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When did YHWH's Name Change?by Phil Maxwell 12/97I am YAHWEH; that is my name... (Is.42:8) Many argue the "Jesus' name only" case through a litany of verses that seem to support this case. Though these arguments are often compelling, they seem to skip the fact that God Almighty declared His proper name quite clearly to Moses, and said that He would never change it. Such are reminiscent of Eve's fateful dialogue with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Eve had a plain and simple commandment, 'don't eat it.' The serpent appealed to her sense of reason with mostly true dialogue, causing her to dismiss the plain and simple Word of God that had been communicated to her, 'don't eat it.' Thus, she placed her own intelligence above her commitment to obey the voice of God. The point is that precept must be upon precept in our quest for the truth; whatever we learn must fit perfectly with what is already known and true, etc., not vice-versa. Likewise, the following verses represent precepts that all subsequent precepts must fit perfectly with, without extensive human reasoning (otherwise called foolishness and beguilement). These plainly and simply say that God Almighty declared His proper name, and said that it would never change. Before we even think to entertain thoughts of the proper name of God Almighty being other than He plainly declared, we must separately deal with the fact that He also plainly said He would never change His name. It seems that the one and only way around this would be for God Almighty, Himself, to declare with equal clarity that He was changing His name (even then, we would have to deal with the inconsistency of character such would present).
Thy name, O' YAHWEH, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O' YAHWEH, throughout all generations. (Ps.135:13) God Almighty's name is stated 6,828 times in the Old Testament. The title (not name) "Father" seems to be an integral part of the New Testament revelation, though doesn't seem to reflect a change in name, but rather a change in relationship with His people. For reasons we can only speculate on, the name YAHWEH was not incorporated into the New Testament texts we have available, even in numerous direct references to Old Testament texts where it was present. We can safely conclude that the exclusion of God the Father's proper name, YAHWEH, in the New Testament is as insidious as the fact that it only appears in 4 out of 6,828 places it actually occurs in the Old Testament in most modern translations, and even in those is misrepresented as "Jehovah." Draw your own conclusions, but 4 errors and 6,824 complete omissions constitutes as clear an indication of the significance of the true name of God as the emphasis He put on it Himself in nearly 7,000 inclusions in the Divinely breathed Scriptures. (For more information on this, please refer to the article "The Missing J") Nonetheless, it is quite clear that Yahshua acknowledged the distinct name of God, His Father, during His earthly ministry, and that He actually made quite a point of it. Yahshua instructed that prayer should be directed to the Father, and that His name should be declared "hallowed" or "holy." Matt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. He came in His Father's name, and specifically not in His own name. 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. The works He did were done in the Father's name. John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. He sought the glory of His Father's name. John 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. He manifested and declared the Father's name unto men. John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. John 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: He kept and prayed to the Father to continue keeping His disciples in the Father's name. John 17:11 ...Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: Paul referred to the name of God. Rom 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 1 Tim 6:1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. Even through Revelation, the name of God the Father is distinguished. The wicked are identified by the fact that they blaspheme His name. Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. Rev 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. But the faithful are marked by having the Father's name written in their foreheads. Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. Rev 22:3-4 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. No matter how you break it down, God Almighty revealed His name thousands of years ago as YAHWEH, and quite emphatically declared that His name would never, ever change. Yahshua said that God was His Father, and clearly proclaimed God the Father's name as distinct from His own. Even through the closing chapters of Revelation, God the Father's name remains an identifying feature between God's people and others. Though it is true that Yahshua is to be given a new name, it is equally true that God Almighty's name was, is, and always will be YAHWEH. |
