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Hope of Israel Mail Bag 37

agreement. If one understands that the four Hebrew letters The Hebrew name for Jesus is Yehoshua, or the
(Yod He Vav He) represent four vowels, rather than four shortened form YESHUA -- not Yahshua -- as so many
consonants, then the Name is best represented by the four mistakenly believe. The form Yahshua is IMPOSSIBLE
sounds I-A-U-E or ee-ah-oo-eh. If you pronounce these in Hebrew and ignores completely the second syllable,
rapidly you will get the combined sound in English. This represented by the letter “vav.” This is a very common
appears to agree with Josephus, with the Greek translitera- name in Hebrew and there is no doubt whatsoever about
tions, and the 500 B.C. Murashu text. It would be written how to write or pronounce it. It is built from the Divine
in English as YAHUEH -- not strictly YAHWEH -- which Name YEHOAH. The first two syllables, YEHO, are com-
is the consonantal form. The problem with this proposal is mon in many Biblical names (Yehoshaphat, Yehoiakin,
the question of meaning. These four sounds appear to etc.). These three letters or syllables in Hebrew simply
mean nothing in Hebrew, and they lose their connection CANNOT be represented by YAH. YAH in Hebrew is
with the verb hayah, “to be,” upon which the Divine Name Yod He, while the letters of the Sacred Name, reflected in
appears to be based. Hebrew names are supposed to carry such compounds, are Yod He Vav. The Vav must have its
meaning -- how much more the case with the very name of common vowel sound in this form -- it cannot be silent or
God. ignored.

The combination YE-HO-AH makes much better Regarding the Flood, the Bible nowhere states
grammatical sense. In Hebrew YE represents the future or that it covered the entire planet! Check the original He-
imperfect of the verb “to be,” “HO” represents the present, brew! There is no great evidence of mountain building
while “AH” represents the past. In other words, this form during this time -- most of earth’s present mountain chains
of the Name would have a specific meaning and not be were upthrust at the time mentioned in Genesis 1 where
merely an repetition of vowel sounds. Quite literally the “tohu” and “bohu” was replaced by a world suitable for
YEHOAH means “shall/is/was” -- that is, the Eternal, the the habitation of Adam and Eve and their descendants. The
Ever living One who will be, is and always was. This is high altitude seashells you saw in the Colorado mountains
why the pronunciation YEHOAH is preferable -- or even represent this time -- not the epoch of Noah’s Flood! The
the more popular form, YEHOVAH, since it clearly re- idea that the earth is only approximately 6,000 years old
flects this profound meaning. YAH would then be the con- flies in the face of the Bible and the discoveries made by
tracted, or shortened form, of this full Name, taking the modern science (YEHOVAH God did give man the ability
first and last sounds together. No matter what you read to discover certain things for himself).
elsewhere, YEHOVAH IS NOT a corrupt and mistaken
reading of the massoretic vowel pointing taken from The fact that certain people besides Noah and his
‘adonai. Nor is it an “evil name,” as some have ignorantly family survived the Flood is recorded by many ancient
charged, based on the Hebrew term hovah, which means writers -- including Josephus and the Bible itself. You
“ruin” or “disaster.” This Hebrew word hovah is from should re-read my article on Noah’s Flood to pick up on
hayah -- which can also mean to “happen.” It has no gram- these details.
matical connection to the Divine Name.
Regarding the “pre-existence” of Yeshua -- there
YEHOAH, or if one prefers, the more is not enough room in this section to fully cover the sub-
well-known form YEHOVAH, best represents the Name ject. You should request our many articles that prove --
in English. Some, in writing, choose to represent the Name from the Bible -- that Yeshua the Messiah did NOT exist
as YHVH -- written without the vowels. This has a number prior to his human birth. We will be more than happy to
of advantages. First, this is precisely the form in the manu- send them to you.
scripts of the Hebrew Bible -- these four Hebrew letters:
Yod, He, Vav, He. Second, it boldly calls attention to the ***
all important fact that this is the Holy and Sacred NAME of
God, not merely a title like LORD.

The Berean Voice July-August 2002