Is this an important issue? As individuals we make our own choices.
Most Christians would consider it of little concern, but a few might be curious and give it some consideration and be prepared to acknowledge it as faith enriching. Names may just be just names to us, but sometimes they hold a great significance. We have observed many Christians declare with hatred that Donald Trump was immoral and base - yet he has a most significant name (that of the trumpet). Many Messianic Jews and Evangelicals view Trump as a latter day Cyrus, knowing full well that Cyrus was an idolater. Do any consider the meaning of the name Immanuel Macron?
Is the name of our Lord important?
To answer the above question we need to venture into several areas of research.
The English Language
Our book collection contains a book of 14th Century writings, from English studies in university days. To translate these works a glossary of word meanings was required, as it is like trying to decipher another language. The English language has changed significantly over the centuries and was influenced by the French, Latin and Norse languages, and, as French and Latin lost ground, English expanded.
The Dialects
In Britain there was no one uniform language and many dialects. For instance the symbols 'u' and 'y' could denote the same sound and would vary from area to area. u for OE y was found south of the Thames and west of London and both occurred in Cheshire and Lancashire. In the Midlands there was overlapping features that distinguished the North from the South. We must conclude that English presents some real issues. For a long time 'j' stood for 'i'. The modern 'j' sound seems to have been a later addition from the French.
This book also provides some interesting comments on Translations.
“Translations of the Bible were common in France in the 14th century. Six fine copies survive from the library of John, Duke of Berry (died 1416). About the middle of the 14th century, King John of France ordered a new translation and commentary to be made at “the expense of the Jews.” (Fourteenth Century Verse and Prose 1921 Edited 1964 by Kenneth Sisam p.245)
There is a definite anti-Semitic sentiment associated with this order by the King of France. The Romans had tried to destroy the Jews in AD 70 and the emergence of the Catholic Church after 300AD resulted in centuries of persecution of Jews and non- conforming Christians to Catholicism.
France was a Catholic country and not until the time of Napoleon did the Jews find safety in France.
Our conclusion is that throughout Europe and Britain the Church wanted to expunge the significance of Jews and Judaism from the Bible. There was no effort to seek a pronunciation that was Hebrew or Middle Eastern.
Martin Luther in the 16thCcentury
Luther founder of Lutheranism was champion of those who rebelled against the Catholic Church its traditions and the power of its clergy. It is believed by the Jews, even today, that he was the cause of the rise of anti-Semitism that became established in Europe and ultimately resulted in Hitler and the Holocaust.
Jews today still remember and pay tribute to Andreas Osiander (1498-1552) who argued against Luther in Nuremberg in the 1520’s. Andreas Osiander published a defence and maintained that the Jews had a most relevant place in God’s purpose in 1529. Luther refuted this argument. Osiander denounced Luther's anti-Semitism in 1544. Having challenged Luther on this and some other issues, Osiander had to go into exile in Koenigsberg 1548 to avoid being killed for such treachery.
What followed in Europe?
Jews had been expelled from Spain in 1492, but the Inquisition continued until 1808 when Napoleon disbanded it, Russian pogroms 1880’s, Hitler and Nazism 1900s.
We have so far established two main points regarding translation of the Bible: the unreliability of the changing English language, and, the development of anti-Semitism and the desire of Christianity in its various forms, Anglican and Catholic, to destroy any elements of Judaism, despite the Bible being written by Jews. Have you ever wondered why Britain is having so much problem trying to Brexit Europe? Take a look at the abominable way she has treated Israel since 1922!
Recent Historical Revival of the Name of Y'shua
In looking back to find if others had looked at this issue in the past we found from 1869 a passage regarding the message to Zechariah: (Luke 1)
Gabriel appeared to Zechariah the Priest and declared to him “that his wife Elizabeth, one of the posterity of Aaron, should become the mother of John, who should “go before Yahweh their Elohim” to prepare a people to receive him; and who afterwards appeared to a virgin of the house of David, and informed her that she should become the mother of Yah Elohim ie “He who shall be Mighty Ones (Psalm 68: 19) or as he is named in Jer 23:6 Yahweh tzidkainu, “He who shall be our righteoueness”; or as the latter occurs in the Greek Ie-sous, which is a corruption of Yahoshaia, contracted, Yeshua, “He shall be salvation”. (1869, Phanerosis, Thomas William H Davis, p53).
That work from 1869 acknowledges a huge debt to Jews of New York beginning with an argument against Jews converted to what then passed for orthodox Christianity, rejecting their own beliefs! In the preface it states that the work came from an encounter in 1857 with two Jews surnamed Epstein and Lederer,
“converted from Rabbinical Judaism to Protestant Gentileism, commenced a meeting in New York City, for the purpose of convincing their "brethren according to the flesh," that "the Jesus preached" and believed in by Protestants and Papists is the Christ (ed. Messiah) promised in the prophets to their fathers.”
Whether Christians would agree or not, and there is considerable disagreement among Christians, which the sincere seeker of truth must with prayer and reading find for themselves, this work was early in a trend that would continue to increase in the revival of the Hebrew names, as Christians sought to find the Hebrew roots of their faith.
An answer lies in the early texts
These references are given below in their context.
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that Yahweh might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. (Psalms 68:18-19 [KJV])
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jeremiah 23:5-6 [KJV])
From this we can see that Yeshua is the name of Our Messiah. It is a name with meaning “he shall be salvation”
This New Testament translation gives the name’s Hebrew origin in Acts 7:45 and Heb 4:8 where the KJV reads Jesus for Joshua showing it is the same name. Therefore they knew this for a fact in that era, and it wasn't hidden to those who read the KJV and thought on it.
Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness... Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus (ie Joshua) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Acts 7:44-45
It also occurs in Heb 4:8 For if Jesus (ie Joshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
As many now accept a Hebrew pronunciation of our Lord's Name, we would be ignorant to not know this! Would we pronounce the name of a visitor in their language, or just say it how we think - in their presence?(Matt. 18:20)
