Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Isaiah 9:6 & The Names

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
 And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

"In the Old Testament your name stood for who you were, it was a mark of individuality.

Isaiah confers four names on this person to be born, and each one of these names is used to refer to divinity elsewhere in scripture (i.e. Isa. 28:29).
It's interesting to note that Jesus fulfilled each of these names during His ministry:
A. Wonderful Counselor (miraculous advisor)
  • In [John 16:29-30] - the Apostles believed in His divinity because of His teaching.
B. Mighty God (power)
  • [John 3:2] - Powerful signs were seen as a witness of His divinity.
C. Eternal Father
  • Isn't it amazing that Isaiah refers to someone yet unborn as eternal.
  • It suggests that the one to be born as a human already existed even as his birth was being predicted.
  • In [John 14:8-9] Jesus says to Philip, "Have I been so long with you and yet you have not come to know Me.."
  • It was the Father answering Philip directly, revealing Himself, as the Eternal Father, through Jesus Christ.
D. Prince of Peace
  • Jesus did not come to bring peace between people.
  • He said that there would be wars and rumors of wars until the end of time.
  • He also said that because of Him there would be a conflict between people, between families. He came to bring a sword.
  • No, the peace that He brings is between God and man, not man and man.
  • [Luke 2:14] most misquoted verse. Not peace between men, but among the men with whom He is pleased. They will have peace with God.
  • [John 16:33] He says, "..in Me you may have peace, in the world you have tribulation…"
  • Through Jesus the world finds peace with God
So until the birth of Christ, the world did not really know God, but Isaiah prophesied that when the child would come everyone would:
  • Learn the wisdom of God (Wonderful Counselor)
  • See the works of God (Mighty God)
  • Touch the form of God (Eternal Father)
  • Receive the blessing of salvation (Prince of Peace)
Isaiah's prophecy foretold of a time when God would be seen even more clearly than through the prophets, like himself, who predicted His coming."
 BibleTalk