Dr Heiser, Discovers OT
His Name Studies > Christian Leadership Denial
Dr Michael Heiser Answers the Question About our Savior's Name
Dr Heiser: Is very knowledgeable and I find his lectures very interesting and conducive to the study of your own Bible and giving extra attention to the Words and the Word meanings. Dr. Heiser adheres to the name JESUS as a Greek Name (see email exchanged below). He believes in the Trinity Doctrine, and teaches that the "sons of god", in Genesis 6, are Angels, and in this area, follows, pretty much, the Book of Enoch, a non-biblical work of fiction that, supposedly survived the Great Flood. His letures are worth viewing, with your Bible at hand.
On Wed, Nov 18, 2020
My Question:
Why JESUS and not YaHshua or one of the other variations? like Yehoshua or even Yahushua? He was born a Jew, right, and not a Greek or a Latin or an Englishman, right? I am just wondering the reasoning, knowing that your reasoning is pretty good. If you do not mind a little give and take, your answer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dan
Dr H – Answer:
I would think Jesus' mom and friends called him Yeshua (and that is the pronunciation of "Joshua" in Hebrew, which was Jesus' Hebrew name). But the NT wasn't written in Hebrew (or Aramaic). It was written in Greek, which = Iēsous (and that is exactly the same as the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT known from antiquity, the Septuagint).
The English equivalent of Iēsous is Jesus.
Mike
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On Sat, Nov 21, 2020
My Question and Response:
Thank you for the answer. I will not try to talk you out of your reasoning. I am sure you have heard it all anyway. But one thing to consider -- if we have His Birth Name and it is in the Bible, as you say it is pronounced as "Joshua" then why use a different name? Joshua is replaced with Jesus? Just something to consider. Thanks again for taking the time to respond, Dan
Dr H, Answer, and Response:
There's no "reasoning" here - this is what's in the texts. They are what they are. I didn't write them.
Joshua is English. The Hebrew is Yeshua (longer form, Yehoshua). It is translated Iēsous in the Greek Septuagint, and so that is the spelling in the Greek NT. It's very straightforward.
Mike
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Now, My Observation concerning Dr Heiser's final answer:
The names in question are in the text? What if the names are wrong? Dr H goes to great lengths in his presentations about the use of the word GOD, and G o d, yet when it comes to the name of our Savior, a name given to Him at birth it suddenly becomes, what is in the text. He is right about the name Joshua being English, but the supposed name Yeshua, like many other teachers he turns to suggesting that Yeshua is a short form, by saying that YeHoshua is a longer form. But the problem is that the so called short form, is not the same, and actually changes the Name, and this is don by dropping the H letter, and this changes the name, and how it is pronounced. A true short form would be, YaH, not Ye. Next Dr Heiser says that Iesous is the Greek -- in the Septuagint, of course, because the Greek is actually, Insous, but either way, neither is pronounced as His Name would be pronounced or sounded out. What does YaHshua sound like if a Greek person were to pronounce it? It would sound like, YaHshua, not Jesus. It is not straightforward, it is crooked and twisted, to the point His Name, Given to Him at Birth is not changed, but replaced -- replaced by a name that is not Greek nor Hebrew -- the name JESUS is none of these, it is and invention, and as a name, it is pronounced as HeZeus, or The Zeus, in many parts of the world.
Email Comments or opinions to: dan@servantsofyahshua.com