Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. December 6, 2016

christ-1618197_640_optAnother remarkable prophecy of Christ in the Old Testament (the study of which is a classic devotion for Advent), is Isaiah 9:1-7.  Not only do we learn that the Messiah will live in Galilee and will be the eternal Davidic King.  Verse 6 also establishes His deity and does so in Trinitarian terms:

    And his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The child who is born to us will be called “Mighty God.”

We also have an intimation of the inter-relationship and the unity of the Persons within the Trinity.  The Son is not the Father or the Holy Spirit, but rather all three are distinct persons within one unity. And yet here the titles and the functions of the Holy Spirit (“Wonderful Counselor”) and God the Father (“Everlasting Father”), as well as the Son (“Prince of Peace”) are all ascribed to the Son who will be given to us.

Isaiah 9

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.[b]

[c] The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

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