01/18/2008 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

Praise His name!

Exalt His name!

Hallowed be His name!

Bless His name!

Love His name!

Anoint in His name!

Gather together in His name!

Believe in His name!

Give thanks in His name!

Honor His name!

Remember His name!

Call upon His name!

Ever wonder why...

All these scriptures about His name ?

Some of you certainly know some of the things that I am about to share tonight but perhaps some of you may not.

For those that know, I hope that tonight's study will help to solidify your conviction and help to share that conviction with others who seek the truth.

For those that do not know, please pray and consider the scriptures shared. Don't fear what others may say of you if you practice the things shared herein.

We find in the book of Proverbs a scripture that asks an important question:

Proverbs 30:4 - Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

What is His name? And what is His Son's name?

Interestingly, this proverb was written before Yahushua's birth on the earth

All throughout scripture, names are lifted up as having importance.

They had meanings

And those who named others had authority over who or what was being named...

For Instance, Adam named the animals.

Genesis 2:20 - And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

And his wife

Genesis 2:23 - And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Yahweh renamed Abram

Genesis 17:5 - Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

And the Messiah renamed Simon:

John 1:42 - And he brought him to Yahushua. And when Yahushua beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

The Messiah was given a name by the Heavenly Father through an angel to Miriam/Mary:

Matthew 1:21 - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Yahushua : for he shall save his people from their sins.

Nevertheless, people want to change Yahushua's name to a more "Greek/Latin/English" sounding name

But who named Yahweh?

Of course, Yahweh named Himself since there is none greater.

Isaiah 42:8 - I am YAHWEH: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

So let's ask the question... should man rename Yahweh?

Do we have authority over Him? To rename Him?

Surely we can't..but MEN have attempted to rename Him in their speech, in their writings and in their hearts.

This is particularly true when you look in our common translated scriptures...

When we see "The LORD" (in all capital letters usually) in the Old Testament, the Hebrew actually reads YAHWEH

Those who translated the scriptures decided to take the liberty to rename/replace the name of our Heavenly Father with "The LORD"

This can be found in the preface of many bibles.

For instance, the Revised Standard Version has in its preface:

"A major departure from the practice of the American Standard Version is the rendering of the Divine Name, the "Tetragrammaton....

..The American Standard Version used the term "Jehovah"; the King James Version had employed this in four places, but everywhere else, except in three cases where it was employed as part of a proper name, used the English word LORD (or in certain cases GOD) printed in capitals. The present revision returns to the procedure of the King James Version, which follows the precedent of the ancient Greek and Latin translators and the long established practice in th>>

..While it is almost if not quite certain that the Name was originally pronounced "Yahweh", this pronunciation was not indicated when the Masoretes added vowel signs to the consonantal Hebrew text."

"To the four consonants YHWH of the Name, which had come to be regarded as too sacred to be pronounced, they attached vowel signs indicating that in its place should be read the Hebrew word Adonai meaning "Lord" (or Elohim meaning "God"). The ancient Greek translators substituted the word Kyrios (Lord) for the Name. The Vulgate likewise used the Latin word Dominus. The form "Jehovah" is of late medieval origin; it is a combination of the consonants of the Di>>

"For two reasons the Committee has returned to the more familiar usage of the King James Version: (1) the word "Jehovah" does not accurately present any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew; and (2) the use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom He had to be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church."

Interesting reasons they cite for taking Yahweh's name out of their bible

Notice that they said "the use of any proper name...is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church."

To this I ask, "Who are they to decide what is appropriate for one's faith?"

Their job is to translate, not decide what we are to believe!

Not only do they say why they have chosen to replace Yahweh's name with a title of their choosing but they also state that 'use of any proper name...is entirely inappropriate!'

Amazing! Who invented the idea of having a name of our Creator? Is it not Yahweh Himself?

Is Yahweh also 'entirely inappropriate' for placing His name there in scripture over 6000 times?

Anytime we feel that we need to correct Yahweh, we are going the wrong direction.

They say it is 'entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church.' Why have a different substitution for the name "Yahweh" in each language? Would it not be more 'universal' to use ONE NAME?

Yes

Malachi 1:11 - For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith YAHWEH of hosts.

Yahweh always wanted even the Gentiles to exalt His name

So how did this practice really begin?

In the Encyclopedia Britannica, under the heading “Yahweh”.

“Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, his name being revealed to Moses as four Hebrew consonants (YHWH) …. the divine name was increasingly regarded as too sacred to be uttered; it was thus replaced vocally in the synagogue ritual by the Hebrew word Adonai ("My Lord)”

So this tradition continues to this day.

Brethren, the scriptures don't need to be repaired because they are not broken, and we shouldn't be breaking them either!

Yahushua said the the leaders of his day:

Mark 7:9 - And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of YAHWEH, that ye may keep your own tradition.

A familiar trend continues; some things seemingly have no end. Traditions of men often do transgress the commandment of Yahweh.

What commandment does the removal of Yahweh's name transgress?

This should be as obvious as looking into the 10 commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:11 - Thou shalt not take the name of YAHWEH thy Elohim in vain: for YAHWEH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Within the Ten Commandments, many take the above commandment to mean that we should not use the Father's name alongside a swear word or profanity.

I could see where it certainly might mean this. Others say that taking His name on our lips while living a life of sin is another way of taking His name in vain. I agree with this also.

But look at the third commandment in the "King James Version":

"Deuteronomy 5:11 'Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold [him] guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' (KJV) "

Of course, if we examine this verse in the Hebrew text that the King James Bible was translated from, we would not find "The LORD" or any word that carries such a meaning in this verse. What is actually there is the Heavenly Father's true name, "Yahweh". Again, this was done nearly 7,000 times in most all translated bibles

Now let's take a moment and look at the Webster's dictionary definition of the word "vain":

5vain 1. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. ``Thy vain excuse.'' ... 2. Destitute of forge or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt.

Considering the meaning of the word 'vain', what greater way to bring Yahweh's name to emptiness, worthlessness, and having no real substance, value or purpose than to remove His name altogether from scripture and substitute it with a title of our own choosing?

Those who have chosen to practice this are doing just that. This practice is so widespread and so complete that relatively few people even know the Heavenly Father has a personal name.

Yahweh chose to place His name in scripture nearly 7,000 times. And each one of those 7,000 times it is replaced with a title (such as "The LORD") in 99% of all translations.

Yahweh puts His name in the scriptures and man takes it out. How can anyone have the gull and presumption to do such a thing? And then to claim they are innocent in the matter and tradition somehow justifies it?

In fact, in most translations the third commandment (as written) is a transgression of itself! Why? Because the third commandment forbids bringing His name to nothing, yet most translations do just that.

To even further demonstrate this point, let's look at the Hebrew word that is translated "vain" in this verse.

Deuteronomy 5:11 - "Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh thy Elohim in vain 5 <7723>: for Yahweh will not hold [him] guiltless that taketh his name in vain 5<7723>."

The number after the word "vain" in this passage refers to Strong's word #7723 in the Hebrew Lexicon.

This same Hebrew word (#7723 'Shav') can also be found in another commandment just a few verses later. But in this instance, it is translated differently:

Deuteronomy 5:20 - Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Here we have the same Hebrew word <7723> but it is translated "false." Might this shed light on the third commandment as well?

We know that to say that the name of the Heavenly Father is "The LORD" is actually false statement. Most translations are full of false statements. For instance, the King James Version reads:

"Isaiah 42:8 - I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." (KJV)

The above is not a true statement. His name is not "the LORD". His name is YAHWEH.

Furthermore, "The LORD" is not a translation of the original, it is a direct substitution of the original.

The translators did not translate, they CHANGED what was written by substituting the true name of the Heavenly Father for something else. Why? So that they could follow their tradition. It should instead read:

Isaiah 42:8 - I am YAHWEH: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

So if we want to keep the ten commandments, we should never replace Yahweh's name with a false name or title of our own choosing. Doing so would be breaking the third commandment. This is not the only way to break the third commandment, but we can see that it is certainly one way of doing so.

Yahweh considered it important enough to include in the Ten Commandments and He considered it important enough to include a warning that we would not be held "guiltless" if we choose to break it.

Therefore, in spite of what others may think, one way to avoid breaking this commandment is restoring what Yahweh placed there originally.

Whenever we read the scriptures in a common translation, let's restore Yahweh's name as we read aloud or silently.

Rather than joining in the tampering with His word, let's instead walk in His word and proclaim His word... just as He inspired it!

Revelation 22:19 - and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, YAHWEH shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Replacing Yahweh's name with a title both adds and takes away from His Holy word

Now I am not saying it is wrong to call Yahweh by a title. He is our Father, our Creator, our Master, etc

But we should not remove Yahweh's name when reading His word. He is the one who put it there and we have no business taking it out or changing it.

Our speech should also be like the oracles of Yahweh.

1Peter 4:11 - If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of YAHWEH. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which YAHWEH supplies, that in all things YAHWEH may be glorified through Yahushua the Messiah, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

Now I know that there are naysayers out there

And because of the naysayers, it was necessary to write many studies on this web site to respond to the naysayers

But this truth is actually quite simple. Yahweh is His name, so that is what we should call Him.

Micah 4:5 - For all people will walk every one in the name of his elohim, and we will walk in the name of YAHWEH our Elohim for ever and ever.

Nothing too difficult about that, is there?

So we all should walk in the name of Yahweh forever and ever, not a man-made substitution or some other name.

Yahweh commands us to call on His name for salvation

Joel 2:32 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of YAHWEH shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as YAHWEH hath said, and in the remnant whom YAHWEH shall call.

I'm not judging another's salvation here. I do realize that Yahweh can overlook ignorance, but isn't it high time that we seek what the scriptures are saying and walk in the truth revealed therein?!

Why not just do what the scriptures say?

Why do we have to find reason why we will not?

We are always better off doing what Yahweh says, no matter what man says.

I believe that it is one of many truths that Yahweh has hidden.

Don't stumble over asking yourself, "How can all these people not know?"

And then assume they must be wrong

Correction: And then assume that His name must not have been important

Proverbs 25:2 - It is the glory of Elohim to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

I happen to like what Yahweh inspired by His Spirit and see no reason to change it

So irregardless of why, let's just start loving what He inspired and read it just as He inspired it

John 17:17 - Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Psalms 105:1 - O give thanks unto YAHWEH; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

Psalms 34:3 - O magnify YAHWEH with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Psalms 148:13 - Let them praise the name of YAHWEH: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Psalms 44:8 - In Elohim we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

I know that we will be different for calling on His name and the name of His Son.

I suppose that Pharaoh and other Egyptians considered the Israelites "different" also

But scripture does say that Yahweh's people are peculiar

1Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Let's not cower in fear of what others may think when we use His name in our speech.

Rather, like Yahweh desired years ago, let's exalt His name on high.. associating it with His righteous ways

Titus 2:13 - Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great Elohim and our Saviour Yahushua ha Mashiach;

Titus 2:14 - Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Titus 2:15 - These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

If we are different from the world, that is how it is supposed be anyway... right?

But those who want to continue to walk in the tradition of their elders will say things like "Oh it doesn't matter, for He has many names"

Yahweh says:

Psalms 83:18 - That men may know that thou, whose name alone is YAHWEH, art the most high over all the earth.

His name alone is Yahweh. Yes, there are many titles which describe Him.. but Yahweh is His personal name. We all have titles which describe us, but we all have a personal name as well

And others say, "Well, I never call my father by his personal name. Why should I call upon Yahweh's name?"

To that I say, your father may not have asked you to call upon his name, but our Heavenly Father did ask us to praise, exalt, bless, love, believe, honor and call on His name.

So let's call on His name for salvation and exalt His name.

And let's beware of setting our eyes upon the vain ways of men, for the way to eternal life isn't a matter of following the path of the least resistance!

In fact, we are told that we will encounter resistance!

And why?

Luke 21:16 - And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

Luke 21:17 - And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

If we desire to walk in the truth, we must be prepared to even give our life for it. Yahweh help us!

For we know that the most truthful, holy, spirit filled, righteous man who ever lived was on the earth about 2000 years ago and they hung Him on a tree!

Jewish historical record shows they wouldn't have been able to convict him of the charge of "blasphemy" if he hadn't used the name of Yahweh.

See http://www.eliyah.com/saidname.html for details on that

Now here is an interesting scripture...

Zechariah 13:7 - Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith YAHWEH of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

Zechariah 13:8 - And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith YAHWEH, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

Zechariah 13:9 - And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, YAHWEH is my Elohim.

With the way this is written we see that it is an identifying characteristic... "they will call on my Name." And to those who call upon His name, Yahweh says "It is my people!"

And again..

Malachi 3:16 - Then they that feared YAHWEH spake often one to another: and YAHWEH hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared YAHWEH, and that thought upon his name.

And to the Philadelphia Assembly it was said..

Revelation 3:8 - "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Now, these scriptures do not say all who call on Yahweh's name are His people, but they do say that His people do call on His name!

I believe that we have an opportunity my brethren. For the world does not know His name as given by HIM.

We have the opportunity to proclaim Yahweh's name in righteousness.. not mixed with the paganism but in total purity!

Because we call on Yahweh's name, He wants to lead us in the paths of righteousness:

Psalms 23:3 - He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

How many have missed this entirely, though they know this psalm well?

Yahweh wants His name to be associated with righteousness, purity and love. Therefore, those who call on His name will be led to righteousness.

We must take this call VERY seriously!

For another way of taking His name if vain is proclaiming it while walking in wickedness.

How we live our lives will determine how the world actually views the name of "Yahweh."

Ever heard the saying, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression?"

What impression do people receive when they first hear of Yahweh through us?

Will we indeed have the faith and the love for one another Yahushua is looking for?

Do they see the love of Yahushua in us?

Do they see the love for one another that Yahushua spoke of?

John 13:35 - By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Will we answer the call to Repent?

Will we bear the fruits of repentance?

And will we purify ourselves and live righteously not only when others are in observation, but also within the walls of our home where few will see or know? Do our children praise Yahweh for our example of love?

I pray so..

Consider the example that Yahweh left us

Paul, when writing to the Romans said:

Romans 2:23 - Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou YAHWEH?

Romans 2:24 - For the name of YAHWEH is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Romans 2:25 - For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

We dishonor Yahweh, causing His name to be blasphemed when we boast of the Torah while refusing to repent

This is a very dangerous place to be!

Through Yahushua we have the power to walk in righteousness and truth.

And it is through Him that Yahweh fulfills the promises of Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 36:17 - Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.

When Yahweh brought the children of Israel into the land, He wanted a people that would glorify His name throughout all the earth

But they did not succeed

Ezekiel 36:18 - Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:

Ezekiel 36:19 - And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

Ezekiel 36:20 - And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of YAHWEH, and are gone forth out of his land.

So through Yahweh putting them out into exile, Yahweh's name was profaned by the heathen when they saw that the people of Yahweh were sent out of the land due to their wickedness

So what is Yahweh doing about it?

Ezekiel 36:21 - But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

Ezekiel 36:22 - Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Master YAHWEH; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

Although it may not seem important to most people, Yahweh's name (which is the literal written and spoken name, "Yahweh" associated with His character here) is apparently VERY important to Him! He is concerned when His name isn't associated with His glory

How concerned is He?

Let's read..

Ezekiel 36:23 - And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am YAHWEH, saith the Master YAHWEH, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

Ezekiel 36:24 - For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Yahweh has said that He will be sanctified in Israel

Ezekiel 36:25 - Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

Ezekiel 36:26 - A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:27 - And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Ezekiel 36:28 - And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your Elohim.

Salvation! A New Covenant!

We surely should know that Yahweh has concern for His Holy/Kodesh Name

We who now call on His name, I pray that we will answer the call to let Yahweh sanctify His name in ourselves, and to "go out from among them" and be clean.

Let's be separate/holy as He is holy! We will be blessed, we can be assured.... we will be blessed because of the name we proclaim.

Psalms 118:26 - Blessed be he that cometh in the name of YAHWEH: we have blessed you out of the house of YAHWEH.

When Yahushua was in Jerusalem His final time, He said:

Matthew 23:37 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Matthew 23:38 - Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Matthew 23:39 - For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of YAHWEH.

Not until "they say".."Blessed is He that cometh in the name of YAHWEH", will they ever see the Messiah again.

Yahushua is the one coming in the name of Yahweh.

John 5:43 - I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

In the land of Israel today, we know that many are learning this truth and some are starting to receive it.

So will the Messiah not return until He sees HIS people in Yerushalayim accepting Him and calling upon His name? It's something to consider, I do believe.

Psalms 20:5 - We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our Elohim we will set up our banners: YAHWEH fulfil all thy petitions.

If you still doubt that Yahweh's name is important enough to restore and use today, consider all these scriptures

Psalms 34:3 - O magnify YAHWEH with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Psalms 145:2 - Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Psalms 145:13 - Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

Psalms 148:13 - Let them praise the name of YAHWEH: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Isaiah 12:4 - And in that day shall ye say, Praise YAHWEH, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

Psalms 54:1 - Save me, O Elohim, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of YAHWEH shall be saved.

Psalms 22:22 - I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Psalms 32:3 - When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

Micah 6:9 - YAHWEH's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

Malachi 4:2 - But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Revelation 11:18 - The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth."

Psalms 5:11 - But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Psalms 119:55 - I have remembered thy name, O YAHWEH, in the night, and have kept thy law.

Psalms 20:7 - Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of YAHWEH our Elohim.

I could go on and on and on with scripture after scripture... hundreds of them!

If the scriptures convict you to obey Him concerning the falsehood uncovered this evening or any other error, do confess it as sin and consider His mercy:

Psalms 79:8 - O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.

Psalms 79:9 - Help us, O Elohim of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

For when we are led into atonement and righteousness for His name's sake....then also into eternal life.

Therefore, let's take the cup of salvation that He offers to us....and drink:

Psalms 116:12 - What shall I render unto YAHWEH for all his benefits toward me?

Psalms 116:13 - I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of YAHWEH.

Therefore, let's take the cup that He has given us....and drink. Calling upon the name of Yahweh...

...no tradition hindering us.

May Yahweh bless you, and may He have mercy on us all!