The Name

Based upon a fellow anointed one's research and meditation, he sent me a letter about his concerns over God's name. The letter referred to a link which contained his article. I would like to share it with you, because the information caused some meditation of my own, and has resulted in a decision which I would like to share with you.
http://translate.google.com.br/translate?sl=pt&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http://exatoverdade.blogspot.com.br/2013/03/testemunha-de-yahawah.html&act=url

After reading it, this was my response:


Hello Paulo,
I read your article. Thank you for writing it and also for sending me the link.
I also read the link in the last comment.
I found both articles interesting.
I will tell you my present impression...

Our heavenly father has told us that we are not to make any form and ascribe it to Him.
(Deut.5:8; 4:15-24)
This prohibition included any attempt to personify our God in any sort of representation or image.
This is because nothing compares to Him (Isa.40:18,25; 46:5), and He is a spirit which can not be represented by anything in the physical realm (John4:24; Phil.3:3).
The reason I discuss this is because I believe that it applies to God's name as well.
We know that in Hebrew (and according to the Hebrew meaning for "name" "shem"); one's name is a representation of who one is. "Shem" can also mean likeness, authority, character, renown, report, memorial, mark, fame, rank, majesty, and a representation of who someone is.

If we can not make a representation of the Heavenly One in any materials or forms we possess on earth,
how can we fully represent our Heavenly Father in a name we can speak?
How can the eternal omnipotent One be limited to any word men can utter?
(Amos4:13; Isa.47:4; Jer.10:16)
Perhaps this is why we were given YHVH without ever being taught (even by Jesus Christ), how this name was to be spoken. When Jesus said, "I have made your name known" (John17:6,26) I do not think he was speaking about a pronunciation, but a gaining of appreciation of aspects of God, through explanation (Matt.11:27; John1:18; 14:6)
God told us that He was to be referred to as "I AM WHO I AM", and "CAUSES TO BECOME".
Is it not true that these descriptions alone can refer to who God is, making his personality
(and His unsearchable name) limitless? Isa.55:8,9; Psalm40:5

Pharaoh knew what God was called, and the pronunciation of His name.
At Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh's words are recorded...

"But Pharaoh responded, "Who is Yahweh that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know anything about Yahweh, and besides, I will not let Israel go."

That verse clarifies, that it is not simply a matter of knowledge of God's name and saying it, (as Pharaoh did) that fulfills truly knowing God, His name, and calling upon that name.
Knowing how to say God's name did not save Pharaoh.
He came to know the meaning of God's name, through experience...
As Exo.14:4 reads;
"I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue my people. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh."

One of God's replies to Pharaoh is found at Exo.7:17...
"This is what Yahweh says: Here is how you will know that I am Yahweh. Watch. I will strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood."

God is saying that His name becomes known, not by knowing the correct sound of how to say it,
but by knowing the meaning and power of the name,
including knowledge of God's ability to become whatever He wishes, in order to fulfill His Will.
Those truly familiar with that Name, develop trust in Him and that Name's meaning. (Ex.3:13,14; Prov.3:5,6).

When Jesus said,
"I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John17:26).....
Jesus was speaking to Jewish men who already knew the simple fact of God's name and how to say it.
Obviously, this was not what Jesus had in mind in speaking of teaching others God's name.
    How long does it take to hear a name, and know how to say it? Only a moment.
Yet Jesus said that after making God's name known to his followers,
he continues to make that name known.
(John14:8,9,10,7; Col.2:9; 1:19; John1:14)
His stated objective?
That through a deeper knowledge of the meaning of God's name, they will come to love God (John17:26).
Pharaoh did not have such knowledge (Ex.5:2), despite speaking God's name.

Knowing God's name in the biblical sense then, is defined as appreciating and loving God as a person, and putting our trust in Him...
not as pronouncing a name, or repeating and using that pronunciation.

When we are told that "calling on the name of Yhvh" means our salvation (Rom.10:13; Joel2:32);

It speaks of those survivors, as those putting their trust in the meaning of that name, by relying on Him (Isa.10:20; 17:7,6; 10:22; Hosea3:5).

The only way our Exemplar Christ referred to God, was "Father". (*see some references below)
Certainly this reference and title "Father", is in harmony with "CAUSES TO BECOME".
Any pronunciation of YHVH would be to limit the meaning of God's representative name to an earthly tongue,
and in essence, to me, an earthly image.
I see the principle here as being the same as making an idol to represent God,
which as we know, God expressively forbade.

*Matthew 10:32-33
32  Then everyone who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in Heaven. 33  But whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny him before My Father in Heaven. (LITV)

Matthew 12:50
50  For whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven, that one is My brother and sister and mother. (LITV)

Matthew 16:17
17  And answering, Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven. (LITV)

Matthew 25:34
34  Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, the blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (LITV)

Matthew 26:29
29  But I say to you, I will not at all drink of this fruit of the vine after this until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of  My Father. (LITV)

John 20:17
17 Jesus said to her, Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God, and your God. (LITV)

Matthew 6:9
9  So, then, you should pray this way: Our Father who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (LITV)

Mark 14:36
36 And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to You; take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will. (LITV)

Romans 8:15
15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba! Father! (LITV)

Galatians 4:6
6 And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba! Father! (LITV)

While perplexed in the past as to why an exact pronunciation of God's name was unsearchable;
I now feel much closer to understanding why.
If God wanted us to know and correctly pronounce His name, could He not make us now able?
Why has He withheld this?
I believe that God's commands concerning a physical representation of Him as being impossible,
and as a consequence, God forbidding any such construction,
fully explains why we can not speak in all assurance, a concise, definitive expression of God's name today. (Rom.11:33; Job 5:9; 11:7; Ps.139:6; 145:3; Ec.3:11; 8:17; Isa.40:28; Col.2:3)
If God's thoughts and attributes are too great for us to fathom, or to make a comparison to anything else in existence; How then can we summarize His entire being in a name we can utter?
Why should we try? It would be like attempting to paint a picture of God, or make a statue of Him.
The results would only demean Him, pervert, and misrepresent Him.
Would one painting be better than another?
Would this also not be true of any "name" we could define and utter?

When Paul was in the power of Holy Spirit, and was taken into the spirit realm,
he refers to what he heard, like this.....
"And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows--was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell." (2Cor.12:3,4)
I understand this, because what spirit can express perfectly in heaven, is not possible to tell accurately in the flesh on earth.
How much more so, the actual name of God?

I thank you for your pointing my attention to this subject.
I will, as I am able, transfer all my written references to God, from the assumptive name "Jehovah",
to the reference Jesus Christ always gave that One...."Our Father in the Heavens".

God therefore knew in advance, that "Jehovah's Witnesses", would believe themselves to be called by God's name. But in a deeper sense, they would believe themselves to understand the meaning of God's name, and to be honoring it.
Both assumptions are mistaken.
"Jehovah's Witnesses" are also mistaken, in assuming that they are qualified to be God's witnesses (Isa.43:10-11,21; 1Pet.2:9), or, His people (1Pet.2:9-10; Jer.31:33; Deut.11:18).
https://4womaninthewilderness.blogspot.com/2016/01/who-become-gods-people.html

https://4womaninthewilderness.blogspot.com/2014/04/who-are-yhwhs-witnesses.html

Every and all aspects of a father, are not fully known by his young son,
nor is the title "father" (by which the young son addresses his father), a full representation of who the man is.
Just as it is acceptable for his child to refer to that man as "father";
so too, although we cannot know the father fully,
we who aspire to become His children, can acceptably refer to Him as our heavenly Father (Matt.6:9).

We do know that aspect of God with enough accuracy to refer to Him as such.
He is our life-giver, and one One who "causes" us "to become".
Who are we to describe God ...by ascribing to Him a name of speak-able meaning?
If we depend upon a mediator for our relationship with Him,
because we are too unclean, weak, and imperfect...
are we not unable to perfectly describe God with our own tongue?
Even just to prophesy for God, requires a miraculous transformation of cleansing (Isa.6:6,7). Any service in His holy dwelling, requires it (Rev.5:9-10; 2Chron.23:6; 30:8)

I will therefore not accept any definitive human pronunciation of the name of God, as if there were one on this earth.
I will not accept any definitive visible form of God, for the same reason (Ex.20:4).
Since God forbids any such physical form....
and has obviously withheld from us any audible form,
I accept His own constraints in forming any references made to him.

After all is said and done, we find ourselves back where we should have started...
imitating our Master Christ, who simply called the eternal God of heaven and earth,
"Father". (1Pet.2:21; 1John2:6)
I thank you again for calling my attention to this important subject.
Love in Christ,
Pearl

When I have time, I will post this at my website, with scriptures added.
That should explain to readers the changes I will consider making.

NOTE:
I also see included in your article, what appears to be references to pictures I included in my "Genuine Mountain" post, and the "capstone" of God's Temple (Zech.4:7,9). I hope you will consider that Satan has much knowledge of the scriptures and prophecy. He is trying to claim ownership of the Chosen ones. He does this also through blasphemy of the truth, which can include a claim to prophetic symbols of truth. This he does to mislead. He makes Truth and it's symbols look as if they are evil, belong to him, and are associated with falsehood. You do not realize how deep Satan's lies go. He has made good look bad, and bad look good. If you do not search the deep things of God, you will miss this reality.


This is a very difficult time. Remember that Jesus called it a “Great Tribulation”. It is a challenge mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually because that’s how Satan works. We know his main attack is on those chosen candidates to be heirs; but ALL those fighting the lies, lies both around us and within us, are under duress.
It takes time for each of us to “see the light”, and even longer to align our hearts and lives accordingly. Jesus has told us the best way to handle this time of test, and how to do our best in dealing with others. Number One, is Love. For every inch of progress someone makes, we should rejoice. Being on the path of life and moving forward is what matters, not how fast someone else thinks we should be moving. We each render an account, to God.
We are all under great pressure. It is not a time to hurt or criticize others. We speak truth. Not our truth, but God’s Word. To the best of our ability, we speak with “a mild temper and deep respect”. We do not always do this because the actions of others are worthy of respect. We do it for rational reason. Only God is good. Any light or progress we ourselves have, is of God’s grace.
If we fail in having a mild temper, and we lose our beneficial love, kindness and respect; we have then been conquered by the “evil”. Then our own actions are no more honorable than the ones we have judged.
How can we best help one another to come through the other end of this demonic tunnel?
Patience, courage, and love. These will not come all at once, but we can strive to cultivate them…
not only within ourselves, but support one another to bring these admirable traits to maturity.
Anything else, supports our common enemy.
Gal.5:13,14,15,16,17