Disciples Digital Library

The Incommunicable Name of God, its meaning and significance, according to Joseph Bryant Rotherham . The following article is from the Introduction to the 1902 edition of  The  Emphasized  Bible  by Joseph Bryant Rotherham ( Public Domain ). It explains the background and meaning of the Hebrew name of God,  Yahweh , and the key reasons why it has been lost to a great many Christians over the centuries.

Jesus is the interpretive key that unlocks the Hebrew Scriptures, Bible prophecy, and the Mysteries of God . Jesus is the one who unveils the Mysteries of God. Only he is qualified to reveal the nature of the “ unseen God .” In him, all the promises of God find their substance. He is the  interpretive key  that unlocks the Hebrew Scriptures and provides the correct understanding of Bible prophecy.

Jesus é a chave interpretativa que abre as Escrituras Hebraicas, a profecia bíblica e os mistérios de Deus . Jesus é quem desvenda os Mistérios de Deus. Somente ele é qualificado para revelar a natureza “ do Deus invisível .” Nele, todas as promessas de Deus encontram sua substância.  Ele é a chave interpretativa  que abre as escrituras hebraicas e fornece o entendimento correto da Profecia Bíblica.

Jesus reveals the meaning of Scripture, the understanding of the future, and the nature and mysteries of God . Jesus unveils the Divine mysteries, and only he is qualified to reveal the nature and glory of the unseen God. All the promises of God find their fulfillment in him.  Christ unlocks the scriptures, and there is no true knowledge of God apart from him.

God has spoken clearly and decisively in His Son, the same Word by which God created life and the ages . The  Gospel of John  begins by identifying Jesus as the ‘ Logos ’ (λογος), the “ Word ” through which God made all things. This theme is prominent in John’s Gospel.   It builds on traditional ideas from the Hebrew Bible about God creating the world through His spoken Word. Jesus Christ is the Living Expression of that Divine word -  (“ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made… ” - Psalm 33:6-9. Compare John 1:1-4).

Jezus ontsluit de Hebreeuwse Geschriften, openbaart de goddelijke natuur en manifesteert de verlossende doeleinden van de God van Israël . Jezus onthult de kennis van God en voert zijn verlossingsplan uit. Hij is het middelpunt van de bedoelingen van zijn vader en de sleutel tot het begrijpen van de Hebreeuwse Geschriften. Alleen de Nazarener is gekwalificeerd om de onzichtbare God te openbaren, en door Christus alleen worden alle beloften van God vervuld.

Jesus unlocks the Hebrew Scriptures, reveals the Divine nature, and manifests the redemptive purposes of the God of Israel . Jesus unveils the knowledge of God and implements His plan of redemption. He is the center of his Father’s purposes and the key to understanding the Hebrew Scriptures. Only the Nazarene is qualified to reveal the invisible God, and through Christ alone, all the promises of God are fulfilled.

The fullness, grace, and truth of God are found in the Word made Flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, who alone has seen the unseen God – John 1:14-18. The Prologue to the  Gospel of John  introduces key themes of the Book, including  Life ,  Light ,  Witness ,  Truth ,  Glory , and  Grace .  Jesus of Nazareth is the Light of the world, the source of Grace and Truth, the True Tabernacle in whom God dwells, the only born Son of God, and the only one who has seen the Father. The Prologue concludes by declaring that the Son is the only one qualified to interpret God since he alone has seen the  Unseen God .

The fullness, grace, and truth of God are found only in the Word made Flesh, namely, Jesus Christ of Nazareth – John 1:14-18. The  Gospel of John  begins by introducing key themes that are expanded in the book -  Life ,  Light ,  Witness ,  Truth , and  Grace .  Jesus is the  Light of the world , the source of  Grace and Truth , the  True Tabernacle and Temple where God dwells , and the  only born Son of God  who dwells in the “ bosom of the Father .” The Prologue concludes by declaring that Christ is qualified  to interpret the unseen God  since he alone has seen the Living God.

Jesus is the key that unlocks the Hebrew Scriptures and reveals the nature and redemptive purposes of the God of Israel . Jesus unveils the knowledge and plans of God, and he is the center of his Father’s purposes for the redemption of humanity. He is  the key  that opens our understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, and only Christ is qualified to explain and demonstrate the Divine Nature. In Jesus of Nazareth, all the promises of God find their “Y ea and Amen! ”

The New Testament includes four gospel accounts, the gospels of Matthew , Mark , Luke , and John . The first three are categorized as ‘synoptic’ gospels, meaning “to see together.” The term is a compound of the Greek preposition sun (“together”) and optikos (“to see”), hence - “to see together.”

The first paragraph of Revelation presents us with its purpose, key themes, main characters, how it communicates, and its chronological outlook. The Book of Revelation reveals rather than mystifies. It is “ THE prophecy ,” singular, sent to the Assemblies of Jesus to “ show them what things must come to pass ,” a declaration that provides the timeframe of these coming “ things ,” namely, “ Soon .” Above all, it is a revelation about “ Jesus Christ .”

An angel commanded Daniel “ to close the words and seal the Scroll until the season of the end ” after the last of his visions. In contrast, the Scroll is open in the  Book of Revelation , and its contents are unveiled. Daniel was told to “ seal the Scroll ,” but the angel commanded John  NOT  to seal the Scroll. The verbal parallels are deliberate, and  Revelation  informs us that the time of fulfillment has arrived, and the Book is open.

The fullness, grace, and truth of God are found only in the Word that became flesh, namely, Jesus of Nazareth  – John 1:14-18. The Prologue of the  Gospel of John  introduces key themes that are expanded in the book, including  Life ,  Light ,  Witness ,  Truth , and  Grace .  Jesus is the light of the world, the source of grace and truth, the true tabernacle, and the only born Son of God who dwells in “ the bosom of the Father .” Moreover, only Jesus is qualified to interpret the unseen God since he alone has seen Him.

Was the New Testament composed in Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, or another language? The evidence points to Greek . What was the original language of the documents that became the New Testament? For centuries, the scholarly consensus has been that it was the Koiné Greek dialect spoken widely in the Eastern Roman Empire. However, certain voices in the church are claiming that it was composed in the Hebrew or Aramaic language. What follows is a brief overview of the primary evidence for a Greek original.

Jesus is the Word made flesh through whom the glory of God is revealed, the same Word by which God created all things . The  Gospel of John  identifies Jesus as the ‘ Logos ’, the “ Word ” through which God made the Universe. This theme is prominent in  John , and it builds on ideas from the Hebrew Bible about how God created the world, and especially life, through His spoken Word. Jesus of Nazareth is the complete living expression of that creative word.

Chapter 15 introduces the seven angels who unleash the “ seven last plagues on the earth ,” and chapter 16 describes their effects. These plagues are labeled “ last ” because they complete God’s “ wrath .” The “ seven bowls ” comprise the third sevenfold series of the book. Each series concludes with “ flashes of lightning, voices, and claps of thunder .”

In his first vision, John “ came to be in the spirit ” on the Isle of Patmos where he saw a vision of “ one like a Son of Man ” standing among the “ Seven Golden Lampstands .” The “ lampstands ” represented the seven churches of Asia. In the fourth chapter, he again “ came to be in the spirit .” But this time, he was summoned to heaven to receive a vision of the “ Throne ” at the center of the creation, the “ Sealed Scroll ,” and the slain “ Lamb .”

Are  Revelation ’s visions presented in chronological sequence as they unfold? If we assume this is the case, things quickly become untenable as key events are repeated over several visions. For example, the  “ sixth seal ”  culminates in the final day of wrath accompanied by celestial and terrestrial upheaval, yet the same events also occur in the “ seventh trumpet .”

The relevance of Revelation for today is lost if we ignore its historical context and read it with incorrect presuppositions . The  Book of Revelation  presents a sweeping picture of the church age that highlights the cosmic “ war ” that is being waged behind the scenes of History with individual “battles” that manifest in the daily struggles of the Assembly. Its visions show God working through the “ Lamb ” to implement His Kingdom, and it begins in the first century with the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia .”