by Ian Jervis

Created on: January 06, 2009

All in a name

About 4 years ago I discovered something that to me seemed incredible and a real revelation regarding Christianity. The thing I discovered actually wasn't lost but had been and in my opinion still is being hidden by the Church of today.

I am a believing Christian' myself and have always felt that there is more to this life than what we see in this world. I learned as a young Christian about the importance names had in biblical times and that a persons whole character was often summed up in his or her name. As you read the bible you will often find when someone's name is mentioned, the notes on the footer of a page give the meaning or translation of that particular name. However, what had never been pointed out to me, was the meaning of the biggest name in the bible. I had never read the preface of any bible until I was prompted to by a Pastor of a small church in Alabama. I quote from one of the most popular translations of the bible, the NIV:

In regard to the divine name YHWH, commonly referred to as the Tetragrammaton, the translators adopted the device used in most English versions of rendering that name as LORD' in capital letters to distinguish it from Adonai, another Hebrew word rendered Lord,' for which small letters are used.
This didn't mean much to me when I first read it, but when I stopped to think about it, it really hit me! First off, although I had seen the letters YHWH, I never really realised that Yahweh (pronounced Yahway) was Gods name. Secondly I don't think that before visiting Alabama, I had ever heard anybody from a church pulpit utter his name. Gods name is Yahweh!

What the preface of most bibles tell us is that the name Yahweh has been cut out of the text and the words the LORD' have been put into place. After a small amount of study, which is so easy to do today with the internet, I discovered why it was removed. It is believed that around 600 BC it had been decided by men anyone speaking the name Yahweh' should be put to death by stoning. What we need to realise, is the importance of actually using the name Yahweh', in fact He himself commands us to do so!

Quoting from the bible, Exodus 3:15 says:
God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, (Yahweh) the 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, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
I have inserted the name Yahweh in brackets, to show what it should have said and underlined something I feel is important.

We are also told in the 3rd commandment that we should not take the LORD's (Yahweh's) name in vain' or in English to lessen his name.

I discovered his name has been removed over 6,000 times. If you take the time to study this you will discover other facts concerning what is being preached from pulpits on Sundays.

Some believe this has huge significance, when you read verses in the scriptures such as; Joel 2:32 -
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD (Yahweh) will be saved;
It has bothered myself quite considerably during this research of the past years that we are so easily wrapped up in tradition, even if it masks the truth from us.

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