Establish the need: Have you heard an advertisement about something that sounds so good you have to wonder if it is true?
Purpose: Today we will see three reasons for why we believe Isaiah 9:6 is a prediction of the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled so that you know your faith is genuine and it would motivate you to follow Him.
- We believe Isaiah 9:6 is about Jesus because of the context
- We believe Isaiah 9:6 is about Jesus because the Jews interpretation of it is Messianic
- We believe Isaiah 9:6 is about Jesus because of historical process of elimination
We believe Isaiah 9:6 is about Jesus because of the context
Point: Isaiah 9:6 must be understood in the context of Isaiah 9:1-7.
Passage: “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You will multiply the nation, You will increase their joy; They will rejoice in Your presence As with the joy of harvest, As people rejoice when they divide the spoils. 4 For You will break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 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. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.”
Proof
The Messiah must be from Galilee
- Predictions
- Note Isaiah 9:1 refer to Galilee
- “theland of Zebulun”
- “land of Naphtali”
- “Galilee”
- Both “theland of Zebulun” and “land of Naphtali” were Tribes of Israel that were most remote regions of Israel and most subject to pagan influences.[1] Hence there is the association of these areas “with contempt.”
- According to the next verse “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light;” (Isaiah 9:2)
- This include Gentiles in Galilee according to Isaiah 9:1.
- Note Isaiah 9:1 refer to Galilee
- Fulfillment
- In Luke 1:79 make an explicit reference to Jesus as the one who will fulfill the prophecy since the phrase “in darkness and shadow of death” is nuance, appearing before the verb despite being the object. Phrases derives from Isaiah 9:1-2.[2]
- Jesus’ family was from the region of Galilee (Luke 1:26, 2:4, 2:39)
- Jesus’ ministered in Galilee (Luke 4:14, 4:31)
- Jesus’ ministry in Galilee also reached Gentile area, note the clues of Jesus reaching out at Gerasenes (Luke 8:26) where people herded pigs (Luke 8:32)
The Messiah is not an ordinary human being given His rule is forever.
- Predictions
- According to Isaiah 9:7: “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore.”
- Note the language:
- “There will be no end”
- “From then on and forevermore.”
- This rule is also different in terms of quality:
- “of peace,”
- “uphold it with justice and righteousness”
- Fulfillment: This will happen when the Messiah comes back!
Picture: <Have you ever looked at those 3D pictures and you had to really look before you discover there’s something there?>
Practice:
- Study the Scriptures!
- Be amazed!
We believe Isaiah 9:6 is about Jesus because the Jews interpretation of it is Messianic
Point: Some might say that Isaiah 9:6 was never understood as referring to the Messiah. But is this true?
Proof
Jewish commentators did not dispute Isaiah 9:6 is Messianic and prophetic in nature until recent times.[3]
The Aramaic Targum Isaiah translates Isaiah 9:6 as “The Prophet said to the house of David, For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and He has taken the law upon Himself to keep it. His name is called from eternity, Wonderful, The Mighty God who lived to eternity, The Messiah, whose peace shall be great upon us in His days”[4]
- The Aramaic Targum isn’t always as literal in its translation and at times it gives us more interpretation; still it is valuable to read it to see it as a resource for seeing what Jewish interpretation are in the past.
- Here there’s the insertion of “The Messiah.” This shows there are non-Christians Jews that understood the verse in a Messianic sense.
The Talmud: ““Among the descendants of King David who ruled during the First Temple period there were those who were praised for following in his path and those who were condemned for not doing so. King Hizkiyahu was one of the righteous kings, and, according to the Gemara on our daf (=page), God was planning to anoint him as the Messiah. Rabbi Tanhum quotes a homily taught by Bar Kappara in the city of Tzippori: The letter mem in the word le-marbeh (seeYeshayahu 9:6) – in a passage that refers to the dynasty of King David and the Messiah – is written in an unusual way. While all such letters are open at the bottom, this one is closed. The explanation offered is that God wanted to anoint King Hizkiyahu as Messiah and his attacker, Sanheriv as Gog U’Magog – turning their war into the war of the End of Days – but was kept from doing so.””[5]
- The Talmud is written recording of the Jewish “oral Torah.”
- Here we see that Isaiah 9:6 is mentioned as referring to the Messiah.
We believe Isaiah 9:6 is about Jesus because of historical process of elimination
Proof
Some non-Christian Jews take Isaiah 9:6 to be fulfilled by King Hezekiah. But there are reasons to reject Hezekiah as a candidate of whom Isaiah 9:6 is referring to.
Isaiah 9:6 mentioned the Son’s title include “Wonderful Counselor.”
- In Hebrew the term “Wonder” is used exclusively for God’s act and not description of human beings; see Exodus 3:20, 15:11, 34:10, Joshua 3:5, Nehemiah 9:17, 1 Chronicles 16:12, Psalm 40:5, Isiah 25:1, 29:14.[6]
- This coming Son would have to be Divine God Himself.
- No one would claim Hezekiah is God, so he can’t be the referent of Isaiah 9:6.
Was the Reign of Hezekiah forever?
- Recall the eternal nature of the Messiah and the Messiah’s rule as mentioned above found in Isaiah 9:6-7.
- Yet Hezekiah’s reign wasn’t forever: “So Hezekiah lay down with his fathers, and his son Manasseh became king in his place” (2 Kings 20:21).
- Thus Hezekiah cannot be the Messiah of Isaiah 9:6.
Even some non-Christian rabbis rejected Hezekiah as the one Isaiah 9:6 is referring to.
- According to the Talmud: “The Gemara explains that God chose not to anoint Hizkiyahu to be Mashi’ah because He accepted the argument put forward by midat ha-din – the heavenly attribute of justice – that Hizkiyahu did not deserve the honor since he did not respond to the miraculous victory over Sanheriv appropriately by singing praises to God – something that King David did on a regular basis without becoming the Messiah. Why might Hizkiyahu have neglected to respond to the victory with song? In his Tzafnat Pa’ane’ah, Rav Yosef Razin suggests that with the Ten Tribes already exiled, King Hizkiyahu felt that a full song of thanksgiving would be inappropriate, since the miracle had not benefitted the entire Jewish People, but only a single tribe.”[7]
- Summary: From the Talmud one see here certain Rabbis argued that Hezekiah did not fulfilled Isaiah 9:6 since his action benefited only a single tribe instead all of Israel.
[1] Edward E. Hindson, “Isaiah 9:1-7: The Deity of Messiah” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 831.
[2] William Hendriksen, Luke (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1979), 128.
[3] Edward E. Hindson, “Isaiah 9:1-7: The Deity of Messiah” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 835.
[4] Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=_boCAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=chaldee+paraphrase+Isaiah#v=onepage&q=chaldee%20paraphrase%20Isaiah&f=false page 31.
[5] Source: Sanhedrin 94a-b; quoted from http://steinsaltz.org/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&articleId=1953.
[6] Michael A. Rydelnik, “The Messiah and His Titles” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 36.
[7] Source: Sanhedrin 94a-b; quoted from http://steinsaltz.org/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&articleId=1953.
Good points that context, traditional Jewish interpretation and the process of elimination make it reasonable to see Isaiah 9:6 as a Messianic prophecy pointing to Jesus.
Amen! The prophecies are soo amazing here!!
It is wild to me that some argue against Christ’s obvious presence in this text. It seems harder to argue against it than for it!
Good job as always. I always have something edifying to glean from your work.
The prophecies are so amazing to me! Thanks for reading this!!! You guys having church on Sunday?
As I was growing up, my school had a Christmas program every year, called “A Festival of Lessons and Carols.” Bible passages were read, telling the story of Redemption, with Christmas carols sung in between. This passage was always one of them. What a testament to the eternal truth of God’s Word!
Wow it’s so amazing to me how many kids even know about this prophecy, and even more amazing how there’s so much in this chapter that shows it’s about the Messiah and about Jesus! Hope this passage warms your heart and devotions this time of the year!
It does! 😊
Merry Christmas, Jimmy!
This is so good, Jimmy! I am sorry I fell asleep last night! For Advent my church has going over each name in Isaiah 9:6. I love hearing about the Messianic prophecy as well. What a rich section of Scripture!!!!
That is an amazing verse. Praying for your prayer requests please keep me posted
I enjoy your deep dives into Messianic prophecy. So encouraging to us who await the prophecy yet to be fulfilled, Christ’s return.
Indeed in light of fulfilled prophecies about the MEssiah, it gives us hope for remaining prophecies to be fulfulled will be fulfilled! Amen Dora! Blessings to you sister! Thanks for reading this
Excellent observation by Hendricksen about the ‘fronting’ of “in darkness and shadow of death” in Luke 1:79, thereby illustrating emphasis. Yet, curiously, the Hebrew ̉ēl (Is 9:5MT) is not translated as either Kyrios or Theos in the LXX (Is 9:6).
Fascinating. Have you been able to look at the different families of the LXX and seeing if any term for the Divine appear at all?
I initially checked Swete, but Rahlfs is the same: καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος. Note that the last three words consist of a string of genitives. Brenton renders this “…and his name is called Messenger of great counsel…”. It seems to me that, similar to the Targum and Talmud, there is quite a bit of interpretation in this translation–the LXX, that is (and then Brenton’s rendering of the LXX).
Thanks for your detective work
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Thanks for this outline on the Messianic nature of Isaiah 9:6. It’s always a thrill to read prophecies and types of Jesus in the Old Testament, especially one as clear as Isaiah 9:6.
Amen! This one is definitely one of the clear ones. I appreciate the prophecies of Jesus in Scripture. How goes your day so far with family????
Had to go out and pick up a Christmas gift for my wife before the storm hit. It was crazy out there. Everybody had the same idea. Now just chilling with our son. Going out later to pick up chicken dinners from famous Sal’s Birdland. How’s your Thursday starting out?
Thanks for the insight. These prophecies are amazing.
Shalom!
I see Is. 9:6 (9:5MT) as not just Messianic, but Trinitarian. It has God the Father (“everlasting Father”), the Son (“a son is given…”; “Prince of Peace”), and the Spirit (“Wonderful Counselor” [paraclete])–“Mighty God”!
Reblogged this on clydeherrin.
Well done.
Thanks for your encouragement. They do encourage me to post the truth about the Bible and Christ!
Jesus Christ is the answer to all goodness.
Love this Prophecy, probably first knew about it as a kid during Christmas time
Thank you for breaking this down for us. We wait, eagerly and with bated breath, the return of our Groom, the risen Christ! While, simultaneously, being thankful—humble even—that God on High did not think it selfish to wrap Himself in human flesh, to become like one of His creations: dependent, vulnerable, and fragile, so that He could empathize with our sorrows, hurts, and woes, love, and be loved.
Thanks for reading this! God bless you Rulonda!!
May the Father bless you as well Jimmy!!
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Wow. This is timely. I am having a sermon series on Isaiah. I am now on Isaiah 9:5. Merry Christmas!
Wow nice! Will you load the sermon online?
Yes, I am planning to. But it is English-tagalog. But I am taking it longer, expounding on each titles of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 for 5 months.
[…] Tribes of Israel that were most remote regions of Israel and most subject to pagan influences.[1] Hence there is the association of these areas “with […]
I never knew there’s so much details behind this passage
Love the research on this. Fulfilled prophecies and the exactness of their fulfillment is indisputable testimony to the veracity of scripture.
Amen! Isn’t amazing that the Scripture itself is self-evidencing with fulfilled Messianic Prophecies? Wished Presuppositional Apologists emphasize this point more often!