Assemblies of Yahweh
Encyclopedia
The Assemblies of Yahweh is a nonprofit religious organization with its international headquarters in Bethel, Pennsylvania
. The organization developed independently out of a radio ministry begun by Elder Jacob O. Meyer
in 1966. The headquarters of the Assemblies of Yahweh is based on 51 acres (206,389.9 m²) outside of Bethel and contains a large meeting hall, a motel converted into office space, its two schools, and a converted gas station that serves as its radio station. As of 2006 the group claimed about 3,000 members.
that went in to dormancy in 70 C.E. Elder Jacob O. Meyer
(November 11, 1934 - April 9, 2010), its founder, left the religion of his youth and began to seek the truth encountering various religious organizations, including some Sacred Name groups. Through that experience and his studies of the Bible, he was led to realize the importance of exclusively employing the revealed personal name of the heavenly Father Yahweh
and of his Son, Yahshua
Messiah. In his search, Elder Meyer encountered widespread disorganization and confusion within the body of nominal religion, specifically, the Sacred Name Movement
. Consequently, he rejected them and sought to return as closely as possible to the true doctrines and teachings of the Bible
. He soon was laying the groundwork for the founding of what was to become the Assemblies of Yahweh. Governing doctrines, based on strict adherence to Biblical principles were worked out and published, and the organization was officially chartered in 1969. The organisation is sometimes referred to as Modern Day Elijah, both by adherents and others, because of the prophesy found in and about a Elijah (meaning "My El is Yahweh
") returning in the Last Days
.
s name, have had the hands of the Elders laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit
, maintain a life of total dedication to Yahweh and agree with the group's "Statement of Doctrine" described as a concise summary of what the Bible teaches.
and Christianity
although they do not actually mix Christian doctrines with the teachings of the Scriptures. They believe that in order to understand the will of Yahweh, the Bible must be harmonized and adhered to as infallible. Members agree that the Hebrew Scriptures be used to interpret the New Testament
. This hermeneutical position toward the dominance of the Old Testament in biblical interpretation is related to the basic Israelite faith and Judaism
. The Assemblies of Yahweh professes that the name of Elohim
is Yahweh
and the name of the Messiah
is Yahshua. The group adheres to the dietary guidelines laid out in Leviticus
11 and Deuteronomy
14 and practices tithing
. They proclaim the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath and a period of rest and worship is observed. In addition to the weekly Sabbath the Assemblies observe a number of annual holy days including Passover
, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Pentecost
(Shavuot
), the Feast of Trumpets, the Fast of Atonement
(Yom Kippur
), the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. Conclusively, their position can be seen in their Statement of Doctrine, point 6: "It is necessary to keep all the commandments, statutes and judgments (except the ritual and animal sacrifices)". The Assemblies of Yahweh believe in Government and "law, order and rule from the top down". The Assemblies of Yahweh reject as unbiblical the Trinity
, infant baptism
, homosexuality, polygamy, female ministers and eternal hell
.
They are less familiarly known as Messianic, as well as Spiritual Israelites, possibly based on .
. There is a shortwave radio broadcast via its WMLK
radio station and an internet webcast.
Bethel, Pennsylvania
Bethel, Pennsylvania may refer to:*Bethel, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania*Bethel, Berks County, Pennsylvania*Bethel, Cambria County, Pennsylvania*Bethel, Mercer County, Pennsylvania*Bethel, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania*Bethel, Wayne County, Pennsylvania...
. The organization developed independently out of a radio ministry begun by Elder Jacob O. Meyer
Jacob O. Meyer
Jacob Owen Meyer was the founder and directing elder of the Assemblies of Yahweh and its institutions, the Obadiah School of the Bible and Dalet School...
in 1966. The headquarters of the Assemblies of Yahweh is based on 51 acres (206,389.9 m²) outside of Bethel and contains a large meeting hall, a motel converted into office space, its two schools, and a converted gas station that serves as its radio station. As of 2006 the group claimed about 3,000 members.
Origin
The Assemblies of Yahweh consider themselves to be the reconstituted Apostolic AssemblyApostolic Age
The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Great Commission in Jerusalem until the death of John the Apostle in Anatolia...
that went in to dormancy in 70 C.E. Elder Jacob O. Meyer
Jacob O. Meyer
Jacob Owen Meyer was the founder and directing elder of the Assemblies of Yahweh and its institutions, the Obadiah School of the Bible and Dalet School...
(November 11, 1934 - April 9, 2010), its founder, left the religion of his youth and began to seek the truth encountering various religious organizations, including some Sacred Name groups. Through that experience and his studies of the Bible, he was led to realize the importance of exclusively employing the revealed personal name of the heavenly Father Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
and of his Son, Yahshua
Yahshua
Yahshua is an argued transliteration of the original Hebrew or Aramaic name of Jesus commonly used by individuals in the Sacred Name Movement....
Messiah. In his search, Elder Meyer encountered widespread disorganization and confusion within the body of nominal religion, specifically, the Sacred Name Movement
Sacred Name Movement
The Sacred Name Movement is a movement within Adventism in Christianity, propagated by Clarence Orvil Dodd from the 1930s, that claims to seek to conform Christianity to its "Hebrew Roots" in practice, belief and worship. The best known distinction of the SNM is its advocacy of the use of the...
. Consequently, he rejected them and sought to return as closely as possible to the true doctrines and teachings of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. He soon was laying the groundwork for the founding of what was to become the Assemblies of Yahweh. Governing doctrines, based on strict adherence to Biblical principles were worked out and published, and the organization was officially chartered in 1969. The organisation is sometimes referred to as Modern Day Elijah, both by adherents and others, because of the prophesy found in and about a Elijah (meaning "My El is Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
") returning in the Last Days
End times
The end time, end times, or end of days is a time period described in the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other non-Abrahamic religions...
.
Mission statement
To be a member of the Assemblies of Yahweh an individual must profess a dedication to Yahweh, be baptized by submersion in water in YahshuaYahshua
Yahshua is an argued transliteration of the original Hebrew or Aramaic name of Jesus commonly used by individuals in the Sacred Name Movement....
s name, have had the hands of the Elders laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, maintain a life of total dedication to Yahweh and agree with the group's "Statement of Doctrine" described as a concise summary of what the Bible teaches.
Doctrinal beliefs
The Assemblies of Yahweh profess to follow the Old and New Testaments as closely as possible. This causes the group to be viewed as an admixture of JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
although they do not actually mix Christian doctrines with the teachings of the Scriptures. They believe that in order to understand the will of Yahweh, the Bible must be harmonized and adhered to as infallible. Members agree that the Hebrew Scriptures be used to interpret the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. This hermeneutical position toward the dominance of the Old Testament in biblical interpretation is related to the basic Israelite faith and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. The Assemblies of Yahweh professes that the name of Elohim
Elohim
Elohim is a grammatically singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew language. When used with singular verbs and adjectives elohim is usually singular, "god" or especially, the God. When used with plural verbs and adjectives elohim is usually plural, "gods" or...
is Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
and the name of the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
is Yahshua. The group adheres to the dietary guidelines laid out in Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
11 and Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
14 and practices tithing
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
. They proclaim the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath and a period of rest and worship is observed. In addition to the weekly Sabbath the Assemblies observe a number of annual holy days including Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
(Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
), the Feast of Trumpets, the Fast of Atonement
Atonement in Judaism
Atonement in Judaism is the process of causing a transgression to be forgiven or pardoned.- In Rabbinic Judaism :In Rabbinic Judaism, atonement is achieved through some combination of*repentance*Temple service Atonement in Judaism is the process of causing a transgression to be forgiven or...
(Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
), the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. Conclusively, their position can be seen in their Statement of Doctrine, point 6: "It is necessary to keep all the commandments, statutes and judgments (except the ritual and animal sacrifices)". The Assemblies of Yahweh believe in Government and "law, order and rule from the top down". The Assemblies of Yahweh reject as unbiblical the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, infant baptism
Infant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
, homosexuality, polygamy, female ministers and eternal hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
.
They are less familiarly known as Messianic, as well as Spiritual Israelites, possibly based on .
Organizational structure and outreach
The Assemblies of Yahweh is led by a "Directing Elder", and since their inception this post was held by Elder Jacob O. Meyer. In accordance with his will, the Assemblies of Yahweh has since been led by three faithful leaders, the Three Fold Cord administration, consisting of three of his faithful children, the Teaching Elder being Jonathan S. Meyer. He is assisted by a group of individuals called "the Work of the Ministry" who assist in practical matters and provide council on questions of doctrine. There are also "Teaching Elders" ordained to serve as instructional leaders, deacons ordained to serve the needs of the assemblies and missionaries to help spread the faith. The Assemblies of Yahweh conducts outreach through periodicals, radio and television broadcasts, literature, magazines (The Sacred Name Broadcaster & The Narrow Way) and books. Among several of the self-published books is the Sacred Scriptures Bethel EditionSacred Scriptures Bethel Edition
The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition is a Sacred Name Bible which uses the names Yahweh and Yahshua in both the Old and New Testaments . It was produced by Jacob O. Meyer, based on the American Standard Version of 1901 and it contains over 977 pages. The Assemblies of Yahweh printed 5,500 copies...
. There is a shortwave radio broadcast via its WMLK
WMLK
WMLK is a radio station in Bethel, Pennsylvania owned by the Assemblies of Yahweh. WMLK takes its name from MLK, representing three of the four consonants of the Hebrew word "malakh" meaning a “messenger” or angel.-History:...
radio station and an internet webcast.
Educational
The Assemblies of Yahweh has two educational institutions located in Bethel Pennsylvania.- Obadiah School of the Bible
- Dalet School
External links
- Assemblies of Yahweh Homepage - Official Site of the Organization
- Sacred Name Broadcaster