Monday, July 2, 2007

Why Doesn't The Creator God of Judaism & Christianity Have a Name?

With Islam in the news so much and it's adherents calling out the name of their god ALLAH either in prayer or just before they commit suicide. A suicide that results in the murder of innocence bystanders, the several questions came to mind:

  1. By what name does Judaism call on their God?
  2. By what name does Christianity call on their God?


By what name does Judaism call on their God?

When I read the Jewish Publication English Translation of the Old Testament I find the words "GOD" and "LORD" and since these are generic titles and not names, it makes me wonder if they either do not know the name of their "GOD" or have forgotten it.

In listening to an adherent of Judaism read from the Old Testament in Hebrew I heard them use other titles "EL" - "ELOHIM" - "ELOAH" - "ADON" - "ADONEE" - "ADONAI" and in most cases "HASHEM" in the place of "GOD" and "LORD".

I used my Bible Software research "EL" - "ELOHIM" - "ELOAH" - "ADON" - "ADONEE" - "ADONAI" and "HASHEM" only to find that they like "GOD" and "LORD" are also generic titles and not a specific name.

I researched both my Bible software commentaries and on the internet for information that would answer the question Does the GOD of Judaism have a proper name on which to call or to pray?

The answer is yes, The GOD of JUDAISM does have a name and when transliterated into English it is "YAHWEH" - Note: this blog is not to argue the pronunciation of the NAME OF GOD, it is to answer the question does he have a name?

By what name does Christianity call on their God?

The majority of Christianity's translations of the Old Testament uses the Titles "GOD" and "LORD" except for a few Bibles that have the transliterated Hebrew "YAHWEH" , which were published primarily for a specific audience.

Christianity's New Testament(not found in the Bible of Judaism)also uses the titles "GOD" and "LORD" along with the name of the son of GOD - "Jesus Christ" also called "Emmanuel."Matthew 1:23

"Emmanuel" transliterated from the Hebrew "Immanuel" into the Greek "Emmanuel" both having the Hebrew meaning "with us EL" - "EL" is the singular form of the Hebrew for GOD.

The Greek "Christos" transliterated into the English as "Christ" means "the Anointed One" and is a Greek translation of the Hebrew "Mashiach" also meaning "The Anointed One" or more commonly referred to as the "Messiah" in English. So again the use of a title instead of a name.

The English word "Jesus" is an attempt to transliterate the Greek word "Ieosus" pronounced more like "Aye - sus" as is heard in the Spanish. The hard "J" English sound originated from the German in about 1500 AD/CE and is of a modern construction.

The English "Joshua" originates from the Hebrew "Yehoshua" not from "Yeshua". "the prefix "Yeho or Yahu" are shorten forms of "Yahweh" or "Yah" with the possessive suffix "O" or "OO/U" denoting "he is" as "Yah he is salvation = Yehoshua".

In the English Bible Translations a lot of the meaning of the Names is lost in the translations, thus the impact of the significance of Bible names is lost. Yet even more so when titles replace names that have a significant impact on religious believer.

The Jewish and Christian world has a greater understanding and knowledge of the names of the God's of competing Religions, than they do of the names of the God they worship.

In my opinion this has led to the mis-application of the title God to mean that all religions worship the same God, when in reality that is or should not be so.

Old Testament - The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:5 You will not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I Yahweh your Elohim am a jealous EL, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Repeated in
Exodus 34:14 For you will worship no other EL: for Yahweh, his name is Jealous, he is a jealous EL:

Deuteronomy 4:24 For Yahweh your Elohim is a consuming fire, even a jealous EL.

Deuteronomy 5:9 You will not bow down yourself unto them, nor serve them: for I Yahweh your Elohim am a jealous EL, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

Deuteronomy 6:14 You will not go after other Elohim, of the Elohim of the people which are round about you;
Deuteronomy 6:15 (For Yahweh your Elohim is a jealous EL among you) lest the anger of Yahweh your Elohim be kindled against you, and destroy you from off the face of the earth.
How can Christianity hallow the name of their God, if they know not what it is?
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be your name.
How can Christianity claim to have cast out Devils and other wonderful works when they know not the name of their God?
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Master, Master, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?
How can Chrisitianity say it is hated of all, when it knows not the name that is hated?
Matthew 10:22 And you shall be hated of all for my name's sake:
Immanuel said
Matthew 23:39 For I say unto you, You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of Yahweh.
I am come in my Father's Name
John 5:43 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.
What was Immanuel's father's name? answer that question and you will open a door not dreamed of.

The Bible containing both Old and New Testaments causes confusion for many in that "Titles" instead of "Names" are use, thus blinding the reader to the correct identity of those speaking and those being spoken about. Yet in the Bible emphasis is placed on knowing the Name of God.
John 10:25 Immanuel answered them, I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.
John 17:6 I have manifested your name unto the men which you gave to me out of the world: yours they were, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word.
John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name:
John 17:26 And I have declared unto them your name, and will declare it:
Many verses in the New Testament are based on quotes from the Old Testament, since the New Testament was yet to be written, when these quotes were spoken:

Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of Yahweh come:
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved.

Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of Yahweh come.
Joel 2:32 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 hath said, and in the remnant whom Yahweh shall call.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Is Religion a Part of Your Life?

Is Religion a Part of Your Life?

1] If so, then what Religion?

2] Does it matter which Religion?

3] Does it matter which God?

Questions 1-3 all have a direct bearing on the original question "Is Religion a Part of Your Life?" Questions 1-3 define the How, What, Which and Does it matter aspects of Religion in your life.

There are at least three main Religions that impact our lives on a daily basis that also have a commonality:

1] Christianity

2] Judaism

3] Islam

The Commonality is that all three revolve around one central character and it is not God, it is the ancestral father figure Abraham. It is the ancestral parentage that is part of the driving force behind these three World Religions. The belief in God is a side issue in all Three Religions.

I said that "The belief in God is a side issue in all Three Religions." because if each practiced it's positive religious tenants, there would not be such a negative impact today on our daily lives, but their beliefs would result in a positive impact on the lives of the entire world.

Is Religion a Part of Your Life?

1] If so, then what Religion?

I will begin with Christianity and the positive religious teachings found in Exodus 20, that are also shared by Judaism:

Exodus 20:1 And Elohim spake all these words, saying,
2 I am YAHWEH thy Elohim, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
I 3 Thou shalt have no other elohim before me.

II 4
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I YAHWEH thy Elohim am a jealous EL, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

III 7
Thou shalt not take the name of YAHWEH thy Elohim in vain; for YAHWEH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

IV. 8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of YAHWEH thy Elohim: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days YAHWEH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore YAHWEH blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

V. 12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which YAHWEH thy Elohim giveth thee.

VI. 13
Thou shalt not kill.

VII. 14
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VIII. 15
Thou shalt not steal.

IX. 16
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

X. 17
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.


The Christian ideas and concepts found in these Ten precepts have generated both positive and negative impacts on the lives of the world.

The positive aspects from living according to the Ten Commandments should be Peace and Tranquility, yet that is not the case, even among professing Christians.

The Negative aspects are best exemplified by the divisions within Christianity which resulted the many and varied Christian sects, cults, and denominations.

If profess a belief in Christianity do you accept the Ten Commandments as an incumbent part of your life? If you accept the Ten Commandments as an incumbent part of your life, Do you make an honest effort to apply the Ten Commandments in your everyday life, down to and including each facet of your life that has a bearing and effect on the lives of those around you?

If not, What is your justification? What is your excuse?

If you profess a belief in Christianity does that not include a belief in a resurrected Messiah?

A Messiah, who if the records are correct, lived and applied every one of the Ten Commandments in every aspect of his life and in every aspect of his impact in the lives of others.

I will pause to explain the use of the following Names - Yahweh - Yahshua.

The terms - LORD - MASTER - commonly found in most Christian Bibles were titles derived and applied from the English Aristocracy of the time of King James and - GOD - the generic title for Deity.

In the Old Testament Scriptures where you find LORD in all caps, it is substituted for the Name of the Hebrew Deity - YAHWEH

Where you find GOD in all caps it is substituted for the Title of the Hebrew Deity - EL(singular) Elohim (plural) and for another Title of the Hebrew Deity Adon(singular) Adonai(plural)

In the New Testament Scriptures the same substitutions follow the pattern of the Greek LXX Old Testament Scriptures with one Exception the name - JESUS - does not appear in the LXX.

JESUS(English) the letter "J" prior to 15th Century CE did not exist in English

Iesous(Greek) there is no consensus on Religious Hebrews naming their children in Greek.

Yahshua(Hebrew). YAH is short for YAHWEH - SHUA - means Salvation.

Emmanuel(Greek transliteration of the Hebrew - Immanuel - meaning "with us is God."


I will add to this post as I have time