"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in your sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knows who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him" (Luke 10:21-22). Why did Christ have to reveal the Father and the Father's name if the Father was the Creator God? The nation of Israel knew the Creator God's name. Therefore, it should be obvious that, if God the Father found it necessary to send someone to reveal who he is, he is not the God the Israelites had known. His Name is Father Our Savior said to call upon our 'Father' who is in heaven. The Greek word used in the New Testament to refer to the Father is Pater, which is from a root word, that means 'nourisher', 'protector', and 'upholder'. See Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:12; John 14:13; 15:16. Some who believe in a monotheistic, dualistic, or a triune God think that somehow our Savior was praying to a part of himself, which he left in heaven while he was on earth. Confusing? Yes, it is confusing and it is not very logical in light of all the very clear scriptures that state Jesus prayed to a being called the Father. To Whom Did Jesus Pray? "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will. . .He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, your will be done. . And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus to him, Put up again your sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Think you that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? " (Matthew 26:39-53, KJV). "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which is in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so in earth" (Luke 11:1-2 KJV). See also Matthew 6:9. Mark records a very revealing statement that our Savior made just before his death: "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls Elias" (Mark 15:34-35 KJV). Jesus quotes a prophetic Psalm (quoted below) that foretold what the Messiah's thoughts and words would be in the last moments of life as a human: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day time, but you hear not; and in the night season, and am not silent" (Psalm 22:1-2, KJV). In Mark 15:34-35, when Jesus speaks to the Supreme Sovereign, he calls him 'God'. It makes no sense whatsoever for Christ to pray to a part of himself, as the doctrines of Monotheism, Dualism, and Trinitarianism teach. All of the scriptural evidence shows Jesus praying to a spirit-being who had authority and power over him. See John 14:28. Ask of the Father in Jesus' Name Our Savior gave instructions on how to ask the Father for what we need in what is commonly called the Lord's prayer: "After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which is in heaven, Hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9 KJV). "And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which is in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so in earth" (Luke 11:2 KJV). "And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13, KJV). "Whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15:16 KJV). Christ says that his followers should pray to the Father who he came to reveal. Conceptually, if a person prays to the God of ancient Israel, they are praying to the wrong God. The Father was not the Sovereign God of ancient Israel; he is the Sovereign Father of all that exists. This concept can only be understood if one understands that the Father and the Son are two separate and distinct individuals in the Family of God. The Father's Message The good news that Jesus Christ was sent to proclaim was not his message. He was the messenger, just as John the Baptist was the messenger who foretold and prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus Christ did not send himself as some teach; he was sent by God the Father to bring his message to humanity: "The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me" (John 14:24). See also John 1:1-15; Romans 1:1-3; 2.Cor.4:4-6. "That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which has sent him " (John 5:23 KJV). "I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me" (John 5:30 KJV). See also verses 36-38. "I am come in my Father's name, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive" (John 5:43 KJV). See also John 5:30-37; 6:44,57. Clearly the good news message that Jesus brought is from God the Father who is the Sovereign of all that exists. The apostle Paul also says that the good news message that he preached as a servant of Jesus Christ was not his message but was a message sent from God the Father (2Thessalonians 1:1-12): "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the good news of the Sovereign God that he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of the Sovereign God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:1-4 Para.). The Message Since the life, death, and resurrection of the Father's Son, there has been much preached solely about Jesus as a person. As a result, millions do not believe that the message the Father sent his Son to proclaim is the Father's good news. The Sovereign Father sent his Son bearing his GOOD NEWS of how to become a part of his divine Family and Kingdom, and that his Family and Kingdom are coming to earth to bring peace and happiness to this troubled world. The Father's message is a message of hope for a wonderful, peaceful, and happy existence under his care and protection for eternity. This is the good news that Jesus, the apostles, and the early Church proclaimed. This is the message that has not been preached in its totality for centuries. Moreover, this is the message that Jesus said would be proclaimed and published to all of the world just before his return as King of kings and Lord of lords. A Deity Becomes Flesh And Blood "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14, KJV). See also Hebrews 2:9; 1. John 1:5-7; Jude 1. "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him" (John 1:18, KJV). Was The Savior An Angelic Being? Some of the Sacred Names groups teach that the spirit-being who came as the Savior was an angel sent from the Creator. They believe that the Savior was not God incarnate, but a spirit-being of lesser status and power. If this were true mankind would be without a Savior, because an inferior being cannot be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins as long as there is a spirit-being who is superior in quality of life. Only a spirit-being who was the Supreme Sovereign or equal in status and power to the Supreme Sovereign could fulfill the position of the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity. The Supreme Sovereign (God the Father) directed the Creator God (Jesus Christ) to create all that exist and to reveal him as his Father and God the Father (John 1:1-18; 1Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:1-2, 7-10). Jesus revealed the Father and also fulfilled the requirement of the supreme sacrifice, because he was superior to all that he had created (Genesis 1:26; 11:7). Only when the Sovereign Creator gave up his immortality and became flesh was he inferior to the Elohim family (John 14:28; Hebrews 2:9), and this inferiority was only one of mortality versus immortality and flesh versus spirit. If the Sovereign Creator was not the supreme sacrifice, we do not have a Savior (Hebrews 9:9-28; 10:1-22; 6:4-8). It is an abominable thing to disdain the sacrifice of our Savior as anything less than the supreme sacrifice. The price paid for our salvation was the death of the Sovereign Creator God. Most of Quasi-Christianity do not understand the magnitude of the sacrifice that was made for each human. There is no salvation for anyone who does not believe that the Savior was the Son of the Father. He was not a lesser being; he was the literal Son of the Father - THE SON OF GOD. Humanity desperately needs to understand this vital truth because without it there is no pathway to salvation. Read John 1:18,34,36; 3:16-18; Matthew 3:16-17 to see how serious a matter it is to disdain our Savior's sacrifice. A Father/Son Relationship "Therefore the Jews intensified their efforts to kill him, because they not only thought he had broken the Sabbath, but he also said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for whatever he does, these things the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he does: and he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises up the dead, and makes them alive; even so the Son gives life to whomever he wants to. For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son: That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. "He that does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself." (John 5:18-26, KJV Paraphrased) Read the whole chapter of John 16 for a detailed explanation of the Father and Son relationship between the two Supreme Deities in the Family of God. Two Separate Beings Doing Two Separate Works The Father does a work and Christ does a work: "But Jesus answered them, My Father works hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17, KJV). Here, we find two separate Beings doing two separate works. The Oneness Of The God Family One of the great mysteries of popular Christianity is the concept of one Supreme spirit-being who is composed of many spirit-beings (i.e., Monotheism, Dualism, Trinitarianism, Pantheism, etc.). These concepts are very confusing and they cannot be reconciled with the Bible. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God [El], The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) Some people believe that this scripture indicates that the Creator is also the Father who is spoken of in the New Testament. The first chapter of the Gospel of John shows that the Creator was the One who became the Christ. However, this same Christ said that he came to reveal the Father whom no one knew. Simply stated, the Creator was the Father of all living, but not the Supreme Father whom he came to reveal. See Matthew 3:13-17; 11:27; John 16:25-29; 17:25-26. "And there is no god [elohiym: gods] else beside me; a just God [El: 'A Mighty One' or 'The Almighty'] and a Savior; there is none beside me. Look to me, be you saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God [El], and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:21-22) To the Israelites this Almighty One was the only Sovereign (Psalm 83:18). They had no other god, because he was the One who had created all things (John 1:3; Ephesians 3:9) and he had not yet come to reveal the Father. Elohim Is A Family Many times, Jesus called the Supreme Sovereign 'Father' and talked about his Father-Son relationship with him. Despite this evidence, most of the professing Christian world believes there is only one God. The reason for their false belief is that Satan has deceived the whole world into thinking the God Family does not exist (Revelation 12:9; 18:23; 19:20; 20:10). There are scriptures that plainly speak of this Sovereign Family: " For this cause I bow down my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." (Ephesians 3:14-15). The Family in heaven now consists of 'the Father' and 'the Son' and in the future it will include those who are called to be Sons (i.e., the true followers of God), the elect of God. Our Savior called the Father ELOI, ELOI, when he was crucified. The apostles and writers said his name was 'Theos' and 'Deity' and recorded that Christ called him PATER. Those who will be sons of the Supreme Sovereign call him our God and our Father, which is what our Savior commanded us to do. (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2; John 14:13; 15:16). The Father Is Greater Than The Savior "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father, neither knows any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matthew 11:27 KJV). Only Jesus can reveal who the Father is and he does this through the holy spirit and the Bible to those who are sensitive to the things of the spirit: "You have heard how I said to you, I go away, and come again to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go to the Father: for my Father is greater than I" (John 14:28 KJV). They Are One The scripture most used in an attempt to prove that there is only one deity is John 10:30: "I and my Father are one." This scripture is true. The problem is not with the statement; it is with the understanding of what it means. God the Father and Jesus Christ are one; they are of one family and one kind. They have one purpose, one thought pattern, one attitude, one opinion, and one spirit. The Hebrew words used in this verse convey the concept of 'oneness', not the singleness of a being or person. There are too many scriptures that say there are two separate individual spirit-beings in the Sovereign Family of God to believe that this one scripture actually says these two beings compose one being. Access To Christ Through The Father "No man can come to me [Jesus], except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44, KJV). "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God [the Father], and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you" (Colossians 1:1-3, KJV). Paul was an apostle who was called by the Father (John 6:44). Access To The Father Through Christ There is no contradiction whatsoever with the Creator saying he was the only Savior and only God. The Creator was in absolute authority over the earth before the advent of the Messiah. Only after the Creator became the Messiah could humans gain access to the Father who is the Most Supreme Immortal Sovereign (Hebrews 4:15-16): "My little children, these things write I to you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1John 2:1, KJV). "He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 3:5-6, KJV). Who Is An Anti-Christ? "Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-christ, that denies the Father and the Son. Whosoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also" (1John 2:22-23). What Are The Father's And The Son's Names? Among those who profess to know the exact personal names of God the Father and Jesus Christ, there is much conflict as to the exact characters used to depict the name, the exact vowels used for these symbols, and the exact pronunciation of these characters and vowels. Here is a partial list of the names that the various groups say are the correct personal names of God. Can you pick the right one? | Yahowah | Y.H.V.H | Yahveh | Yahowah-ra-ah | | Yaho-Hoshu-wah | Yasha | Yahowah-yireth | Yahweh | | Y.H.W.H | YAHO | Yeshua | Yahowah-sabaoth | | Yahowah-shalom | Yah | Yehovih | Yahshua | | Yahvehshua | Yahowah-tsidkenu | Yahowah-rapha | Yahowah-nissi | | | | | Yeshuwa | In addition, the following are absolutely not the original names of God the Father or his Son the Messiah: Adonai, Jesus, Christ, Jehovah, Iesous, Iesus, Christos, God, Gott, Kuros, Theos, and Yod. Perhaps his personal name is not even in the long list above. If your salvation depended on your choosing the right name, which one would you choose? The simple fact is that we do not know the exact pronunciation of their names. The Many Names Of God Even though the correct pronunciation of the names of the Mighty Ones (the Elohim) is probably lost, it is still important to know the many names and titles of the God family. Knowing these names will help one appreciate their true character. The following is only a partial list of Elohim's names and titles with their meanings: | Hebrew | English Meaning | | | | Elohim | "Mighty One(s)" | | EL | "A Mighty One" | | El-Elyon | "Exalted One; Most High" | | El-Shaddai | "Almighty God" | | El-Olam | "God the Everlasting One" | | El-Roi | "God Who Sees Me" | | El-Berith | "God of the Covenant" | | El-Elohe Israel | "God of Israel" | | Emmanuel | "God With Us" |
| Greek | English Meaning | | | | Kuros | "Supremacy" | | Theos | "Lord" "God" "Deity" | | Logos | "The Word" | "As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord [YHWH] our God [Elohim], that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand your truth" (Daniel 9:13). After Babylon conquered the Kingdom of Judah, Hebrew eventually ceased to be the language of the Jews. It was replaced in part by Aramaic, which was spoken throughout the Babylonian Empire. Daniel wrote chapters 2 through 6 of the Book of Daniel in the Aramaic language. And the priest Ezra wrote chapters 4 through 7 of his record in Aramaic. When these two men referred to the Creator in these chapters, they used the Aramaic word ELAH seventy-eight different times. If YHWH were the only name that is to be used to refer to the Creator God, these men would have been careful to use it, especially because they represented the Creator God in an official capacity. The following are references to other names of God: - The God of Hosts (Amos 4:13; 5:27)
- The Lord of Hosts (Isaiah 47:4; 51:15; 54:5; Jeremiah 46:18; 48:15)
- Zealous (Exodus 34:14)
- Yah (Psalm 68:4)
- The lofty one. . .whose name is Holy (Isaiah 57:15)
- YHWH, whose name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14)
- You shall call me Ishi (Hosea 2:16)
Misinterpreting Scripture Anyone who has read Sacred Names literature rapidly becomes aware of one thing: Scriptures are misinterpreted and literalism is used excessively to force scriptures beyond the limits of context in order to substantiate their doctrine. Most Sacred Names adherents are absolutely locked into the concept that the word 'name' can only mean one thing - the correct pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. However, as the following references prove, this is not the case. According to the Sacred Names groups, Psalm 68:4, which says we are to extol God by his name - Yah - means that God has only one name - Yahweh. However, this text does not say God has one name only; it says his name is Yah, not Yahweh. Ezekiel 39:7 is quoted in an attempt to prove that the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton has not been lost. But this text indicates that the events being depicted in this chapter, including the revealing of the name of God, will occur after the return of Jesus Christ. Psalm 111:9 is used in an attempt to support the notion that the sacred name must be called upon and revered if one is to receive salvation. This text simply states, "Holy and Reverend [awesome] is his name." It does not say what his name is or what its pronunciation should be, nor does it say eternal life is promised to those who use it. Hebrews 13:15-16 is cited as a text which proves that the use of the sacred name in the worship of God is required. Again, this text does not say which name to use, nor does it say that any name other than Yahweh displeases him. Jeremiah 8:8-9 is used to describe how the sacred name was removed from the Scriptures. However, this text says nothing about a sacred name. It simply states that wise men have rejected the Word of the Lord, not the name of the Lord. Exodus 23:13, Joshua 23:7, and Psalm 16:4 are said to prove it is wrong to mention (use) any other title or name except Yahweh as the name of 'the true Mighty One'. The English word 'mention' that is used in these scriptures is translated from the Hebrew word zakar, which means 'to infix', 'penetrate into the mind', 'recall', or 'to preserve in memory'. It does not refer to 'not mentioning the names of other gods', which was often done by the prophets; nor does it state that the use of any name other than Yahweh is sinful. Exodus 20:7 and Leviticus 19:12 supposedly condemn the substitution of any name other than Yahweh, because the word 'vain' means 'to falsify', 'to bring God's name to nought', or 'to substitute'. The Hebrew authority Gesenius says the usage of the word 'vain' in these scriptures means, 'utter not the name of Jehovah upon a falsehood' (i.e., do not swear falsely). This means that one should not use the name of Yahweh when falsely swearing, but it has no reference to using a substitute name for God (see Gesenius, p. 807). Malachi 1:6 supposedly condemns the priests who despise God's name and is a reference to the ministers today who refuse to give honor to God by not using the sacred name. However, Sacred Names advocates fail to quote Malachi 1:7-14, which shows how the priests were despising God's name. Matthew 17:11 is used to support the concept that John the Baptist preached the sacred name. However, an examination of this text does not support the idea that John's message included the restoration of a sacred name. John 17:6, 26 is given as proof that Jesus revealed the sacred name to his followers and stirred up much controversy for doing so. Luke 11:52 is also used to show he attacked the Pharisees for deleting the sacred name from the sacred texts. But, there is no evidence in these scripture that supports this claim or shows that Jesus used the sacred name. Amos 4:13, which the Authorized Version translates as "The Lord, the God of hosts, is his name" is taken by Sacred Names advocates to differentiate between the name and title. Stating that 'The Lord' (Yahweh) is the name, and 'The God of hosts' is the title. The Hebrew text does not contain punctuation here, so there are no commas to indicate a differentiation between a name and a title. The text literally reads, "Yahweh the God of hosts [is] his name." Amos 5:27 states, "Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts." Sacred Names advocates say this text should be read: "The Elohim of Hosts, whose name is Yahweh." This is another example of violating the Hebrew text. The Hebrew text says: "Yahweh, the God of hosts (is) his name." This shows Yahweh is not the exclusive name of the God of the Old Testament. Sacred Names advocates insist that, in the New Testament, Jesus came with his Father's name, Yah. They claim that the Messiah's name Yahshua is a combination of Yah with 'shua' (salvation). John 5:43 and John 14:26 are quoted to prove their point. However, neither of these texts say Jesus came with his Father's name. They state he came in his Father's name, which is a reference to his coming with the Father's power and authority. These texts clearly do not prove the Messiah used the name Yahshua. The English Word 'Name' The English word 'name' is often translated from the Hebrew words shem and shum and the Greek word onoma. None of the words are limited to the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton as Sacred Names groups would have us believe. The following are some of the meanings of the Hebrew words shem and shum and the Greek word onoma: Old Testament Hebrew - A Label: Genesis 2:19; 26:33; 1Samuel 25:25
- Fame, Renown, Reputation: Genesis 6:4; 11:4; 12:2; Numbers 16:2; Deuteronomy 22:14,19; Ruth 4:11; 2Samuel 7:9; 8:13; 23:18,22; 1Chronicles 5:24; 11:20,24; 12:30; Nehemiah 6:13; Job 18:17; 30:8; Proverbs 10:7; 22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1; Ezkiel 16:14; 22:5; 34:29; Zephaniah 3:19-20
- Authority, Power: 1Kings.21:8; Esther 3:12; 8:8; Jeremiah 29:25
- Representative: 1Samuel 25:5,9; Esther 2:22
- Attributes: Proverbs 21:24
- Memorial: Isaiah 55:13; 56:5
- Byword: Ezekiel 23:10
- Person: Deuteronomy 7:24; 9:14: Joshua 7:9; 1Samuel 24:21
- Ownership: Deuteronomy 28:10; 2Samuel 12:28; Psalm 49:11; Isaiah 4:1
New Testament Greek - Name, Label: Luke 1:26; Acts 10:1
- Reputation: Mark 6:14; Revelation 3:1
- Authority, Power: Matthew 10:41-42; Ephesians 1:21
- Person, People: Acts 1:15; Revelation 3:4-5; 11:13
- Character: Luke 6:22
- Title, Category: Matthew 10:41-42; Mark 9:41
A name is a created thing, which God commands us not to worship. We are commanded to worship God, not his name. When we ascribe power to a name, we are ascribing power to something that was created, not to its creator. A name has no significance or meaning without the person. A name only serves to identify. Names and titles applied to God describe his attributes, character, and being. Those who call on a name or title as the way to salvation should read Matthew 7:21-22 and Luke 6:46, which speak of people who call upon and appropriate the name of the Lord but do not do the things that he commands. Further examination of the words shem and shum, reveals that Moses spoke 'in' God's name, not 'of' God's name (Exodus 5:23). Psalm 138:2 clearly says that God's word is magnified above his name: "I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your loving kindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name." Jesus Will Have A New Name "He that overcomes 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 comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name" (Revelation 3:12, KJV). Revelation 19:12 shows that Jesus' new name has not yet been revealed. "He [Jesus Christ] had a name written, that no man knew, but himself" (Revelation 19:12 KJV). "In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one" (Isaiah 14:9 KJV). Jesus will have only one name when he returns to earth with the elect of God, but he has many names now. |
