they call Him… the mighty God

QUESTION: If Christ is not God, how should I then understand Isaiah 9:6? ANSWER: In Isaiah 9, the future kingdom is announced from the throne of David; with a reign of peace and justice that will extend worldwide (9:6). The one who will sit on the throne will, obviously, be a scion of the dynasty of David. Whom He will be, is said in verse 6:

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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

A child is born – that happened in Bethlehem, the city of David. A Son is given – does that not, above all, refer to the day that God raised His Son from among the dead (Acts 13:32-33)? And the government shall be upon his shoulder – that will be fulfilled when the Messiah, on the throne of his father David, will reign in Jerusalem. But now the question: Do not the names, given to the Son, prove that He, Himself, is God? After all, He is called “El Gibor”, that is “Mighty God.” And also “Everlasting Father”. The latter is problematic from the perspective of the Trinity doctrine, because it, after all, states that the person of the Father and the Son may not be confounded/mixed (Athanasian Creed -4). Does this not happen, when the Son is called “Everlasting Father”? Other translations speak of “Father of eternity.” The Hebrew word (aviad) refers to the father of the future, i.e. the future eons; even as Jubal became the father of those who play the harp and flute (Gen.4:21). So will the Messiah be the father of the future eons. The eons, through Him, come into being (Heb.1:2). Is the son of God “El Gibor”, i.e. “Mighty God “? Let me ask a question in return. We know in the Bible a heavenly messenger, Gabriel, whose name means exactly the same. Is this angel, therefore, also God? And, to mention another example: the name Joshua means “Yahweh saves” and John means “Yahweh is gracious”. Are these name carriers, therefore, God Himself? Of course not! Their names refer to God, but the names do not make them identical with God. There is one God, the Father. And Jesus Christ is the Son of God (1Cor.8:6; John 17:3; 1Tim.2:5). The born child and the given Son, was to be called everything of Him to whom His person refers. He is Wonderful and a Counsellor. He is the image of the mighty God, the Father of the eons and the Prince of peace. And, therefore, He also, rightfully, wears these names.

Delen: