During World War II, my father-in-law spent 18 months in a prisoner-of-war camp. In the camp, loudspeakers often played music, including a song entitled “Lili Marlene.” Somehow it gave him hope, and he fell in love with the beauty of that name. Years later he gave that name, filled with personal significance, to his only daughter— my wife, Marlene.
Names are like that. They have great importance in human relationships. Nowhere, however, is a name more important than in our relationship with our God. In a way that sets Him apart from all others, He ties His name to His reputation and introduces Himself to us as “God with us.”
This article by ‘Our Daily Bread’ author Bill Crowder is about the amazing prophecy of Isaiah 9:6, where the prophet, 700 years before the coming of Messiah, described the One whose names reveal His importance to us. Read on to know more…you can read through all the sections one by one or navigate to each section directly by clicking on the links below!
- WHAT’S IN A NAME?
- A GUIDING NAME: WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
- A POWERFUL NAME: MIGHTY GOD
- A TIMELESS NAME: EVERLASTING FATHER
- A COMFORTING NAME: PRINCE OF PEACE
- WHAT DO YOU CALL HIM?
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet made this question famous. They fall in love before learning they bear the names of rival families. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet a Capulet. Willing to deny name before love, Juliet cries out, “Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” A few lines later, Juliet asks, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” In other settings, the family name becomes even more important. As a young boy, I watched my father endure the pain of a failed business that left my parents deeply in debt. Rather than declare bankruptcy, he went to each of his creditors and told them he would fully pay them back if it took the rest of his life. On his handshake and his name, each creditor took him at his word. He kept his promise, furthering his credibility and example of integrity in the business community.
The significance of a name was particularly true in Bible times. In both Old and New Testaments, names reflected personal experience or expressed character:
Jacob (GEN. 25:26). Jacob (which means “supplanter”) was so named because he would overtake his brother, Esau, in position and significance. This became reality as Jacob stole both the blessing and the birthright from his firstborn brother.
Naomi (RUTH 1:20). The name Naomi means “delightful one.” Upon her return from the land of Moab, however, she changed her name to Mara, meaning “bitter.” Why? Because in Moab she had suffered the bitter loss of a husband, two sons, and a daughter-in-law.
Barnabas (ACTS 4:36). In the New Testament, we find a man named Joseph, who was so active in caring for people and encouraging others that he received a new name—a nickname. That name was Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.”
While names were important to the people of the Bible, nowhere was this more significant than in Matthew 1:21, where we read the words spoken to Joseph: She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. The name Jesus means “Jehovah our Savior.” It is the New Testament equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua, Yeshua, or Hoshea. While others wore these names to honour God, Jesus bore His name as the Savior-God that the New Testament says He was. It’s important for us to see that the Scriptures honour the name Jesus for several reasons:
- It is the name by which we must be saved. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (ACTS 4:12).
- It is the name that establishes the tone for everything a Christian does. “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (COL. 3:17).
- It is the name at which, one day in the future, every knee shall bow. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (PHIL. 2:10-11).
From the time of Jesus’ birth until now, many have missed or dismissed the significance of His name. In His childhood days, His neighbours knew Him as the son of Joseph the carpenter. In our generation, many know Jesus only as an expression of anger or profanity. Few understand the many additional names given to Him in the Bible. For that reason, we want to look at four significant names written in anticipation of a coming Messiah more than 600 years before the birth of Jesus. By discovering His names, we can be led deeper into an understanding of who He is and why He deserves our trust.
The predicted names of the Messiah
No Old Testament prophet had more to say about the promised Messiah of Israel than Isaiah. He described the coming Servant-Ruler as One who would bring a mysterious blend of power and suffering (ISA. 53; 61:1-3).
than Isaiah
The character of this coming Servant is most clearly stated in Isaiah 9:6, where the prophet declared:
Unto us a Child is born, unto us, a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Here, Isaiah said several things that remained a mystery until the coming of Christ. While it was clear that he was predicting a coming world leader and messianic age, what could not have been seen until after Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is that Isaiah was actually predicting the arrival of the Son of God. All of this we can now see packed profoundly into the series of names Isaiah used for the coming Servant of God.
Let’s review the scope of this amazing prophecy.
The Birth Of Messiah. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given …” Such prophecies infused generations of Jewish women with dreams of being the mother who would give birth to the promised and long-awaited Messiah. But it has since become clear that this prophecy anticipated far more than the birth of a world leader. We now see in the phrase “unto us a Son is given” the entrance of God’s own Son into the human race that He had created.
The Kingdom Of Messiah. “…and the government will be upon His shoulder …” These are words filled with both prophetic and practical significance. Prophetically, Isaiah saw the day when a son of Israel would bear the weight of world leadership. In chapter 2, Isaiah predicted that in the last days the house of the Lord would be established in Jerusalem. Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, agrees, saying that on that day an angel of God will declare, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ [or Messiah], and He shall reign forever and ever!” (REV. 11:15).
Those who have bowed their knee to this coming Messiah and Lord can find present encouragement in that future day. Our comfort is found in the reality that the shoulders that will someday carry the government of the world are large enough to bear any personal burden that we bring to Him now.
The Character Of Messiah. “…and His name will be called …” Hebrew names are often significant for defining character. Isaiah used four compound names to provide a full understanding of this coming Savior. Each name forms a different window through which to view the Son of God who became the Son of man. These four names shape our understanding of who God’s Messiah is—helping us develop a personal relationship with Him and showing us where to find Him in our moments of need. Let’s take these names one at a time.
A GUIDING NAME: WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
“And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor.”
“Wonderful Counselor” literally translates, “a wonder of a counsellor.” What does this name mean? Let’s look at it in two parts. “Wonderful.” The Hebrew word pala indicates “a phenomenon lying outside the realm of human explanation; that which is separated from the normal course of events.” The same word is used in Psalm 139:6 in just this way: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” It describes something miraculous!
We often have a low view of the miraculous, and therefore a limited sense of wonder. Does our sense of wonder go beyond all human explanation? Or have the successes of science and technology robbed us of our ability to worship a God of miracles? Do we honestly believe that the greatest “miracles” are not come-from-behind victories by our favourite sports team, or the latest in technological wizardry, or the wonder drug that calmed our hay fever? All of those can be explained, but a real wonder is something beyond human explanation. The prophet Isaiah declared that the coming Christ would be a wonder. This not only describes what He does, it describes who He is. He, Himself, is the wonder!
“Counselor.” In its historical usage, the word pictured a king giving counsel to his people. Micah declared the dilemma of the Jewish captives in Babylon this way,
“Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counsellor perished?” (4:9). Long before the Child was born and the Son was given, Isaiah foretold that God was planning to send a Counselor for the brokenhearted people of the world.
What is the evidence that Jesus Christ is the Wonderful Counselor? We see it fleshed out in a Person. We read of, reflect on, and appeal for help from the One “who became for us wisdom from God” (1 COR. 1:30). When we take all that we know about Christ, it adds up to a marvellous truth— He is the God who is a “Wonder of a Counselor.”
His Wonder. If a wonder is anything that excites amazement, then it describes everything about the One who came in fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. In 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul expressed the wonder of the Christ who clothed Himself in human flesh: The wonder of this brief statement disturbs philosophers, delights beggars, and comforts the brokenhearted. What He did for us in His redeeming work is beyond comprehension. Imagine what it will mean to enjoy for all eternity a loving relationship with the Creator, the Son of heaven who became sin for us (2 COR. 5:20-21). Think about it: the Son, God in every way, was still willing to bear our punishment for sin. That should stir our hearts in wonder!
His Counsel. Even as a child of 12, Jesus astounded Jewish rabbis with His wisdom (LK. 2:46-47). Luke recorded that “the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him” (2:40). In His public life, people were amazed at His wise counsel. “When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?’” (MT. 13:54). Later, the apostle Paul wrote that in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (COL. 2:3).
Are we as astonished at the wonder of a counsellor as Isaiah was? Are we captivated by His charm, insight, and practical genius? Where else can we be so assured of the acceptance and forgiveness and comfort of God?
What is the importance of the name “Wonderful Counselor” to believers today? Because the Wonderful Counselor is also our Creator and Savior, and because He is the fulfilment of all that both Old and New Testaments teach, His counsel is found wherever we can find the words and provisions of God. The Old Testament is His story. The New Testament Gospels are the record of His interactions with the people of His day. The letters of the rest of the New Testament represent the practical application of His teaching to life.
How then does our Wonderful Counselor help us with our problems and lead us to a place of security, satisfaction, and enjoyment? He does so through His Word and prayer (PS. 119:24; JAS. 1:5). He does so by reminding us that there is safety in a multitude of good counsellors (PROV. 11:14). But most of all He does so with the assurance that because of who He is, He can help us in ways that go far beyond our ability to understand (PS. 32:8) or our own limitations.
Christ is able to give us the needed direction for life. How thankful we should be that Isaiah spoke of a Wonderful Counselor, who is also rightly named the “Mighty God.”
A POWERFUL NAME: MIGHTY GOD
“And His name will be called…Mighty God.”
What is the meaning of the name “Mighty God”? This name is the compound Hebrew title El Gibbor, and both parts of the name need to be understood.
“God.” The first part of the title is El, the singular form of the word Elohim. In the Old Testament, this referred to
the one true God (though on occasion it was used of mighty heroes or even false gods). Yet even though Jesus Himself pointed out that the title is sometimes used of mighty sons of men (JN. 10:34), the title is so often used of God and only God, that the prophet Hosea used El to set God in contrast to the man in Hosea 11:9. That Isaiah 9:6 was predict-ing One who would be far more than a man is indicated by the third name “Everlasting Father” and by the New Testament record of Christ. The Christ who walked on water died voluntarily for our sins, and then physically rose from the dead is the One who also said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (JN. 8:58). He is the One of whom John wrote:
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (JN. 1:1–3).
“Mighty.” The other part of the name is Gibbor, which means “strength, power, hero.” What a statement! In a world where heroes are often determined by athletic prowess, personal talent, or financial power, we are told that the only One truly worthy to be called “hero” is the One whose might is unparalleled.
The focus of Isaiah’s prophecy is El Gibbor, the mighty God who is our true Hero. What this prophet in the seventh century BC anticipated, the New Testament confirms. Because the Messiah would be God, He would have God’s power— but to Isaiah, the amazing thing was that the Messiah would not only have the power of God, He would be the God of power!
What is the evidence that Jesus Christ is the “Mighty God”? By His perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection, He showed we could trust Him, though most of His own people rejected Him. John wrote, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (JN. 1:11). Yet in many cases, He was recognized as the long-awaited Messiah. Nicodemus, a rabbi of Israel, recognized Him (cp. JN. 3 with JN.19). The disciples recognized Him (compare MT. 8:27 with 16:16). Mary Magdalene recognized Him, and her life was transformed (LK. 8:2). Others’ lives were changed as well, including the church’s most feared persecutor, Saul of Tarsus (ACTS 9).
These and thousands of other first-century people believed—and for good reason. Jesus Christ proved Himself to be El Gibbor as He displayed His life-changing might and power. Still today, for those who see their need of a Savior, the evidence of Christ’s mighty power is overwhelming. For those who sense their own inability to live up to God’s standard, the apostle John wrote, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (JN. 1:12).
The New Testament provides us with an opportunity to see the fullness of the “Mighty God” Isaiah predicted, showing both how His power was displayed in His life on earth—but also how it was seen before He even came to the earth.
Jesus, the Mighty God before His birth. The Bible clearly states that Christ displayed His might by creating the world before He physically entered it. John 1:3 says, “All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.” Colossians 1:16 agrees: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”
Christ’s display of might in the act of creation distinguished Him from mere humans. We have the ability to make things, but we require some basic raw materials. Christ showed His might in the ability to create—to make something out of nothing. It takes divine might to truly create. Christ demonstrated that power in the most profound way—by creating the universe.
Jesus, the Mighty God during His earthly life. Jesus showed His right to be recognized as the Mighty God by demonstrating power over nature (LK. 5:1-11), power over disease (MT. 9:18-26), power over demons (LK. 8:26-39), power over sin (MK. 2:3-12), and power over death (1 COR. 15:1-19). Throughout the course of His public life, Christ revealed His divine might in ways that not only were undeniable (ACTS 2:22) but also intentional validations of His claim to be God (JN. 20:30-31). When we see the otherwise inexplicable demonstrations of God’s might in the unparalleled life of Christ, it becomes clear why Paul would call Jesus “the Son of God with power” (ROM. 1:4) and “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 COR. 1:24).
What is the importance of the name “Mighty God” to believers today? While appreciating the evidence that shows Christ to be the Mighty God, we must remember that this is more than mere theological data. It is inspired evidence that urges us to see and respond to Christ as He is—our “Mighty God.”
He is the source of our power. In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised to send the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be His representatives in the world. Inherent to this provision of the Spirit is the fact that He wants us to live distinctive lives in an impure world as evidence of His presence in us.
He is the strength of our lives. In Philippians 4:13, Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” What a great promise! He will strengthen us for all the circumstances and inevitabilities of life. This doesn’t mean that we will never know pain or hardship, but that we can endure in triumph. How can we do that? Only as we rest in His power, not in our own.
He secures our eternity. The apostle Peter wrote that we are “kept by the power of God” (1 PET. 1:5). Nothing can overcome God’s power to keep us in Christ. What a great assurance it is to know that we are secure not because of our own ability to hold on to Him, but by His power holding on to us. In view of the evidence, how can we see our Lord Jesus Christ as anything less than the Mighty God, El Gibbor? In 1885, J. B. Figgis took it even further, describing in his book Emmanuel the surprising way in which the Mighty God not only showed His might by miracles, but also by His disarming meekness:
Christ’s inimitable meekness and patience never once forsook Him in a vexatious, ungrateful, cruel sphere. He never stepped out of the humble sphere in which He was brought up; He does not seem to have ever possessed for Himself so much as the smallest coin, and when He died had no means for providing for His mother, and could only commend her to one of His disciples. Yet, His life was infinitely superior to all others. If Jesus were no more than a man or a hero, why are there not more men like Him? What God did for one man, God would certainly do for others. It is unaccountable that it has never been done. The incarnation, when Jesus came as “the Mighty God,” alone helps us to the solution of such an enigma.
A TIMELESS NAME: EVERLASTING FATHER
“And His name will be called…Everlasting Father.”
Like the name “Mighty God,” for centuries this name was shrouded in mystery. What mortal could bear such a title? In Isaiah 9:6 the Messiah is described as both a Son (“unto us, a Son is given”) and a Father (“His name will be called . . . Everlasting Father”). What is the meaning of the name “Everlasting Father”? The symbolic use of the Hebrew word father was an expression for “possessor of,” meaning that He became a child in time (through His birth), but He is the Father (and possessor) of eternity. This reveals several aspects of His character:
He inhabits and possesses eternity. “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (ISA. 57:15).
His name is eternal. “His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed” (PS. 72:17).
He is the eternal provider. “He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son’” (REV. 21:6-7).
He is eternal in all that He is and all that He does. This imp
