"His name shall be called" Isa 9:6-7
"His name shall be called" Isa 9:6-7
"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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." Isa 9:6-7
There is no one who denies this refers to Jesus. It is so clear, that the JPS (The Jewish Publication Society), which is the official printer of the English version of the Old Testament for the English speaking Jewish community does NOT print the English for these words, but leaves them in Hebrew (and his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom). I consult the JPS for Old Testament translation, it is excellent, but I would say that here they intentionally want to hide the meaning, so that the average English speaking Jew will NOT see how clearly theses verses refer to Jesus.
We say these names all refer to Jesus, but have we thought about what each name means, and the implication of their referring to Jesus?
Firstly though, there is a lot of discussion as to how to understand the names. They are all parallel grammatical constructions, so translations which do not give parallel phrases, like the KJV which I used above, are a bit off.
There are two (2) ways of understanding these names
We can have:
The counselor of wonder.
The God of might.
The father of eternity.
The prince of peace.
Or we can have:
Wonderful Counselor.
Mighty God.
Everlasting Father.
Peaceful Prince.
Since these 4 names are all referring to one person, who is a human male child, I would say the second list is not correct, for then he would be called "the Father" and "the counselor (Holy Spirit)" which becomes modialism, which says that there is one God who reveals himself alternately as either Father or Son or Holy Spirit. The Christian church universally rejected that, saying is was heresy! You can Google "modialism" and find articles on it.
The first list fits better by saying he is:
The counselor of wonder.
The God of might.
The father of eternity.
The prince of peace.
Most English translations basically follow the KJV, but here are 2 which do not, seen in how they both translate the KJV "Everlasting Father," as "Possessor of Eternity" and "Father of Eternity," meaning he is the controller and author eternity.
OJB (Orthodox Jewish Bible)
For unto us a yeled is born, unto us ben is given; and the misrah (dominion) shall be upon his shoulder; and Shmo shall be called Peleh (Wonderful), Yoetz (Counsellor), El Gibbor (Mighty G-d), Avi Ad (Possessor of Eternity), Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace).
YLT (Young's Literal Translation)
For a Child hath been born to us, A Son hath been given to us, And the princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
But even those 2 are not consistent; they are indeed difficult phrases to translate.
The Chaldee renders this expression: "The man abiding forever."
Since these phrases are parallel grammatical constructions, all referring to one person, I think list 1 is a better way to translate them. In the next four (4) Blogs, we will look at each one of these names, in the following order:
1) The counselor of wonder.
2) The God of might.
3) The father of eternity.
4) The prince of peace.
Then in the sixth and final Blog, we will look at these six (6) points:
1) He is the Governor of the Universe.
2) His government continues to increase.
3) His government is a government of peace.
4) His government is of David's Throne.
5) His government is based on judgment and peace.
6) His kingdom originates from the zeal of the LORD.
So for this Introduction:
1) We have a clear statement that God will enter human history.
"A child is born," and "a son is given."
He does not magically enter into human history, just appearing on the scene; he is born, just like each one of us, with all the discomfort of pregnancy, pain of childbirth, water breaking, with blood and stuff.
In order for him to be the second Adam, and so be able to fulfill the Law (The Ten Commandments) on our behalf, and carry our sins to the cross, to bear the penalty for them, it is critical that he be a true human being.
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." Heb 2:14-18
2) He is a son, a male.
With all of the confusion about gender today, this is significant.
3) He is given.
Firstly "given" means there is a plan.
God has a plan to save Mankind. No one told him how to do it, he thought of it himself, and Father-Son-Holy Spirit agreed to it.
"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second." Heb 10:4-9
Note there are two (2) people speaking: "I come to do thy will."
It was impossible for the Old Testament Jewish animal sacrifices to take away sin. That system was set up to pre-figure the work of Jesus Christ.
Jesus' part to was to become a man; and again two (2) people are involved: "a body hast thou prepared for me."
And the fulfillment of the plan: "I come to do thy will," which was to assume that body, and die for those whom the father had given to Jesus; read Jhn 17.
In doing that, he "takes away the first, that he may establish the second."
It was a co-ordinated plan, established by God, Father-Son-Holy Spirit, in eternity past, and carried out in time. Again refer to Jhn 17, where Jesus uses the term "those whom you gave to me," six (6) times!
Secondly, "given" tells us it was a gift, meaning God was under no obligation to save Mankind. God who delights to show mercy, willingly did this, and he still wants to save sinners.
"And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." Exo 34:5-7
"Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Eze 18:31
"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Eze 33:11
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luk 19:10
Jesus, the Jewish carpenter, who died on a cross, is really, in his own person, this son, whose name is:
The God of might.
The father of eternity.
The prince of peace.
The counselor of wonder.
"He was born in an obscure village, a child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another obscure village where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty.
Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.
He never had a family.
Or owned a home.
He never set foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles from the place he was born.
He never wrote a book or held an office.
He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness.
While he was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him.
His friends deserted him.
He was turned over to his enemies.
He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While he was dying his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had, his coat.
When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today he is still the central figure for much of the human race.
All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever sailed,
And all the parliaments that ever sat,
And all the kings that ever reigned,
Put together
have not affect the life of man
Upon this earth
As powerfully as this
One Solitary Life.
"The Real Jesus and Other Sermons," Rev. James Allan Francis. Published in 1926 by Judson Press in Philadelphia.
28 May 2025