Editor’s Note: This material was first published in book form in
1989 by the John Ankerberg Evangelistic Association (now known as
the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute).
The Biblical
Text
For to us a child is born, to
us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he
will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will
be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that
time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7)
The Context of
the Passage
Israel has been
invaded by the Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser (the first Jewish captivity).
The captured Israelites are plunged into despair and humiliation.
In this prophecy
God offers them hope for the future. God speaks of a coming Light who will
illuminate those who are in distress, gloom and darkness—"the people
walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land
of the shadow of death a light has dawned" (Isa. 9:2).
Isaiah the
Prophet records that in the past God had humbled the land of Zebulun and
the land of Naphtali (Northern and Southern Galilee). However, in the
future God "will honor Galilee…" (Isa. 9:1). It is these people
who, walking in darkness, will "see a great light."
Then God
proceeds to describe the child born, the Son given, who will be both a
human and God, and who will reign forever on David’s throne. This can be
no other than the promised Messiah.
The Explanation
of the Text
What this
prophecy makes clear is the following:
1. A child
will be born to the Jewish people.
2. The
government will be upon His shoulders—He will be a ruling King.
3. He is
called "Wonderful Counselor," "Mighty God," "Everlasting Father,"
"Prince of Peace"—as Dr. Merrill Unger points out, the phrase "his name"
is a Hebrew idiom, and means that the child would not actually bear the
names, but "deserve them, and that they are appellatives or descriptive
designations of his person and work."49
4. There
would be no end to the increase of the child’s government and peace.
5. He would
reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom forever and ever.
6. The zeal
of God Almighty would accomplish it.
7. The
passage places the fulfillment of this prophecy in Galilee as God says
He will honor "Galilee of the Gentiles, by the
way of the sea, along the Jordan."
Concerning
Zebulun and Naphtali, Hebrew scholar Edward J. Young comments, "Zebulun
and Naphtali, the two north-eastern tribes of the land west of the Jordan
(later known as upper and lower Galilee) were first devastated and
depopulated by Tiglath-Pileser… (2 Kgs. 15:29).... This despised
district, despised even in New Testament times, was glorified when God
honored it, and the fulfillment of the prophecy occurred when Jesus Christ
the Son of God dwelt [settled] in Capernaum [‘in the region of Zebulun
and Naphtali’— Mt. 4:13]."50
In Psalm 110:1
we saw the first biblical reference that stated the Messiah would sit at
God’s right hand and therefore would be second only to God Himself. Here
in Isaiah 9:6 we have the clearest statement that the Messiah will be both
God and man: He is called "Eternal Father" and "Mighty God," (El Gibbor)—the
name used of God Himself in Isaiah 10:21.
Some scholars
have written, "The Messiah early became known not only as the son of David
but also as the Son of God. ‘Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten
thee’ (Ps. 2:7b)…."51
Young has shown
that the use of El in Isaiah "is found as a designation of God and
only of him… [thus we see that] the Lord, the Holy One of Israel—and El
Gibbor [the term used of the Son in Isaiah 9:6], are one and the
same."52
So, for our
purposes, what is most important to realize in this prophecy is that God
says the Messiah will be both God and man. If so, no one else in
human history has claimed 1) to be God, 2) to be the Messiah and 3) proved
it by rising from the dead, except Jesus Christ.53
Was Isaiah 9:6-7
Recognized by the Jews as Messianic?
There can be no
doubt that Jewish rabbis have accepted these verses as clearly applying to
the Messiah.
The Targum of
Isaiah rendered this passage, "His name has been called from of old,
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, He who lives forever; the Anointed One
(or Messiah), in whose days peace shall increase upon us."54
Theologian and
professor of biblical criticism at the University of Aberdeen Paton J.
Gloag observed that, "The ancient Jews refer these words only to
the Messiah. ‘The prophet,’ says the Targum of Jonathan, ‘speaketh of the
house of David, because a child is born to us, a son is given to us,… his
name is called of old Wonderful in counsel, God the mighty, He who abideth
forever; the Messiah whose peace shall be abundant upon us in His
days.’"55
Clues to
Identify the Messiah
Whoever the
Messiah is, He must fit the following descriptions:
Clue #1—He,
a male child (the Hebrew text specifically uses a 3rd person, singular,
masculine pronoun—"he"), will be born of the seed of the woman.
Clue #2—He
will come from the race of the Jews, and specifically from the seed of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Clue #3—He
will be a great prophet, with the authority to teach like Moses.
Clue #4—He
will be mocked, and people will cast lots for His garments while He
suffers.
Clue
#5—He will be David’s Lord.
Clue
#6—He will be the child born who is God, and will
have an everlasting kingdom. |
