Calling on the Name: Why We Say Yahweh, Yeshua, and Ruach HaKodesh
Rediscovering the sacred names of the Father, Son, and Spirit in Scripture and covenant.
Calling on the Name: Why We Say Yahweh, Yeshua, and Ruach HaKodesh
Rediscovering the sacred names of the Father, Son, and Spirit in Scripture and covenant.
A Name is Not Just a Word—It’s a Witness
Have you ever had someone call you by the wrong name?
Maybe it was a nickname you didn’t choose. Maybe it was a mispronunciation, or worse, a name that flattened your identity into something generic. It doesn’t feel malicious—but it doesn’t feel personal either. Something is lost.
Names matter. Especially when they come from relationship.
That’s why we don’t just say God here at The Way of Life. Not because that word is wrong—but because it’s not enough. God is a title. Lord is a translation. But the Scriptures give us something far more personal and profound:
Yahweh — the covenant name of the Father.
Yeshua — the salvation name of the Son.
Ruach HaKodesh — the Spirit who sets us apart.
You’ve probably heard celebrities or athletes say, “First, I want to thank God…” But which God are they talking about? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? The Father of Yeshua the Messiah? Or a god of their own making?
Without the name, we cannot be sure.
Scripture is not vague. Yahweh reveals His name to Moses and says, “This is My name forever” (Exodus 3:15). Yeshua says, “I have made Your name known to them” (John 17:6). When the Spirit comes, He comes as Ruach HaKodesh—the Set-Apart Spirit, not a force, not a feeling, but a person with a name.
Reclaiming these names is not about legalism. It’s about loyalty.
Not about sounding “Hebrew.” But about honoring covenant.
Not about being exclusive. But about being exact—because the One we worship is not whoever we want Him to be.
He is who He says He is.
Yahweh: The Name Above All Names
“This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”
—Exodus 3:15
The name of the Most High is not God. That’s a role or a title—like “President” or “Judge.” The Scriptures reveal His personal, covenant name:
YHWH (יהוה) — often vocalized as Yahweh.
When Moses asks for God’s name, Yahweh answers with “I AM”—the One who always was, is, and will be. The One who is faithful to His word.
In most English Bibles, this name is replaced with LORD in all capital letters—over 6,800 times. But doing so veils one of the most intimate revelations in all of Scripture.
To say Yahweh is to name the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—not a generic deity, not a philosophical concept, not an idol or idea, but the One who makes covenant, keeps promises, and delivers His people.
Yeshua: Salvation Has a Name
“You shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.”
—Matthew 1:21
The name Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) means “Yah saves” or “salvation of Yahweh.”
It is a shortened, familiar form of the full Hebrew name Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), meaning “Yahweh is salvation.”
This is the same name given to Joshua, the son of Nun, who succeeded Moses and led Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua’s original name was Hoshea (הוֹשֵׁעַ, “salvation”), but Moses renamed him Yehoshua to declare that salvation comes from Yahweh alone (Numbers 13:16).
Over time, especially during and after the Babylonian exile, the name Yehoshua was commonly shortened to Yeshua, as seen in books like Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 3:2). This abbreviation retained the same theological meaning—declaring Yahweh as Savior.
So why do we call one Joshua and the other Jesus?
Even though both share the same original Hebrew name, their English forms took different transliteration paths:
Yehoshua → Yeshua → Iēsous (Greek) → Iesus (Latin) → Jesus (English, post-16th century)
Yehoshua → Joshua (direct from Hebrew to English in the Old Testament)
English translators chose to retain the Hebrew root Yehoshua in rendering “Joshua,” but followed the Greek-to-Latin path for “Jesus.” That’s why the names appear different in English—even though in Hebrew, they are one and the same.
This connection is not just linguistic—it’s prophetic.
Just as Joshua led the Israelites into their physical inheritance, Yeshua leads us into our spiritual inheritance—into the covenant promises, into the Kingdom, and into the presence of Yahweh.
When we call Him Yeshua, we’re not just saying a name.
We’re declaring His mission: “Yah saves.”
We’re echoing Isaiah 12:2:
“Behold, God is my salvation [yeshuah]; I will trust and not be afraid.”
We’re remembering Exodus 14:13:
“Stand still, and see the salvation [yeshuah] of Yahweh.”
And we’re connecting Him to the promises of the Torah, the prophets, and the writings—not as a break from the Old Testament, but as its fulfillment.
Yeshua’s name is His mission. His identity. His invitation.
To know His name is to know His purpose: deliverance, restoration, and covenant fulfillment.
Ruach HaKodesh: The Spirit Who Sets Apart
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
—Genesis 1:2
The Hebrew term Ruach HaKodesh (רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ) means Set-Apart Spirit or Spirit of holiness.
Ruach (רוּחַ) = breath, wind, or spirit
Kodesh (קֹדֶשׁ) = set apart, sacred, holy
In Genesis, the Ruach hovers over creation. In Judges, He empowers leaders. In Ezekiel, He brings dead bones to life. In Acts, He fills the early believers and sends them to the ends of the earth.
Calling Him Ruach HaKodesh restores our understanding of the Spirit’s character and purpose. He’s not just a power source. He’s the divine breath that brings holiness, direction, and life in alignment with Torah and truth.
Reclaiming the Names: Why It Matters
Using these names isn’t a test of salvation—but it is a step toward restoration.
It helps us:
Reconnect to the Hebraic roots of the faith.
Recover the covenant context of Scripture.
Resist the cultural dilution of God’s identity.
Restore reverence for His personal revelation.
Relate more deeply in worship and discipleship.
This isn’t about sounding different. It’s about remembering who He is.
Because if we’re not careful, we may end up praising a name we don’t even understand.
What If…? Common Questions Answered
Is it wrong to say "Jesus" or "God"?
No. Yahweh knows your heart. But as you grow in the Word, you may feel drawn to call Him by the name He gave Himself.
Does this mean only Hebrew matters?
Not at all. Every language can declare the gospel. But reclaiming the original names helps us stay rooted in covenant.
What if it confuses others?
That’s okay. Truth often leads to questions. And every question is a chance to share the story of Scripture more fully.
Do I need to use these names to be saved?
No. But Joel 2:32 and Romans 10:13 say: “Everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved.” Don’t you want to know it?