THE HEAVENLY FATHER'S TRUE NAME
First allow me to lay the ground work as to why I am writing this article for publication. My intention is not to add to the conflict among Christians and Jews who hold to the name of Jesus or Yeshua as their Saviour. Many have seen great controversy in certain Christian and Messianic circles as a result of this very discussion. Some years back I began a search of Language and History in a quest to know the true name of God. As a Jew, having been raised in a Christian home, I had no real connection with my roots and found that my family was unaware of the rich history of our escape from Europe. Later in my life I discovered through genealogy that my family name 'Merrick' was Hebrew. The battles that ensued were both personal and social in nature. Allow me to explain with an exert from a letter I wrote to Dr. O.J. Graham, author of the book 'The Six-Pointed Star".
My Christian family and church knew me as a Christian and had no reason to think of me as Jewish. The Messianic Jewish community therefore had seen no reason to accept me as anything but a convert from Christianity to the Messianic faith. But the hand of the unseen was more powerful. The resulting test of my faith proved to be more revealing to me of the nature of men to accept the Bible at face value and the Bible as truth. Even in the face of solid theological evidence "the experts" would rather refute truth than adjust their doctrine to fit the Bible. A seminary student on a summer internship I once presented this information to replied " Oh, I can see that it's true, But if I teach that in my denomination I would never get my ordination". The shock I experienced at that was felt deep in my gut. I can only explain that feeling as the same deep hurt and fear I felt when my Grandfather died. I still wonder in how many ways do men of good purpose deny the Messiah and HIS truth for their position?
I prefer to heed the caution of II Thessalonians Chapter 2 verse 10, 11 & 12: "...That they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause GOD shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
During the period proceeding our bondage in Babylon, Jeremiah and others make it clear that Jews were involved in the idol worship which began in Babylon. Even in the book of Daniel God refers to King Nebuchadnezzar as " His servant ". It therefore is good reason to say that false worship was already a part of the practice of God's chosen people which resulted in a banishment to Babylon. God used Babylon to judge Israel. It is also a fact of linguistic History that two languages were inter-woven at that point in history. The Hebrew language and the Babylonian language Chaldee. The Babylonians had a TITLE for a deity, EL or EL OHIM, which we replace in the Bible in English with the TITLE God or LORD. The roots of these words are found in the word BE - EL or BAAL. Even Ungers Bible dictionary (page 131), used in most Christian seminaries, refers that the word BAAL is LORD in English. This is why Hosea 2:16 says that God shall take the names of Baeli out of our mouths. So when we use the word God or Lord we are
actually using titles derived from CHALDEE for a deity named Bael or BAAL. So if we look to know the TRUE NAME of The Creator then we must look elsewhere in scripture or at the HEBREW word untransliterated from original scripture. The tetragrammaton or four letters of the sacred name.
Transliteration or to transliterate is a rule in linguistics. It simply means you import the actual phonetic sound of a NAME from the original language into the translated language. This is done with NAMES only. All other words should be translated. We can see these rules of linguistics practiced every day on the nightly news on TV. An example I like to use is the name YELTSIN. In Russian it means 'STEEL MAN', and that is it's translation. The name Yeltsin is pronounced YELTSIN in Russian. When we say it in English, because it is a NAME, we transliterate it with the exact same pronunciation. When we say Yeltsin we are speaking Russian phonetically. These rules were to often broken in translating and transliterating the Bible and it is clear in scripture that it is by design. Who's design is not mine to judge. It is safe to say that satan had his full part in this. The scripture warns us of removing things or adding things to The Creators Word (Rev. CH. 22). So we must not give satan credit for the sins of superstition contrived by men of greed and power. But we also must account that it fulfills prophecy.
In Exodus chapter 3 Moshe (Moses) met The Creator on the mountain. Moses did not know His name. So when given the task he asked " WHAT IS YOUR NAME" Exd. 3:13-15 - "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you; They shall ask me, what is his name? What shall I tell them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, that's what you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent you. And God said moreover to Moses, that is what you shall say to the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: THIS IS MY NAME FOREVER, AND THIS IS MY MEMORIAL UNTO ALL GENERATIONS."
Now a closer look at this in the original Hebrew reveals an amazing MISTRANSLITERATION because the rule was not followed. The scripture was TRANSLATED instead of TRANSLITERATED AND TRANSLATED. The name of GOD is Strongs number 3050 which is transliterated YAH. The Strongs number used by most scripture for YAH's (God's) name is 3068 and 3069 YAH VEH or YAH VAH. In English the mistransliteration commonly known is Jehovah or YAHWEH. There is actually no "W" or "J" in the Hebrew language. The "W" is a "V"and the "J" is a "Y". Stay with me now because I am going to prove beyond a shadow of your doubt that God's name is YAH and prove it with the scripture both OLD and NEW Testament.
The root word for the second part of the word YAH VEH is Strongs number 1961. The "VE" or "VA" part in Hebrew means 'unseen'and 'to be honored'. The "H" designation adds the meaning 'eternal existent one'. 1961 'VEH' has it's roots in 2088 'VH' and 2063, which means "THIS" or and "ONE". From this we can see that mistake was that YAH VEH was translated from the 'VEH' and not given it's original TRANSLITERATION of the NAME of God "YAH". This mistake was most likely because of Jewish superstition to not speak the name of God or that the translater did not understand that YAH was a name. The most anchient of words, still used in praise today is Hallelujah. We do not say HALLELUYAHWEH or HALLELUYAHVEH, we say HALLELU YAH which means 'praise unto Yah'. We find proof that this is God's name in Psalms 68:4 "... Extol (praise) Him by His NAME YAH". So when Moses met The Creator he asked "WHAT IS YOUR NAME" and God told him "I AM YAH, TO BE HONORED, THE ETERNAL EXISTENT ONE"..." THIS IS MY NAME FOREVER, AND THIS IS MY MEMORIAL UNTO ALL GENERATIONS". In case you haven't checked lately this is still forever unto all generations. So God's name is YAH, Strongs number 3050. The other things are added TITLES to lend reverence, praise, and honor to The Creator's name.
We can further prove this by the corrected translation and transliteration of Matthew chapter 27 verse 46 and 47: "And About the ninth hour Yah Shua (Jesus) cried with a loud voice, ELI YAH, ELI YAH LAMA SA-BACH-THA-NI? That is to say My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard this said, This man calls for Elias". Elias is Strongs number 452 which is the same as EliJah or ELIYAH. Those that were unlearned in Hebrew who stood by thought Yah Shua (Jesus) was calling on the prophet Eiljah. In the King James version the YAH in ELI YAH is missing. ELI which is preserved in this translation in Hebrew means MY. 'YAH' I have added back in because it is evident that it was there originally. Yah Shua (YAH's salvation), was saying "MY YAH, MY YAH". Had that not been what he was saying then those who stood by could not have misunderstood and think that he was calling for the prophet Eliyah. The scripture makes the interpretation clear in the translation 'That is to say My God, My God'. I believe that it was placed by Matthew there so that when men made this mistake that the Holy Spirit could reveal the truth to mankind. In the day the prophet Hosea spoke of. The day that YAH would remove the names of Baal out of our mouths.
In the same way the name Jesus was mistransliteralted from the Greek rather than the Hebrew. YAH SHUA means 'YAH's salvation". In Matthew 1:21 Gabriel is sent to Mary to tell her of her blessed task to bring forth a son. He tells her "you shall call his name Yah Shua, for He shall save His people". Since HE was to save YAH's people then it only makes since that HIS name would be YAH'S SALVATION. Acts chapter 4 verse 12 says there is ONE name under heaven given for men to be saved. It only makes since that it would be the same in the old testament and new being that the scripture recounts that the Creator and the Messiah are the same Yesterday, today, and forever. The ongoing covenant of YAH with the people called and saved by HIS NAME.
In English we translate this name as Jesus and would more correctly use the name JOSHUA. Numerous Bible dictionaries recount the fact that Joshua the son of Nun, the successor of Moses, had the same name as the saviour. As Yahshau the son of Nun lead Israel across the Jordan into the promise land YAHSHUA the son of YAH leads us through baptism into the heavenly promise land of eternal life.
I don't believe that this is to say that those saved by the name Jesus are not validly saved. Only that the miracle of salvation was not confounded by satan's attempt to change the names to preserve the guilty. The Holy Spirit is not confounded by satan's tricks. When we know the truth, the miracle is revealed that our salvation is assured in His blood bought victory over satan. That at This Name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that YAH SHUA Messiah is King and our everlasting salvation.
Where this information can truly be used is in witnessing to our people. In Zachariah chapter 3 YAHSHUA (Joshua) is told 521 years before Christ that He will judge Yah's house. This chapter makes direct reference to THE BRANCH. It is widely accepted among Jews as a messianic prophecy. Since Joshua the son of Nun was long dead by this time, It is obviously YAH SHUA THE MESSIAH to which is given charge to "REMOVE THE INIQUITY OF THE LAND IN ONE DAY". So the Christian misconception that YAH VAH was keeping the whole thing a secret from the Jews is proven false by Zachariah chapter 3. Yah Vah not only revealed His name to the Jews, but also revealed the Saviour's name 521 years before His birth.
Zachariah further reveals that Yah and Yah shua shall be King over all the earth (14:9) "In that day shall there be one Master (Lord), AND HIS NAME ONE." "Hear oh Israel...YAH IS ONE".
Some 400 years before Messiah came, the scribes began the practice of replacing THE NAME, Ha Shem, with the titles of baal and deities of pagans. Little wonder that the elders were so angry with Yah Shua when he spoke the name of His Father Yah. John Ch. 17:6 reveals the very nature of salvation in Messiah's prayer: "I have manifested Thy name...". Again in John Ch. 17:11 " ... Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are". In like way history has repeated it self by the invention of the name Jesus 397 years ago. Now Messianic Jews hold to the name Yeshua furthering confusion from the truth.
For this cause I have given up the practice of linguistic deception of using Jehovah and Yeshua and call upon the name of YAH for my salvation. I ask you to join with me and come out of the synagogue of satan and it's practice of deception to use false names. To facilitate this, during my transition from using Yeshua and Jesus I wrote some songs that Yah gave me to help with the new birth of truth. The album is entitled 'ALIYAH' which means 'to go up to Yah'.
In witnessing, falsehoods like yeshua only contribute to confusion that keeps Jews from seeing THE TRUTH that YAH SHUA is The Messiah and He Was revealed in NAME 521 years before His Coming. Please consider in prayer and research this as I have. Babylon Mystery Religion began in the Jewish practice of it's religion and continues today in Messianic, Christian, and all the worlds religions.
We should be sanctified in the truth and Prasie HIM by HIS name, Yah (John ch.17).
Written by: Daniel Merrick 12-4-96 For more information or a list of references E-mail to Daniyah faith@penn.com