To Us a Child Is Born – A Messianic Prophecy

“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, Counselor, 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 forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” –Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV).

Perhaps many of you, as I, memorized this prophecy of Isaiah concerning the birth of the Messiah and his particular work on the earth.  Isaiah pictures the child—the son—who will be in the lineage of David the king as a gift of divine grace who will commandingly enter the world stage.  Later versions (like the New English) omit the comma between wonderful and counselor, making the designation one of His attributes, with a modifier.  The child, becoming a man, will achieve many distinctions and will have outstanding qualifications:

            (1) Wonderful Counselor – one who makes wise plans and advises about them;

            (2)  Mighty God – the Diety, powerful and good;

         (3)  Everlasting Father – the Father, having the qualities of benevolent protector and helper.  This is not to take the name of Father from the Trinity and apply it to the Son, but the Son will be one with the Father and in that way offer protection and help for all the children (followers).  Wiersbe suggests that the term means “Father of eternity.  If you want anything eternal, you must get it through Jesus Christ” (W. W. Wiersbe, Bible Commentary. OT, p.1163).

           (4) Prince of Peace – He will bring about peace because nations and people will practice His justice and judgments and seek His guidance.

Because of the nature and attributes of the person who is to be born, His government will be established and last forever.  All of this will be made possible because of the zeal and steadfastness of the Lord of hosts.  Paul gives this word, which we might see as this prophecy fulfilled, with our part in it defined, for we have the “word of reconciliation” to spread:  “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses agains them, and He has commited to us the word of reconciliation”  (I Corinthians 5:19, NAS). If you listen to Handel’s majestic “Messiah” this Christmas, you will hear the words of Isaiah set to beautiful music.  I can hear even now the lofty melody running through my mind:  “And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace…and of the increase of His government there shall be no end…!

Prayer.  Lord, through Scripture, music, prayer and adoration may we be renewed this Christmas in spirit and in truth that we may serve You with more effectiveness and zeal.  Amen.

Light in the Darkness – A Messianic Prophecy

“For 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.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.”-Isaiah 9:1-2 (ESV).

We go back to Isaiah 8:22 to read the context and understand the spiritual darkness of the time right before the announcement of the coming of the Messiah who will bring light and truth: “And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish.  And they will be thrust into thick darkness.”  In the midst of this spiritual gloom comes a light of great hope.  Naming areas of the Israelite nation—Zebulun, Naphtali, Jordan and Galilee ‘of the nations’—Isaiah the prophet reminds them that a great light is coming to them.  He projects his thoughts from the present “gloom” to the time when they can expect deliverance and light from the promised Messiah.  The land of Zebulun was in the northern region of the Promised Land, the first of the land to come under attack by foreign invaders. Isaiah’s prophecy foresaw how the Messiah would launch His worldwide mission from “Galilee of the nations.”  And, indeed, in the fullness of time, when Messiah did appear on the earth, and when He gave His ‘marching orders’ to His band of disciples, He gave them the Great Commission to “go into all the world” from a mountain in Galilee.  This reflected, also, the light of His truth that He had come to redeem people everywhere who will turn to Him in repentance and faith.  That is the nature of the Light of the World, the Messiah, who sheds abroad His light and His truth “to those who dwelt in…deep darkness; on them has the light shined.”  And, thankfully, that includes you and me who have come to the truth of His light.  A significant aspect of this Messianic prophecy is that Isaiah uses the past tense verb.  He is so confident and assured of the Messiah’s coming that even as he wrote eight centuries before the Messiah came to earth, he could write as though it was a certain and accomplished mission.  The prophetic vision sees the future as already fulfilled.

And speaking of fulfillment of this prophecy, what passages in the New Testament corroborate the testimony of Isaiah’s vision?  As Jesus began His earthly ministry, Matthew quotes almost verbatim these verses from Isaiah in Matthew 4:15-16.  Moreover, Jesus was preaching, teaching and healing in the area of Capernaum, Zebulun and Naphtali, “so that what was spoken of by the prophet might be fulfilled” (see Mt. 4:12-14).  When Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus up to Jerusalem to the Temple at the time of His purification, old Simeon, a devout and righteous man, upon beholding the Baby, said of Him in a revelatory utterance:  “for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32). We must add, too, one of the great “I am” statements of the Lord about Himself:  “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, ESV).  In making this declaration about Himself, Jesus linked His coming to earth and His purpose in coming to Isaiah’s prophecy.  He broke through the gloom of hopelessness, despair and spiritual darkness to bring the light of salvation.  Many other Old Testament prophecies also declare Him as the Light.

Prayer.  Thanks be to God that the light still shines in the gloom of spiritual darkness, drawing people to Jesus, the Light of the world.  Thank You, Lord, that the light has shined into my heart.  Amen.

Love Remembers

“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.  And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” –Deuteronomy 8:2-3. “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” –Isaiah 9:10.  “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God:  I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” –Isaiah 41:10 (ESV).

Since September 11, 2001 we say the date 9/11 or September 11 or “day of infamy” and we remember the terror  (and terrorists) that struck America on that fateful day.  By review, we recall the four US passenger planes taken over by terrorists and aimed at targets.  American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were directed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and both towers collapsed from the raging fires within two hours. American Airlines Flight 77 was aimed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia (greater Washington, DC).  United Airlines Flight 92 was targeted for the US Capitol building in Washington, but due to quick action on the part of some passengers, the flight crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa.  Almost 3000 were killed, including the 246 civilian passengers on the planes and the 19 terrorists.  You can probably remember with clarity where you were on 9/11, how you heard the news, and the shock-waves that emanated from the fear and sadness that gripped our nation and the world.  Suspicion of the atrocities quickly fell on the al-Qaeda terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden.  In 2004 he claimed responsibility, giving three motives for the attacks: (1) US support of Israel; (2) the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia; and (3) US sanctions against Iraq.  A wave of patriotism swept America.  People responded to new regulations, newer and tougher surveillance measures at airports, and the changes that came with a weakened economy.  People (for awhile) went to church more than usual and turned to God with pleas for our nation and our world.  America stepped up military operations, invaded Afghanistan in an effort to depose the Taliban, the hard-core al-Qaeda stronghold.  It took until 2011 to find Bin Laden and kill him.  The US military assigned to Iraq also assisted in bringing down Saddam Hussein, leader of that country.  The FBI and CIA stepped up operations.  Luggage belonging to Mohamed Atta, one of the hijackers, was not loaded onto Flight 11 but left behind.  In the luggage FBI agents found the list of names of the 19 hijackers and their countries.  Atta himself was from Egypt; one was from Lebanon; 15 were from Saudi Arabia and two from the United Arab Emirates.

Why so much of 9/11 history under the title, “Love remembers”?  Just as the scripture cited from Deuteronomy 8 called upon the children of Israel to remember God’s mercy, grace and love in bringing them out of Egyptian bondage and providing manna for them in the 40 years of wilderness wanderings, so we need to remember as well God’s provision for us during the terrible calamity that struck America on 9/11.  Some skeptics have said, “Where was God when the terrorists struck?  Others have been faithful to enumerate how it might possibly have been worse, with the attacks more widespread and the death toll much larger.  America and the world awakened to the threats that face us in modern civilization.  A 2011 book entitled The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn applies the prophecy from Isaiah 9:10 to the twin towers collapse and the clean-up and rebuilding, as well as subsequent history to other prophecies recorded by Isaiah and others.  Unless we keep our faith strong, fear could overcome us.  Reread the promise in Isaiah 41:10 and thank God for his love and provision.  Remember His goodness, even to a thousand generations!