Page 5 - SABBATH

Foreword

word of explanation is necessary at the start of this book. In this work you will find the
Awriter using names in reference to God the Father and God the Son that are more
faithful to their Hebrew original than the names and titles generally in use by the church
today. The name Yah, or Yahweh, will be found in reference to God the Father, and the
name Yahshua will be utilized when speaking of the Son.
This usage is not intended to be divisive, nor does it serve as a renunciation of the
usage of titles such as Lord or God. Neither is it a condemnation of those who choose to call
the Son of God Jesus. My intent as a teacher of the Bible is simply to illumine and instruct.
There is great meaning in the Hebrew names of the Father and the Son, and these names
are directly related to one another. Many of the people whose lives are portrayed in
Scripture also serve as types and shadows of God, bringing to light truths that might
otherwise be hidden.
For example, Joshua, the Israelite leader who led the people of God across the Jordan
and into battle to take possession of the land of Canaan, bears the same name as the
Messiah. They both were called Yahshua. Like Joshua in the Old Testament, the Son of God
began His ministry at the Jordan River as He was baptized by John. Both men labored to
establish a kingdom dedicated to Yahweh, the first external and natural, the latter internal
and spiritual.
Yah is the name used in reference to the Father on forty-nine separate occasions in the
Old Testament. Most Christians have utilized this name of God without knowing that they
were doing so. Whenever the word hallelujah is uttered, the speaker is literally exclaiming
“Praise Yah,” for this is the meaning of the Hebrew word from which it is derived. The
longer name Yahweh is found an additional 6,828 times.
The name of the Son is likewise significant, for Yahshua is understood to mean “Yah’s
Salvation.” The Gospel writer indicates that this is the meaning of the name given to the
Savior at His birth.

Matthew 1:21
“And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Yahshua, for it is He who will
save His people from their sins.”

It has been the practice of this writer for many years to use these names, which more
clearly represent their Hebrew originals. It is my hope that their employment in this book
might aid the reader by bringing forth light on relationships that are obscured, as well as
promoting an increased intimacy with God the Father by calling Him by His memorial
name, instead of a title which men have substituted.