20150605 Friday, June 5 2015
Ecclesiastes 07: What Did Jesus Say About His Name?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask The Father in My Name, He will give it you"

To an English speaker, referring to the number 1 as "one" is true and accurate. But what if a German speaker called the number 1 as "eins"? Or if a Spanish speaking person referred to the number 1 as "uno"? Or if a French speaker referred to the number 1 as "un"? Would all of the others be wrong and disqualified from counting because they didn't call 1 "one"? Or are they all right because they are truly and accurately describing exactly the same thing in the language that God gave them to speak? The answer is obvious. 1 is 1 is 1 - regardless of what it is called in any language. Reality has no vain "exceptionalism" in expression.

Many debate about the Messiah's "real name." But consider. Many truly-righteous people knew Him by names that others were not given to know - by the LORD Himself. Example: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel knew Him as "God Almighty" (an English-language rendering of the Hebrew, pronounced El-Shaddai), while Moses knew Him as YHVH or YHWH (people debate about that too) - that has been variously rendered into English as "LORD," "JEHOVAH" (one of the attempts to add vowels between the YHVH or YHWH; see Who Created Jehovah?) and numerous others that the "Sacred Name Movement" (that originated from a small English-speaking, Hebrew-imitating group that didn't even exist before the late 1800s) have rendered or interpreted for and from themselves.

"6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them." (Exodus 6:2-3 KJV)

When the LORD gave Moses the Commandment "20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain" (Exodus 20:7 KJV), does that mean that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel did take His Name in vain because the LORD identified Himself to them in their own language and dialect that was different than that used for the Israelites of Moses' time? Of course not.

The purpose of "speaking in tongues," which simply means other actual and genuine languages, was to take the Name of the LORD and His Gospel to all nations in languages that they could understand. Preaching in Hebrew to non-Hebrew speakers would in itself be taking the LORD's Name in vain. That principle applies to every other language - as proven in the famous Pentecost event recorded at the beginning of the Book of Acts.

"2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." (Acts 2:8-11 KJV)

Those of the true Church of God, which means people of God (not a building, not a corporation, not a man-following cult), have existed all around the world since the most-ancient times. While they speak hundreds of languages and dialects, they all preach the one and only true Gospel (see What Gospel Did Jesus Preach?) and the identity of the one and only true Messiah (see The LORD God Our Saviour) in their own tongues - their own languages. Just a few examples from hundreds of other languages (that use the Roman alphabet; there are many others yet besides that) - that are just as true and valid to them as is "Jesus" (or any of the other renderings) to speakers of English.

Chesus (Aragones)
Isus (Bosnian)
Yesu (Cornish)
Xesus (Galician)
Iosa (Irish)
Gesu (Italian)
Isa (Turkish)
Iisus (Russian)

All of the "Names" are referring to the same Messiah - exactly as Abraham and Moses knew Him by different renderings of His Name. Anyone who blasphemes Him by the Name that they know Him by in their language is guilty of blasphemy, while anyone who worships and obeys Him by the Name that they know Him by in their language is righteous. That example and precedent was set by two of the most righteous people that ever lived - Abraham and Moses. The LORD's Name isn't about personal vanity or linguistic arrogance.

Translations of the Holy Scriptures into other languages began in the Holy Scriptures themselves. Most of the first Christians at the time of the Messiah's first coming spoke Aramaic (the Messiah's own primary language; see the Fact Finder question below) or Hebrew - and yet what they said and did in Aramaic and Hebrew was recorded in the New Testament in Greek - the "world language" of that time. Even in the New Testament itself, native Hebrew speakers and native Greek speakers knew and talked about the one and only Messiah by different names - but none were more right or righteous than any other. A Holy Bible is holy, regardless of what tongue, language, that it must use to serve those to whom it is given by the Spirit of God.

What are some of the things that the Messiah said (in Aramaic; see the Fact Finder question below) about His Name?

"7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:21-27 KJV)

"10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 10:19-22 KJV)

"19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:29 KJV)

"24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Matthew 24:4-13 KJV)

"9:49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 9:50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us." (Luke 9:49-50 KJV)

"16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God." (John 16:22-27 KJV

King Solomon was a man who "knew the LORD" better than most people ever did or will in this life. But when he discarded the Wisdom that the LORD gave to him, he lost, along with many other things, his ability to not take the LORD's Name in vain. By Solomon's own declaration, everything in Creation became "vanity" to him - including his, in doing so, own taking the LORD's Name in vain. It doesn't matter what language that Solomon used to do it; the result on the day of reckoning will be the same - for Solomon and for everyone else (see Ecclesiastes 1: Solomon's Ballad To Losers).

"7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

7:7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

7:10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

7:11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 7:17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 7:18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

7:21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: 7:22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

7:23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 7:24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 7:27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

7:28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." (Ecclesiastes 7:1-29 KJV)

Fact Finder: What was the Messiah's primary language in the time that He was born as a man?
See The Syrian Tongue Of Jesus