THE CREATOR'S NAME
By John Weston

"In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the Earth".

"Elohim" means Mighty Ones, it is plural. The singular is "El" as in "El Shaddai" which means "Mighty one [who is] Almighty". The common acceptable term for the word "El" is now "God" although the word "God" is derived from a false deity "Gott". But the term "God" has come to mean the Title, not name of the creator of the universe, the one true "God".

"God" has a personal name just like you and I do. The Yisraelites knew the personal name of their God and used it in prayers and it was written in the original Scriptures no less than 6,000 times. It has since been replaced in most Bibles with the words "The LORD" and as such, my NIV Study Bible in its preface states that the term "The LORD" replaces the "Tetragrammaton".

So, what is the "Tetragrammaton"? It is the 4 grammatical letters that make up the true name of "God". Those Hebraic Characters were translated into English as YHWH from the Hebraic Characters of Yod Hay Waw Hay. The common and most accepted pronunciation of the name is Yahweh. It is easy to see the four characters in the name Yahweh [Y(a)HW(e)H]. Some scholars refer to the characters as Yod Hay Vav Hay which would render the name YahVeh, but further study reveals that Vav was actually the Waw to begin with. But there is more to this story concerning the Waw.

"Waw" is the equivalent of a "W" in our language. If we spell out the letter "W" it reveals "Double U". The "W" comes from a Double "U". A double "U" is "UU" <--even looks like a "W". Deeper study into the original Hebraic language reveals that the "Waw" character was pronounced as "OO" as in Shoot, Boot, Scoot, etc. This would render the name as YaHUaH. Perhaps the reason it was transliterated as YHWH is because the "W", originally "UU" had the "oo" sound, and that was the closest sounding character.

Further supporting evidence for the YHUH [Yahuah] pronunciation, are the names of Biblical Persons and Places. The Prophet we have come to know as Elijah, was called "EliYahu" in Hebrew which means "My God is Yahu". The "i" means my and makes it personal and as stated before, "El" stands for Mighty One which we now call "God", and "Yahu" reveals who that "God" is. Thus Eliyahu states that "My God is Yahu".
The word "Jew" comes from the Hebrew "Yahudiy" meaning a follower of "Yahu". The plural form is "Yahudim" now called "Jews". The "im" makes it plural just as "El" is singular and "Elohim" is the plural. (The difference between Mighty One and Mighty Ones).

The place Judah in Hebrew is "Yahudah", remember the Messiah was from the tribe of Judah ie: "Yahudah".

This brings us to the Messiah's name. First, understand that "Christ" is Greek and "Messiah" is Hebrew and both words mean the same thing and that is "Anointed". More on this later.
There is a Greek deity, well to be honest there were many Greek gods such as Zeus, Artemis, Diana, Ishtar, Asherah, Apollo, Venus, ... we could go on and on, but the point is this: there was a Greek god known as the god of healing and this god's name was IESUS. Now when the New Testament was either written or as I believe translated into the Greek language, the closest deity that matched the works of the Hebrew Messiah was their god of healing IESUS. Thus the Greek manuscripts used that name. Incidentally, Strong's Concordance has this as #2424 IESUS, pronounced "ee-ay-sooce".

The Hebraic name for the Yahudaic (Jewish) Messiah is Yahusha or Yahushua and this is commonly pronounced as Yahshua. In Hebrew the word "Sha" means "Saves" or "Salvation", thus the name Yahusha means Yahu Saves. Since the "world" has dedicated to obscure the true name of "God", most Bibles will tell you that "Jesus" means "The LORD Saves".

"Jesus" came into being when the "IESUS" was given the letter "J" [the word "was" is written here, with each letter individually crossed out with an "x"] invented in the 15th Century A.D. Before 500 years ago, nobody ever uttered the name "Jesus". Shocking isn't it? But true none the less.

So, what's the difference? What's the big deal anyway? Who Cares?

The following is Scriptural evidence of "who cares" and "What the difference is" and "What the big deal is."

The first time YHWH appears in the Hebraic Scriptures is in Genesis 2:4, and it signifies the personal name of "God". Most of the translations today render it as "The LORD" instead of his personal name.
We are told in Genesis 4:26 "At that time men began to call on the name of YHWH" (Remember, every time you see "The LORD" in your Bible, you can put "YHWH" back in its place).
When Mosheh (Moses) said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you', and they as me, 'What is his name?', the what shall I tell them?"
God said to Mosheh, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."
God also said to Mosheh. "Say to the Israelites, YHWH, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob-has sent me to you. This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation." Genesis 3:13-15
Interesting that it is to be remembered from generation to generation. From this we see that YHWH wants his name known and to be remembered by all.
Jeremiah 23:26-27 "How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship."
Isaiah 42:5-9 "This is what Elohim Yahuah says-he who created the Heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: "I, Yahuah, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am Yahuah; that is my name! I will not give my esteem to another or my praise to idols. See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being, I announce them to you".

Yahuah (YHWH) wants his name to be remembered and that is why it is in the Hebraic Scriptures over 6,000 times.
You may call upon "God" and he may answer you, but just be aware that "God" is not a name, it is a title. Do you call your dog Rover and your cat Muffy, or do you call them by saying "Hey dog or hey cat"? Of course you use their personal names and not the title of their beings, ie: dog or cat. So why wouldn't you call the name of your creator by his personal name, especially when he said "This is the name I am to be remembered by from generation to generation"? (Ex 3:15).
"He who is the glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man that he should change his mind" (1Sam 15:29)
By this it is clear that once Yahuah says something, it is a permanent thing. Like to remember his name.
Names are very important in scripture, most every name is a description of the person. Isaiah is "YeshaYahu" and it means "Salvation of Yahu".
Moses (Mosheh) means "Draws out", pharoah's daughter drew him out of the water and thus he was named. Then Yahuah used him to Draw the Israelites out of Egypt.
Jeremiah (YermeYahu) means "Yahu exalts".
Ezekiel (YehezqEl) means "Hardened by God" -See 3:8-9
Daniel means "My Judge (is) God" Dan=Judge i=my El=God
Elijah (EliYahu) "My God (is) Yahu" El=God i=My Yahu (personal name)
Elisha means "My God (is) Salvation" El=God i=My Sha=Salvation
Eleazar (ElAzar) "God Helps" El=God Azar=Helps
Abimelech "My Father (is) King" Ab=Father Melech=King i=My
Abigail "My Father Rejoices" Ab=Father i=My Gail=Rejoices
Abner "Father (is a) Lamp" Ab=Father Ner=Lamp
Abraham "Father (of) Many" Ab=Father Raham=Many
Yahusha "Yahu Saves" or "Yahu Salvation"

"It is by the name of Yahusha Messiah of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone'. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved".

You Decide Which is Right, and let each man be convinced in his own mind.

-End