What's In a Name?

WHEN THE NAME IS THAT OF THE SON OF GOD,
THE ANSWER IS: "VERY MUCH!"
by Clifford Denton, D. Phil.

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When the Gospel went out to the Greek speaking world our Saviour was called Jesus. This is a modification of Yeshua, the Hebraic form of his name. A growing number of believers are using the name Yeshua again. This is linked to the growth of a movement to restore the Hebraic foundations of the Christian faith. The name is rich in meaning, being associated with the Hebrew word for salvation. Indeed, if we look closely at the Hebrew letters which make up the name, we will discover even greater significance.

The name Yeshua is made up of four consonents, Reading from right to left these are yud, shin, vav, ayin. It is interesting to compare the letters which form the word with the letters, known as the tetragrammaton, which make up the name of Yahweh, God the Father. These are yud, hay, vav, hay. If we put the letters for the Son’s name under the letters for the Father’s name, we can compare them more easily:

Both names have yud and vav. There are meanings attached to Hebrew letters. To some extent they are like hieroglyphics, conveying meaning through pictures. One Jewish tradition is that the vav symbolises the power that binds together the souls of Israel. We will return to this point later. The hay is symbolic of a window. It looks as though the Son’s name is derived from the Father’s name by changing the two symbols of the window for the shin and ayin . Perhaps something happened when the windows of heaven opened to reveal the Son. Obviously we can stretch these ideas too far, but there would seem to be something important to consider if we go a little further.

First, we can consider the yud and the vav which are in both the names of the Father and the Son. The letter yud is the symbol for hand–the Hebrew word for hand, yad, comes from this. The letter vav is the symbol for a nail or a hook and the word vav itself is the Hebrew for the kind of nail that is used to pin something down while it is being stretched. Now we can see the power of the message behind the letters. The hands (yud) of Yeshua (Jesus) were pierced by nails (vav) as his body was stretched on the cross. This was the means by which those saved from Israel may be bound together with the Father, fulfilling the Jewish tradition in a remarkable way. It cannot be by chance that the names of the Father and the Son both contain the symbols of the suffering that took place for the salvation of Israel.

Now we should look at the other two letters that make up the name of Yeshua. These also have clear meaning. The shin is the symbol of teeth, and the word shin also means tooth in Hebrew. The ayin is the symbol of eyes, and the word ayin also means eyes in Hebrew. This is a mystery until we read the messianic promise given by Jacob to Judah in Genesis 49:8-12 where there is reference to the eyes and teeth of the Messiah. Among the things that were said, we have, "His eyes shall be red with wine and his teeth white with milk." But what else does the symbolism of eyes and teeth mean? If we put the ayin with the shin, we form the word which is associated with the word delight. But what of this delight? Like the psalmist, surely Yeshua delighted in the Torah (law) of God. Indeed, this is so when we recall that eyes and teeth are symbolic of the righteousness of the justice of God, eye for eye and tooth for tooth (Exodus 21:24).

The name Yeshua contains justice and perffect balance. While ayin and shin symbolise jus-tice of the law of God, yud and vav symbolise the extent of God’s mercy. There is a way of restoration for those who have broken the laws of God whatever they have done, and this principle is all bound up into the name of Yeshua, which means salvation. Those who believe in him can be saved from their sins, whatever they have done. It is important to remember this when we consider the next point, which is deeply relevant to millions of people today.

We should go back to the passage from Exodus 21 from which the principle eye for eye and tooth for tooth comes. This principle of justice is associated with harm that is done to an unborn child. If someone damages the eye or tooth of an unborn child, they will have the equivalent penalty. God cares for the poor and oppressed and expresses this by applying the principles of his righteousness to the most defenceless of our society, our unborn children. Indeed, not only is the penalty for damaging an unborn child eye for eye and tooth for tooth, it is also life for life. What then of abortion? Surely we must infer eye for eye, tooth for tooth and death for death. Those who have taken the life of an unborn child have the curse of death hanging over them. Indeed, the blood of murder calls for justice in the whole of our nation. We thank God that the name of Yeshua contains mercy (the symbols of his death–the nail-pierced hands) which shows that our death penalty can be taken by him. The time has come for repentance in our nation from those who have, in their ignorance, broken the laws of God even in such extreme ways as taking the lives of unborn children.

We praise God that He has made provision through his Son for all our needs when we turn to him for forgiveness, and we rejoice that he has sealed up these truths before the beginning of time when he designed the Hebrew language in a way that could demonstrate the great truths of perfectly balanced justice and mercy in the very letters of the name Yeshua. "And you shall call his name Yeshua because he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21).

There is even more to see. For example, we can consider how the prophecy over Judah (Genesis 49:8-12) pointed to the perfect righteousness of the coming Messiah: His eyes shall be red with wine and his teeth white with milk. Yet even in the symbols of the eyes and teeth pointing to the outworking of "eye for eye and tooth for tooth," we can also consider a wonderful picture of mercy triumphing over justice. If the repentant sinner were to look into the face of the Messiah, he or she would see not a frown of judgement, but a smile of friendship, love and mercy. The love of God shines out from Yeshua’s smile and loving eyes. Indeed, those teeth and eyes are as much a sign of love as judgement when the repentant sinner turns to the Messiah for forgiveness.

There is yet another important insight. We recall that the Hebraic form of the name Jesus is Yeshua, which is made up of four Hebrew letters. Many Jews rejected Yeshua as Messiah and for centuries they have sought to profane his name. In shortening the name to Yeshu, as many religious Jews do, they declare "May his name be profaned." Let us consider how this act accompanies justice according to the principle of "an eye for an eye." The Hebrew for Yeshu is the same as the Hebrew for Yeshua except that the letter ayin has been removed from the end. If we recall that the letter ayin means "eyes" then we can understand the link with what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:14-16: "To this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

There is no other name except Yeshua through whom anyone can be saved. His name is "Salvation." Those who profane his name have brought judgement on themselves, leaving a partial blindness to this day. With the removal of the letter that symbolises eyes from the name of Yeshua (Jesus) a partial blindness came to those who read the Torah but fail to see that it points to him. We look forward to the day when repentance will sweep through Israel, when the ayin will be recovered into the name of Yeshua, resulting in the opening of eyes of understanding of who he really is. Then he will be worshipped instead of profaned, as those who have rejected him will see love in his beautiful smiling face rather than the judgement that they brought upon themselves. We have this promise within the prophecy of Paul contained in Romans 11, when the whole company of God’s people will be gathered into the one Israel of God in the last days.

What is in a name? When that name is that of the Son of God, the answer is, very much. Even those who have committed the sin of abortion can be restored to fellowship with God through faith in him. He took their sins upon himself when his nail-pierced hands pinned him to the cross. In him, as shown even in his name, was mercy and justice in perfect balance, but through him, mercy triumphs over judgement for all who repent of their sins through faith in him.

Dr. Clifford Denton is director of Prophetic Word Ministries and editor of Prophesy Today, an important journal in the United Kingdom. He is also director of Cambrian Christian College, which specializes in studies from a Torah foundation. His teaching ministry helps Christians understand the Hebraic heritage of their Christian faith. Clifford, his wife Christine, and their children live in Gillingham, Suffolk, England.

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