Old Testament Prophecies Regarding the Messiah - Part Eight (Isaiah 9:6)

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

In many ways, Isaiah 9:6 is a companion piece to 7:14 (see Old Testament Prophecies Regarding the Messiah -- Part Seven). Both provide the promise of a child who will bring not only hope but also promise of eternity to the people and both verses are considered by believers in Jesus to be a Messianic promise of the birth of Jesus. And while the promise of this verse is true, the verse tells an even greater story. Isaiah 9:6 provides the introduction to almost every facet of the Messiah -- from His mercy to His divinity.

This child who is to be born in Isaiah 9:6 will be one who provides not simply counsel but wonderful counsel. The word in Hebrew for "wonderful" can be also be seen as "astonishing." He is also described as a mighty God, an everlasting Father and a prince of Peace of which will be discussed in more detail shortly. And while from a Christian perspective it seems so obvious to whom this is referring, 2,000 years of Jewish traditions have sought for any other explanation than Jesus of Nazareth.

Alternatives identifications for this child include, other than Messiah Jesus that is, include Hezekiah and Zerubbabel. Hezekiah while a godly king certainly cannot fit this description and for two rather obvious reasons -- (1) He was already a young man, at least 9 years old, when this prophecy was given and (2) His godliness was marred by the sin of pride (see 2 Kings 20) and less than stellar legacy he left via his son Manasseh. Zerubbabel, while a godly man who led the people back from captivity after the declaration of King Cyrus of Persia, could hardly fit the bill of this verse because his influence was very short reigned and not directed at leading the government but rather rebuilding the temple.

And aside from all the historical improbabilities of either Hezekiah or Zerubbabel, the descriptors of the child must by necessity exclude any "normal" human being. This child of Isaiah 9:6 is given the titles of mighty God, everlasting Father and prince of peace. Any man who would have attempted to assume these titles would have, and justifiably so, been condemned for blasphemy. The word of God in this verse is la (el) which is a shortened version of syhOa (elohim), the "proper" name for God. The descriptor for father, "everlasting," can also be translated as perpetual or once and for always. The concept of prince of peace, swlv ra? (sar shalom) does not merely signify a good earthly ruler but a leader who has a higher calling.

So this is a child who is not only astonishing counselor but also one has the name of God and whose reign of peace will be perpetual. No human can hope to be worthy of this designations. However, there is a child who was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), had no earthly father (Genesis 3:15), gave his life as a sinless sacrifice, resurrected himself and will one day rule not only as the prince of peace but also as the King of Kings (Rev. 19).

As has been shown, the prophecies of the Messiah from the Old Testament not only point to Jesus but also are intertwined together. Genesis 3:15 leads to Isaiah 7:14 which leads to 9:6. That is why the Incarnation and the hope of Jesus is not only sure but also miraculous because no one else could be the Messiah except for the Jewish carpenter from Nazareth, Jesus whose name means salvation.

Next Week ... Micah 5:2