special, why change it to pagan names, or at best false names? Is it not ludicrous for us to start calling Him Allah and Mohammed? Yet, that is what has happened many times in these last few thousand years. Do we care?
Side note: In Arabic Bibles, issued forth by Christians, the term “god” has been replaced by an Arabic word, the only Arabic word that actually does mean the same thing as the word “god,” and that word is: Allah. I have heard some men claim this was right to do, based on Christians changing His Name to god in the first place. Yet, what happens? The Muslims get these Bible and learn about Allah, and then refer to the Koran thereafter. They find no salvation in it, for there is only One Name under Heaven by which we can be saved. His real Name stands out, but the term god can mean any deity in any religion, and, in Islam, it is always rendered as: Allah. … What have we done? O my King and Saviour, what have we done?
To understand this better, we need to know that a general rule of translating any name is that names are phonetically “transliterated,” using the sounding of the letters of the native language. (In other words, there is no perfect way to spell His Name in English, but there is in Hebrew, and so we can only do our best. Many write out His Name as Yeshua, Yehoshua, Yahweh, Yahaweh, and so on. All hopefully do their best to love Him). If we can transliterate strange-sounding names into English, such as Gautama Buddha, Adolf Hitler, Osama bin Ladin, Pocahontas, Mohammad, Yamamoto, and Zeus, why do translators change Hebrew names, instead of phonetically transliterating them? Is the changing of the Name of our Messiah, and not the name of Pilate or Caesar, a work of the Deceiver? Or is it because we love Osama bin Ladin more? Not only the Christians but the Jews, too, accept this. For example: Chavvah is changed to Eve, Yesha’Yahu is changed to Isaiah, and Yahoweh is changed to “LORD” or “God”. Noteworthy, though, is that idols, and non-Hebrew names, are transliterated as close to the sounds of the source language as possible. For example: Ba’al to Baal, Molek to Molech, Nebuwkadne’tstsar to Nebuchadnezzar, Tammuz to Tammuz, and Dagon to Dagon. Nebuchadnezzar is not changed to Ned and Osama Bin Ladin is not called Ol’ Benny Lin. So why is this? I’ll show you, or rather, Scripture will. We find in the book of Daniel that the conquering nation, Babylon, changed the names of its enslaved Hebrew subjects, as seen in Daniel 1:7 where the chief officer gave them new names; he changed Daniel to Belteshatstsar, HananYah to Shadrak, Mishael to Meshak, and AzarYah to Abed-Nego. Why change their names? Daniel means “Yah is judge” while Belteshatstsar means “Bel will protect”, HananYah means “Yah is Gracious” while Shadrak means “inspired of Aku”, Mishael means “who is like Yah” while Meshak means “belonging to Aku”, and AzarYah means “Yah is my help” while Abed-Nego means “servant of Nego”. Why then would a translator change the Hebrew names? Because conquerors treat their subjects as inferior to their own people and culture. Thus, they feel they can abuse the native names and culture as they please, and change them, as they are above their defeated. We are the defeated! Yahoweh knows no such thing … and never will!
Now I do, on occasion, use the real names of other people in Scripture. When we read the Bible, but change names to an alleged English, we lose Yahoweh’s Name that is often within the name of prophets and other men. The emphasis in these names is always on “Yah”. A few examples are Elijah: EliYAHu, Isaiah: YeshaYAHu, Jeremiah: YirmeYAHu, Nehemiah: NechemYAH, Matthew: MattitYAHu, and other words like Hallelujah: HalleluYah, which means Praise Yah—see, you did know part of His Name after all! There are over a thousand references to how holy His Name is, nearly seven thousand that His Name is Powerful, and tens of thousands that show light to His Name we couldn’t have considered without looking at the Hebrew text! His Word is Powerful! His Name is a Strong Tower!
The Jews inherited sin from Babylon, thus they stopped pronouncing the Name and changed the third commandment. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Name and thus this tradition remains in most Jewish and Christian homes. In fact, most Christians follow this Talmudic teaching closer than the Jews. We believed this lie from Satan. Make no mistake; the deceiver has given those who gladly accepted his gifts … more lies. And we have inherited them as well. We are following an ancient tradition when we don’t say the Name. It is not a tradition of the Father, unless your father is Satan. There is not a single text in all Scripture that prohibits us from calling the Heavenly Father by His Name. Do not accept the devil’s ban on the Name above all names.
Now many men will get lies in the form of reason from Satan to defend their thoughts. Some come across as innocent questions. Such as, “Why on earth should an English speaking person call on the Hebrew Namevers Yahoweh or Yahoshuah?” But often this is where we stop, at asking, though this, as we have learned, is not a seeking question but a statement of having no desire to learn. If we seek to answer questions, even our own questions, we can find the answers very easily. Personal names do not translate across languages because it is not possible. For instance, Yanni, one of the greatest musicians of my time, is still called Yanni in any country or language.Personal names do not translate, they transliterate. In other words, they retain the pronunciation as much as possible. So, if we were to transliterate the name Yanni, it would probably be Joni at the worst; however, we love the composer enough to not do so. “The LORD” is not a translation or transliteration of the Name Yahoweh. It is a direct vain replacement. Translators openly admit they replaced the Name above all names with a title to keep an unscriptural tradition. Nearly 7,000 times they replaced the Name (not translate it) with “the LORD”, or “GOD”. Someday, Yahoweh will give us a new name. Will it be as empty as the titles we have wrongfully given Him? I pray we seek for this to never be.
A recent lie is that the Name is forgotten. If you look in the Bible, you will find they are for the most part right, because His Name is not in there. At least anymore. But if you go check the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Masoretic text, the Hebrew Matthew, or even look in older versions of the Septuagint, you will see the Name above all names. A Name we have not forgotten how to pronounce, because Yahoweh said His Name will reside in Yerusalem forever. Will you accept this Truth, or offer your hand out to the angel of light, known by his original Hebrew names of Satan and Lucifer, for another lie against the Creator’s Name to believe in? How many lies can we cherish above His Name and still be saved? (Romans 10:13 and Joel 3:5). Don’t close your eyes! Don’t look away. Yahoweh’s Name is Truth. Yahoshuah’s Name is Truth. Replacements … are lies. Aren’t we supposed to love the truth? Does not the Spirit we are to heed call us unto Him? The Gentiles, as well as the Jews, should be calling on His Name. (Malachi 1:11 Acts 9:15 Acts 15:14).
In the King James Version, we see them calling Joshua (from the sixth book of the Bible) “Jesus” in Acts 7:45, and also in Hebrews 4:8. Now why change the Name of Yahoshuah to Joshua in Hebrew Scriptures, and then change Joshua to Jesus in the Greek? I have looked at this as linguistically as I am able, and I have found that Justin Caesar is truthfully as accurate a translation of Yahoshuah Messiah as Jesus Christ is. Now, I must ask: if you went to a dinner and the host began praying to Justin Cesar … would you bow your head? Neither would I. Would you feel compelled to offer them loving correction? So would I.
I could never imagine a Buddhist calling Buddha, “Luddha,” only to find out his real name and then get bitter and angry as many Christians do. Of course he would begin calling him Buddha. It’s beyond doubt! But call the Creator of the World by His real Name? Earth forbid! But Buddha can keep his name. We still call Buddha by name. This is in itself a sign as to Who is real and who is not. The world will hate Him but love a lie. Be ye not of this world!
I once knew a fellow who called the Heavenly Father by Name, but many years later when I saw him again, he had become an atheist. It is was sad to see the way his life had changed, the cleanliness of his speech, foods, and even his home. What I noticed the most, though, was that he no longer call Him Yahoweh, but God. He refused to call Him by Name anymore for one reason: he hated Him.
Sometimes, though, people do not call on His Name because He is not who they serve. They may have the Bible, but they do not desire to walk like the Messiah in the commandments of Yahoweh. Some desire to serve Yahoweh, but they do not know His Name or how to love Him because His Word has been clouded by the false teachings that many of us grew up with. We have so much cleaning up to do.
Amen is Hebrew. Do you know how you say Amen in English? Amen. How do you say Amen in Spanish? Amen. How do you say His Name? Yahoshuah. Because if you say anything else, then that isn’t His Name, and if you love Him so little that you refuse to call Him by Name then you have no right to claim that you preach a message of love at all. Calling Him Jesus is as accurate as calling Him Zeus. His Name is Yahoshuah.
Will we pray to Yahoweh, or call out, “Baal Baal-God, (Lord Lord-God) should I love you enough to call upon your real name, or should I continue calling you Baal (Lord)?” The sad news, Baal may answer your prayer. Pray to Yahoweh and ask Him; study His Word to see how important the Name is to the Father Himself. I want to encourage you all to give the Father a chance.
We are in a boat—the Jews on one side and the Christians on the other. One adds to Torah, and one takes away. Both are rowing with all they have but in different directions. We are spinning in circles and getting nowhere but sick. What would happen if we all came to the top of this ship and set up the sail, allowing all of His Word to direct our course? I for one would like to find out. Shall we? The Talmud, and millions of fluffy Christian books, both break the same commandment: “Do not add or subtract from what I am giving you today.” Many books would be more of a testimony of our Creator if they’d remained trees. We would be more of a testimony if we would just submit to Yah.
What is the most powerful thing? Love. What is the most powerful Name? Yahoweh! What is the meaning of that Name? More than English words can tell. This, my dear friends, may be the hardest test you will ever face. That it is so difficult to call Him by His real Name and stop calling Him by false names and empty titles should throw up many warnings. (That is if it was even a struggle. For some it is, for some it is not.) However, if we love Him, we will not evoke Him by a pagan deity’s name. If we love Him, even a little, we will let go of Satan’s strongholds, and grab hold of His beauty. I want to encourage you all to give our Father a chance. Try it, try calling upon Yahoweh! No, His Name is not a magical incantation. Yahoweh is not a vending machine. Yahoweh is a Warrior, and a Healer, and my Friend.
Now, I understand having a hard time with a name change. When the grocery store here in town changed names—everyone called it by the old name for over ten years! But this is just the name of a store where you go to get what you want, and nothing more. While the Almighty is …
Calling Him by Name, blunt but true, is more a matter of Who He is to you than any other reason I can present. I do hope He is more than a store. I hope He is as at least as worthy as us, as we are called by name. But, if He is just a store, and is thus less than a man, then by all means: it is up to you to choose this day Whom, or whom, you serve. As for me and my house, we will serve Yahoweh. How shall we serve Him? By cherishing His Name and all of His Word through loving action. I can think of no better worship or means by which to live.
“Well, it doesn’t matter to me what His Name is or if I call Him by another name.” I hear this often. Too often. It usually stops me dead in my tracks. How could someone who claims to love Him not even care about His Name? Would anyone listen to me if I said, “I love my wife, but I refuse to call her by name”? It just doesn’t make sense. Inasmuch as not calling the Husband by the Name He has chosen. Alas, they never give Scripture to back up their claim, because there simply isn’t any. However, they follow with this great deception: “The lord told me …” Most people stop speaking because of this person’s claim to be in direct connection with a lord; however, I usually respond (after the shock of such a statement wears off), “Well, The Scriptures, The Word Himself, told me this about the Name Yahoweh:
(When you come to the word “LORD” do not replace it with Yahoweh, but correct it with Yahoweh. Remember, it was already replaced.)
Genesis 4:26, 12:8,13:4, 21:33, 26:25, 29:35
Exodus 3:15, 6:3, 9:16, 15:3, 20:7, 20:24, 23:13, 23:21, 33:19, 34:5, 34:14
Leviticus 18:21, 19:12, 20:3, 21:6, 22:2, 22:32, 24:11, 24:16
Numbers 6:27
Deuteronomy 5:11, 6:13, 10:8, 10:20, 12:3, 12:5, 12:11, 14:23, 16:2, 16:6, 16:11, 18:5, 18:7, 18:19, 18:20, 18:22, 21:5, 26:2, 28:10, 28:58, 32:3
Joshua 7:9, 9:9, 22:34, 23:7
Judges 13:6, 13:17, 13:18
1 Samuel 1:20, 12:22, 17:45
2 Samuel 6:2, 6:18, 7:13, 7:23, 7:26, 22:50
1 Kings 3:2, 5:3, 5:5, 8:16, 8:17, 8:18, 8:19, 8:20, 8:29, 8:33, 8:35, 8:41, 8:42, 8:43, 8:44, 8:48, 9:3, 9:7, 10:1, 11:36, 14:21, 18:24, 18:25, 18:26, 18:31, 18:32, 22:16
2 Kings 2:24, 5:11, 21:4, 21:7, 23:27
1 Chronicles 13:6, 16:2, 16:8, 16:10, 16:29, 16:35, 21:19, 22:7, 22:8, 22:10, 22:19, 23:13, 28:3, 29:13, 29:16
2 Chronicles 2:1, 2:4, 6:5, 6:6, 6:7, 6:8, 6:9, 6:10, 6:20, 6:24, 6:26, 6:32, 6:33, 6:34, 6:38, 7:14, 7:16, 7:20, 12:13, 14:11, 18:15, 20:8, 20:9, 33:4, 33:7, 33:18, 36:13
Ezra 5:1, 6:12
Nehemiah 1:9, 1:11, 9:5, 9:10
Job 1:21
Psalms 5:11, 7:17, 8:1, 8:9, 9:2, 9:10, 18:49, 20:1, 20:5, 20:7, 22:22, 23:3, 25:11, 29:2, 30:4, 31:3, 33:21, 34:3, 34:4, 34:8, 48:10, 52:9, 54:1, 54:6, 61:5, 61:8, 63:4, 63:11, 66:2, 66:4, 68:4, 69:30, 69:36, 72:17, 72:19, 74:7, 74:10, 74:18, 74:21, 75:1, 76:1, 79:6, 79:9, 80:18, 83:16, 83:18, 86:9, 86:11, 86:12, 89:12, 89:16, 89:24, 91:14, 92:1, 96:2, 96:8, 97:12, 99:3, 99:6, 100:4, 102:15, 102:21, 103:1, 105:1, 105:3, 106:8, 106:47, 109:21, 111:9, 113:1, 113:2, 113:3, 115:1, 116:4, 116:13, 116:17, 118:10, 118:11, 118:12, 118:26, 119:55, 119:132, 122:4, 124:8, 129:5-8, 135:1, 135:3, 135:13, 138:2, 140:13, 142:7, 143:11, 145:1, 145:2, 145:21, 148:5, 148:13, 149:3
Proverbs 18:10, 30:4, 30:9
Isaiah 12:4, 18:7, 24:15, 25:1, 26:8, 26:13, 29:23, 30:27, 41:25, 42:8, 43:7, 44:6, 47:4, 48:1. 48:2, 48:9, 50:10, 51:15, 52:5, 52:6, 54:5, 56:6, 57:15, 59:19, 63:14, 63:16, 63:19, 64:2, 64:7, 65:1, 66:5
Jeremiah 3:17, 7:9, 7:10, 7:11, 7:12, 7:14, 7:30, 10:6, 10:16, 10:25, 11:21, 12:16, 14:7, 14:9, 14:14, 14:15, 14:21, 15:16, 16:21, 20:3, 20:9, 23:6, 23:25, 23:27, 26:9, 26:16, 26:20, 27:15, 29:9, 29:21, 29:23, 31:35, 32:18, 32:34, 33:2, 33:16, 34:15, 34:16, 44:16, 44:26, 46:18, 48:15, 50:34, 51:19, 51:57
Lamentations 3:55
Ezekiel 20:9, 20:14, 20:22, 20:39, 20:44, 36:20, 36:21, 36:22, 36:23, 39:7, 39:25, 43:7, 43:8, 48:35
Daniel 2:20, 9:15, 9:18, 9:19
Hosea 2:17, 12:5
Joel 2:26, 2:32
Amos 2:7, 4:13, 5:8, 5:27, 6:10, 9:6, 9:12
Micah 4:5, 5:4, 6:9
Zephaniah 1:4, 3:9, 3:12
Zechariah 5:4, 6:12, 10:12, 13:2, 13:3, 13:9, 14:9
Malachi 1:6, 1:11, 1:14, 2:2, 2:5, 3:16, 4:2
Matthew 1:21, 1:25, 6:9, 7:22, 12:21, 18:5, 18:20, 21:9, 23:39, 24:5, 28:19
Mark 9:37, 9:38, 9:39, 9:41, 11:9, 13:6, 16:17
Luke 1:49, 2:21, 9:48, 9:49, 10:17, 11:2, 13:35, 19:38, 21:8. 21:12, 24:47
John 1:12, 2:23, 3:18, 5:43, 10:25, 12:13, 12:28, 14:13, 14:14, 14:26, 15:16, 15:21, 16:23, 16:24, 16:26, 17:6, 17:11, 17:12, 17:26, 20:31
Acts 2:21, 2:38, 3:6, 3:16, 4:7, 4:10, 4:12, 4:17, 4:18, 4:30, 5:28, 5:40, 5:41, 8:12, 8:16, 9:14, 9:15, 9:16, 9:21, 9:27, 9:28, 10:43, 10:48, 15:17, 15:26, 16:18, 19:5, 19:13, 19:17, 21:13, 22:16, 26:9
Romans 1:5, 2:24, 9:17, 10:13, 15:9
1 Corinthians 1:2, 1:10, 1:13, 5:4, 6:11
Ephesians 5:20
Philippians 2:9, 2:10
Colossians 3:17
2 Thessalonians 1:12, 3:6
1 Timothy 6:1
2 Timothy 2:19
Hebrews 1:4, 2:12, 13:15
James 5:10, 5:14
1 Peter 4:14
1 John 2:12, 3:23, 5:13
3 John 1:7
Revelation 2:3, 2:13, 3:8, 3:12, 11:18, 13:6, 15:4, 16:9, 17:3, 19:12, 19:13, 19:16, 22:4
Now, what was it again, that the lord told you about his name? Have you asked the Creator about His Name? Let’s look at a few of these verses and see what they say.
Note: I left out several hundred references and did not include all the passages that have His Name in them (almost 7,000 of them) for the reason that I never write to you concerning everything. Seek this out on your own and find the hidden treasures, for the journey is rewarding, and I do not desire to rob you.
“And to Shet, to him also a son was born. And he called his name Enosh. Then it was begun to call on the Name of Yahoweh.” (Genesis 4:26).
“And Elohim said further to Moses, ‘Thus you are to say to the children of Yisra’el, “Yahoweh 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 remembrance to all generations.”’”(Exodus 3:15).
“Yahoweh is a Warrior; Yahoweh is His Name.” (Exodus 15:3).
“And it shall be, the man who does not listen to My Words which He speaks in My Name, I require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other mighty ones, even that prophet shall die.” (Deuteronomy 18:19-20).
“But Yahoweh said to my father David, ‘Because it has been in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart.’” (1 Kings 8:18).
“Also, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Yisra’el, but has come from a far land for Your Name’s sake—since they hear of Your great Name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm—and he shall come and pray toward this House, hear in the heavens Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all peoples of the earth know Your Name and fear You, as do Your people Yisra’el, and know that this House which I have built is called by Your Name.” (1 Kings 8:41-43).
“Give thanks to Yahoweh, call upon His Name, make known His deeds among the peoples!” (1 Chronicles 16:8).
“Boast in His Set Apart Name, let the hearts of those seeking Yahoweh rejoice!” (1 Chronicles 16:10).
“And say, ‘Save us, O Elohim of our deliverance; and gather us together, and deliver us from the gentiles, to give thanks to Your Set Apart Name, and boast in Your praise.’” (1 Chronicles 16:35).
“and My people upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I shall hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
“And he built altars in the House of Yahoweh, of which Yahoweh had said, ‘In Yerushalayim is My Name, forever.’” (2 Chronicles 33:4).
“‘O Yahoweh, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who delight to fear Your Name. And let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.’ For I was cupbearer to the sovereign.” (Nehemiah 1:11).
“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because You shelter them; and let those who love Your Name exult in You.” (Psalms 5:11).
“I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your Name, O Most High.” (Psalms 9:2).
“And those who know Your Name trust in You, for You have never forsaken those who seek You, O Yahoweh.” (Psalms 9:10).
“I make known Your Name to My brothers; in the midst of the assembly I praise You.” (Psalms 22:22).
“For Your Name’s sake, O Yahoweh, You shall pardon my crookedness, though it is great.” (Psalms 25:11).
“Ascribe to Yahoweh the esteem of His Name; bow yourselves to Yahoweh in the splendour of set-apartness.” (Psalms 29:2).
“Oh, make Yahoweh great with me, and let us exalt His Name together.” (Psalms 34:3).
“O Elohim, save me by Your Name, and rightly rule me by Your might.” (Psalms 54:1).
“Help us, O Elohim of our deliverance, for the sake of the esteem of your Name. And deliver us, and cover over our sins, for Your Name’s sake!” (Psalms 79:9).
“Because he cleaves to Me in love, therefore I deliver him; I set him on high, because he has known My Name.” (Psalms 91:14).
“Sing to Yahoweh, bless His Name, proclaim His deliverance from day to day.” (Psalms 96:2).
“Blessed be the Name of Yahoweh, now and forever!” (Psalms 113:2).
“I have remembered Your Name in the night, O Yahoweh, and I guard Your Torah.” (Psalms 119:55).
“Our help is in the Name of Yahoweh, Maker of the heavens and earth.” (Psalms 124:8).
“Let them praise the Name of Yahoweh, for He commanded and they were created.” (Psalms 148:5).
“And in that day you shall say, ‘Praise Yahoweh, call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His Name is exalted.’” (Isaiah 12:4).
“O Yahoweh, our Elohim, other masters besides You have had rule over us; only in You do we make mention of Your Name.” (Isaiah 26:13).
“I am Yahoweh, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8).
“For My Name’s sake I postponed My displeasure, and for My praise I held it back from you, so as not to cut you off.” (Isaiah 48:9).
“Therefore My people shall know My Name, in that day, for I am the One Who is speaking. See, it is I.” (Isaiah 52:6).
“For your Maker is your Husband, Yahoweh of Hosts is His Name, and the Set-apart One of Yisra’el is your Redeemer. He is called the Elohim of all the earth.” (Isaiah 54:5).
“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to Yahoweh, to serve Him, and to love the Name of Yahoweh, to be His servants, all who guard the Sabbath, and not profane it, and hold fast to My covenant—” (Isaiah 56:6).
And there is no one who calls on Your Name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our crookednesses.” (Isaiah 64:7).
“I have let Myself be inquired of, not by those who asked; I was found, not by those who sought Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation not calling on My Name.” (Isaiah 65:1).
“There is none like You, O Yahoweh. You are great, and great is Your Name in might.” (Jeremiah 10:6).
“Therefore thus said Yahoweh concerning the men of Anathoth who are seeking your life, saying, ‘Do not prophesy in the Name of Yahoweh, lest you die by our hand’—” (Jeremiah 11:21).
“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 Yahoweh!” (Jeremiah 16:21).
“Whenever I said, ‘Let me not mention Him, nor speak in His Name again,’ it was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones. And I became weary of holding it back, and was helpless.” (Jeremiah 20:9).
“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 Baal.” (Jeremiah 23:27).
“As for you, O house of Yisra’el,” thus said the Master Yahoweh, “Go, serve each of you his idols, and afterwards, if you are not listening to Me. But do not profane My set-apart Name any more with your gifts and your idols.” (Ezekiel 20:39).
“But I had compassion on My set-apart Name, which the house of Yisra’el had profaned among the gentiles wherever they went.” (Ezekiel 36:21).
“And I shall remove the names of the Ba’als from her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.” (Hosea 2:17).
“The voice of Yahoweh cries to the city—and let sound wisdom see Your Name! ‘Hear the Rod and Him who appointed it!’” (Micah 6:9).
“And I shall stretch out My hand against Yehudah, and against all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and cut off every trace of Ba’al from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,” (Zephaniah 1:4).
“For then I shall turn unto the peoples a clean lip, so that they all call on the Name of Yahoweh, to serve Him with one shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9).
“But I shall leave in your midst an oppressed and poor people, and they shall trust in the Name of Yahoweh.” (Zephaniah 3:12).
“‘And it shall be in that day,’ declares Yahoweh of Hosts, ‘that I cut off the names of the idols from the earth, and they shall be remembered no more, and I shall also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the earth.’” (Zechariah 13:2). (HalleluYah!)
“And I shall bring the third into fire, and refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My Name, and I shall answer them. I shall say, ‘This is My people,’ while they say, ‘Yahoweh is my Elohim.’” (Zechariah 13:9).
“And Yahoweh shall be Sovereign over all the earth. In that day there shall be one Yahoweh, and His Name one.” (Zechariah 14:9).
“‘If you do not hear, and if you do not take it to heart, to give esteem to My Name,’ said Yahoweh 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).
“Then shall those who fear Yahoweh speak to one another, and Yahoweh listen and hear, and a book of remembrance be written before Him, of those who fear Yahoweh, and those who think upon His Name.” (Malachi 3:16).
“And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name Yahoshuah for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.” (Matthew 6:9).
“And whoever receives one little child like this in My Name receives Me.” (Matthew 18:5).
“For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20).
“Therefore, go and make taught ones of all the nations, immersing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Set-apart Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19).
“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 21:12).
“And when He was in Yerushalayim at the Passover, at the festival, many believed in His Name when they saw the signs which He was doing.” (John 2:23).
“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 Son of Elohim.” (John 3:18).
“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.” (John 5:43).
“Yahoshuah answered them, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s Name, they bear witness concerning Me.’” (John 10:25).
“‘Father, esteem Your Name.’ Then a voice came from the heaven, “I have both esteemed it and shall esteem it again.” (John 12:28).
“And whatever you ask in My Name, that I shall do, in order that the Father might be esteemed in the Son.” (John 14:13).
“But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you.” (John 14:26).
“And I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Set-apart Father, guard them in Your Name which You have given Me, so that they might be one, as We are. When I was with them in the world, I was guarding them in Your Name which You have given Me, and I watched over them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be filled.” (John 17:11-12).
“Then indeed they went rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.” (Acts 5:41).
“For I shall show him how much he has to suffer for My Name.” (Acts 9:16).
“And he was with them at Yerushalayim, coming in and going out, and speaking boldly in the Name of the Master Yahoshuah and disputed with the Hellenists, but they undertook to kill him.” (Acts 9:28-29).
“To this One all the prophets bear witness, that through His Name, everyone believing in Him does receive forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 10:43).
“And this became known to all, both Yahudim and Greeks dwelling in Ephesos. And fear fell on them all, and the Name of the Master Yahoshuah was made great.” (Acts 19:17).
“For ‘The Name of Elohim is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you,’ as it has been written.” (Romans 2:24).
“For ‘everyone who calls on the Name of Yahoweh shall be saved.’” (Romans 10:13).
“Elohim, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Yahoshuah every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,” (Philippians 2:9-10).
“Let those who are servants under a yoke regard their own masters worthy of all respect, lest the Name of Elohim and His teaching be blasphemed.” (1 Timothy 6:1).
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a slaughter offering of praise to Elohim, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.” (Hebrews 13:15)
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the Name of the Master.” (James 5:14).
“And this is His command, that we should believe in the Name of His Son Yahoshuah Messiah and love one another, as He gave us command.” (1 John 3:23).
“because they went out for the sake of the Name, receiving nought from the gentiles.” (3 John 1:7).
“and you have been bearing up and have endurance, and have laboured for My Name’s sake and have not become weary.”(Revelation 2:3).
“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, even in the days in which Antipas was My trustworthy witness, who was killed near you, where Satan dwells.” (Revelation 2:13).
“and having been dressed in a robe dipped in blood—and His Name is called: The Word of Yahoweh.” (Revelation 19:13).
“And they shall see His face, and His Name shall be upon their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:4).
“For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the set-apart command delivered unto them. For them the proverb has proved true, ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘A washed sow returns to her rolling in the mud.’” (2 Peter 2: 21-22 and Proverbs 26:11). I hope and pray you will all consider love in continuing to be obedient to the Father, even if it means forsaking the traditions of men and the names they have made up, by grabbing hold of the Wonderful.
I leave it to you, as Yahoweh has left it to you, to study the changing of His Holy Name to Teutonic and Babylonian deity names. Seek the guidance of Yahoweh’s Word, for a decision to be made as to whether we should leave His Name changed to Troop and Zeus, or if we should honor Him even more than a wife, who’s name has changed, and acknowledge Him as our Husband (Ishi), Whose Name will never change … but will grow in abundance. Yahoweh, or Baal-God? Truth, or lie?
I pray the thousand-plus testimonies contained in this letter cause your heart to rejoice. I pray you will not forfeit the Name you will bow to in exchange for names of false idols. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 and Proverbs 1:22-30). I pray it brings you as much happiness and joy as it has me, to know the answer to Proverbs 30:4!
However: Did you know that our names are mentioned in the Word as well? Look to Revelation 2:17, 17:8, 20:15, and 21:27. How would you like those names spelled? “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the Heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the Heavens.” (Matthew 5:19). What would we do if our names were changed in the Book of Life like we’ve changed His?
I have a white stone here at home I would like to give you, at least in the knowledge thereof. On one side is written, “False. Unknown. Vain.” while the other side has written, “Child. Servant. Bride.” Which, of these, will you chose … while you yet have a choice?
Get to know Him. You can study all your days away and learn everything there is to know about the title of Ha BaRa (The Creator), and not know Him as the Maker of this world, Who is able to make in you a new heart, save you walk with the Teacher. You cannot know Him as, “Master of the Sabbath,” if you do not even know what the Sabbath is. If someone is master of the jouberwolerkers, you will never know who that person really is until you know what jouberwolerkers are. And for the record: I have no idea what a jouberwolerker is. You cannot know His Name unless you know Him. Therefore, we will not be solely focused on only the sounding of His Name as some cults are, but, rather, on getting to know Who He is and Who He is not. He is our Rabbi. Let us then begin a journey of Biblical proportions by letting our Father be just that, and Father us. Let us remember that our Creator has not forgotten how to make new hearts, to hear, to see. Let us not forget in this journey … our Rabbi.
In the following letters, I hope to share with you some of the cooling waters that have been rained down on me. So we might know He Who loved us first. Now that you certainly know the answer to:
“Who has gone up to Heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name and the Name of His Son? Tell me if you know!” (Proverbs 30:4).
Be Blessed and be a Blessing.
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
If this blessed you, please share it.
Additional Scripture References:
Isaiah 52:6, Deuteronomy 6:13, Deuteronomy 28:9-10, 1 John 5:13, Revelations 19:13
