Have you ever been confused by all the different titles—Adonai, HaShem, Elokim?
Have you wondered why so many are afraid to speak the Divine Name itself?
In this message, we uncover the history behind these traditions, how they developed after the Babylonian exile, and why the sacred Name was replaced with “LORD” in our Bibles. More importantly, we explore the heart of Scripture—how the Father intended His Name to be known, honored, and carried without fear.
This teaching lifts the veil, breaks the weight of tradition, and invites us back into the freedom, intimacy, and identity of being a people called by His name.
Shalom,
I’ve been studying deeply into the holiness of the Divine Name, the history behind our traditions, and the heart of Scripture on this subject.
I wrote the message below with great respect for you the reader and for our Jewish brothers and sisters who love Hashem.
A Message to My Jewish Brothers and Sisters:
On the Holiness, History, and Revelation of the Name
To my Jewish brothers and sisters,
The heart of this message is not to challenge your devotion, your heritage, or the traditions that have carried many of us through centuries of exile and survival. It is not to tear down what has preserved identity through unimaginable trials. Rather, it is to lift a veil, not by force, but by light — the same light the prophets spoke of, the same light that brings freedom, not fear.
Many today walk in the tradition of avoiding the Divine Name — not speaking it, not writing it fully, substituting it with titles like Adonai, HaShem, or Elokim. Some follow this practice with deep conviction. Others follow it simply because it is what they were taught, without ever being told how this tradition began or why it became so widespread.
So let me share this with gentleness and respect.
---
How This Tradition Began:
The Babylonian Exile and the Fear of Repeating the Past
In the days of Moses, David, the prophets, and even during the First Temple period, the Name LORD — the four letters YHWH — was spoken openly:
- in worship
- in prayer
- in blessing
- in teaching
- in the priestly ministry
The Torah never commanded Israel to hide the Name.
It commanded Israel to honor it.
But after centuries of disobedience, Israel was exiled to Babylon for 70 years. Scripture tells us exactly why:
> “The land enjoyed its sabbaths…
> to fulfill seventy years.”
> — 2 Chronicles 36:21
We had failed to keep the Sabbath years for 490 years.
The exile was covenant discipline — not because we spoke the Name, but because we neglected the land’s sabbaths and broke covenant.
When we returned from Babylon, we were traumatized by judgment and terrified of repeating the sins of our ancestors. Out of this fear, the leaders began building fences around the Torah — extra rules meant to prevent Israel from ever coming close to disobedience again.
One of those fences was:
“If we never speak the Name, we can never misuse it.”
This was not commanded by God.
It was our human reaction to fear.
Over time:
- The Name was spoken less and less.
- Only priests used it in the Temple.
- Eventually only the High Priest spoke it — once a year.
- After the Temple was destroyed, the Name fell into silence.
- Later rabbis declared it forbidden to pronounce except in the world to come.
What began as protection slowly became prohibition.
What began as reverence eventually became fear.
And many today follow this tradition without ever being told where it came from.
---
“LORD” Is a Replacement for the Divine Name — Not for “God”
When the tradition of avoiding the Name took hold, the actual Name YHWH was replaced with the title Adonai. English translators followed this tradition by writing:
- LORD (all caps) wherever the Hebrew says YHWH
- God where the Hebrew says Elohim
So the tradition is specifically about the Name, not the word “God.”
This distinction matters, because it shows that the Name was not removed by God — it was replaced by man.
---
The Name Was Never Meant to Be Hidden
The Holy One never said, “Hide My Name.”
He said:
- “Declare My Name.”
- “Bless My people with My Name.”
- “Call on My Name.”
- “Proclaim My Name among the nations.”
- “In this way you shall put My Name upon the children of Israel.”
We cannot be called by a Name we are forbidden to know.
We cannot carry a Name we are afraid to speak.
We cannot walk in the fullness of covenant while living under the weight of fear.
---
Yahshua Came to Restore What Fear Had Taken Away
When Yahshua prayed:
> “Father, I have made Your Name known…”
He was not breaking Torah.
He was restoring Torah.
He was giving back to His disciples what tradition had taken away — the revelation of our Abba's identity, character, and covenant Name. He revealed the Name not only by speaking it, but by embodying it. His own Name — Yahshua, “Yah saves” — carries the Divine Name within it.
He came to remove fear, not create it.
To restore intimacy, not restrict it.
To lift the veil, not thicken it.
---
A Call Back to Identity
This brings us to the Scripture that has been stirring in my heart:
> “If My people who are called by My Name
will humble themselves and pray…”
— 2 Chronicles 7:14
In Hebrew, “called by My Name” means:
“My people upon whom My Name is placed.”
This is priestly language.
This is covenant identity.
This is who Israel was always meant to be.
You keep the Name holy by walking in humility.
You make the Name known by walking in truth.
You honor the Name by living in alignment with the One who gave it.
Holiness is not silence.
Holiness is right representation.
Revelation is not casualness.
Revelation is relationship.
---
An Invitation, Not a Confrontation
So to my brothers and sisters, hear the heart behind this:
This message is not an attack on our tradition.
It is an invitation to rediscover the beauty, the power, and the intimacy of the Name that was given to us as a gift.
A Name meant to be carried.
A Name meant to be spoken.
A Name meant to be lived.
A Name meant to be known.
May this teaching bring clarity, not conflict.
Freedom, not fear.
Light, not pressure.
And above all, may it draw you closer to the One whose Name is life.
Christopher L. Kuntz STM