The Priestly Prayer of the Blessing

OUR ENGLISH WORD god is very broad; it can mean any deity, including false gods. However, the one true G-D of Israel identifies Himself with an actual name.

The actual sacred name ceased to be pronounced around the third century BC. Rabbinical Judaism teaches that pronouncing the sacred name is forbidden except by the kohen gadol (the high priest) in the holy temple on Yom Kippur. Modern Jewish people never pronounce the sacred name as contained in the tetragrammaton, YHWH. Instead they use Adonai (Lord) or Hashem (the name). The Jewish Masoretic text uses Adonai in the place of the tetragrammaton, YHWH.

The problem remains that many times in the Holy Scriptures the one true G-D of Israel declares that His sacred name shall be known.

When we talk about G-D to others, how do they know what G-D we are talking about? The English words God and Lord do not define who the one true G-D of Israel truly is. For instance, Buddhists refer to the Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu. The Hindus worship some thirty-three million gods and goddesses.

The Old Testament refers to the sacred name of the one true G-D as represented in the tetragrammaton more than sixty-five hundred times. Therefore, I would submit to you that it is important to know what He revealed as being His actual name. For only then can we communicate whom the one true G-D really is.

LORD Versus Lord

In our English Bibles the tetragrammaton, YHWH, is translated as LORD. Notice that it is indicated by the use of small capital letters—LORD—as opposed to other names for G-D that are translated using the lowercase letters—Lord—elsewhere in the Bible.

It is interesting to note that those in the religion of Islam hold in high esteem the name of Allah. They consider that expression to be the “sacred name.” However, there are many historical resources that dispute this fact.

That Islam was conceived in idolatry is shown by the fact that many rituals performed in the name of Allah were connected with the pagan worship that existed before Islam. . . . Before Islam Allah was reported to be known as: the supreme of a pantheon of gods; the name of a god whom the Arabs worshipped; the chief god of the pantheon; Ali-ilah; the god; the supreme; the all-powerful; all-knowing; and totally unknowable; the predeterminer of everyone’s life destiny; chief of the gods; the special deity of the Quraish; having three daughters: Al Uzzah (Venus), Manah (Destiny), and Alat; having the idol temple at Mecca under his name (House of Allah); the mate of Alat, the goddess of fate. . . . Because of other Arabian history which points to heathen worship of the sun, moon, and the stars, as well as other gods, of which I believe Allah was in some way connected to. This then would prove to us that Allah is not the same as the true [G-D] of the Bible whom we worship, because [G-D] never changes.¹

Islam itself points out that Allah was the name used long ago even before the Torah was given to Moses by the one true G-D of Israel. Yet we know that the one true G-D revealed His sacred name to Moses from the burning bush.

The name Allah is used today in Christian Arab language Bibles, but they will admit that the use of this name merely is like the English word God and not at all the sacred name of the one true G-D of Israel. Yet today Islam holds the name of Allah to be the sacred name to such a degree that anyone who defames that name will be held accountable and judged guilty with a death sentence for blasphemy.

Many believers today do not understand who the one true G-D is and what His actual name is in a way they can explain it to others. If we can truly understand who we are praying to and how glorious He truly is—who He is concerning His character and what He is able to do because of His attributes—we won’t be afraid, struggling with so many issues. We will increase our faith and peace knowing that we have a “Big Daddy.” Through Him, nothing is impossible!

It’s important to know His name—because there is only one true G-D. This is made known in the Ten Commandments, which says:

You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself any graven idol, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water below the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the LORD your [G-D], am a jealous [G-D], visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them who hate Me.

—EXODUS 20:3–5

When we begin to understand who our heavenly Father truly is, then we begin to grasp the power and glory we can be part of while living on earth. If we are in Yeshua—we believe in Him and have been born again—then by default, when we pray to the Father, we are praying to the one true G-D of Israel. When we pray to the Father in the name of Yeshua, even without understanding who our heavenly Father truly is—holy, above all things, all powerful—by default we are praying to the one true G-D of Israel.

Abba is the Hebrew term for “Daddy.” It’s OK to view yourself as a little child when you go before your heavenly Father.

When we do not know how to pray, especially when we are going through the heaviest of trials, feeling low and unable to even lift up our Bible to read, we can go before our heavenly Father and allow the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to pray through us with words we don’t understand.

When it comes to fully understanding the significance of the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing, the Ruach HaKodesh helps us to understand the Hebrew meaning of the words so we fully appreciate and comprehend how powerful and profound the prayer truly is.

We are commanded in Holy Scriptures to proclaim His true name, the sacred name of the one true G-D of Israel. The name that is concealed in the tetragrammaton.

This scripture is clear that all nations are to understand the name of the one true G-D. Yeshua came to show forth exactly who the one true G-D is. Yeshua was a manifestation of the character of the Father for all to witness and comprehend!

So the hidden sacred name of the one true G-D is actually in the original Hebrew Scriptures. In the Scriptures G-D calls out to us, beseeching us to seek Him and petition Him in prayer.

How do you call out to someone without knowing his or her name? If my wife and I are separated in a crowded room and she wants to communicate to me, it is helpful that she can call out my name, “Warren, where are you?”

What about when we need prayer? If I don’t know another person’s name, I might say, “Hey brother, can I ask you to pray with me about something?” It’s far better if I know that person’s name. Why? Because when I don’t know another person’s actual name, my relationship remains at a distance.

The same principle applies to our relationship with G-D. If we say we have an intimate relationship with the one true G-D, yet we don’t truly know His name, how intimate are we?

Avoid Extremes

Before we go further, let me clarify that I am not taking the position of the Sacred Name Movement where people argue about the exact translation and how to pronounce the name of G-D. There are two extreme positions in the church today, and both are wrong!

One group believes if you are not saying the Hebrew name of G-D in the way they believe it should be pronounced, then you are on the way to hell. They will even argue about the correct spelling.

The second group says that the only way to say G-D’s name is in English. They contend that we should use the English name of Jesus and not the Hebrew name of Yeshua.

One time I overheard a person saying, “I am sick and tired of hearing people saying ‘Yahweh’ or ‘Yehovah!’ I’m sick and tired of hearing people call G-D ‘Adonai.’ And I really despise when people pronounce the Messiah’s name as ‘Yeshua.’ It’s ‘Jesus!’”

I responded, “Yes, His name is pronounced ‘Jesus’ in America, but it’s pronounced ‘Hey-sus’ in Mexico.”

It’s ridiculous to get into that mentality. If someone lives in Israel and prays to the heavenly Father in Hebrew or to Jesus in Hebrew—praise the Lord—it is beautiful. When I am speaking in America, I refer to both the Hebrew and English names of the Messiah, I will often call Him both Yeshua and Jesus as I’ve done in this book.

If you are a believer, it’s OK to address Him in English as God or Lord. I don’t want to place condemnation upon you. The important thing isn’t how to say His name. Even Lucifer (Satan) knows how to properly pronounce the name of the one true G-D, but he doesn’t know Him, nor does he love the one true G-D.

What is important is that we try to understand the difference between false gods and the one true G-D of Israel. My search took me into grasping the meaning behind His name in the Hebrew!

I must confess that since I began praying with the full knowledge of the sacred name of G-D, understanding who my heavenly Father truly is, His very person in relation to Yeshua (Jesus) and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), my life has been radically transformed like never before. I used to view the Most High G-D of Israel, my heavenly Father, sitting on His throne in heaven, distant and hard to approach directly. But as I continued my search, I have found that His desire is to make Himself known to me, always reaching out, pursuing me, desiring communion, wanting to impart His very person, His holy character, His power and authority upon me! By pursuing Him and accessing His divine embrace and His life-giving breath, by default I have found myself walking in the supernatural blessings and promises in a powerful way!

I can honestly say that I have a moment-by-moment sense of connectedness with the one true G-D of Israel like never before in my life. Things have become so clear. My understanding of the Holy Scriptures and doctrine is not confused. I am cognizant of the reality of supernatural power to help me fulfill my God-given destiny and purpose.

The apostle Peter quoted the Tanakh (Old Testament) concerning the promise of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) who would not just reside within every believer but also would come upon all believers when the new covenant would come into existence. When you read the original Hebrew, the sacred name of the one true G-D is made evident in the tetragrammaton.

The exact translation or pronunciation of His sacred name in Hebrew has been a mystery for generations. The exact vowels for the tetragrammaton have been lost. Today biblical scholars have come to some consensus. Understanding what they have found has helped me to draw closer to the one true G-D of Israel like never before!

Many use the truncated form of the sacred name, YaH. YaHuWsHua is a more recent assertion by some in the Sacred Name Movement, but it is less known and not supported by the majority of Hebrew scholars or by manuscript evidence. The sacred name of the one true G-D of Israel was revealed to Moses:

Moses said to [G-D], “I am going to the children of Israel and will say to them, ‘The [G-D] of your fathers has sent me to you.’ When they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And [G-D] said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and He said, “You will say this to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

—EXODUS 3:13–14

The phrase in Hebrew, ehyeh asher ehyeh (rendered as “I AM WHO I AM” in English) derives from the imperfect first person form of the verb hayah, which means “I will be,” and therefore indicates a connection between the name hidden in the tetragrammaton YHWH. YHWH is the “source of all being” and has “being inherent in Himself.” Everything else is a contingent being that “derives existence from Him.”²

In this book I have chosen to refer to the one true G-D of Israel’s sacred name as YHWH (which is YaHWeH or YeHoVaH), so as not to become a stumbling block to your receiving the fullness of this revelation from the proclamation of the Priestly Prayer of the Blessing.

Catholic Catechism Defines G-D This Way

“[G-D] is the fullness of being, of every perfection and without origin (beginning) and without end. All creatures receive all that they are and have from Him; but He alone is His very being, and He is of Himself everything that He is.”³

This is a different concept than in Eastern mysticism. Eastern Mysticism and the New Age religions talk about god(s) and all of creation and the universe itself as being one. They convey that “we are all god.” But the Judaic/Christian understanding is that YHWH, the one true G-D, exists as the self-existent One. We are made in His image and likeness so that we have free will to enter into a relationship with Him or choose to ignore this life-changing relationship.

Also, we should understand who the one true G-D of Israel truly is. He is:

Omnipotent—This means G-D can do what He wants. It means He is not subject to physical limitations like man is. Being omnipotent, G-D has power over wind, water, gravity, physics, etc. G-D’s power is infinite, or limitless.

Omniscient—This means “all-knowing.” G-D is all all-knowing in the sense that He is aware of the past, present, and future. Nothing takes Him by surprise. His knowledge is total. He knows all that there is to know and all that can be known.

Omnipresent—This means “all present.” This term means that G-D is capable of being everywhere at the same time. It means His divine presence encompasses the whole of the universe. There is no location that He does not inhabit. This should not be confused with pantheism, which suggests that G-D is “one with the universe” itself; instead, omni-presence indicates that G-D is distinct from the universe, but inhabits the entirety of it. He is everywhere at once.⁴

One well-known minister of the gospel shared with me his testimony of discovering the sacred name of YHWH. As he performed intense studies for many years to determine what the missing vowels are, he had talked with several Hebrew biblical scholars in Israel, including Nehemiah Gordon. He became convinced that the proper pronunciation is “YeHoVaH.” This was hard for him accept at first because a lot of his teachings throughout the years referred to the sacred name as being YaHWeH.

He began beseeching G-D for the truth concerning this. He received a phone call that a close associate from his ministry was admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening condition. Her family believed that it was time for everyone to say their good-byes to her.

He went to the hospital and saw her family and friends gathered in the hospital room preparing for the inevitable. He prayed out loud to G-D, “If Your name is YeHoVaH then please show me—I will pray in Your name, and if this is truly Your sacred name, then when I use Your name when I pray, heal her in front of everybody!”

He then shared what he was about to do with those gathered in the room. Out loud he prayed, “YeHoVaH, heal our sister in Your holy name.” To the amazement of all gathered there, she immediately opened her eyes and came out of a comatose state.

Today she is still alive and totally healed. This convinced him that he had discovered the sacred name of the one true G-D of Israel.

I want to point out to you that we who are in the new covenant are adopted spiritually as sons and daughters of the heavenly Father. It isn’t as important to know exactly how to pronounce the true name of the heavenly Father—whether you use the more accepted YaHWeH or YeHoVaH—it is more important that we know Him and communicate with our heavenly Daddy. But I, and many others, have found that there is power in the Hebrew names that unlocks the supernatural power of the Most High G-D.

Another testimony comes from a woman that I know, who before she had a relationship with Yeshua as Messiah and Lord (Adonai), was involved as an exotic dancer in gentleman’s clubs. When she became born again, she immediately stopped such activities. She began to study the Bible, go to church, and grow in her faith. Yet there was always a great conflict inside of her mind that remained for many years. The voices inside her raged, bringing conflict in her thought patterns. It affected her marriage and her role as a mother. She shared the difference it made of discovering and praying in the Hebrew names of G-D:

This is what the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) revealed to me. The perfect love I received when accepting Yeshua (Jesus) in my heart twenty-six years ago, the name of YHWH (YeHoVaH) is now my last name. When I was adopted spiritually by my heavenly Father, just as when a person is adopted they receive the father’s family name, so too I know I have that new identity. I now belong to Him. That perfect love that He alone gave me, through various events that happened throughout my marriage, the enemy (Satan) used to attempt to destroy! Not only did he go after my marriage and family, through whispering lies within me, but the enemy also attempted to destroy the truth and my belief that YHWH’s love is perfect. I had not yet understood these deep things to be able to have deliverance, confession, and repentance, so that His perfect love could be restored quickly. The enemy knew this perfect love is what utterly transformed me completely when I came to know Him at twenty-six years old. It was tiny little things hidden that Satan used to distort and twist, but grew over time. Once I began to understand the sacred name of the Father and prayed in that name, my breakthrough began to come. Glory to YeHoVaH for the revelation and restoration!

These are only two of the many testimonies I have received. There are many more that deal with supernatural physical, psychological, and emotional healing, prosperity, reunification of families, deliverance from demonic oppression and possession, divine provision, and so much more!

KEYS TO THE BLESSING

The meaning of G-D’s sacred name in Hebrew is “I Am Who I Am.” He is the self-existent One!

STUDY QUESTIONS

What are the two main ways scholars have decided to pronounce YHWH (the tetragrammaton)—G-D’s sacred name?

What is more important to know: the proper pronunciation of G-D’s sacred name or the person of YHWH as your heavenly Father?