God’s Name Being Made Known!

● Walk through picturesque Island of Orleans, near Quebec City, Canada, and the religious nature of its early settlers becomes apparent. Historic roadside chapels, reminders of a bygone era, are still seen along the road that encircles the island, and each parish has its own church.

In the town of Saint-Pierre stands the oldest rural church in Quebec, dating back to 1717. Now an art gallery, the building contains a remarkable feature. Above the altar is the Tetragrammaton​—the four Hebrew letters that make up the personal name of the God of the Bible, Jehovah.

Today, it is rare even to hear God’s name uttered in a Catholic church, much less see it. Indeed, a document issued by the Vatican in 2008 stated that at the direction of the pope, God’s name is “neither to be used or pronounced” in Catholic religious services, hymns, or prayers. Yet, the Bible makes clear that Jehovah God wants his name to be “declared in all the earth.”​—Exodus 9:16.

Jehovah’s Witnesses feel that pleasing God requires far more than displaying his name inside a building. Each year, worldwide, they spend well over 1.5 billion hours teaching people about God’s name and purposes. They have even restored God’s name, Jehovah, to its rightful place. The Bible that they have published​—The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—​is faithful to the original-language texts, where the name Jehovah appears some 7,000 times. To date, more than 165,000,000 copies of the New World Translation have been printed, in whole or in part, in 83 languages. Really, when it comes to God’s name, Jehovah, the question is not What basis do we have for using it? but What basis do we have for not using it?

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The New World Translation, where the name Jehovah appears some 7,000 times, is printed, in whole or in part, in 83 languages