Scripture and history shows us why and how the name of our Creator Father Yahweh and His son our savior Yeshua was changed to the pagan names, God, Lord, and Jesus Christ.
The personal name of the Creator in the Hebrew Scriptures is represented by the four Hebrew letters יהוה (YHWH), often called the Tetragrammaton. The historical Hebrew name of Jesus was Yeshua (ישוע), a shortened form of Yehoshua. The words "God," "Lord," and "Jesus" are pagan names.
Here is scriptural answers, followed by traditional, then a historical overview of how and why the names in Scripture was changed to pagan names:
1. The Father's Name Was Yahweh
Scripture
When Moses asked for God's name:
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM..." (Exodus 3:14)
A few verses later, the personal name is given:
"Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, Yahweh, the Elohim of your fathers... this is My name forever." (Exodus 3:15)
The name Yahweh appears nearly 7,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures as יהוה (YHWH).
Examples
- Exodus 6:3
- Psalm 83:18
- Isaiah 42:8
- Joel 2:32
Psalm 83:18:
"That men may know that You, whose name alone is YAHWEH, are the Most High over all the earth."
2. Why Was Yahweh Replaced With "LORD"?
Jewish Tradition
Several centuries before Messiah, many Jews developed a tradition of avoiding pronunciation of Yahweh's name.
When reading Scripture aloud they substituted:
Adonai = "Lord"
instead of speaking Yahweh.
The Septuagint
Some early Greek copies retained the Hebrew letters YHWH.
Later copies often replaced the name with:
Kyrios (Lord)
English Bibles
When translators encountered YHWH they usually followed the Jewish tradition and translated it:
LORD
(in all capital letters)
rather than Yahweh.
Thus the personal name was gradually hidden from readers.
3. How Did Yeshua Become Jesus?
Original Hebrew
The Messiah's name was:
Yeshua (ישוע)
meaning:
"Yahweh saves"
or
"Yahweh is salvation."
Greek Translation
The New Testament was written in Greek.
Greek lacks several Hebrew sounds.
Yeshua became:
Iesous (Ιησούς)
Latin
Greek Iesous became:
Iesus
English
The English letter J did not develop until many centuries later.
Iesus eventually became:
Jesus
We are told that this was primarily a linguistic evolution through translation, but we know this was a deliberate name change.
4. What About "Christ"?
Christ is not a surname.
The Greek word:
Christos
means:
"Anointed One"
It translates the Hebrew:
Mashiach (Messiah)
So:
Yeshua Messiah
became
Jesus Christ.
5. Is "God" a Pagan Name?
The English word "God" comes from Germanic languages.
Historically it derives from old Germanic words such as:
- God
- Gott
- Gud
Connected directly to pagan deites.
Scripture shows that the Creator's personal name is Yahweh, not "God."
6. Why Is Using Yahweh Important?
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the Father's name.
Isaiah 42:8
"I am Yahweh: that is My name."
Joel 2:32
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of Yahweh shall be delivered."
Malachi 3:16
"A book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and who meditate on His name."
John 17:6
Yeshua said:
"I have manifested Your name unto the men whom You gave Me."
7. Summary
|
Original Scripture |
Later Substitution |
|
Yahweh |
LORD |
|
Yahweh |
God |
|
Yeshua |
Jesus |
|
Messiah |
Christ |
|
Yeshua Messiah |
Jesus Christ |
Historically, the change from Yeshua to Jesus occurred through Hebrew → Greek → Latin → English translation. The replacement of Yahweh with LORD arose largely from Jewish tradition and was later followed by many Bible translators.
Historical evidence supports:
- Yahweh being the personal name represented by YHWH.
- Yeshua being the Hebrew name of the Messiah.
- LORD and God functioning as titles rather than personal names.
The words, "Jesus," "Lord," or "God" are themselves the names of pagan gods are common in various religious movements,
——
Below are two historical views illustrating how the name Jesus Christ was manufactured under Roman rule.
“In the year 325 A.D. was perpetrated one of the most colossal frauds and deceptions in the annals of history. This was the date of the Council of Nicaea, whose task it was to create a new religion that would be acceptable to Emperor Constantine…” The Historical Apollonius Versus the Mythical Jesus, By Dr. R. W. Bernard, Ph.D., 1954/1964 edition, Part 1., p. 7.
“Constantine’s intention at Nicaea was to create an entirely new god for his empire who would unite all religious factions under one deity and Roman rule of law. Presbyters were asked to debate and decide who their god would be. Delegates argued among themselves, expressing personal motives for the inclusion of particular writings that promoted the finer traits of their own special deity. Throughout the meeting, howling factions were immersed in heated debates, and the names of 53 gods were tabled for discussion. ‘As of yet, no god had been selected by the council, and so they balloted in order to determine that matter. . . For one year and five months, the balloting lasted…’” Prof. S.L. MacGuire’s translation, God’s Book of Eskra, Salisbury, 1922, chapter xlviii (48), paragraphs 36, 41. [Roman Catholic mix of legend and history.]
“Constantine was the ruling spirit at Nicaea, and he ultimately decided upon a new god for them. To involve British factions, he ruled that the name of the Druid god, “Hesus” of “Iesous” be joined with the Eastern Savior-god, Krishna (Krishna is Sanskrit for Christ), and thus “Hesus Krishna” [“Iesous Krishna” and later Jesus Christ] would be the official name of the New Roman god. A vote was taken and it was with a majority show of hands (161 votes to 157) that both [man-made] divinities [“Krishna” and “Iesous”] become one god. Following the long-standing heathen custom, Constantine used the official gathering and the Roman apotheosis decree to legally deify two deities as one and did so by democratic consent. A new god was proclaimed and “officially” ratified by Constantine.” Tony Bushby, “The Forged Origins of the New Testament,” Nexus Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 4 (June–July 2007).
“‘Jesus’ is supposed to be the Anglicized equivalent of the Greek “Iesous,” but, if it is, it is troubling, to say the least. The English name “Iesous” stems etymologically from “Jupiter-Zeus” the chief god of the ancient Greek Olympus – the coded occult appellation evolving from “J-Zeus”. . . “J-sus”. . . “Je-sus,” to “Jesus”. . . Some authorities, who have spent their entire lives studying the origins of names, believe that “Jesus” actually means— “Hail Zeus!” For Iesous in Greek literally means “Hail Zeus.” That is, “Ie” translates as “Hail” and “sous” or “sus” is Zeus.” Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend, J.C.J. Melford, 1983, p. 126. [Note the “J” did not actually exist at the time, but later was used to overwrite the “I.”]
“In order to make the previously despised cult of the Early Christians [Messiah followers, who called themselves Natsarim but were at the time called Quartodecimen by the Romans. The term “Christians” was the creation of Constantine in the 4th century A.D.] acceptable to Constantine, emperor of Rome – the new (pagan) Church Fathers had to remove from its teachings certain doctrines which they knew were objectionable to Constantine. To accomplish this, certain “correctors” were hired, whose task it was to rewrite the Gospels.” R. W. Bernard, Ph.D., Apollonius the Nazarene Part 1: The Historical Apollonius Versus the Mythical Jesus, p. 7.
“The Council of Nicea was a pivotal event in the history of Christianity [Messiah followers called themselves Natsarim but were at the time called Quartodecimen by the Romans. The term “Christians” was the creation of Constantine in the 4th century A.D.]. The sudden adoption of a quasi-philosophic term to define the historic Jesus [Messiah] as equal to God was a major departure from Scripture and tradition. Further, the use of this term “trinity” in a Creed meant that, from A.D. 325 on, Nicenes could and did proclaim other dogm"as that have no basis in Scripture.” – State Church of the Roman Empire; Ben H. Swett; 1998, para. “The Council of Nicea was a pivital event.”
“From Constantine’s point of view, there were several factions that needed satisfying, and he set out to develop an all-embracing religion during a period of irreverent confusion. In an age of crass ignorance, with nine-tenths of the peoples of Europe illiterate, stabilizing religious splinter groups was only one of Constantine’s problems. The smooth generalization, which so many historians are content to repeat, that Constantine “embraced the Christian religion” and subsequently granted “official toleration”, is “contrary to historical fact” and should be erased from our literature forever…” Catholic Encyclopedia, Pecci ed., vol. iii, p. 299, passim.
"In light of the quotes above, it becomes difficult, at best, to deny that the name “Jesus Christ” is a fictional name. In both views, it is described as proactively fashioned to replace the true name of the Messiah. This new fabricated name was applied throughout the pages of the Scripture’s Brit Hadasha (New Testament), radically altering every reference of YAHUSHA (H#3091 עשׁוהי) the Messiah to “Hail Zeus-Krishna” (Iesous-Jesus Christ). Deceptively, the reference to Christ was never a Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Rather, it specifically comes from the name of a pagan god, Khristna, most commonly spelled Krishna."
"If your heart is sinking because you can’t imagine such a thing could be true, then take this to the Eternal Father in prayer. He will not let you fall but will continue to guide you to a deeper knowledge of the truth and give you peace. It is so important to Him that both He and His authentic Son’s name be restored, as it defines who His loving and obedient followers are who seek Him with all their hearts in preparation for His soon RETURN."
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Click here to learn more on the subject:
Why I Choose To Be A Messianic Follower Of “The Way” vs A Follower Of “Jesus Christ” & Christianity
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