Prov.22:1 “A Good Name is better than great riches”; and
Ecc.7:1 says, "A Good Name is better than a precious ointment .. ."
Ecc.7:1 says, "A Good Name is better than a precious ointment .. ."
by John V. Cordaro
With Scripture Texts from the draft Yahweh Elohim Version of the Bible which I am Preparing.
These verses use the word "name" as a synonym for "reputation." Most of us are familiar with Billy Graham the famous evangelist. He has a very good name or reputation among the people of this world. What will happen if the history books are rewritten and his name, "Billy Graham," was deleted and "the evangelist" was put in its place? Eventually his good name would be forgotten. The world would no longer know an individual who was identified as "Billy Graham." Instead, they would remember a generic title that could be applied to any of thousands of evangelists.
Such a change would be a tragic injustice to such a man. Such is the tragic injustice that has befallen our Creator's Name. Is.63:16 reads, "For you are our Father, though Abraham knew us not and Israel did not acknowledge us; you, O Yahweh, are our Father, and our Saviour; your name is from everlasting. " Yahweh has eternally existed. During that time He has borne the Name "Yahweh." There was never a time when He did not exist as "Yahweh." He later revealed His Name to Adam, Eve, and all the great patriarchs. He revealed His desire concerning His Name in Ex.9:16; "But for this cause have I raised you to the throne, to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." Yahweh wanted the entire world, not just His people Israel, to know His Name and to declare it. It was to spread from mouth to mouth just as we spread the good news of salvation today.But what happened? Over the course of time the greatest history book in the world was rewritten, Yahweh's Name was removed, and generic titles (kurios, the LORD, GOD) were substituted in its place. As a result, the world no longer declares His Name mouth to mouth. They no longer identify the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Mighty One of the Exodus, etc., by His eternal Name "Yahweh." Instead, they profess to honor and remember Him by titles that can be applied to many. Notice this “For though there are those that are called elohims, whether in heaven or earth, just as there are many elohims and many masters”, (1 Cor.8:5). They have forgotten His Name, “And yet we have not forgotten the name of our Elohim, or stretched out our hands to stranger elohims; Elohim will look into this thing, for he knows the secrets of the heart. (Ps.44:20,21).Yahweh is now working in the hearts of men and women worldwide as He Himself restores His Name to their lips. We read in Jer.16:21; "Therefore, look, I will show them, and at this time I will make known to them my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is Yahweh.” It is Yahweh Himself that is causing people in these latter days to know that His Name is "Yahweh." Again, we read in Ezek.39:7, “So I will make my holy name known among my people Israel; and I will not let them profane my holy name any more: and the Gentiles shall know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel”. We see by this verse that "the Gentiles shall know" that He is Yahweh. How will they know unless someone declares it to them? Yahweh Himself will declare it (or make it known) through His people that walk in His name; “…we will walk in the name of Yahweh our Elohim for ever and ever”. (Micah.4:5). One of the ways to pollute Yahweh's Name is by substituting false names and titles in its place. That causes His Name to become just the opposite of "holy" (something set apart). The Name becomes meaningless and worthless.This substitution of error for truth is a transgression of Yahweh's explicit command not to add to or delete from His Word. Deut.4:2 read “You shall not add to the commandment which I command you, neither shall you take from it, but you must keep the commandments of Yahweh your Elohim which I command you”) and Prov.30:5-6 reads, “Every word of Elohim is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in him. Do not add to his words; otherwise he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
To remove the Tetragrammaton YHWH from the text is to delete from His Word. To substitute "LORD," "GOD," "Kurios," "Adonai," etc. in its place is to add to His Word. It is sin. Believers are not to sin. We are to worship in truth, not error.The deletion of Yahweh's Name has led to confusion concerning certain Scriptures. For example, the KJV of Ps.110:1 reads, "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." The first "LORD" is the Tetragrammaton YHWH, the Heavenly Father's Name. The second "Lord" is the Hebrew "adoni" and is a reference to Messiah. If one does not understand that "LORD" in all capitals is a substitution for the Name, it becomes difficult to discern the difference in identities spoken of here. The KJV translation of Acts 2:21 says, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Since the title "Lord" is applied to Yahweh and His Son Yahshua, a superficial reading of this verse can lead one to believe Yahshua is the subject.
This, however, is a quote from Joel 2:32 which read “And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as Yahweh has said to the remnant whom Yahweh has called.” Here "Yahweh" is used in the Hebrew text instead of "Lord" and is a reference to Yahshua's Father. This shows clearly who the subject is, namely Yahweh not Yahshua.When the Almighty sent Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt He said, "And Elohim said moreover to Moses, This is what you shall say to the children of Israel: Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations.” (Ex.3:15).
"Yahweh" is the Name Israel was to know and remember their Mighty One by. Since there was no other being, man or deity, bearing that Name in this universe, it would be very valuable and concise in identifying who they worshiped. Does "the LORD" identify Yahweh? "Baal" means "lord" in Hebrew. If I say, "I worship the Lord," who do I mean, Yahshua, Baal, Yahweh, Lord Krishna? But if I say, "I worship Yahweh," there is no question who I worship. This memorial Name will last forever, regardless of the many attempts by man and Satan to hide it or destroy it. “Your name, O Yahweh, endures for ever; and your memorial, O Yahweh, throughout all generations”. (Ps.135:13). Those that do remember His Name will have their own names entered into a special "book of remembrance" Notice this “These were the things which those who revered Yahweh spoke often one to another; and Yahweh gave ear and heard it, and he wrote it in a book of remembrance before him for those who revere him and for those who praise his name”. (Mal.3:16).
Yahweh's Name is so important that it is used as a seal to protect the servants of Yahweh. In Rev.7:3 we see the 144,000 receiving a mark in their brows. “Do not hurt the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our Elohim upon their brows. And I heard the number of those who were sealed; and it was a hundred and forty four thousand, of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” Rev.14:1 reveals that mark to be the Heavenly Father's Name written in their foreheads. “And I looked, and, lo, the Lamb stood on mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand in number, having the name of his Father written on their brows”. I believe this is symbolic of knowing and calling upon through daily use the Name "Yahweh." Without that seal the 144,000 would receive the trumpet judgments just as the wicked will. Notice this “And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men who do not have the seal of Elohim on their brows.” (Rev.9:4). Those that overcome will also have the Father's Name written upon their brows. “He who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my Elohim, and he shall not go out again; and I will write upon him the name of my Elohim and the name of the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from my Elohim; and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev.3:12) and also “And they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads”. (Rev 22:4).Yahweh's Name appears over 6,800 times in the Old Testament Hebrew. I believe it was inspired to be written for two reasons;
1) To identify the Creator and Elohim of Israel,
2) So readers of Scripture would vocalize the Name.
With the deletion of the Name neither of these reasons can be realized. The appearance of the Tetragrammaton within the Hebrew text then becomes needless. Man has exalted his will over the Almighty's, his traditions over the commands of Yahweh, and substituted words of his own choosing (words, incidentally, that neither translate nor transliterate the Tetragrammaton).Psalm 68:4 is one of the 613 positive commandments found in Scripture. It reads, “Sing to Elohim, sing praises to his name; extol him who rides upon the heavens; YAH is his name, rejoice before him”. Not only are we to extol Him by His Name, we are to exalt, praise, love, hallow, sanctify, declare, magnify, know, and walk in, the Name of Yahweh. Notice these requirements:
Praise: “And you shall say in that day, Praise Yahweh, call upon his name, declare his doings among the Gentiles, make mention that his name is exalted.” (Is.12:4)
Praise: Praise Yahweh. Praise, O you servants of Yahweh, praise the name of Yahweh. (Ps.113:1)
Love: “Also to the sons of the strangers who follow Yahweh, to serve him and to love the name of Yahweh, to be his servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and takes hold of my covenant” (Is.56:6)
Hallowed: Therefore pray in this manner: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Mt.6:9)
Sanctify: “But when his children see the work of my hands in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and shall glorify the Elohim of Israel. (Is.29:23)
Known: “And I have made your name known to them, and I am still making it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be among them, and I be with them”. (Jn.17:26)
Magnified: “And let your name be magnified for ever, and let everything be as you have said, O Yahweh of hosts, the Elohim of Israel; and let the house of your servant David be established before you for ever” (2 Sam.7:26)
Know: “Therefore, behold, I will show them, and at this time I will make known to them my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is Yahweh (Jer.16:21)
Day: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh” Mal.4:5).Finally, please consider the issue of imparting the blessing upon people. In Num.6:22-27 we read, "And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and to his sons and say to them, Thus you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them, Yahweh bless you and keep you; Yahweh make his face shine upon you and give you life; Yahweh lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them”.
Not only does this command from the Almighty teach us how to impart the blessing on others, it identifies who it is we are requesting the blessing from. But more importantly, verse 27 teaches us that Yahweh's Name must be "put..upon" the recipient. This is accomplished by the laying on of hands and vocalizing or invoking the Sacred Name "Yahweh." When that procedure is followed in obedience to Yahweh's directions, He will act favorably upon our request and will indeed bless the recipient.The Sacred Name doctrine is one of the most important teachings found in Scripture. To treat Yahweh's Holy Name lightly is a grave mistake. To reject its use in favor of false titles and false names is to belittle its importance and consider it a vain thing (nothingness, emptiness, worthless).If you are calling your Heavenly Father by generic, man-made titles, I admonish you to prayerfully and carefully consider what you have just read. The Sacred Name can easily be restored to your lips if you will allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into this great truth.
Acknowledgement and Appreciation
I acknowledge and express my appreciation to John V. Cordaro who wrote this article, all I had to do was added the Scriptural texts which I quoted from a New Bible Translation which I am preparing and have tentatively called the “Yahweh Elohim Version (YEV).
