Ancient writers were not negligent in preserving for us the correct pronunciation of the entire sacred name. Despite Jewish and Roman Church prohibitions against its use, the vocalization of the complete name was revealed and is preserved by some of these writers.
The following are various sources which attest to the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton as Yahweh (Yah-oo-ay).
JOSEPHUS Before any serious discussion can take place regarding the true pronunciation of the sacred name, it is necessary to recognize that the Tetragrammaton consists of four Hebrew vowels. Josephus writes:
His (the priest’s) head was covered by a tiara of fine linen, wreathed with blue, encircling which was another crown, of gold, whereon were embossed the sacred letters, to wit, FOUR VOWELS (φωνήεντα τέσσαρα; phonhenta tessara).1
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA Clement of Alexandria (2nd century CE), for instance, tells his readers that the sacred name was pronounced ’Ιαουέ and ’Ιαουαί,2both words which approximate the sound Yah-oo-ay.
For many, especially among those who assert to be followers of Yahweh, it seems that there exists an unfortunate commonality that runs contrary to what is advanced by Scriptures. This commonality can be labeled “Confusion.” Of course, this should raise a red flag as the following would indicate:
For the deity is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all assemblies of the saints. (1Cor. 14:33)
For example, this confusion can be demonstrated by the often divergent dates given by the various Sacred Name groups for Yahweh’s sacred days during any given year. For example, see Calendar Comparison. Continue reading “Seeking Yahweh’s Truth”→
Just who was the person in the New Testament named Paul (Hebrew: Saul)?
Wasn’t he the individual who was present at Stephen’s execution and consented to it?
Scriptures demonstrate clearly that the reason Stephen was murdered was because he had uttered the sacred name Yahweh, thereby committing blasphemy under Jewish law. (SeeStephen and Yahweh)
There can be no doubt that Paul held to the “ineffable name” doctrine as espoused by the religious leaders of his day.
After Stephen’s death, did Paul have a change of heart regarding this “ineffable name” doctrine?
Is there any proof in the New Testament that the apostles and early followers of Yahushua taught and spoke in the sacred name Yahweh?
Many would say no for a variety of reasons, one of which is that the name Yahweh is not found in any existing Greek manuscripts.
Is this really the total truth?
Proof that the original apostles adhered to the sacred name doctrine is found in numerous places in the New Testament. James shows his respect for the sacred name when he warns the disciples against favoring a rich man over someone poor:
But you dishonoured the poor. Do not the rich oppress you, and do (not) they drag you before tribunals? Do not they blaspheme the good name which is called upon you? (James 2:6-7)
Does it make any difference to Yahweh that we substitute his name with the well-known and popular term “the LORD”?
The importance of using the name Yahweh and avoiding a substitute is enhanced by the willingness of Yahweh’s loyal prophets among the Israelites to die rather than abandon the sacred name. Moreover, these prophets always prophesied in the name of Yahweh, as every book of the Scriptures reveals.
Did Yahushua the messiah in fact commit blasphemy, an alleged scriptural crime whereby he was convicted and sentenced to death by the religious leaders of Judaea?
Was there actually any scriptural basis for the extreme hatred of Yahushua by these religious leaders resulting in their wanting Yahushua dead?
To those religious leaders who were eventually responsible for Yahushua’s conviction and death sentence, the messiah had this to say:
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)
Are there any facts to indicate that Yahushua did in fact commit the scriptural crime of “blasphemy” thereby justifying his execution?
If you’re interesting in finding the answers you might want to continue reading as we proceed with our investigation.
Was the motive to murder Yahushua the fact that he claimed to be the messiah?
Seems like a reasonable question but is it actually true?
Why was there such extraordinary anger and hostility directed toward Yahushua the messiah by the religious leaders? What actually caused this hostility which resulted in the death sentence for the messiah?
Could it be that there was something else going on with Yahushua that led to his unlawful murder?
Could that “something else” have something to do with Yahushua using the sacred name Yahweh?
If you’re interested in finding out the truth of the matter, it is highly suggested that you continue reading on as we begin our investigation of the facts.
What was the stance of Yahushua the messiah regarding the use of the sacred name Yahweh?
We know that during the 1st century C.E. the people of Judaea and Galilee were strictly prohibited from speaking the name Yahweh by the religious leaders.
Was Yahushua in agreement with this prohibition, or did he see the situation quite differently?
If you’re interested in discovering the truth of the matter, then it might be a good idea for you to continue on with our investigation.
Is there any credence to the idea that the sacred name Yahweh should be protected from possible misuse by demanding that it should not be spoken?
Some may even cite as proof of this notion the third commandment in Scriptures.
You shall not take the name of Yahweh your eloahi to worthlessness; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name to worthlessness. (Exodus 20:7)
On the other hand, there would seem to be contradictions in Scriptures if one were to suppress usage of the sacred name Yahweh.
So how and when did the concept of the “Ineffable Name” doctrine come about?
If you’re interested in finding out, then you’re invited to explore the details by reading on.
It is clear from the numerous passages in Scriptures that the name Yahweh is an eternal name and that it was known and used since the days of Adam and Eve.
It can also be demonstrated beyond any doubt that the sacred name was revealed by Yahweh to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob and was utilized by their households.
How then is it possible that a popular interpretation—which contends that Yahweh never revealed his name to Abraham, Isaak, or Jacob and that it was only first revealed to Moses—can be used to offset the entire book of Genesis and numerous other verses throughout the Scriptures?
You are invited to investigate this seeming contradiction in Scriptures by embarking on the trail of truth to discover the facts of the matter.
ONE PASSAGE When the argument that the name was only first revealed to Moses is closely examined, we find that the entire case rests with only one passage.
And eloahim spoke to Moses and he said to him, “I am Yahweh; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaak, and to Jacob as el shaddai (the almighty one), and (by) my name Yahweh I did not reveal myself to them; and also I established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Kanaan, the land of their sojournings, which they sojourned in it.” (Exodus 6:2-4)
This statement, the explanation goes, proves that the sacred name was not revealed to any man, including the patriarchs Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob, until Moses, who lived hundreds of years later.
Further, since Moses was sent to the Israelites in Egypt with this name (Exod. 3:13-16), theirthought continues, this proves that the name Yahweh was meant only for the Israelites.
Christian and Moslem groups hold this basic tenet as the reason why they need not use the sacred name.
The Jewish assemblies (who forbid the use of the sacred name by anyone except those they declare pious, and then only on special occasions), meanwhile, judge this passage to prove how extremely sacred the name Yahweh is. For the Jews it justifies their taboo against its use.
If one were to apply a cursory investigation, since most people already desire this popularinterpretation to be valid, this commonly held understanding ofExodus 6:2-4would seem plausible.
AN IMMENSE FLAW But it is plagued with one immense flaw: if their translation and understanding of this verse is correct then large portions of the Scriptures are blatantly in error. One would be forced to choose between one of two assumed “traditions” of the Scriptures proposed by the priestly school as to when the personal name Yahweh first came into existence.
By definition, such a choice would entail a great contradiction between different parts of the Scriptures. Even if one is prone to believe in a totally human origin for the Scriptures, it would be hard to justify why its authors would have allowed such an obvious antithesis between this popular understanding ofExodus 6:2-4and the rest of the Bible.
A close examination ofExodus 6:2-4in context with the story being told, however, demonstrates that the presently popular interpretation of this passage is in error.
Yahweh was not informing Moses that the sacred name was unknown by Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob, but to the contrary, that he had in fact revealed it to them as part of his Covenants of Promise. For this reason Yahweh would bring the Israelites out of Egypt to take possession of the promised land.
AN EXAMINATION To prove this understanding, we must first examine the background of the presently popular interpretation ofExodus 6:2-4and then proceed with a detailed study of the context of the verse.
First it should be recognized that in ancient Hebrew there were no vowel marks written beneath the letters, as is customary today, nor were there commas, question marks, periods, quotation marks, or other such punctuation. How a sentence was to be understood and read depended entirely upon its context.
The next problem that arose was the lapse of time between when the original books were composed and understood until the return of the Jewish captivity from Babylonia during the sixth through fifth centuries B.C.E.
While in captivity in Babylonia (586-538 B.C.E.), the Jews had lost the continuity in such knowledge and upon their return to Judaea they had to be retaught (Neh. 8:1-18; Jos.,Antiq., 11:5:5).
This knowledge was once again suppressed during the forced Hellenization period of Judaea by the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who died in 163 B.C.E.
JEWISH TRADITIONS The loss of various subtle understandings of scriptural verse was counterbalanced by the development of Jewish “traditions” and schools of “interpretations,” which flowered from the latter half of the second century B.C.E. until the second century C.E. These traditions and interpretations were the source of much contention between the messiah and the Jewish religious leaders of the first century C.E. (seeMatt. 15:1-9; Mark 7:7-9; Gal. 1:13-14; Col. 2:7-10; 1Pet. 1:18; 1Tim. 4:1-7)
As the years proceeded these traditions and interpretations came to be finalized in written form and are now known as the Mishnah and the various Talmud and Midrash documents.
One of the mistaken interpretations developed by the Jewish religious leaders was the notion that the personal name Yahweh was far too sacred for any common man to utter. Beginning sometime after the mid-second century B.C.E., the high priest, on only special occasions, and a few other chosen (who learned the name in secret), were permitted to express its sound.
FORBIDDEN BY JEWISH LAW For all others it was forbidden by Jewish law. When the Jewish religious leaders came to the verse inExodus 6:2-4, they chose to understand it as further evidence of their new and radical interpretation about the sacrosanctity of the name Yahweh.
JOSEPHUS Our earliest evidence of this interpretation comes in the works of the first century C.E. Jewish historian Josephus. With regard to Yahweh’s revelation of his personal name to Moses, as recorded inExodus 3:1-16, Josephus writes:
Then the deity revealed to him (Moses) his name, which ere then had not come to men’s ears, and of which I am forbidden to speak. (Jos., Antiq. 2:12:4)
The belief that Moses was the first man to hear the personal name Yahweh is clearly disproved by numerous quotes from Genesis. Nevertheless, this inventive interpretation was needed in order for the Jewish religious leaders to justify their stand on not using the sacred name.
The debate over whether or not an average man should speak the personal name of the almighty also became the chief bone of contention between the messiah and the Jewish leaders.
PHARISAIC INTERPRETATION The early assemblies following the messiah believed in speaking the sacred name. But during that period the Pharisaic elements which had joined these assemblies spread their own interpretation about.
By the second century C.E. many of those calling themselves Christians had become adherents to the “ineffable name” doctrine of their Jewish brothers. It became official Christian dogma at the beginning of the fourth century when the Roman Church was founded under Constantine. From this point on it was considered “Jewish” to use the sacred name (despite the fact that the Jews forbade its use).
“TWO TRADITIONS” THEORY To justify the apparent contradiction between the popular understanding ofExodus 6:2-4, and the evidence produced by the book of Genesis that the name Yahweh was previously known, biblical scholars developed the “two traditions” theory. This theory opened the door for some critics to argue that such books as Genesis and Exodus were not really composed until sometime in or after the days of kings David and Solomon (tenth century B.C.E.).
If we accept this view then there exist grounds for the belief that the Jews invented the sacred name. To do so also entails an acceptance of a contradiction in the Scriptures of major proportions, a belief that Moses did not write Genesis or Exodus.
More to the point, it allows for the supposition that the Scriptures are a lie—all which are unwarranted when set against the evidence.
THE CONTEXT The problem with the so-called contradiction between the popular interpretation ofExodus 6:2-4, and the prior revelation and use of the sacred name reported in the book of Genesis is solved once we take a much closer look at the context in which the statement at question takes place.
The comments given inExodus 6:2-4came as the result of events which had just recently transpired. We begin by observing that after the Exodus the Israelites sent a letter to the king of Edom recalling that before they came out of Egypt “we cried to Yahweh, and he heard our voice, and sent a messenger (i.e. Moses), and has brought us out of Egypt; and behold, we are in Kadesh, a city at the edge of your border” (Num. 20:14-16). This passage, written by Moses, reveals that prior to his calling the Israelites had pleaded to Yahweh to save them.
Next, in the first part of Exodus we are informed of how Yahweh appeared to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai (Horeb) and revealed that he was “the eloahi of his fathers, the eloahi of Abraham, the eloahi of Isaak, and the eloahi of Jacob” (Exod. 3:6).
Yahweh enlightened Moses to the fact that he had now come to bring his people, the Israelites, out of Egypt and take them into the land of Kanaan as he had promised their forefathers (Exod. 3:1-10; seeGen. 15:12-14). As part of this task Yahweh was sending Moses both to Pharaoh and the Israelites in Egypt advising them of this message.
One might think that Moses would have met this invitation with great joy and enthusiasm. To the contrary, Moses had a great incentive to stay out of Egypt.
Earlier in his life he had killed an Egyptian whom he had found beating on a fellow Israelite. This act caused Moses to be placed under a sentence of death by Pharaoh. To save his life he fled to the land of Midian along the Gulf of Aqaba. There he found safety in the house of the priest-king named Jethro, whose daughter he married (Exod. 2:1-22).
Moses knew that as long as Pharaoh still lived he was under a death sentence in Egypt; Moses had not yet learned of the recent death of Pharaoh nor did he know that all the men who were seeking his life were now dead (Exod. 4:18-19).
Fearing the consequences of his arrival, Moses immediately tried to find an excuse for not going. As this story develops, Yahweh becomes increasingly angry with Moses because of his continuous efforts to evade the journey to Egypt:
And Moses said to eloahim, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11)
We should immediately take note of the fact that Moses did not test out the identity of his divine visitor. He did not ask, for example, “Who are you,” but rather “Who am I.” This detail is our first indication that Moses already knew that the “eloahi” of his fathers was Yahweh.
Yahweh then assured Moses by telling him he would be with him in this endeavor. But, Moses, who at every opportunity sought a way to escape these orders, then tried to find another justification as to why he need not go. He asked Yahweh:
Behold, I shall come to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The eloahi of your fathers has sent me to you” and they will say to me, “What is his name?” What shall I say to them? (Exodus 3:13)
The first point to be cognizant of is that if the almighty’s name was “eloahi” there would have been no purpose for Moses to ask this question. Here is one more proof that eloahi is not a personal name.
Second, the above question was not asked by someone who was anxiously trying to follow the words of Yahweh, but rather, the words of someone trying to be relieved from going! If Moses knew who his ancestors were, then he would certainly have known the name of their eloahi.
ISRAELITES AND MOSES ALREADY KNEW The entire discussion is set with the backdrop that both the Israelites in Egypt and Moses already knew the name of the eloahi of their fathers. What Moses was, instead, trying to do was find just cause not to go to the Israelites living in Egypt.
Moses was attempting to excuse himself on the grounds that the Israelites in Egypt knew the name of their eloahi and would test him on that issue. The eloahi who was now speaking to him, nevertheless, had not admitted to his name. How then could he go to them without this information?
In response Yahweh angrily said, “I am who I am!,” and told Moses to tell the sons of Israel, “I am has sent me to you (Exod. 3:14).” Later, we are told Yahweh “again” responded to the question of Moses by saying:
You shall say this to the sons of Israel, Yahweh, the eloahi of your fathers, the eloahi of Abraham, the eloahi of Isaak, the eloahi of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is my name to forever, and this is my memorial to generation upon generation. (Exodus 3:15)
Yahweh’s initial reply, “I am who I am,” was not simply a casual remark made to a man asking him a plausible question. It was spoken out of anger and displeasure because Moses had asked such a foolish question in an obvious attempt to keep from traveling to Egypt.
This circumstance is verified by what happened next. After once more telling Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and then informing him of the events that were to transpire, Yahweh was met with still another excuse from Moses as to why he should not go:
And Moses answered and said, “And, behold, they will not believe me and will not listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’ ” (Exodus 4:1)
This passage is extremely important for understanding the context of all that was taking place. First, it shows that Moses was continuing to seek reasons why he should not go. Second, Moses does not say that he would be rejected because the Israelites did not know who Yahweh was.
Instead, Moses states that the Israelites would ridicule him with disbelief that Yahweh had appeared to him. If they had not known of Yahweh they would have said, “Who is Yahweh?,” as Pharaoh did (Exod. 5:2).
The fact that Moses expected them only to deny Yahweh’s appearance proves that the Israelites already knew Yahweh but they would doubt that he had sent Moses as a prophet.
Indeed, the very notion that the eloahi of Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob would have revealed himself to Moses by a different name is absurd. As A. B. Davidson observed, the name Yahweh “can hardly have been altogether new to Israel before their deliverance. A new name would have been in those days a new god” (Dict. of the Bible, 2, pp. 199-200)!
ABRAHAM, ISAAK, AND JACOB Clearly Yahweh had revealed himself to Moses as being the same eloahi that Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob had served. He was the eloahi of the ancestors of the Israelites, not someone new.
The attitude of Yahweh demonstrated by these passages is further established by the fact that after Yahweh gave Moses signs to take with him into Egypt, Moses continued to seek ways to flee from his duty. This time his excuse was his inability to speak well:
And Moses said to Yahweh, “Please adonai, I am not a man of words, either from yesterday or from the third day (before) or since you spoke to your servant; for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)
Yahweh angrily responded:
Who has made man’s mouth? or who makes (the) dumb, or (the) deaf, or (the) seeing, or (the) blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? (Exodus 4:11)
Yahweh then reassured Moses that he would provide him with what he needed to say. Seeing all of his objections answered, and no valid reason for not being sent, Moses now resorted to one final attempt. He simply asked Yahweh to send someone else in his place:
Please adonai, now send by the hand (another) who you will send. (Exodus 4:13)
This reply exceeded Yahweh’s patience, for as part of Yahweh’s response we are told, “And the anger of Yahweh glowed against Moses (Exod. 4:14).” Yahweh now gave Moses his brother Aaron to act as a spokesman.
Moses, with all options exhausted, made preparations to return to his home in Midian and then to go to Egypt (Exod. 4:14-20). Yahweh, meanwhile, sent Aaron, the brother of Moses, to meet Moses at Mount Sinai while Moses was returning from Midian to go to Egypt (Exod. 4:18-5:1).
MOSES AND AARON IN EGYPT Next, Moses and Aaron arrived in Egypt and came to the sons of Israel, telling them all that Yahweh had spoken. The Israelites did not meet these words with, “Who is Yahweh?” Instead we are told, “the people believed; and they heard that Yahweh had visited the sons of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction; and they bowed down and worshipped (Exod. 4:31).”
All of these statements reveal that Moses and the Israelites were already fully aware of who Yahweh was. More importantly, they also show the attitude of Moses and Yahweh’s anger toward it. This anger was further accentuated after Moses spoke to Pharaoh. Instead of listening to Yahweh’s command, Pharaoh placed the Israelites under an even heavier state of servitude than had previously existed.
As a result, the overseers of the Israelites came to Moses and Aaron complaining that it was their fault that Pharaoh now sought to kill their people. Upset by these words and the turn of events, Moses returned to Yahweh and complained that Yahweh’s word had not been fulfilled:
And Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Adonai, why have you done evil to this people? Why then have you sent me? And since I came in to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people; and you did not certainly deliver your people.” (Exodus 5:22-23)
It was to this complaint and lack of trust, following Yahweh’s anger at Moses for trying to contrive a way out of going to Egypt, that Yahweh made his important response inExodus 6:2-4. Yahweh’s reply must be gauged against the history of his anger and the impertinent comments just made by Moses.
Yahweh’s response, as a result, was one of chastisement as he informs Moses that Moses was way out of line, for Yahweh would indeed bring his people out of Egypt!
A RHETORICAL QUESTION The anger of Yahweh toward Moses is vital to understanding the context in which his response inExodus 6:2-4was made to Moses. As part of his answer, Yahweh tells Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them, and with a strong hand he will drive them from his land!”
Affirming his intentions, Yahweh then continues by reminding Moses that he had appeared to Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob. With a berating tone in his voice, Yahweh follows these words with the Hebrew sentence (reading right to left):
ושמי יהוה לא נודעתי להם
them-to me-reveal-I not [did] Yahweh my-name-and
When these words are read in context with Yahweh’s tone of voice they become a rhetorical question, not a simple statement: “and (by) my name Yahweh, (did) not I reveal myself to them?”
Yahweh then adds that he had established his covenant with these men to give them the land of Kanaan. He emphasized his name because it was by his name that he swore to fulfill his oath and keep his word.
How then could Moses doubt that Yahweh would bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Was not the honor of his sacred name, which he had revealed to Abraham, Isaak, and Jacob, attached to the Covenants of Promise?
MOSES CHASTISED BY YAHWEH Once we understand that Yahweh was chastising Moses utilizing a rhetorical question, all of the facts fit perfectly together.Exodus 6:2-4, rather than defeating, actually confirms Genesis and the other books of the Scriptures.
A CORRECT TRANSLATION Cognizant that question marks must be supplied in any English translation, the correct understanding ofExodus 6:2-4is as follows:
And eloahim spoke to Moses and he said to him, “I am Yahweh; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaak, and to Jacob as el-shaddai (the almighty el); and (by) my name Yahweh, (did) not I reveal myself to them? And I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Kanaan, the land of their sojournings, which they sojourned in it.”
Neither are other translators of this Hebrew verse unaware of this inflection. For example, The Holy Bible, New International Version footnotes this sentence with the alternate reading, “and by my name the Lord [i.e. Yahweh] did I not let myself be known to them? (NIV, p. 74, n. c.)”
CONCLUSION If we trust that the Scriptures do not contradict themselves, or even if one simply acknowledges that the original author of Exodus would not have been so ignorant as to have allowed for such a contradictory statement as the popular interpretation ofExodus 6:2-4would contend, we are compelled to the conclusion that this verse must be understood as a rhetorical question.
Once arriving at this judgment, we find that there is absolutely no basis for the belief that the name Yahweh was only first revealed in the days of Moses or that it was meant only for the Israelites or Jews.
For more information regarding the name Yahweh check out the publication by Qadesh La Yahweh Press titledThe Sacred Name Yahweh.
Could it be true that Yahushua the messiah preexisted prior to his becoming a fleshly man living on the earth?
Who was it that spoke to Moses and said:
I am the eloahi of your fathers, the eloahi of Abraham, the eloahi of Isaak, and the eloahi of Jacob. (Exod. 3:6)
InExod. 3:7this eloahi is identified as Yahweh. At the same time, this very eloahi is identified as an angel inExod. 3:2! It even gets more interesting when you consultActs 7:30-35.
What’s going on here? Are we to ignore these seeming anomalies or is there a grievous mistranslation taking place?
If you are willing to investigate further then it is highly suggested that you continue to read on as we delve into Scripures to uncover the truth of the matter.
There are at least 8 proofs contained in Scriptures that demonstrate that Yahushua preexisted as a ruach being or angel.
According to Scriptures, can there be more than one name to call upon for salvation?
Their reasoning stems from the assertion that Yah, being the first part of the messiah’s name, Yahushua or Yahshua, contains the contracted form of the father’s name Yahweh. Therefore Yah = Yahweh. So for salvation purposes, Yahushua or its variant Yahshua = Yahweh.
The consensus among many individuals is that in addition to Yahweh, the other various names all carry the same value, so the utilization of any of them would provide the same function concerning one’s salvation.
Their reasoning stems from the assertion that the first two letters of the messiah’s name, Yah, contain the contracted form of the father’s name Yahweh. Therefore Yah = Yahweh. So for salvation purposes, Yahushua or its variant Yahshua = Yahweh.
For many, this reasoning would seem to be compatible with scriptural doctrine. But, on the other hand, when one examines this matter more thoroughly, Scriptures reveal quite another conclusion.
This study aims to investigate what Scriptures truly have to say about the matter.
What Name? Let’s start with some basics. One may ask, “What name was being utilized for salvation before Yahushua the messiah came in the flesh?”
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. (Joel 2:32)
The next question might be, “Did anything change after the arrival of Yahushua the messiah in the flesh?”
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)
The verse from Acts eliminates any confusion regarding the name of salvation once one realizes that Keph (or Peter) was quoting directly from the book of Joel.
So far, it is pretty straightforward. Scriptures have shown us that there is one name, not names, to be called upon!
Name Above Every Name Many have failed to comprehend the true message of the following verse:
Wherefore also Yahweh highly exalted him (Yahushua) and granted to him A NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, that AT THE NAME OF YAHUSHUA EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS that is sovereign, Yahushua the messiah, to the glory of Yahweh the father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
It is generally recognized that the above quote from Philippians is a paraphrase from Isaiah.
I (Yahweh) have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my mouth (in) righteousness, and shall not return; THAT TO ME (YAHWEH) EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, EVERY TONGUE SHALL SWEAR, and shall say, “Only in Yahweh do I have righteousness and strength.” To him he will come; and all who are angry with him shall be ashamed. (Isaiah 45:23-24)
Also, in reference to the citation from Philippians regarding “A NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME” it should be noted that it is stated in Psalms what that particular name is.
Let them praise the name YAHWEH, for his name ALONE IS EXALTED; his glory is ABOVE THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS. (Psalm 148:13)
The question is now prompted, What name is above every name?
Indeed, the evidence does not support the idea that “Yah” is a contracted or shortened form of the name Yahweh. Certainly, no other name besides the name Yahweh can fulfill the explicit message of Scriptures!
When addressing the issue of whether it was possible for the forms יהו (Yahu) and יה (Yah) to be abbreviations for יהוה (Yahweh), G. R. Driver gave the following response:
NO OTHER SEMITIC RACE ABBREVIATES THE NAMES OF ITS GODS, either when used independently or when compounded with other elements in proper names, although they not infrequently leave the name of the god to be supplied . . . IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A NAME SO SACRED AS יהוה WOULD BE COMMONLY ABBREVIATED, and the reason indeed why the shorter forms were alone used in proper names may be that they, not having the theological import of יהוה, were held less sacred and so more suitable for profane use. (Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. 46 [1928], p. 23. Driver, G. R. “The Original Form of the Name ‘Yahweh’: evidence and conclusions.”)
What the evidence from Scriptures reveals is the fact that Yahushua’s heavenly name was always “Yahweh.” Of course, Scriptures also report that his earthly name was Yahushua (Matthew 1:21) in addition to the earthly name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).
What Does Yahushua Mean? Next, Yahu-shua does not mean “Yahweh saves,” as it is popularly taught and accepted. Yet, when we let Scriptures define itself without human intervention, the translation of the messiah’s earthly name reveals it to be “Yahu saves”!
We will demonstrate this fact as we proceed.
Before we move forward, you will probably want a quick refresher on the name Yahushua from a previous post. So just click here: “What’s With the Yahu Spelling?”
At this point, you might be thinking, Who is this Yahu person, where is he mentioned in Scriptures, and is it possible that Yahu could be one of the saving names?
To eliminate doubt, one can rest assured that the evidence we have provided from Scriptures confirms that there is only one saving name. It is not Yahu, Yah, Yahshua, Yahushua, or even Jesus.
Yahushua Preexisted When one examines Scriptures, it is without a doubt that Yahushua the messiah preexisted as a ruach (spirit) being. The apostle John, when referencing Yahushua as the logos (innermost expression, word), writes:
In the beginning was the logos, and the logos was with the deity (the father), and the logos was a deity. He was in beginning with the deity (the father) . . . And the logos became flesh, and tabernacled among us. (John 1:1-2, 14)
According to Scriptures, father Yahweh created all things by means of Yahushua the messiah.
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in the deity (father Yahweh), who created all things through Yahushua messiah. (Eph. 3:9)
All things were made by him (logos); and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)
Therefore, it was the logos who is identified as Yahweh eloahim who created Adam.
Then Yahweh eloahim formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)
It was the preexistent Yahushua, the ruach being or angel named Yahweh, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and spoke to him.
And the angel Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush . . . When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, eloahim called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” (Exodus 3:2-4)
It cannot go unnoticed that Yahushua is identified by John the baptist as having the name Yahweh and also as being one of the eloahi (ruling member of the eloahim). John the baptist cites Isaiah, which states:
The voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the road of Yahweh, make straight in the desert a highway for our eloahi. (Isaiah 40:3)
The Name Yahweh Tampered With As any teacher of Yahweh’s truth is aware, due to the ineffable name doctrine pervasive among the early Jewish religious factions, the sacred name Yahweh has been tampered with in Scriptures.
Just the fact that the name Yahweh has been vowel pointed numerous times in Scriptures by the Jewish scribes to guide the reader to read adonai or eloahim instead is a simple demonstration of this fact.
Another demonstration of the tampering of Scriptures by Jewish scribes is the stripping out of the Hebrew letter ו (waw) from various names within the same document.
For example, in2 Kings 15:8, a person is named Zakar-Yahu (Remembered of Yahu), while in2 Kings 15:11, the same person is called Zakar-Yah. There are numerous examples of this type of alteration within Scriptures.
This would also help explain the phrase found in Psalms recognizing that the ו (waw) should be restored to Yahu:
Now consider the following citations from Isaiah (again, the ו [waw] is restored to Yahu):
Behold, el is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yahu Yahweh is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2)
Trust in Yahweh for ever, for Yahu Yahweh is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:4)
The following verse becomes compelling when the ו (waw) is restored to Yahu.
Yahu is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. (Psalm 118:14)
As the above scriptural verses show, the praenomen of the ruach being or angel Yahweh is Yahu. Additionally indicated is the fact that the full name of this angel, as rendered in Scriptures, is Yahu Yahweh. The praenomen Yahu also specifically identifies which particular Yahweh appeared and spoke to the patriarchs, saying:
I am the eloahi of your father, the eloahi of Abraham, the eloahi of Isaac, and the eloahi of Jacob. (Exodus 3:6)
We must now bring forth the fact that according to Scriptures, the angel identified as Yahu Yahweh became the man Yahushua the messiah and did not die in the transformation process.
And the angel said to her, “The sacred ruach will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called sacred, the son of the deity.” (Luke 1:35)
It would then follow that, after becoming a man, Yahushua would have retained the name Yahweh as the surname given to him by father Yahweh. The only time that Yahu Yahweh is recorded in Scriptures to have died was when he was put to death as a man on the torture-stake, which took place in 30 C.E.
By now, you should be getting a good idea of where all this is leading. Simply put, there was an excellent reason for the messiah to be named Yahushua. Regarding one’s salvation, Yahushua explicitly states:
I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Only One Saving Name By trying to make the name Yahushua, or any of its variants, equal to the sacred name Yahweh, many people have been trying to force a square peg into a round hole. No one attains salvation by the names Yah, Yahu, Yahshua, Yahushua, or even the popular Greek form, Jesus.
There is only one name of salvation found in Scriptures, and it is explicitly identified in Joel 2:32! The New Testament gives the exact same message withActs 2:21.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved.(Joel 2:32)
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)
The message from Scriptures is clear. Yahweh is the only name of salvation proclaimed throughout all Scriptures!
It is the person Yahu Yahweh, who was also given the earthly name Yahu-shua (Yahu saves), who gives salvation by the same name given to him and shared by father Yahweh, the one and only sacred name Yahweh.
If the name Yahweh—not Yah, Yahu, Yahshua, Yahushua, or Jesus, etc.—is the only saving name that is shared with both father Yahweh and his son, then one should be able to readily solve the following riddle found in the book of Proverbs:
Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and WHAT IS HIS SON’S NAME? SURELY YOU KNOW! (Proverbs 30:4)
Some people need clarification about the issue of whether we can know the name of the creator. Some teach that it is impossible to attain this information. Some say the evidence reveals his name to be Yahweh, but the pronunciation cannot be known with certainty.
Some go so far as to say we shouldn’t even attempt to use the name Yahweh nor try to pronounce it, as it would disparage the creator. The logic would be that we are too ignorant and should not use guesswork when communicating with our creator. Besides, the creator recognizes our handicaps and hopeless situation, forgiving us for not obeying his instruction to know and proclaim his name. The following is just one scriptural verse of many that contradict such logic.
For it will be (that) ALL WHO WILL CALL ON THE NAME YAHWEH SHALL BE SAVED. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem will be salvation, as Yahweh has said, and among the saved who Yahweh will call. (Joel 2:32)
Ancient writers were not negligent in preserving for us the correct pronunciation of the entire sacred name. Despite Jewish and Roman Church prohibitions against its use, the vocalization of the complete name was revealed and is preserved by some of these writers.
