Monday, October 13, 2008

The One Holy Name

The Bible only speaks of one (singular) holy name. We read nothing in the Bible about many holy names of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as many seem to think. Some refer to the "sacred names" of God; others refer to the "divine names" of God; the scriptural term, however, is the "holy name," or "sacred name" as applied singularly and to only one person.

God said moreover to Moses, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."| -- Exodus 3:15, American Standard Version.

The only "name" actually given as such for the ELOHIM (God) of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is that which is usually given in English as "Jehovah" (derived from the Masoretic Hebrew text), or "Yahweh" (derived from certain Greek manuscripts). EHJEH, or EHYEH, of Exodus 3:14 is but another form of the same name as Yahweh, both being verbal forms used as a noun. EHJEH is often rendered into English in most translations as "I am." As a name, however, it should be rendered as EHJEH. More correctly, it means "I will be." Yahweh is in the third person of the verb, meaning "He will be," and Ehyeh in the first person, "I will be." As such, they are both forms of the one holy name, and should not be considered as two different names. The name designates the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as One who does not deny himself, who if faithful to His word. -- Numbers 3:18-23; Psalm 138:2; Isaiah 55:11; 2 Timothy 2:13; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18.

Additionally, the English forms "Jehovah" and "Yahweh" should not be viewed as two different names, but rather as variations of the same one name. Similarly, in English, we have the name Jesus, derived indirectly from the Greek, and Joshua, derived from the Masoretic Hebrew. Yahweh and Jehovah are actually variations of the same name, just as Jesus and Joshua are actually variations of the same name.

Hebrew forms of "EL" (meaning strength, might, power), ADONAI (Superior/Supreme Lord, the Lord), KURIOS (Lord, the Lord), SHADDAI (Almighty) are names only in the sense of titular names, they are not the one singular "holy name" of the God and Father of Jesus.

"ABBA" likewise, simply meaning "Father," is not the holy name of the God and Father of Jesus, but is the paternal title that designates Jehovah as the Father of Jesus (as well as of those who believe). The God and Father of Jesus sent Jesus. Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, sent Jesus. Jesus came in the name of Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4); Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16); Matthew 4:10 (Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8); Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23); Mark 11:9,10; Mark 12:26; Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 13:35; Luke 20:37; Luke 22:42; John 3:2,17,32-35; 4:3,34; 5:19,30,36,43; 6:38,57; 10:25; 12:49,50; 14:10; 15:15; 17:1,3,8,16,26,28; 20:17; Acts 2:22,34-36; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 8:6; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Colossians 1:3,15; 2-9-12; Hebrews 1:1-3,9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:1; 2:7; 3:2,12.

See also:
God's Holy Name

Nor is "Jesus" the holy name, as some have claimed. If one tries to put Jesus in the places in the New Testament where the holy name should be, one can see how ridiculous such a claim would be. Let us illustrate by replacing the holy with "Jesus" in several verses of the New Testament:

Matthew 22:44 - 'Jesus(?) said to my Lord [Jesus}, Sit on my [Jesus'(?)] right hand, Until I [Jesus(?)] make your [Jesus'] enemies a footstool for your [Jesus'] feet?'

If Jesus is the Holy Name, this raises the questions: Does Jesus sit at Jesus' right hand? Does Jesus make Jesus' enemies a footstool for Jesus' feet?

Luke 1:32 - He [Jesus] will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. Jesus(?) God will give to him [Jesus] the throne of his [Jesus'] father, David,

Does Jesus give to Jesus the throne of David, the forefather of Jesus?

Luke 2:9 - Behold, an angel of Jesus(?) stood by them, and the glory of Jesus(?) shone around them, and they were terrified.
Luke 2:15 - It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing [the child Jesus] that has happened, which Jesus(?) has made known to us."

Was the glory of Jesus shining around the shepherds while Jesus was a baby, and and did Jesus made known to the shepherds that Jesus had been born?

Luke 2:22 - When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him [Jesus] up to Jerusalem, to present him to Jesus(?).

Was Jesus being presented to Jesus?

Luke 4:18 - "The Spirit of Jesus(?) is on me [Jesus], Because he [Jesus(?)] anointed me [Jesus] to preach good news to the poor. He [Jesus(?)] has sent me [Jesus] to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to the captives, Recovering of sight to the blind, To deliver those who are crushed.
Luke 4:19 - And to proclaim the acceptable year of Jesus(?)."

Was the spirit of Jesus upon Jesus? Did Jesus anoint Jesus?

Luke 5:17 - It happened on one of those days, that he [Jesus] was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of Jesus(?) was with him [Jesus] to heal them.

Was this saying that the power of Jesus was with, upon, Jesus?

Luke 13:35 -Behold, your house is left to you desolate. I [Jesus] tell you, you will not see me [Jesus], until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of Jesus(?)!'"

Did Jesus come in the name of Jesus? Elsewhere Jesus, in effect, declares that he did not come in his own name. -- John 5:43.

Luke 20:37 - But that the dead are raised, even Moses shown at the bush, when he called Jesus(?) 'The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

Was Jesus here speaking of himself? Actually, it was Jehovah, the God of the Messiah (Micah 5:4) who sent Jesus, just as Moses was sent by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. -- Exodus 3:14,15; Deuteronomy 18:15-22; Isaiah 61:1.

Acts 3:22 - For Moses indeed said to the fathers, 'Jesus(?) God will raise up a prophet [Jesus] to you from among your brothers, like me. You will listen to him [Jesus] in all things whatever he [Jesus] says to you.

Did Jesus raise himself up as a prophet of himself?

Acts 4:26 - The kings of the earth take a stand, And the rulers take council together, Against Jesus(?), and against his Christ [that is, Jesus].' -- Psalm 2:2

The rulers take council against Jesus and also against the anointed one of Jesus who is Jesus?

Hebrews 7:21 - for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he [Jesus] with an oath by him [Jesus(?)] that says of him [Jesus], "Jesus(?) swore and will not change his [Jesus'(?)] mind, 'You [Jesus] are a priest forever, According to the order of Melchizedek'".

Was Jesus made a priest by an oath of Jesus who said of Jesus that Jesus would make Jesus a priest forever?

Revelation 21:22 - I saw no temple in it, for Jesus(?) God, the Almighty, and the Lamb [Jesus], are its temple.

Is this saying that Jesus and also Jesus are the temple?

The following links should provide a list of scriptures that contain the phrase "holy name" as found in the World English Bible translation. This translation renders the holy name as "Yahweh".
http://tinyurl.com/yqxw8d

Scriptures with "in my name":
http://tinyurl.com/39746j

Scriptures with "by my name":
http://tinyurl.com/2u97am

Scriptures with "yahweh":
http://tinyurl.com/2v5d6n

Scriptures with "Yah":
http://tinyurl.com/3cfnrx

Scriptures with "hallelujah", meaning "Praise Yah/Jah":
http://tinyurl.com/36o23a

Scriptures with "Praise Yah":
http://tinyurl.com/35kjgh

Scriptures with "Praise the Lord":
http://tinyurl.com/3ayftm

Scriptures with "the Lord":
http://tinyurl.com/2tb78n

1 comment: