The Name Yeshua

In the Hebrew language, names have meanings. Jesus’ Hebrew name is ישוע pronounced “Yeshua.” Its literal meaning is he will save (see Strong’s Dictionary #3442).

The record of His birth in Matthew connects His name to His mission to save His people from their sins.

Mt 1:21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." (NKJV)

The written Hebrew language started out as pictographs. The letters are associated with both a sound and a picture. The pictographs frequently add an extra depth to the word. For example, the word for father is אב pronounce “ab” or “av” with the word read right to left. The first letter is the aleph, א, which was originally the picture of an ox head denoting strength, the leader or first. The second letter is the beit, ב, whose originally pictograph was a floor plan of a three room house. It means tent, house, household or family. The word picture for אב, father, is “the strength of the house or family. A father is the strength of a family.

An important word picture is that of the name of God יהוה, usually pronounced “Yahweh.” Jesus the Messiah is revealed in this name of God. The picture meaning for each letter in יהוה are as follows:

Yood: י A closed hand, a deed, to make, work
Hey: ה Window, lattice, “the”, to reveal
Vav: ו Nail, “and”, to add, to secure
Hey: ה Window, lattice, “the”, to reveal

Yahweh: The hand revealed the nail revealed. The salvation plan and the mission of Jesus are in the very name of God; the Father reveals the Son.

Ps 2:7 "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. (NKJV)

So, what about the name Jesus or Yeshua? Since Jesus is revealed in the Father’s name, do you think the Father could be revealed in the Son’s name? Jesus said the Father was in Him and He in the Father.

Joh 10:37 "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 "but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." (NKJV)

Further, He said that He did the works of the Father. Two of the Father’s works are to bring salvation and judgment, and two of God’s names evidence this. The name Yahweh first appears in the Bible in connection with the creation of man. Before that, only his name as Elohim is used. It is by the name of Yahweh that God delivers the Israelites from Egypt.

Le 26:13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright. (NKJV)

The name Yahweh reveals His mercy and grace. A second name is Almighty. In Hebrew that name is שדי, pronounced “Shaddai.” It comes from the word “shadad” which means burley, powerful, destroyer. The characteristic of God revealed by Shaddai is His power and judgment. We see both of these names in Joel 1:15.

Joe 1:15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD (Yahweh) is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty (Shaddai). (NKJV)

One more piece of background information and we are ready to look at the word picture for Jesus’ name. The first letter in God’s names are accepted abbreviations for the name. The picture meaning for ישוע “Yeshua” is as follows:

Yood: י Yahweh, God in His capacity of mercy and grace
Shin: ש Shaddai, God in His capacity as judge
Vav: ו Nail, “and”, to add, to secure
Ayin: ע eye, to see, know, experience

Yeshua: Mercy, grace and judgment secured by knowledge and experience. To know Yeshua is to know God in His mercy, grace and judgment. Yeshua came once to bring mercy or salvation. He will come again to bring judgment. In His own words as recorded by John He says:

Joh 12:47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. (NKJV)

Isaiah, like Joel, writes of the Last Day as being a day of judgment and destruction.

Isa 13:6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. (NKJV)

Shalom and Be Blessed