Biblical Study: The Proper Name of יהוה(Yahweh) that his People Forgot Based on Jeremia 23:23–24
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This research aims to open the insight of Christian believers and leaders in Indonesia regarding (YAHWEH), the name of the Biblical God or Elohim, whom Christianity has forgotten in Indonesia. Whereas הוהי(YAHWEH) is the Omnipresent God of the Covenant. He is present not only in the New Testament but also in the Old Testament. The fact of His omnipresence is written in the Old Testament Scriptures through several of His self-revelations, which are the same or similar to the self-revelation uttered by YESHUA HaMashiakh. This study was conducted based on Jeremiah 23:23–24, which contains an incident where YAHWEH as the proper name of the God of Israel/Judah, was forgotten by the people of Israel/Judah because of the actions of their prophets at that time who planned to make YAHWEH’s people forget the name of YAHWEH through their leadership. Their dreams lie, just as their ancestors forgot the Name of YAHWEH because of Baal. The text of Jeremiah 23:23–32 was deliberately chosen and used as primary data by researchers because the cases contained in it are similar to what is a reality in the life of faith of Indonesian Christians today. It is hoped that the selection of the text of Jeremiah 23:23–24 is truly relevant to obtain findings that will be very useful for transforming the worship of a truly Biblical God. In this qualitative literature study, the methods used by researchers are exegesis, interpretation, and comparison both with primary data from Jeremiah 23:23–32 and with several secondary data in the form of literature and texts considered parallel. It is hoped that the research results and their implications can be implemented in the faith life of Christians in Indonesia who still use the Name of Allah so that in the future it is hoped that the Bible will truly contain the name YAHWEH. YAHWEH is no longer replaced by the title LORD or the name ALLAH. Also, the terms Elohim (~yhla) in the Old Testament and Theos (Qeoj) in the original New Testament are no longer translated as the Name of God.
Introduction
The issue of translating the Biblical Holy Names of God in the Christian Scriptures has been and has always been a difficulty for translators in various versions of the Scriptures. Some versions of the English translation of the Holy Bible consider it necessary to retain the Tetragrammaton with different transliterations. Some transliterate “Yahweh,” such as the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) and The Book of Yahweh (TBoY). There are “Jehovah” ones, such as the American Standard Version (ASV), Young’s Literal Version (YLT), Literal Translation of The Holy Bible (LITV), Modern King James Version (MKJV), and others. In the Indonesian Bible, we have several regional language versions such as Javanese, with transliteration: “Yehuwah,” Toba language, with transliteration: “Jahowa,” Pakpak language, with transliteration: “JAHOWA,” Simalungun language, with transliteration: “Jahowa.” Then, in Indonesian, there is now a Catholic Pastoral Edition of the Holy Bible for the Christian Community, with the transliteration: “Yahweh,” and there is also the Indonesian Literal Translation (ILT) and the Indonesian Modern Bible (IMB) with the transliteration “YAHWEH.”
However, several mainstream versions, such as the King James Version (KJV), New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), and Revised Standard Version (RSV), still decide to follow the translation tradition that began with the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament (Tanakh) became the Septuagint (LXX), where the proper name why (YAHWEH) was changed to Kurioj (Kurios), then followed by the Vulgate which translated Kurioj (Kurios) to Dominus and then followed by Wycliffe in 1382, then William Tyndale around the year 1530. From here, the mainstream versions mentioned above emerged, followed by translated versions from various languages worldwide, including Indonesian, with the New Translation version from the Indonesian Bible Institute (ITB). The conclusions that are the reason they follow this translation tradition are, among others, as written in the Preface of the Revised Standard Version, as follows: For two reasons the Committee has returned to the more familiar usage of the King James Version: (1) the word “Jehovah” does not accurately represent any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew; and (2) the use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom He had to be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church (Charinget al., 2021). For two reasons, the Panita has returned to the practice that is better known in the King James Version translation, namely: (1). The word “Jehovah” does not accurately express the original form of the name Elohim as used in Hebrew; and (2). The custom of using a proper name for the one and only One God as if there were other Gods from whom He should be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era, and indeed it is completely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church today (Nicolaides, 2021).
In Indonesia, the use of the New Translation (ITB) version of the Bible is very dominant. Almost all Christian literature refers to this version. All worship and spiritual activities must use the ITB version of the Bible. This is the main reason why most Indonesian Christians do not know the name YAHWEH. This ITB version does not contain the name YAHWEH at all. In places where the name YAHWEH appears in the Tanakh (Hebrew Holy Book) or Hebrew Old Testament, it has become LORD or ALLAH in the ITB version. Even the word ~Elohim in the Tanakh turns out to be “Allah” in the ITB version, not “Ilah” or “Worship.” That is why, in the ITB version, the name “Allah” is almost everywhere. This causes Christians to better recognize “Allah” as their worship of God as honour Dei (Hariantoet al., 2023).
Regarding the personal name of the Biblical God or God, Christianity believes that its God or God is the God of the Covenant, as written by Betters (2021). Therefore, His name, Elohim, should be included in the Old and New Testaments. In the New Testament, all Indonesian Christians agree that his name is YESHUA HaMashiakh. However, in the Old Testament, it turns out that stating that YAHWEH is the proper name of the Christian God is not simply accepted by most people. Because in the Bible, which is used in general (ITB version), the name YAHWEH is not included at all. Even though much Christian literature states that the God or worship of Christians in the Old Testament is YAHWEH, and in the New Testament, His name is YESHUA (Unger & Harrison, 2006).
Other Christian writers even explain the connection between YESHUA and YAHWEH, that YESHUA means YAHWEH Savior or YAHWEH Salvation. This is expressed, among other things, in the Current Bible Encyclopedia (Douglas, 2011), The book of Yahwe by Dulle (n.d.-b), as well as in the Aramaic English New Testament (Dulle, n.d.-b). This is a condition that Indonesian Christians should be aware of because, in essence, based on the original language of the Bible, YAHWEH is the proper name for Christians in the Old Testament, not anything else (Binnick, 1991).
This kind of condition is also reflected in Jeremiah 23:23–32. YAHWEH’s people at the time of the Prophet Jeremiah had forgotten YAHWEH’s Name due to the actions of their prophets who tried to make YAHWEH’s people forget YAHWEH’s Name through the dreams they told. This is similar to their forefathers (ancestors), who had forgotten the Name YAHWEH because of Baal. The existence of a “red thread” in terms of YAHWEH’s people forgetting the Name of YAHWEH at the time of the Prophet Jeremiah and even before, with the facts that exist in Christianity in Indonesia today, this is what prompted researchers to research the topic: “Biblical Studies, the study of why (YAHWEH), the Name The Biblical Self that His People Forgot Based on Jeremiah 23:23–32, and the Implications for Christians Who Use God’s Name in Indonesia.”
This research aims first to explore and discover Biblical facts that the Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent Hwhy YAHWEH based on Jeremiah 23:23,24,29 in Hebrew (TNK) is the Biblical Name of God/Elohim.
The second objective is to find facts based on Jeremiah 23:25–27 that the prophets at the time of Jeremiah planned to make YAHWEH’s people forget YAHWEH’s Name by prophesying falsely through dreams that they told one another to mislead YAHWEH’s people, just like their ancestors. have forgotten the Name of YAHWEH because of “Baal.”
The third research objective is to obtain findings based on Jeremiah 23:28–29 that the dreams told by lying prophets are like “straw,” empty, dry, and without meaning. Meanwhile, YAHWEH’s word of truth spoken by the true Prophet is like “wheat,” which is full and useful in providing nutrition for life. Even further, the word of YAHWEH is as powerful as fire, which can burn and scorch anything, as well as a sledgehammer, which can destroy rocky hills.
The fourth research objective is to find facts based on Jeremiah 23:30–32, that YAHWEH was angry and opposed the prophets who were not sent and ordered by Him, namely those who stole YAHWEH’s word (most likely YAHWEH’s word was hampered or put aside by them so that they could not reach the people). They also use their language or tongue to convey divine speech, thus misleading the people and completely useless to them.
The fifth research objective is to find confirmation that the reason why most Indonesian Christians today do not know the Name YAHWEH is because the Holy Book they use (ITB) does not contain the Name YAHWEH at all, so their leaders do not teach the Name YAHWEH. On the other hand, because ITB contains the name “Allah,” Indonesian Christians know “Allah” as the Biblical God and God. This reality could also cause the name YAHWEH to be forgotten by His people in Indonesia, just as it is written in Jeremiah 23:27, which says that in the past, the name YAHWEH was forgotten because of Baal.
Those are the five primary objectives of this research. In addition, researchers have several secondary objectives, some of which are expected to become novelty factors in this research. The secondary objectives are as follows:
Firstly, this research will explore the close and inseparable ratio between the proper names of Christians in the New Testament, namely: YESHUA, according to the spoken language used by people at that time, and YAHWEH, God in the Old Testament, according to Hebrew (Kitz, 2019).
Secondly, it is hoped that this research will reveal YAHWEH’s corporate Name from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the God Christians believe in. This is the novelty that this research hopes to reveal. With this revelation, it is hoped that Christianity will see more clearly the ratio between God the Father and God the Son, even with God the Holy Spirit, so that the controversy that has spread and gone viral recently can be calmed.
Thirdly, it is also hoped that the results of this research can make Christianity in Indonesia more stable in its faith and less easily influenced by Islamic theology. Because Heavenly Father or YAHWEH is not the “Allah” worshiped by Muslim brothers. The argument is that Muslims cannot possibly admit that YAHWEH is their God, even though they claim that Abraham (Ibrahim) is the ancestor of their faith, while the Bible facts say that Abraham was a worshiper of YAHWEH Himself (MacDonald, 2007).
Related to the third goal above, if Christians continue to use the name “Allah” as Heavenly Father, then YESHUA will inevitably be ‘relegated’ in His position to being “under God.” However, when Christianity uses the Name YAHWEH, then YESHUA will be ‘superior’ above anything that humans worship because He (the Son) and the Father, in essence, are one (John 10:30), because His Name is one: YAHWEH (Zech 14:9). This is also part of the novelty that this study hopes to reveal.
Method
This study is qualitative research (Moleong, 1997). The researcher applied literature research to primary data, namely Jeremiah 23:23–24 and other secondary data. The methods applied are exegesis, interpretation, and comparison methods.
The exegetical method is applied to Jeremiah 23:23–24, contained in the BHS-HOT (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia-Hebrew Old Testament) manuscript. It is hoped that this exegetical research will find the precise literal text of Jeremiah 23:23–24 and the depth of meaning of the text series of Jeremiah 23:23–24. Furthermore, interpretation research is carried out on the primary data from which precise meanings have been obtained so that literal meanings can be further developed regarding implications and implementation. However, for this interpretation method, researchers only need to take secondary data from interpreters or commentators of the Holy Bible whose works are well known and easily accessible, such as Matthew Henry, New International Commentary (NIC), Matthew Poole’s Commentary, and others.
Results
Exegesis of Jeremiah 23:23–24
To get precise text literal and depth of meaning:
(Jer 23:23-HOT): האלהימקרבאנינאם־יהוהולאאלהימרחק
ה; (Ha)àquestion particle = whether, if = whether
אלהי{a/(Elohei) common noun, masculine, plural, bound) = God = Ilah
מ(min)àprepositional particle = from, out of = from
קרב(Kirov)àadjective, masculine, singular, independent) = near = near
אני(Ani)àindependent pronoun, 1st person, singular) = I = I
נאם(neum) common, masculine, singular, bound noun) = utterance = speech
יהוה (YAHWEH)àproper noun) = Yahweh, Jehovah = YAHWEH
ו(we)àconjunction particle) = and = and
לא{ï (lo)àdenial particle) = no = not
אלהי{a/(Elohei) common noun, masculine, plural, bound) = God = Ilah
מ(min)àprepositional particle) = from, out of = from
רחק(rakhi)àadjective, masculine, singular, independent) = distant, far = far
(HOT-Jer 23:24)ארץאנימלאנאם־יהוה׃
אםàconjunction particle) = if = if
יסתר(yissater)àverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular) = be hid = hide himself
איש(ish)àcommon noun, masculine, singular, independent) = man = person
ב(ba)àprepositional particle) = in = in
מסתרים(mis’ttarim)àcommon noun, masculine, plural, independent) = secret place, hiding place = hidden place
ו(wa)àconjunction particle) = and, so = so
אני(ani)àindependent pronoun, 1st person, general, singular) = I = me
לא(lo)àdeny particle) = not = no
אראנו(er’ennu)àverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, general, singular, affixed 3rd person, masculine, singular) = to see (him) = to see (him)
נאם(neum)àcommon, masculine, singular, bound noun) = utterance = speech
והיה(YAHWEH)àproper noun) = Yahweh, Jehovah = YAHWEH
ה(Ha)àinterrogative particle) = whether = whether
לוא(lo)àdenial particle) = no = not
את(et)àsufferer object particle) = not translated
ה(Ha)àarticle particle) = the = for Indonesian, we don’t use articles here
שמים(shamayim)àcommon noun, masculine, plural, independent) = heaven = sky
ו(wa)àconjunction particle) = and = and
את(et)àsufferer object particle) = not translated
ה(Ha)àarticle particle) = the = for Indonesian, we don’t use articles here
ארץ(arts)ànoun, feminine, singular, independent) = earth = earth
אני(ani)àindependent pronoun, 1st person, general, singular) = I = me
מלא(male)àverb, qal, participle, masculine, singular, independent) = fill = fulfill
נאם(neum) common, masculine, singular, bound noun) = utterance = speech
יהוה(YAHWEH)àproper noun) = Yahweh, Jehovah = YAHWEH
Precise Text Literals from the Exegesis Results
23: “Am I God near,” says YAHWEH, “and not God from afar?”
24: “If a person hides himself in a hidden place, do I not see him,” says YAHWEH, “Am I not the one who fills the heavens and the earth?” The Word of YAHWEH.
Depth of Meaning of the Exegesis Results
- The word “Ilah” as a result of exegesis of the word “Elohim/~yhla” (Hebrew) is a common noun (name of type/general term) that has the same meaning as the word “Worship” (God-English). This word is of course equivalent to the word “Elohim” which was absorbed by KS-ILT into KS-ILT Indonesian used by researchers in this study.
- The word “YAHWEH” is a result of the exegesis of the Tetragrammaton which is the proper noun (proper name) of the worship of Elohim or God in the Old Testament.
- The phrase “God from near” and “God from beyond” (verse 23) explains that the God in the Old Testament named YAHWEH is Omnipresent.
- The phrase “have I not seen it,... am I not the one who fills the heavens and the earth” (verse 24), explains that YAHWEH is also Omniscient.
Interpretation of Various Commentaries
- From the interpretation of Jeremiah 23:23–24 it turns out YAHWEH (New International Commentary transliterates it with Yahweh) is Elohim or God who is transcendent and immanent. This means that He is an Elohim/Worship who can be very far from His people, but can also stay close to His people. YAHWEH is also an Omnipresent and Omniscient Elohim/Worship, which means He is an Omnipresent and Omniscient Elohim/Worship.
- From Jeremiah 23:25 it is found that the confession of the prophets in YAHWEH’s name by saying, “I dreamed, I dreamed,” apparently in YAHWEH’s eyes their confession was invalid because YAHWEH is the Elohim/Worship who is all-hearing or all-knowing of whatever is said., or rather what was designed and planned by the prophets.
Comparison with ILT, ITB, and NJB
- NJB uses the transliteration Yahweh for the Tetragrammaton why, the same as ILT: YAHWEH (only the way of writing is different, NJB uses capital letters at the beginning of the word, while ILT uses all capital letters). Transliteration (change of characters) was carried out because YAHWEH is the Biblical Name of God. Meanwhile, ITB uses the word LORD, which is not by linguistic rules where proper nouns should be translated into proper nouns as well.
- NJB uses the word “God” to translate ~Elohim). ILT uses the word “Elohim” as a loan word in Indonesian; while ITB uses the word “Allah.” Linguistically, ~yhla (Elohim) is in the same family (cognate) as “God” (NJB) and of course with Elohim (ILT) as a loan word, that is, they are both common nouns (name of type). On the other hand, ~Elohim is not in the same family as the word “Allah” (ITB), because the word “Allah” is a proper noun (proper name).
- YAHWEH is a God/Elohim who is close to His people (immanent), He is also a God/Elohim who is far from His people (transcendent), therefore YAHWEH is also a God/Elohim who is omnipresent (Omnipresent).
- From the ILT and NJB, it is clearly stated that YAHWEH is a God/Elohim who is all-seeing or in other words omniscient.
- This omnipotence (omniseeing, omniscient) further confirms that the Name YAHWEH written in these texts is the Biblical God, and He is truly God of the universe. Unfortunately in the ITB version, the findings above are not confirmed because the ITB does not contain the name YAHWEH at all.
Comparison with Other Literature
- We can conclude that means God’s omniscience or omnipotences. So, an omnipresent God (omnipotence or omniscience) means a God who cannot be limited by space and time (Dalimanet al., 2022).
- From the second part of Daliman et al.’s writing, it is found that Jeremiah 23:23–24 is a text that voices the omnipresence of YAHWEH as the God or Elohim of the Israelites, as well as His omniscience.
- From the book “Why the Name YAHWEH is Increasingly Popular (Dulle, n.d.-a) in the sentence: “YAHWEH is a God who is always actively present,” it can be concluded that YAHWEH is an Omnipresent God. Verse 23 as a result of exegesis does not write the word “God” (as the general term YAHWEH) but the word “Ilah”. This “Ilah” is in the same family/cognate with “Elohim” (Hebrew), or “Teos” (Greek) or “God” (English), or “Sembahan” (Indonesian), or “Elohim” as a loan word (Weymouth, 1890). Hebrew into KS-ILT. The word “Lord”, even though it is a common noun (kind of name) with “Ilah”, nevertheless comes from the Hebrew word: “Adonai” the Greek word “Kurios” or the English word: “Lord”. However, both Ilah, Elohim, Sembahan, Teos, God, and God, Adonai, Kurios, and Lord, can all be applied to YAHWEH (Weymouth, 1891).
- Poythress (1999) uses the NIV translation for the verses above so that what appears in Exodus 33:17 is the word LORD, which in the original language text is why (YAHWEH). However, from all the information above, it can be ascertained that YAHWEH is an omniscient God.
- In her writing, Clover defines Baal as God. He also said that this title would later be used to replace the personal name of the Biblical God (namely YAHWEH) (Clover, 2002). This is also what causes translators of various versions of the Holy Bible to use the word LORD (LORD) to replace the proper name YAHWEH.
- According to the book “The Book of Yahweh”, researchers found the initial symptoms of the beginning of the stage of how the Name YAHWEH was finally forgotten by His people because of Baal, namely by the habit of inserting a vowel (which comes from the name for pagan gods) into the four letters of the name YAHWEH. Although initially this was an oral tradition, it later influenced their subsequent writings, and finally, in various translations of the Holy Bible, this was considered a normative rule even though the consequence was that the Name YAHWEH was forgotten.
- Matthew Henry provides a comparison of the power that exists between the words of YAHWEH and the words of the lying prophets. He also explained the word YAHWEH which is like fire, which can harden clay but melt wax, also scorches fire but purifies gold. In essence, YAHWEH’s word is very powerful. This could mean that the one who speaks, namely YAHWEH Himself, is an Almighty (Omnipotent) God.
- According to the New International Commentary, the Word of God has such a powerful impact on the human mind that it can make those who hear it aware of the sins and require them to obey. The power of the Word of God is like fire and a sledgehammer that destroys rock.
- Based on the writings of Gary V. Smith, what is kept from the prophets is their words. The prophets were responsible for conveying YAHWEH’s message to His people. A message based on the character of YAHWEH Himself and His sovereign government in history. YAHWEH is the God/Elohim who gives rules and meaning in His justice and mercy to His people (Jobes, 2007).
- According to the New International Commentary when commenting on Deuteronomy 18:20–22 which is parallel to Jeremiah 23:30–32 discussing true prophets and false prophets, it turns out that the failure of the people to obey the prophetic word is a very serious matter. Therefore, knowledge is needed to distinguish between false prophecies and true prophecies. When a prophet in Israel spoke in the name of another god, he was a false prophet, a prophet who had violated the First Commandment of the Ten Commandments, so he deserved to be put to death (Douglas, 2011).
Comparison with Parallel Texts
- Comparison of Jeremiah 23:23–24 with Psalm 113:4–6–ILT, Psalm 139:1,7–10–ILT, and Isaiah 57:15,19–ILT, make it clearer that YAHWEH is an Omnipresent God.
- Comparing Jeremiah 23:23–24 with 1 Samuel 2:3–ILT, Psalm 139:2–6–ILT, and Hebrews 4:12–13–ILT, makes it clearer that YAHWEH is an Omniscient God.
Discussion
From the results of this research, researchers obtained five dimensions whose validity must be confirmed. To get it, each dimension contains three indicators whose validity must also be confirmed. If everything has been confirmed for validity, it means that this research has succeeded in achieving its objectives. But that’s just the primary goal. Through this study, researchers hope to achieve three more secondary objectives.
Validation of Indicators
Validation of Indicator-1 Dimension-1
The Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent God, His Name is YAHWEH
Indicator-1 Dimension-1 conforms to its validity based on: Research Results-1a: verses 23, 24 Research Results-1b: No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 Research Results-2: No. 1 and 5 Research Results-3 Part-1: No. 3, 4, 14 and 15 Research Results-3 Part 2a: No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 Research Results-3 Part 2b: No. 1, 2 and 5
Validation of Indicator-2 Dimension-2
YAHWEH is a proper name while Elohim is one of the many names of types of Biblical worship
Indicator-2 Dimension-1 conforms to its validity based on:
a. Research Results-1a: verses 23, 24
b. Research Results-1b: No. 1 and 2
c. Research Results-2: No. 1 and 2
d. Research Results-3 Part-1: No. 1 and 2
e. Research Results-3 Part-2a: No. 3 and 4
Validation of Indicator-3 Dimension-3
YAHWEH is the Worship Name of Christians too
Indicator-3 Dimension-1 conforms to its validity based on:
- Validity of Indicator-1 and Indicator-2 Dimension-1 above.
- ILT version of Isaiah 63:16 text support; text of Zechariah 14:9 ILT version; and John 10:30 ILT version.
- Literary support explains that the Name YAHWEH and the Name JESUS are one, as revealed by Hawthorne below:
This close association of name and person is also seen in the fact that the expression “the Name” became a metonym for Jesus (Acts 5:40; 3 Jn.7), just as “the Name” had been a metonym for Yahweh in the O.T. …. Hence, all that can be said about the name of Yahweh–that prophets prophesy in that name (Jer. 20:9), the righteous trust in that name (Isa. 50:10), people call upon that name (Ps. 105:1), etc.,—can be and is said about the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:17; Jn. 14:1; 1 Cor. 1:2). (Hawthorne, 1986, p. 70).
The close association between name and person is also seen in the fact that the expression “That Name” has become a metonymy for YESHUA (Acts 5:40; 3 John:7), just as “That Name” has become a metonymy for YAHWEH in the OT... Therefore, everything that can be said concerns the Name of YAHWEH-which the prophets foretold in that Name (Jer. 20:9), the righteous hope in that Name (Isa. 50:10), the people call on that Name (Ps. 105: 1), etc.,—it may be and can be said that this is about the Name YESHUA HaMashiach (Acts 4:17; John 14:1; 1 Cor. 1:2) (Wallace, 1996).
(Hwakins, 2004) also states that YAHWEH and JESUS are one name given under heaven: According to the inspired prophecies, the Messiah’s Name was to MEAN: “Yahweh is Salvation”, which is exactly what the name YAHSHUA means! In the Book of Yahweh, the Name Yahshua, the true Name of Yahweh’s only begotten Son, and our High Priest, Messiah, Redeemer, Ruler, and King, has been restored in the Holy Scriptures. This was of utmost importance, for the Holy Scriptures openly proclaim there is only ONE NAME given on earth, through which all men may achieve salvation (Acts 4:10–12), and that Name is “Yahshua”–“Yahweh is Salvation!” Any name other than the correct Name, will not suffice (Hwakins, 2003)
Based on the inspired prophecy, the Name of the Messiah has the MEANING: “Yahweh is Salvation”, and that is the true meaning of the Name YAHSHUA! In The Book of Yahweh, the Name Yahshua, as the true Name of the Only Begotten Son of Yahweh, and our High Priest, Messiah, Redeemer, Ruler, and King, has been restored in the Scriptures. This is very important, because the Scriptures openly state that there is only ONE NAME given on earth, through which all men can attain salvation (Acts 4:10–12), and that Name is “Yahshua”–“Yahweh is Salvation!” Any name other than that correct Name, will not suffice. (Unger & Harrison, 2006, p. 67).
Validation of Indicator-2 Dimension-4
Many Indonesian Christian leaders understand Hebrew but do not teach that the LORD/ALLAH in ITB is YAHWEH, and Allah is Elohim/Worship
Indicator-2 of Dimension-5 conforms to its validity based on:
a. Data on the Number of theological school’s in Indonesia.
b. Less sensitive to “colliding” logic.
Validation of Indicator-3 Dimension-5
YAHWEH was forgotten because of “Baal” in the time of Jeremiah and before, now, YAHWEH is forgotten because of “God”.
Indicator-3 of Dimension-5 conforms to its validity based on:
- Research Results-1a: verses 23, 24
- Research Results-1b: No. 3, 4 and 5
- Research Results-2: No. 3
- Research Results-3 Part-1: No. 10 and 11
- Research Results-3 Part-2a: No. 6
- Research Results-3 Part-2b: No. 3
Validation of the Five Dimensions
From the confirmation of the validity of all existing indicators starting from Dimension-1 to Dimension-5, all Dimensions of this Study also conform to their validity:
- “YAHWEH is the Name of God in the OT, so YAHWEH is also the Name of God of Christians.”
- “The prophets in Jeremiah’s time prophesied falsely through dreams, causing YAHWEH’s people to forget the Name of YAHWEH, just as their ancestors forgot the Name of YAHWEH because of Baal.”
- “The dreams of the prophets are like straw, empty, the word of YAHWEH is like wheat, full; the word of YAHWEH has power to judge.”
- “YAHWEH was angry with the prophets who stole His words, and used their own words to prophesy so that they were misleading and useless to the people.”
- “Most Indonesian Christians do not know the name YAHWEH because ITB does not contain the name YAHWEH, instead it contains the word Allah.”
Because these five dimensions represent the five research objectives, it is hereby stated that this research has succeeded in achieving its five objectives. However, this is the primary goal. This research, which has produced various research results in the form of very valuable qualitative research results, is hoped by researchers to support the achievement of three secondary objectives. The first two are expected to be new in this research, namely:
- Finding a close and inseparable ratio between the proper names of Christians in the New Testament, namely, YESHUA, according to the spoken language used by people at that time, and YAHWEH, the God of the Old Testament according to Hebrew, is convincing.
- Opening the veil, YAHWEH is the corporate name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the God that Christians believe in. So that by becoming more clearly visible about the ratio between God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Christianity can easily ward off the controversy that has spread and gone viral recently.
- It is also hoped that the results of this research can make Christianity in Indonesia more stable in its faith and less easily influenced by Islamic theology. Because Heavenly Father or YAHWEH HaAb is not the “Allah” worshiped by Muslim brothers. The simple argument is that Muslims cannot possibly admit that YAHWEH is their God, even though they claim that Abraham (Ibrahim) is the ancestor of their faith, while the Bible facts say that Abraham was a worshiper of YAHWEH (Gen. 12:7).
Conclusion
- This study has succeeded in finding the validity of YAHWEH as the Biblical Name of God. Because YAHWEH is an omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent Elohim, he is worthy of being called Almighty God. Because the name YAHWEH as a proper name is contained in Jeremiah 23:23–32 and even in the entire Hebrew Old Testament, this proper name is contained almost 7000 times, this is the basic reason it is declared a Biblical Worship. Moreover, if it is called Biblical worship, it means YAHWEH is the proper name of the Christian God.
- This study also succeeded in finding Biblical facts that at the time of Jeremiah, the prophets of Israel/Judah tried to make YAHWEH’s people forget the Name of YAHWEH by prophesying falsely through the dreams they told, just as their forefathers or forefathers had forgotten the Name of YAHWEH because Bale.
- This study also revealed the meaning of the analogy that Elohim YAHWEH preached through Jeremiah regarding “straw” and “wheat.” It turns out that the dreams of the prophets were analogous to “straw,” which was empty, devoid of content, ready to be burned. Meanwhile, “wheat” is an analogy for “the word of YAHWEH,” which contains the nutrients of life. This Word of God is what the prophets should have preached. However, instead, they preached empty dreams, thus preparing themselves for judgment by the Word of God because the Word of God is powerful, like a fire that can burn and scorch the pride of their hearts, as well as a sledgehammer that can destroy their rocky hills or their stubbornness.
- This study also succeeded in detailing the evil behavior of these prophets so that those of us who live today can understand and learn not to act like them, namely:
- Stealing God’s Word means they take God’s Word from their neighbors (who have God’s Word) so that God’s Word cannot be conveyed to the people. Maybe they threw it away or hid it but replaced it with a false prophecy.
- For these false prophecies and dreams, they fill them with their own words, not with the Word of God. This is called “those who use their tongues and speak words,” where the “word” here is human speech, namely their own words.
- They caused YAHWEH’s people to go astray with their lies, even though YAHWEH did not send or order them to convey these lying prophecies. That is why YAHWEH said they were prophets who were completely useless to YAHWEH’s people.
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