Dr Grant C Richison
Isaiah 9: 6,7
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name 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,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name 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,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
This is a prophecy of the coming rule of Jesus on earth. These verses gather into one announcement the predictions of the birth, the deity, his earthly government, his just kingdom, and eternity of Christ.
For unto us a Child is born
The purpose of Christ’s coming was for “us.”
Unto us a Son is given
Jesus did not happen upon earth. From eternity God planned to “give” him. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus existed eternally as the Son. The word “Son” is used to show the relationship between the Father and Son.
And the government will be upon His shoulder
Jesus will reign as King Jesus King of the world. The government of the entire world is on his shoulders.
And His name will be called Wonderful
When he came he was a wonder. He transcends human understanding. He is unique among human beings. He stands supreme above everyone else. His name is wonderful because he is wonderful.
And His name will be called… Counselor
Jesus reveals the mind of God. He counsels us from God’s perspective. He gives God’s council.
And His name will be called… Mighty God
He is God almighty. In Him dwells all the fullness of the Deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).
And His name will be called… Everlasting Father
This is better translated “The Father of eternity.” All the ages meet in him (Hebrews 1:2). The Son is not to be confused with the Father, although the Father and He are one (John 10:30).
And His name will be called… Prince of Peace.
Peace will characterize his reign upon earth.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
There will be no end
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
God made a covenant with David many years before the writing of Isaiah that His Son would reign forever. This has not yet been fulfilled. Jesus has not yet been seated upon that throne. There is a day coming when He will reign (Revelation 3:21).
PRINCIPLE: God predicted the coming of Christ. He is sovereign over the affairs of man.
APPLICATION: We can rest confident that God manages the world well.
yeah! God rules very well. Praise God forever and ever!
Thanks
used some of this for a sermon here in Nor Cal
will be shared 12/20/09
Thanks again Pastor Kel
That is a blessing to me Kel.
very good comments except “and his name shall be called everlasting father” – why don’t we just accept what it says; and his name (Jesus) shall be called everlasting father!
Boni, consider these remarks from The Bible Knowledge Commentary: This Deliverer will also be called the Everlasting Father. Many people are puzzled by this title because the Messiah, God’s Son, is distinguished in the Trinity from God the Father. How can the Son be the Father? Several things must be noted in this regard. First, the Messiah, being the second Person of the Trinity, is in His essence, God. Therefore He has all the attributes of God including eternality. Since God is One (even though He exists in three Persons), the Messiah is God. Second, the title “Everlasting Father” is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity. He is said to be everlasting, just as God (the Father) is called “the Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:9). The Messiah will be a “fatherly” Ruler. Third, perhaps Isaiah had in mind the promise to David (2 Sam. 7:16) about the “foreverness” of the kingdom which God promised would come through David’s line. The Messiah, a Descendant of David, will fulfill this promise for which the nation had been waiting.
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
This use of Father is “source.” The Messiah will be Father (in the sense of provider) to His people eternally.
Thank you for this understanding of Everlasting Father, it really helped me comprehend and put into context this title, and also brought many other verses to mind and it all started connecting!
That is a blessing Janie.
Wonderful commentary. I was reading James Tabor’s book Tje Jesus Dynasty and in it he eludes to this passage actually referring to some type of relative of King Hezekiah. I spoke with my pastor and he says that it defintely refers to Jesus birth. Could you provide a comment on that.
Thanks and God Bless
Rudy Wiebe Winnipeg
Thanks for sharing! I’m always grateful for the ones God reveals His word to, and they are willing impart among others. Blessings, Tangela
I am studying prophecy and this verses put in perspective what is to come. The final chapter opening a new book for eternity. Praise GOD!
That is a blessing Manny.
hello Grant, I dont agree that it is an accurate statement " dont get the two confused" the Father and the Son that is, because at the end of the day there is only ONE God, not THREE; deut 6:4 ,my point is in act 5, Peter used God and the HolySpirit interchangeably and there was no problem with that because they are the same person, not on the flipside Jesus thought his deciples to pray to the FATHER in the name of JESUS, and thats all because of order and function of each characteristic;Jesus being in the capacity of the Son died and rose again, and in so doing gained a more excellent NAME yet still being the same God that made all the same claims as the Father being God(see rev 1:8,11), so yes they are the same person and has the same mind. God's richest blessings
Willy, there are so many distinctions between the persons of the Trinity that it is difficult to categorize them all. God is indeed one in essence but He is three in person. Here is a summary from Holman's Illustrated Bible Dictionary:
TRINITY
Theological term used to define God as an undivided unity expressed in the threefold nature of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As a distinctive Christian doctrine, the Trinity is considered as a divine mystery beyond human comprehension to be reflected upon only through scriptural revelation. The Trinity is a biblical concept that expresses the dynamic character of God, not a Greek idea pressed into Scripture from philosophical or religious speculation. While the term "trinity" does not appear in Scripture, the trinitarian structure appears throughout the NT to affirm that God Himself is manifested through Jesus Christ by means of the Spirit.
A proper biblical view of the Trinity balances the concepts of unity and distinctiveness. Two errors that appear in the history of the consideration of the doctrine are tritheism and unitarianism. In tritheism error is made in emphasizing the distinctiveness of the Godhead to the point that the Trinity is seen as three separate Gods, or a Christian polytheism. On the other hand, unitarianism excludes the concept of distinctiveness while focusing solely on the aspect of God the Father. In this way Christ and the Holy Spirit are placed in lower categories and made less than divine. Both errors compromise the effectiveness and contribution of the activity of God in redemptive history.
The biblical concept of the Trinity developed through progressive revelation. The OT consistently affirms the unity of God through such statements as "Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4 HCSB). God’s oneness is stressed to caution the Israelites against the polytheism and practical atheism of their heathen neighbors. See Revelation, Book of; Shema.
The OT does feature implications of the trinitarian idea. This does not mean that the Trinity was fully knowable from the OT, but that a vocabulary was established through the events of God’s nearness and creativity; both receive developed meaning from NT writers. For example, the word of God is recognized as the agent of creation (Ps. 33:6, 9; cp. Prov. 3:19; 8:27), revelation, and salvation (Ps. 107:20). This same vocabulary is given distinct personality in John’s prologue (John 1:1–4) in the person of Jesus Christ. Other vocabulary categories include the wisdom of God (Prov.8) and the Spirit of God (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30; Zech. 4:6).
A distinguishing feature of the NT is the doctrine of the Trinity. It is remarkable that NT writers present the doctrine in such a manner that it does not violate the OT concept of the oneness of God. In fact, they unanimously affirm the Hebrew monotheistic faith, but they extend it to include the coming of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The early Christian church experienced the God of Abraham in a new and dramatic way without abandoning the oneness of God that permeates the OT. As a fresh expression of God, the concept of the Trinity—rooted in the God of the past and consistent with the God of the past—absorbs the idea of the God of the past but goes beyond the God of the past in a more personal encounter.
The NT does not present a systematic presentation of the Trinity. The scattered segments from various writers that appear throughout the NT reflect a seemingly accepted understanding that exists without a full-length discussion. It is embedded in the framework of the Christian experience and simply assumed as true. The NT writers focus on statements drawn from the obvious existence of the trinitarian experience as opposed to a detailed exposition.
The NT evidence for the Trinity can be grouped into four types of passages. The first is the trinitarian formula of Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:13/14; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rev. 1:4–6. In each passage a trinitarian formula, repeated in summation fashion, registers a distinctive contribution of each person of the Godhead. Matthew 28:19, for example, follows the triple formula of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that distinguishes Christian baptism. The risen Lord commissioned the disciples to baptize converts with a trinitarian emphasis that carries the distinctiveness of each person of the Godhead while associating their inner relationship. This passage is the clearest scriptural reference to a systematic presentation of the doctrine of the Trinity.
Paul, in 2 Cor. 13:13/14, finalized his thoughts to the Corinthian church with a pastoral appeal that is grounded in "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit." The formulation is designed to have the practical impact of bringing that divided church together through their personal experience of the Trinity in their daily lives. Significantly, in the trinitarian order Christ is mentioned first. This reflects the actual process of Christian salvation, since Christ is the key to opening insight into the work of the Godhead. Paul was calling attention to the trinitarian consciousness, not in the initial work of salvation that has already been accomplished at Corinth, but in the sustaining work that enables divisive Christians to achieve unity.
In 1 Pet. 1:2 the trinitarian formula is followed with reference to each person of the Godhead. The scattered Christians are reminded through reference to the Trinity that their election (foreknowledge of the Father) and redemption (the sanctifying work of the Spirit) should lead to holy living in obedience to the Son.
John addressed the readers of the book of Revelation with an expanded trinitarian formula that includes references to the persons of the Godhead (Rev. 1:4–6). The focus on the triumph of Christianity crystallizes the trinitarian greeting into a doxology that acknowledges the accomplished work and the future return of Christ. This elongated presentation serves as an encouragement to churches facing persecution.
A second type of NT passage is the triadic form. Two passages cast in this structure are Eph. 4:4–6 and 1 Cor. 12:3–6. Both passages refer to the three persons of the Trinity, but not in the definitive formula of the previous passage. Each Scripture balances the unity of the church. Emphasis is placed on the administration of gifts by the Godhead.
A third category of passages mentions the three persons of the Godhead but without a clear triadic structure. In the accounts of the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; and Luke 3:21–22), the three Synoptic writers recorded the presence of the Trinity when the Son was baptized, the Spirit descended, and the Father spoke with approval. Paul, in Gal. 4:4–6, outlined the work of the Trinity in the aspect of the sending Father. Other representative passages in this category (2 Thess. 2:13–15; Titus 3:4–6; Jude 20–21) portray each member of the Trinity in relation to a particular redemptive function.
The fourth category of trinitarian passages includes those presented in the farewell discourse of Jesus to His disciples (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:13–15). In the context of these passages, Jesus expounded the work and ministry of the third person of the Godhead as the Agent of God in the continuing ministry of the Son. The Spirit is a Teacher who facilitates understanding on the disciples’ part and, in being sent from the Father and the Son, is one in nature with the other persons of the Trinity. Jesus said the Spirit takes what is His and declares it to believers (John 16:15). The discourse emphasizes the interrelatedness of the Trinity in equality and operational significance.
All of these passages are embryonic efforts by the early church to express its awareness of the Trinity. The NT is christological in its approach, but it involves the fullness of God being made available to the individual believer through Jesus and by the Spirit. The consistent trinitarian expression is not a formulation of the doctrine, as such, but reveals an experiencing of God’s persistent self-revelation.
In the postbiblical era the Christian church tried to express its doctrine in terms that were philosophically acceptable and logically coherent. Greek categories of understanding began to appear in explanation efforts. Discussion shifted from the NT emphasis on the function of the Trinity in redemptive history to an analysis of the unity of essence of the Godhead.
A major question during those early centuries focused on the oneness of God. The Sabelians described the Godhead in terms of modes that existed only one at a time. This theory upheld the unity of God but excluded His permanent distinctiveness. The Docetists understood Christ as an appearance of God in human form, while Ebonites described Jesus as an ordinary man with God’s power existing within Him at baptism. Arius was also an influential theologian who viewed Jesus as subordinate to God. To Arius, Jesus was a being created by God, higher than man, but less than God. This idea, as well as the others, was challenged by Athanasius at Nicea (a.d. 325), and the council decided for the position of Jesus as "of the exact same substance as the Father."
Probably the most outstanding thinker of the early centuries was Augustine of Hippo (a.d. 354–430). He began with the idea of God as one substance and sought explanation of the Godhead in psychological analogy: a person exists as one being with three dimensions of memory, understanding, and will; so also the Godhead exists as a unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While this explanation is helpful and contains the concept of three persons in one, it does not resolve the complex nature of God.
pastor Grant,
God keep you in all wisdom,knowledge,understanding and humility in his truth.
This is a question regarding, "Of the increase of His govt and peace there shall be no end.". The last chapters of Revelation tell us that finally there will be no humans left alive on Planet Earth. All will either be born into the God Family as little brothers of Christ or else burned up in the lake of fire so they are only "ashes". But since we who overcame and will sit with Him in governing will have been humans, how will that government continue to increase forever now that there are no more humans?
James, there are a number of different kinds of kingdoms in the Bible. Two of the most major kingdoms are the Millennial Kingdom and the eternal kingdom. The five unconditional covenants of the Old Testament promise an earthly kingdom where Christ will rule in time on earth. Two examples of promises of this kingdom are Gen 12-15 (the Abrahamic Covenant, reiterated in the NT a number of times) where it promises a coming Messiah. The Davidic kingdom presented in 2 Sam 7 is a promise of that the Millennial Kingdom will have an earthly King. Revelation 20 speaks of the Millennial Kingdom and chapters 21-22 speak of the eternal kingdom.
At the end of seven years of Tribulation (Rev 6-19) the world will be destroyed except for believers who will be ushered into the Millennial Kingdom which will last for 1000 years (millennial). After the 1000 years Jesus will present the Millennial Kingdom to the Father and that kingdom will be merged with the eternal kingdom.