Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q. What is your denomination?

A.  We are not affiliated with any denomination.   We do not have a following, but we do welcome the fellowship of those who, like us, are not willing to compromise what the Bible says.

 

Q.  When do you have worship services?

A.  We rest from our labors on the day of the weekly Sabbath -- the day commonly known as Saturday, which is the same day set aside by our Example, Yeshua the Messiah.  Since we are such a small group, we are very informal and we are flexible with regard to meeting times.  Some folks come early and stay late, with much of the day spent discussing various Biblical topics.  The Hebraic word describing this form of investigative study is "midrash."  We welcome discussions on any Scriptural topic and all of noble intent are invited to join us.  For more information, please e-mail us at seekutruth at aol dot com.

 

Q.  Isn't the Messiah's true name Yahushua?

 A.  We are persuaded that the pronunciation Yahushua (Yehoshua, יהושׁע) is linguistically possible within the framework of the Hebrew language and this form is even found within the text of the Hebrew book of Hebrews. The Aramaic form of the Messiah's name is a shorter form of the name Yahushua and is pronounced Yeshua (ישׁוע).  This form is what we find in Scripture after the Jews' return from Babylon.  We have found that some folks prefer to go back to the most original form, as though this proves that the Messiah could only have been known by the original spelling of this name and that the shortened alteration represents an attempt to remove the Father's name ("Yah") from the original.  If this is so, however, then why was the short form admitted into inspired Scripture at all?

Several Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Matthew have been found, all of which contain the short form, Yeshua.  However, Sacred Name folk tend to regard this spelling, as found in those Hebrew texts, to be the result of a conspiracy to alter the "true" spelling.  From an archaeological perspective, ossuaries (ancient boxes used for burying the bones of deceased loved ones) have been found bearing the spelling Yeshua (ישׁוע).  Controversy abounds regarding the recent discovery of what is known as the "James Ossuary," which contains the inscription "James son of Joseph, brother of Yeshua."  Epigrapher André Lemaire of Sorbonne University, along with the editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, defends the authenticity of the inscription.  Some members of the Sacred Name Movement take the side of Israeli Antiquities Authority, which has concluded that the inscription is a forgery.  The Israeli Antiquities Authority, headed by those who would not likely support archaeological evidence validating the historicity of the New Testament, would not be expected to rule in favor of the inscription's authenticity.  Likewise, members of the Sacred Name Movement who embrace the form "Yahushua" (יהושׁע) would not be expected to regard an inscription bearing another form to be authentic. 

Coincidentally, although we do not actually include the following as "proof" supporting the short form ישׁוע, we find it fascinating that within the famous passage of Isaiah 53, where a clear prophetic reference is made to Yeshua as the suffering servant Who was led as a lamb to the slaughter and by Whose stripes we are healed, we find an ELS (Equidistant Letter Sequence) code that says "Yeshua (ישׁוע) is my  name."  Once again, while we are not about to claim that this hidden code proves anything, we are amazed at how quickly certain Sacred Name folks dismissed it.   We certainly offer no words of rebuke for those who prefer to refer to the Messiah as Yahushua, but until they are able to satisfactorily refute the information found in our study Name of the Messiah, we will continue referring to Him as Yeshua.