Isaiah 9:6

Unto us a child. Isaiah concludes his picture of the coming era of peace with a striking prophecy of the great Prince of Peace. Peace comes only with righteousness (Isa. 32:17, 18), and Jesus is the righteous King (Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:15, 16), imputing and imparting His own righteousness to men. He came to the world to bring peace (Luke 2:14; John 14:27; see also Phil. 4:7).

There is, patently, but one Person in the universe to whom the description here given can fully and adequately apply, and that is Christ. Nowhere else in the Bible do we find the loftiness of thought, the beauty of expression, the intensity of feeling, found here in the description of the world’s Saviour and coming King. Truly, Isaiah had seen a vision of the Lord of glory when these words were written. The hand of God was upon him and an angel guided his pen, as with other OT writers. In Ps. 110 Christ is set forth as the coming King, who will be “a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek”; in Ps. 2 He is pictured as breaking the nations with a rod of iron; and in Ps. 45 He is described as riding forth in majesty.

The government. Christ will rule over all heaven and earth (see Dan. 2:44, 45; Matt. 25:31; 28:18; Luke 1:32,33; 1 Cor. 15:25, cf. Ps. 110:1; Phil. 2:10; Rev. 11:15).

Wonderful, Counsellor. That is, “wonderful Counsellor” (see chs. 11:2, 3; 25:1; 28:29). This name embodies the thought of wisdom, kindness, and consideration — a name that would call forth the rapture, adoration, and praise of all beings in heaven and earth, and in all the universe (see Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 5:12, 13).

Mighty God. Jesus the Son is no less God than is the Father. He was one with the Father from the days of eternity (see Ps. 90:2; Prov. 8:22-30; Micah 5:2; John 1:1; 14:9, 11; DA 19).

Everlasting Father. As God the Father is eternal, so also is Christ. Isaiah calls Him the Father because He is Father to all mankind in a special sense, being the Creator of men and of the world (John 1:3; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2; cf. Gen. 1:26). No other word than “Father” so fully expresses the love and care of Jesus toward His children. When Christ rules, it will be as a father to His people (Isa. 22:21, 22; cf. Rev. 3:7).

Prince of Peace. See Zech. 9:9, 10; Eph. 2:14.