The fame of God’s Name
You’ve been victimized by a religious conspiracy that’s 400 years old this year! I kid you not. This conspiracy makes Dan Brown’s bestselling books the Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons (later adapted to movies) look like child’s stories. Here’s an example of how you’ve been victimized. If, when in dire trouble, you’ve quoted the 23rd Psalm by starting off with, “The Lord is my shepherd” (King James Version, 1611), then you’ve been duped. This is not what the original Hebrew of this text says. I won’t call you crazy if you don’t believe me. But, you may well be one fry short of a Happy Meal if you don’t.
King James Version(s): To commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the original King James Version a brand new version called The Divine Name King James Bible has just been released. Staying true to the Hebrew, Psalm 23:1 more correctly reads: “Jehovah is my shepherd.”
The complete New King James Version (1983), published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., updated the English of the original KJV. The King James II (2005?) allegedly has no human translators. Instead, those responsible for its production reportedly boast of it being “The First Supercomputer-Generated Translation Of The Bible.” Like the NKJV with its human translators, the virtual supercomputer allegedly updates the original archaic English of the 17th century with today’s English. The King James III is said to be due out January 1, 2015.
Although he did not actually participate in translating the version of the Bible that bears his name, King James is said to have been a well-respected Bible scholar who orchestrated its translation. Awake! December 2011 notes: “King James promoted the project. Eventually, 47 scholars in six separate groups across the country prepared sections of the text.” It also states that “the translation’s dedication to ‘the most high and mighty prince, James’ acknowledged his initiative. As head of the Church of England, James was seen to be exerting his authority to bring the nation together.”
When various venues celebrate the year in pictures, the fact that the best-selling version of the Bible, the KJV, marks its 400-year anniversary in 2011 is not likely to be an attention-grabbing headline.
The Divine Name Controversy: Significantly, of all the versions of the KJV listed above, only The Divine Name King James restores God’s name Jehovah where “the Lord” in all capital letters took its place in the original KJV. The original fully restored it in just four places. (Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 12:2; 26:4) The translators of the New International Version (NIV) reportedly wrote that they couldn’t use God’s name because it wouldn’t sell. Others charge that God didn’t preserve his name. So, I asked:
‘Is Almighty God capable of preserving the true pronunciation of his name? Has he? How are the secret Dead Sea Scrolls involved?’ These questions grace the cover of my first book. During that time, I was working at the world-renowned Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center (ABMC) in Claremont, California. In October 1989, the official newsletter of the ABMC, The Folio, said:
“Dr. Firpo Carr…is currently working…in the Dead Sea Scrolls Inventory Project. At present he is performing an initial inventory of the collection of DSS photos [published and unpublished at the time] at the Center.” There he examined the unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls where he found many occurrences of the unique name of the Creator of the Universe. But, according to Jewish tradition, the correct pronunciation of this name has been lost forever. Carr respectfully begs to differ and provides sound logic as to the reasons for his conclusions.’
‘He worked with such internationally respected scholars as Professor James A. Sanders, a well-known Bible scholar and translator who served as president of the ABMC, and the late Professor Doctor John C. Trever, the first scholar to have had initial contact with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Not only was Professor Trever the director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project, he was the very first scholar to photograph and announce to the world the existence of the Dead Sea Scrolls back in 1947.’ For those interested The Divine Name Controversy (Vol. 1) is available at Amazon.com.
New World Translation: According to the 2012 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the New World Translation is now available in 106 languages (62 complete; 44 Christian Greek Scriptures), making it accessible to at least 76 percent of the world’s population. So that’s the latest buzz about the Bible.
Peace and blessings to all. Amen.
