WHAT IS THE MESSIAH'S NAME?
The personal names of the Father (Yahweh) and of the Savior (Yahshua) have been used in this booklet instead of the pseudonyms, LORD and Jesus.* Originally the True Names were written into the texts of the Scriptures, but were later deleted. Since these deletions were without proper authorization, the names have been restored.
All quotations are from the Revised Standard Version unless otherwise indicated.
*The Original Sacred Names & Titles
Yahweh (The Ever Existing One), the Creator.
Yahweh Nissi (Yahweh my banner).
Yahweh Rapha (Yahweh my healer).
El (mighty one), a Scriptural title of Yahweh.
Eloah (mighty one), a poetic title of Yahweh.
Elohim (mighty one), a Scriptural title of Yahweh.
Elah (mighty one), a Chaldean title of Yahweh.
El-Shaddai (mighty El), Yahweh's title (Almighty).
Yah (Scriptural short form of the name Yahweh).
Yahshua (Yah's salvation), the Savior’s name.
Messiah (anointed of Yah), the Savior (Yahshua).
Pagan Substitute Titles
Appearing in Most English Bibles
God (G capitalized), should read El, Elah, Eloah, or Elohim.
GOD (all capitals), should read Yah or Yahweh.
LORD (all capitals), should read Yahweh.
Lord (L capitalized), is improperly substituted for both Yahweh and Yahshua in the N.T.
Christ (anointed), should read Messiah.
What Is The Messiah's Name?
By Voy Wilks
1/18/82
"Who has ascended into heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fist? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name?" (Pro. 30:4).
Two of these questions we will hope to answer.
No. 1. What is his (the Creator's) name?
No. 2. What is his son's name?
Another good question is:
No. 3. Does it really matter what name we use when referring to the son - to the Messiah?
The name of the Creator can be learned by consulting dictionaries, reference books, and the preface to many of the English versions of the Bible. His name is YHWH. When written in English, it is usually spelled Yahweh, which means, the self-existent one. For more information about this name, please ask for our booklet, What is the Name of the Creator?
Later, we will learn what is the name of the son of the Creator. First, however, let us consider question No. 3. Is the son's name important? Let the Bible answer.
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
"Therefore Yahweh has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of (the Messiah) every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess …" (Phi. 2:9 - 11).
"And this is the commandment, that we should believe in the name of his son …" (1 Joh. 3:23).
We see then, that the name is very important! Just any name will not save us. From the scriptures given above, it seems reasonably certain that the "saving name" must surely be the one given to the son by the Father himself in Mat. 1:21. It is true that we usually think of this name as Jesus, but is this really the name of the son - the son of the Highest?
What the Translators Say about Matthew 1:21
Weymouth Version (Footnote).
"Jesus - The Greek from of Joshua which latter …is contracted from Joshua or rather Yehoshua. The full significance of the name Jesus is seen in the original Yehoshua, which means 'Jehovah the Savior,' and not merely Savior, as the word is often explained."
The Jerusalem Bible (a Catholic Version). (Footnote).
"Jesus (Hebrew, Yehoshua) means Yahweh saves."
Diaglott, the Ben Wilson version of 1863. (Footnote).
"Jesus - Hebrew, Yava-Shua … or Joshua. Yau, I shall be; and Shua, powerful - hence the name signifies, I shall be the powerful."
The Emphasized Bible, by Rotherham. A footnote refers us to the appendix, page 270. "Jesus - It may be worth knowing that the J of the name is undoubtedly due to the combination of 'Jehovah' and 'salvation'. ‘Yah is help' tersely says Dr. Davies, in explanation of the O.T. form of the same name (J = Y = Yah = Yahweh = Jehovah). …"
The Restoration of the Sacred Name Bible (Footnote)
"Yahvah, the Heavenly Father's Name. Shua, salvation - hence, Yahvahshua - the son's name."
It is to be noted also that this version never uses the name Jesus, but throughout the New Testament, always uses the name Yah vahshua, or else the shortened form Yahshua.
Further, it is stated on page 2 of this version of the New Testament:
"Since there is no J in the Hebrew alphabet, it is pronounced like a Y in the English as in the word Hallelujah."
Holy Name Bible
This version never uses the name Jesus, but always Yahshua.
The Sacred Scriptures - Bethel Edition.
In verses 21 and 25, this translator spells the complete name in capital letters in order to call attention to its importance - like this - YAHSHUA. Also, throughout the New Testament, this translator never uses the name Jesus, but always Yahshua.
What the Reference Books Say About the Name
The Winston Dictionary, 1943 Edition.
"Jesus - Latin. From the Hebrew, Yeshua, Jehovah is salvation - (Yah - Jehovah, plus hoshia, to help): a common Hebrew proper name also found as Jeshua, Joshua, Jehoshua …"
Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of The English Language.
"Jesus - Latin, Iesus; Greek, Iesous; from Hebrew Yeshua, contraction of Yehoshua, a name signifying help of Jehovah; Yah, Jehovah, and hoshia, to help …"
Encyclopedia Britannica, Ninth Edition, Vol. 13, Page 667
"The word Jesus is the form assumed in Latin by (from) the Greek Iesous, which is transliterated form of the Hebrew Jehoshua, Jeshua or Joshua, meaning 'Jehovah is salvation."
Universal Standard Encyclopedia, Vol. 13, Page 4906
"The name Jesus is a Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Joshua, or Yehoshua …"
Clark's Commentary, Vol. 5. Page 39
"Jesus - the same as Joshua, Yehoshua …"
The Pulpit Commentary, Pages 16 and 28.
"Jesus was the …Greek form of the familiar Joshua … It is really Hoshea, or Hoshua, the Helper, with the name of God added as a prefix, Jehoshua, shortened to Joshua.
Barnes Notes On The New Testament, (Complete in One Volume), Page 4; (or page 6, Vol. 1.)
"His name Jesus. In Hebrew it is the same as Joshua."
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible.
Jesus, No. 2424. "Iesous …of Hebrew origin, Jesus (that is, Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three other Israelites: Jesus."
He refers us to his Hebrew lexicon, No. 3091, where he says:
"Yehowshuwa, (pronounced) yeh-ho-shoo-ah; or Yehowshua, (pronounced) yeh-ho-shoo-ah … Jehoshua, (that is, Joshua), the Jewish leader: - Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua."
Since there was no letter J in the Hebrew alphabet, as we have seen earlier in this article, the proper spelling (and therefore the phonetics of the letter J) should be represented by the English letter Y. This will be quickly noticed when consulting Bible dictionaries and other reference books. For example, the Encyclopedia Britannica says that Jerusalem is properly spelled, from the Hebrew pronunciation, as Yerushalem (Vol. 13, Page 646, of the ninth edition).
An interesting insight into the Hebrew spelling of Jerusalem (with English letters) can be seen in the book, Raquela, A woman of Israel, (a biography), page 166. "Jerusalem! Yerushhalayim." It is pronounced, "Ye-roo-sha-lie-im." The River Jordan is also spelled with a Y. Moshe Dayan says in his book, Living With The Bible, page 114,
" …and the River Jordan ( Yarden in Hebrew) stemmed from 'yored', which means 'descend', as it was the river which flowed down to below sea level."
The same is true with many Bible names which start with J. The Eerdman's Bible Dictionary shows that the more correct spelling should be with the letter Y.
Here are a few examples.
Jaazaniah (Hebrew, Yaazanyah, Yahweh hears).
Jabin (Yabin).
Jabneel (Yabneel).
Jael (Yael).
Jahaziah (Yahzeya, Yahweh sees).
Jehoram (Yehoram, Yahweh is exalted).
Joseph (Yosep).
Judah (Yehuda). And many more.
In view of this evidence, it seems clear that the name of the Messiah is not really Jesus, a Latinized form of the Greek, Iesous, but is instead a Hebrew name, which the above mentioned scholars usually spell as Yehoshua, the long form, or Yahshua, the shortened form. Since this name means "Yahweh's salvation, " it seems both correct and appropriate that we should call on the name Yahshua. "Yahweh's salvation." No wonder the Apostle said, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
It can be further noted that we normally do not change our names when traveling or living in another nation. So then, why should we of another nation, changed the name of the Messiah?