Jacob O. Meyer

Elder Jacob O. Meyer (November 11, 1934 – April 9, 2010) was the founder, president and directing elder of the Assemblies of Yahweh. Among his roles he was also a farmer, broadcaster, translator, preacher, counselor and writer and considered by the Assemblies of Yahweh to be a scholar, rabbi and spiritual leader. He taught classes at Dalet School and Obadiah School of the Bible, as well as pioneering and editing two monthly magazines, The Narrow Way and The Sacred Name Broadcaster.

He was instrumental in uniting the worship of Yahweh into one cohesive group doctrinally and was known for coining the terms Messianic and Spiritual Israelites for its adherents. As of 2011, the Assemblies of Yahweh was the largest organization within the Sacred Name Movement.

Meyer grew up in a conservative, religious Pennsylvania Dutch family, which came over from Germany in 1717, when Johannes Meyer came to inspect the prospects of the New World. After selling his possessions in Germany, he returned to the U.S with the entire family, settling 40 miles south of present-day Bethel and 40 miles west of Philadelphia. In 1732 he bought 500 acres of land, 10 miles west of Bethel at Fredericksburg, and moved onto the homestead about 1740.

Meyer's grandfather came east to Berlin County, where he married a young woman from the area, and bought a farm two miles South of Bethel. It was here where Jacob O. Meyer was born.

Meyer was active in his local Anabaptist congregation. He studied at the Evangelical Congregational School of Theology (now the Evangelical Seminary) in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. Meyer attended theological college, conducted meetings and coordinated biblical classes at the institutes he attended. Meyer later also attended Dropsie University in Philadelphia and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

He met Ruth Meyer on the first day of high school. Her family had moved from Lancaster County in 1945 and settled northeast of Bethel. The two married in 1962 and confirmed each other in their interest in the Bible.

Meyer first learned about the Sacred Name issue in the late 1950s through a course in Biblical studies. According to this teaching, the true name of God was Yahweh. Meyer and his wife began to look for religious groups who followed this belief, including Sacred Name groups.

Their efforts to locate any such organization were unsuccessful, and therefore Meyer began to formulate a plan in which the Meyer family would isolate themselves from the world, save their tithes and finally send a "one time herald" message via a newspaper article or some other means. Meyer came to believe this was "not the will of Yahweh" and turned once again to seek other groups who were willing to help spread his message. Meyer stumbled across some Sacred Name groups, but believed their teachings contained doctrinal errors. Meyer helped to publish the Sacred Name Herald, after which he returned to Bethel in 1964.

In 1965, following a radio message, Meyer was asked to begin an assembly-type organization, leading him to start the Assemblies of Yahweh emerged. Meyer, then 30 years old, pointed out that priests were installed to do Temple work at this age. The name "Assemblies of Yahweh" derives from the Hebrew Bible, in which the worshipers of Yahweh are called Quhal Yahweh (Deuteronomy 23:1–8) or (Edah Yahweh), translated as the "called out ones" by Christian groups.

At the beginning, the ministry consisted only of Meyer, his wife Ruth and their children. Ruth Meyer was instrumental in assisting both her husband and the Assemblies of Yahweh during the early days of the ministry, as well as throughout the ongoing years of the ministry. She served as sound "recording technician, receptionist, secretary, typist, mail clerk and printing assistant, as well as his chief cook". Ruth Meyer also served as an advisor to her husband and was consulted when initiating the project of the Sacred Name Broadcaster, as well as other major projects. It was Ruth Meyer that printed the original covers of the Sacred Name Broadcaster and delivered the first copy of the magazine to her husband in the Summer of 1968. Ruth Meyer also accompanied him to Israel to study. Ruth Meyer continues to serve as the head deaconess in the Assemblies of Yahweh and also serves as overseer of the bread making process prior to the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

As head ("directing elder") of the Assemblies of Yahweh, Meyer became a full-time minister in 1970. At some point in the 1970s, he earned an associate degree from Thomas Edison State College in a short part-time course.

Works

Meyer counselled numerous people, completely free of charge, offering advice, and sometimes taking calls well into the night to help and pray with members. Meyer also performed weddings and funerals and visited the sick and in foreign countries, as well as carrying out anointing for those who requested it. He performed baptisms all around the world, in rivers, lakes, pools and the sea. Meyer was known to visit those in prison who had an interest in repentance and conversion. As a farmer, he was known for his generosity, giving food to the hungry, and feeding numerous people over the years. Meyer taught at Obadiah School of the Bible, and although there were administrative costs, Meyer taught without financial compensation. During what is known as the third tithe year, Meyer helped a number of members who had financial difficulties.

Missionary journeys

Meyer has been a prolific writer in magazines, translator of the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition a conservative Sacred Name Bible, and the completion of several books. Meyer has also traveled worldwide distributing literature and visiting those who had shown an interest in the ministry. This includes North and South America, Germany, Berlin, France, Poland, England, Ireland, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Trinidad, Dominica, St. Lucia and Israel. During some of these journeys he was accompanied by his wife.

Awards

Meyer was awarded a tribute on March 21, 2004 for over 40 years of dedication and fortitude, to send the message of the ministry out in to the world. Meyer served as board member of the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasting, and was nominated as township constable in Philadelphia.

Meyer taught more than 5,000 sermons in his lifetime, preaching on the following subjects extensively. His sermons are still broadcast on WMLK and streamed on Tunein.com.

Commandment-keeping

The main theme or subject of all sermons preached by Meyer was that of commandment keeping. The ethos of the Assemblies of Yahweh being one of law, this would fall in line with this as well as the ministry's Statement of Doctrine, written by Meyer. Meyer would focus some sermons specifically on the subject of a law (especially from the Ten Commandments), such as in the sermon "Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery", where he would cover all the points related to the law such as the New Testament and Old Testament references and the implications of the law in our lives, magnifying the law to encompass every aspect of our lives. However these deeper analyses of specific laws usually were written out as articles in The Sacred Name Broadcaster.

Some examples of subjects covered by commandment-keeping are the holy days, the dietary laws, tithing, correct speech, repentance etc. Meyer preached against every form of evil and sin through the law.

Some examples of sermon titles on this subject are included below:

• "Zealous repentance"
• "Sin Brings Yahweh's Judgment"
• "What Must I Do To Be Saved"
• "The Priceless Core Commandments"

Spirituality

Meyer was considered to be a great spiritual leader by the Assemblies of Yahweh. He taught sermons on the subject of spirituality which many times focused on prayer, quiet study and introspection. In other words, taking the time to focus on Yahweh and things which would bring us closer to Yahweh. An examination of the fruits of the Spirit were many times focused upon and contrasted against the works of the flesh. In the series, "A New Young Israel Emerges", Meyer compares the Israelites who took the Promised Land to the Assemblies of Yahweh, whereas the Israelites who died in the wilderness were unspiritual people. Spirituality also can relate to sermons regarding zeal, good works and holy spirit characteristics.

Some examples of sermon titles on this subject are included below:

• "The Spirit of Fruitfulness"
• "Orientated Toward the Spiritual Goal"
• "Characteristics of a Spiritual Obedient Nation"

Love

Meyer would always preach the first message of the Feast of Tabernacles on love. The Assemblies of Yahweh believe they have got the definition of love correct because of John 14:15 and 1John 5:3, where it tells us love is the keeping of the commandments. Usually when preaching about love Meyer would concentrate on the terms agape and philadelphia (Φιλαδελφία) focusing more on the latter. Meyer did not believe in Christianity's concept of love. The Assemblies of Yahweh teaches that only by keeping the commandments of Yahweh can we comprehend what love truly is, as Yahweh's loving character is contained in the law. Also tied in to this subject is that of unity and how love engenders unity. Meyer taught how we are to show love to Yahweh through sermons like "Loving Yahweh from the heart" (2008) and "how to show love to our fellow men". The characteristics of the Philadelphia assembly is attained to by the Assemblies of Yahweh, the Philadelphia assembly being one which "did not deny the name" (Yahweh) and that has "good works" according to Revelation 3:8. Meyer would especially speak of the love of the brethren in the Narrow Way publications.

Some examples of sermon titles on this subject are included below:

• "Love—the perfect bond"
• "A Glorious Assembly"
• "Philadelphia—Living the Kingdom Way of Life" (2006)

Faith

Most of the sermons preached by Meyer at least touched on the subject of faith, even in sermons preached, such as "Remembrance Brings Rejoicing". Meyer would recall his own faith and his unshakable belief in the authority and authenticity of the Bible, as well as the ability of Yahweh to do all things and the ministries ability to complete the Great Commission. Sometimes Meyer would devote whole subjects to the subject of faith such as in the sermon "Fear of Faith" (1993). Meyer would retell the miracles he had personally seen within the ministry in sermons preached regarding the history of the Assemblies of Yahweh.

Prophecy

Meyer would often preach a weekly Sabbath sermon regarding end-time prophecy, comparing trends of the day with what is predicted in the Bible, proving from the Bible we are in the end times such as in the series "Age Ending Events Surveyed" (2006). This would be done by identifying the violations of the law in society and all around the world, especially those stories which had made news headlines, preaching strongly against the evil conduct of the age and calling for repentance.

Some claim Meyer was a prophet, although he did not set any dates for Bible prophecies to take place based on Matthew 25:13. Meyer believed in preparing the Assemblies of Yahweh for what is known as the tribulation. Many sermons were on prophecy relating to the coming Beast System mentioned in Revelation, as well but to a lesser extent, the coming Kingdom. Meyer would many times end his message with the encouraging proclamation "On to the Kingdom".

Some of Meyer's sermons on end time prophecy are below:

• "A Great Commission to Fulfil"
• "The Last Days in Bible Prophesy"
• "The Spectre of the Coming Beast System"
• "Yahweh's Message of Doom and Hope"

Piety

Meyer stressed sanctification, holiness, dedication and the importance of avoiding pagan worldly customs and practices (such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas). Additionally, Meyer spoke out against things like worldly dress styles, calling for modesty and high standards in the worship of Yahweh such as formal dress on the holy days. The Assemblies of Yahweh continue to uphold these teachings. In the series Meyer preached called "Become An Iconoclast" for example, Meyer expresses the need to resist worldliness and worldly customs as did the Maccabees. Preceding the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Meyer would instruct the leadership to focus their attention on sermons that would help purify the Assemblies of Yahweh in anticipation of the approaching holy day such as with the sermon "Let Us Wash Our Hearts".

Some of Meyer's sermons on the subject of piety and purity are below:

• "A True Israelite"
• "Yahshua's Untarnished Character"
• "What Is Hidden In Your Heart"
• "All Things Must Be Pure"

Meyer taught the Assemblies of Yahweh to learn and then recite the Shema three times a day, as well as have a daily Bible-reading program which allows adherents to read through the Bible in one year and set scriptures to open and close the Sabbath with, as was Meyers instruction. The congregation would stand for Meyer when he left or entered a building out of respect as per the instruction in Leviticus 19:32 and this was encouraged by the Work of the Ministry. The format for services have stayed more or less the same for over fifty years with a mini-sermon about 30 minutes in length, followed by a main sermon of about 90 minutes. The main sermon is usually a chosen pre-recorded sermon by Meyer. Songs and spiritual offerings are encouraged, but music has to be approved by the music director. Meyer also came up with the theme song of the Assemblies of Yahweh, Under Zion's Banner based on the Battle Hymn of the Republic. As outlined in his will, his faithful children continue to lead the Assemblies of Yahweh in his stead and the leadership will alternate each week to preach the mini sermon on the Sabbath. Meyer's sermons and writings are re-played and re-published within the organization up to the present day. When referring to Jacob O. Meyer in the ministry, the honorific "of blessed memory" (or O.B.M) is used after his name, possibly based on Proverbs 10:7.

Meyer died at age 75 in 2010; the ministry is now run by his children, with his sermons and literature still used copiously within the ministry. In Meyer's will, he outlined his desire that the Assemblies of Yahweh "will be, shall be and always will endure as Philadelphia."