Examination of the Verse: “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 shall be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.’”
“The differences between the two English translations of the verse, shows a different understanding of the verse. Christians use Isaiah 9:6 as a proof text that the Messiah (Jesus) was one and the same with the Eternal Father (God). The rabbinic translation doesn’t take away from the person described, but states that he is “wonderful counselor of the mighty God”. What man or woman could be called a counselor to God? The person described in the verse is born as a child here on earth. It may even be that the correct understanding is midway between the two translations.”
“The Jewish understanding of the Messiah is that he is a man born here on the earth and that he will fulfill the prophecies, but that he is still a man and not God.”
“The Jewish understanding of the Messiah is that he is a man born here on the earth and that he will fulfill the prophecies, but that he is still a man and not God.”
“… and his name shall be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God (El), Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.’”
What does the word El (God) mean in Hebrew? Does the word El in Hebrew refer to the mighty and true God alone, such as Jehovah? Let us see the definition of the word El (God).
(1) God, god-like, mighty one
(a) Mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes
(b) Angels
(c) God, false god, (figments of the imaginations)
(e) God, the one true God, Jehovah
(2) Mighty thins in nature
(3) Strength, power
“Even the Jewish Targum (translation of part of the Bible in Aramaic) commentary on Isaiah 9:6 says Mighty God and not Mighty ‘judge’.
“In fact if one reads Ezekiel chapter 31 verse 11 we see that a tyrannical king is called mighty god: ‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou has lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one (?el) of the heathen.’”
“If one goes and consults the Hebrew one will find that the term used here (Ezekiel 31:11) is IDENTICAL to that of Isaiah 9:6.”
To complicate things further - for the Jews, how can all of this be reconciled with the text of Isaiah that reads, “The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear” (Isaiah 2:17-18). One can understand the riddance of the self-defied man, but does nothing to resolve the controversy concerning the "Mighty God"- the Messiah.
“Mighty God” translates the Hebrew El Gibbor. Literally this means “God of Might.” We know from Holy Scripture that “the Lord” – Jehovah – is the God of Israel. And Jehovah went on to say: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” – Exodus 3:6. And then in Isaiah 45:21-22 Jehovah is clear and emphatic that there is only one God – PERIOD! “…there is no God apart from Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.”
Consider Isaiah 44:6-9: “This is what the Lord says- Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no God. Who then is like Me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established My ancient people, and what is yet to come- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are My witnesses. Is there any God beside Me? No, there is no other Rock, I know not one. All who make idols are nothing and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind, they are ignorant, to their own shame.”
“One of the most important rules when we attempt to interpret the Bible is to let the text speak in its plainest sense. In other words, as we read Isaiah 45:21-22, what is Isaiah attempting to explain to us? When he writes that besides Jehovah there is no other God, it becomes plain that he means to tell us that there is only one God. Jehovah Himself reiterates this in verse 22 when He announces I am God, and there is no one else. Apart from further indoctrination, no one would ever come to the conclusion that there is more than one God."
ONE GOD - Is (Jesus) the Messiah God?
Again, we reflect on the controversy that confronts us in the text of Isaiah.
“… and his name shall be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God (El), Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.’”
“Just because “El” can be referring to people other than God does not negate the fact that God is referred to as “El”. “El” can be, and is used of Deity. Taken together with the objective reality that God is called “El” it is abundantly evident that the context of Isaiah 9:6 has Jesus as God. Also, the fact Jewish Targum commentary notes that the proper context of Messiah’s title is Mighty God, and he who lives forever.
“Just because “El” can be referring to people other than God does not negate the fact that God is referred to as “El”. “El” can be, and is used of Deity. Taken together with the objective reality that God is called “El” it is abundantly evident that the context of Isaiah 9:6 has Jesus as God. Also, the fact Jewish Targum commentary notes that the proper context of Messiah’s title is Mighty God, and he who lives forever.
“You (Jesus) are the Christ, the SON of the living God.”
God is SON to NO ONE. Yet, God is Father to everyone, for the phrase, “son of God,” was simply a way for the Jew to express themselves as one of God’s children. Jewish kings where called “the Son of God” in recognition as God’s chosen king of Israel.”
“During his coronation, the new king was anointed with oil, thus, the anointed one was called the Messiah in Hebrew or the Christ in Greek. To Christens, “son of God” implies divinity; to first century Jews, it was like saying, “your royal highness”. To Jews, it would be blasphemy to deify Christ.”
“During his coronation, the new king was anointed with oil, thus, the anointed one was called the Messiah in Hebrew or the Christ in Greek. To Christens, “son of God” implies divinity; to first century Jews, it was like saying, “your royal highness”. To Jews, it would be blasphemy to deify Christ.”
Term: Son of God
“For humans, the love between a son and his father was analogous to the love between man and God. In the Old Testament, the righteous man is God’s child whom God will deliver from the hand of his adversaries. He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.”
Why would it be blasphemy for Jesus to say he was the son of God? It is not the ultimate destiny for any man to be called a son of God. On the other hand would it not be blasphemous for any man (with the possible exception of the Messiah) to make himself out to be God? Notice:
John 10:24-38 “The Jews therefore gathered around him (Jesus), and were saying to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ (NOTE: "Mighty God", via text of Isaiah), tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me. But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out
of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one (? "Mighty God"?).’ The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them ‘I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy; and because you, being a man, make yourself out to be God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods (implying that Israel’s judges were claiming authority as though divine beings on earth, clothing themselves with delegated authority to judges among the sons of Israel- entrusted with the administration of justice)’? ‘If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (as the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say to him (the Messiah), whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? ‘”
Lamb to the Slaughter
It become obvious that when the Messiah (Jesus) claimed the title it would be accounted as blasphemy, the same as if he had made himself out to be equal with Jehovah ("Mighty God"). Thus, in the mind of the Jews he, being a man, would make himself out to be a God as the Jews understood the term. This constituted rank heresy and blasphemy.
More Controversy
How can it be possible for the Messiah to claim the title and not be accounted as one who would raise his throne above the stars of God…to ascend above the heights of the clouds; to make himself like the Most High. The Christian faith hinges on Jesus being God, to the Jews it is the worst of heresy and blasphemy.
Term Messiah
The Messiah is a messenger of God, in that he makes God known through the personification of His (Gods) Word. In the past God spoke to us in many ways. He has sent angels, He has spoken directly, He has given visions and dreams and through direct prophetic utterance, many of these are recorded in the Bible. The Old Testament begins with God’s creation of the universe and continues by describing the mighty acts of God in the and through His people. It (the book of the Old Testament) closes about 400 years before the birth of Jesus.
Again, we reflect on the controversy that confronts us in the text of Isaiah.
“… and his name shall be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God (El) [the embodiment of the Word of the Almighty God made flesh], Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Could it not be concluded that the “Embodiment of the Word of the Almighty God” is equated to the “Mighty God”?
In Word- the Messiah and God are the same. When others are called gods it signifies that they were either judges of Israel claiming authority as though divine beings on earth or ones who had some kind of tyrannical authority or status.
Jesus was called the “WORD OF GOD”, being the chief spokesman through whom God spoke. True Messiah, is the true personification- the embodiment of the “Word of God” - bestowed upon him though both honor and right of birth. He is the Living Bible of the New Testament.
In Word- the Messiah and God are the same. When others are called gods it signifies that they were either judges of Israel claiming authority as though divine beings on earth or ones who had some kind of tyrannical authority or status.
Jesus was called the “WORD OF GOD”, being the chief spokesman through whom God spoke. True Messiah, is the true personification- the embodiment of the “Word of God” - bestowed upon him though both honor and right of birth. He is the Living Bible of the New Testament.
(A Jewish Translation)
The Conflict Between Light and Darkness
John 1:1-5 “’In (the) beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’”
THE WORD WAS GOD
THE WORD.- “The most prevalent image by which biblical writers refer to the collection of words that became our Bible is word. The Bible is “the Word,” specifically the Word of God. The implication is that the Bible exists through the medium of language, whether oral or written. It is further implied that this word is a communication, inasmuch as the purpose of words is to convey meaning to the understanding of the listener or reader. Finally, to speak of the Bible as the Word of God (as the Bible itself does repeatedly) is to imply that the Bible carries authority for a person’s life because of the authority of its human authors as spokespersons of God and because of the authority of the ultimate author, God Himself.” – Images of the Bible
(A Jewish Translation from a follower of Jesus)
(Continuing John 1:1-5) Verse 2 “’This One [the personified entity of communication] was in (the) beginning with God [the author and creator of the word- God Himself]. All things came into being through Him and without Him not even one (thing) came into being that has come into being. In Him was [the wondrous phenomena of] life, and the life [force of conscious intellectual activity: thinking, reasoning and formulating opinions and judgment] was the [enlightening and guiding] light of men, and the light [of God’s word of holiness and moral purity] shines in the darkness [the obscurity of ignorance and chaos], and the darkness did not overtake it.’"
MIGHTY GOD = Word of God
MIGHTY GOD = Word of God = Messiah = The Embodiment of the Ethos of God
A Living Bible
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