I thought it necessary to make clear the definitions of names, titles and
words used in this website, since so many people (myself included) feel so strongly
about these things. I will also give you reasons why I use these words and names
the way that I do. The meaning and usage of names & words are very important,
especially in Scripture. Words mean things. Using words properly is very important
as we need these words to communicate. How can we communicate with each other,
indeed, how can Yahweh communicate with us if we all disagree amongst ourselves
as to the meanings of the words we use?
The Creator has a name, a position title, a relationship
to us, and a term that describes what He is, just like any person. For
example: One person's name is Joe, his position title is computer programer,
his relationship to me is brother, and his descriptive term is human being.
The same principle applies to the Creator:
His name is Yahweh.
His position title is God (Elohiym).
His relationship to us is Father.
His descriptive term is Holy Spirit.
Yes, I know that the Scriptures use many other words to describe
Him. But, these are adjectives not names. People confuse these adjectives for
names, and therefore teach that Yahweh has many names. The Scriptures never
once said that Yahweh has many names! However, the Scriptures tell us numerous
times that Yahweh is His name, His one and only name.
Yahweh comes from the Hebrew letters for YHWH. The exact original pronunciation
no one knows for sure. But, the first part of the name is definitely"Yah"because
of many names and phrases that have survived thousands of years which include
this part of His name, such as Hallelujah, and Yahshua. The second part
of the name: "weh" I might have a theory on, but I will stick to the
commonly used "Yahweh" for that very reason, it is commonly used and
therefore better for communication purposes. The name literally means "I
am."
As for the title: "God," I have heard it said that the word comes
from the pagan god "Gawd" (that's how they pronounce "God"
in Brooklyn!) or "Gott." I believe, however, that the English word
"God" or "god" came from the Goths who were a tribe of Semitic
people like the Vandals, the Saxons and the like. "Goth" sounds a
lot like "Gott" or "God" and it is where the word "Gothic"
also comes from. The Goths knew of the "God" of the Bible because
I believe they were Israelites; they very likely may have been the tribe of
Gad! But, because of the bias in people who were taught in our main stream politically
correct public school system, they automatically associate people like the Goths
with pagans. So, they automatically think that "God" is of pagan origin
as well.
The Hebrew word for "God," "a god," or "gods"
was originally "elohiym." The Greek word for "God," "a
god," or "gods" was originally "theos." In Spanish
it is "deos." The common denominator is the "o" sound. You
take the Israelite tribe of Gad and insert the "o" in place of "a"
and you get "God." Or you drop the "th" in "Goth"
and replace it with the "d" from "Gad" and you also get
"God." Either way, I believe that "Gad," "the Goths"
and "God" are interrelated, and the "o" in "God"
comes from the "o" in "elohiym" & "theos."
However, since I can't prove it for sure, and since those that claim it is of
pagan origin can't prove their assertion for sure either, we will have to stick
with the only English word we have for "elohiym" and "theos"
and that word is unfortunately "God" or "god."
Moving on...
I'm going with "Yeshua Messiah" on this website instead of "Jesus
Christ" because it comes close to the language that the Messiah and his
twelve Apostles spoke, which was Aramaic, yet it retains some of the Hebrew.
Yes, Messiah read, spoke and wrote Hebrew as well, but, that was done primarily
in the Temple or during study and meditation of the Scriptures. However, Aramaic
was the language commonly spoken in the whole entire region at that time. Even
the Romans spoke Aramaic at that time. The Aramaic version of the Hebrew "Yahshua"
is "Eshoo." I do recognize that "Yahshua" is his proper
Hebrew name. But, if I were with the Teacher 2000 years ago, however, I would
call him "Eshoo" as all his believers and friends called him. If I
called to him, "Jesus," he wouldn't answer nor turn his head.
If I called to him, "Yahshua," he would look at me funny as
if he were thinking: why is this guy being so religiously formal, is he just
trying to be cute? If I always referred to him as "Eshoo" on this
site, people would not appreciate it, and they would think I'm just trying to
be difficult or different. "Yeshua" is "Yahshua" but with
an Aramaic accent, and Messiah would hear it as his own Aramaic language (albeit
with a slight Hebrew lilt to it) and he would answer to that pronunciation without
a problem.
It has been said to me that "Yeshua" is a feminized version of "Yahshua"
and that "Yahshua" has part of "Yahweh" in it in an obvious
way, since "Yahshua" means "Yahweh saves." My answer to
that is: I agree for the most part, but, I don't know anything about feminized
Hebrew versions of names. However, "Yeshua" is more like "Eshoo"
which is how they spoke in those days, and it retains the "Y" from
"Yahweh," PLUS people can understand who I'm speaking of, so, it's
a win, win, win pronunciation. I will still use "Yahshua" when
speaking in a formal Hebrew context. And, there is certainly nothing wrong with
using "Yahshua" all the time, I might add.
I don't like using "Jesus" as it has a dubious origin and may come
from the Greek "Je-Zeus" meaning, "my god is Zeus!" And
I prefer to use "Messiah" instead of "Christ" because "Messiah"
is from the Hebrew and Aramaic, but, "Christ" is from the Greek. Since
"Messiah" is a common household word now, there is no need for the
Greek version, is there?
But, why stop there with Yahweh and His Son, Yeshua? Why not render
all names from Scripture in their original language? Because it is not
important. It would be far too daunting a task, too confusing for the reader,
a waste of time for the reader and myself in that the English names would have
to be put in parenthesis next to the Hebrew names anyway! And if I didn't put
the English in parenthesis next to the Hebrew names, nobody would know who I
was talking about! "The LORD" is a completely wrong translation of
"Yahweh" and I think most who visit here will know that or will learn
that quite quickly. "Yeshua" they will also catch on to quickly. But,
EVERY name? No, that would be awkward, burdensome, confusing and completely
unnecessary. There's no need, we are not like the Catholics who pray to hundreds
of dead saints. We pray only to one God, and we have only one mediator between
God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua (1 Tim 2:5). So really, just about every
other name is irrelevant. To go any further than that, we all might as well
learn Hebrew and stop speaking English all together and move to Israel where
people would understand us. No thanks. I'll wait for Messiah to return first.
"Lord" is the Hebrew "Adoni" meaning "Sir or Master."
You can put that before Messiah's name or before Yahweh's name out of respect
if you so choose. It has been said to me that "Ba'al" the pagan god
means "the Lord" also, so we shouldn't use that term "Lord"
at all. I respectfully disagree, as both "adoni" and "ba'al"
has also been used in the Hebrew Scriptures as a respectful term for Yahweh.
Where I would agree with that person is that "the Lord" is by no means
Yahweh's name; and that the English translators who translated "Yahweh"
into "the LORD" did so in grave error, adding to the confusion of
Trinitarians as to the identity of His Son, the Lord Yeshua Messiah.
Moving along...
When I use "Holy Spirit" or "Spirit" capitalized, I'm
referring to Yahweh, because Yeshua said that God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and
Moses said to be holy for God is holy (Lev 11:44).
On the other hand when I use "holy spirit" or "spirit"
not capitalized, I'm speaking of the gift that Yahweh creates
in those who believe that He raised His Son from the dead. This gift is not
Yahweh Himself, but is born from Yahweh Himself, for Messiah taught,
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit (John 3:6)." As Paul also testified when he called Yahweh
"the Father of spirits (Heb 12:9)," our spirits, for Paul compared
our Heavenly Father with our earthly fathers of the flesh. Our gift of spirit
is not the Holy Spirit Yahweh, because Scripture plainly states numerous times
that the gift was created in us (2 Cor 5:17, Gal 6:15, Eph 4:22-24, Rom
5:15 & Acts 2:38-39). The Creator creates, He is not created!
This is endemic of the main problem that most Christians have: they either
think two or more things are really one thing, or they think one thing is two
or more things. The above is a perfect example of how they think two things
are one thing: the "Holy Spirit" or "holy spirit" (Greek
- pneuma hagion) has two meanings depending on the context. It is either "Holy
Spirit" God, or "holy spirit" gift. Because they
think it's one in the same thing, they are confused to the point where they
just accept the traditions of men that it is the third person of the trinity!
An example of their thinking one thing is three things is their difficulty
understanding the oneness of Yahweh. Moses said, "Hear O Israel, Yahweh
thy God is ONE Yahweh." Yet, because they are brainwashed by the traditions
of the Roman Catholic Church, they think that Yahweh is NOT one, but THREE!
Another example of their thinking two things are one thing: They think that
the tribulation is the Wrath of God and visa-versa. The tribulation is NOT the
Wrath of God! The tribulation is the wrath of Satan against the saints of the
most high as it states numerous times in Daniel and Revelation, and is only
to last 3.5 years, or 42 months. This is the time we are heading into now, and
is also referred to as the time of Jacob's trouble. We are Jacob, we are Israel,
descendants of the 10 lost tribes of Israel - the United States and Britain
and other prominent European nations. Read: The Ten "Lost" Tribes
of Israel Found! by Steven M. Collins. Yahweh's will does ride piggyback on
this Satan's wrath business, but, it is discipline on His people, NOT Wrath
on the unbelieving evil world. There is a big difference between discipline
and Wrath. Think about it. The Wrath of God comes after the gathering of the
elect and is far more fierce and awesome than the tribulation! The four seals
(four horsemen) we have been through already. The fifth seal is the tribulation
(Satan's wrath & God's discipline). The sixth seal is the gathering of the
elect and the sealing of the 144,000 Israelites that must stay. But, the seventh
seal starts the Wrath of God! Just read about the seventh seal that becomes
the seven trumpets of God's Wrath, the last three trumpets are the three woes,
the final woe is the seven last plagues (seven vials poured out one at a time).
When all that is finished, THEN Messiah returns to Earth with his saints. When
the saints go marching in. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Lord, I want
to be in that number! When the saints go marching in! See
the End of Time Line!
I also use the phrase "gathering together of the elect," or just
"the gathering together," or maybe "the gathering of the elect."
I use this phrase instead of the so called "rapture." The reason is
simple. The word "rapture" does not appear in Scripture, but the phrase
that I use is used in Scripture, and used regularly I might add. What's
the difference? I like accuracy. If it is our goal to be like Messiah, then
we should also speak like him. Besides, it just might be that the word "rapture"
could denote a false impression of some kind.