Isaiah 9:6-7

For unto us a child is born, &c.— Though our prophet is every where most excellent, he is peculiarly so in this passage, which contains an emphatical description of the person and kingdom of the Son of God; the kingdom of peace; the eternal and universal kingdom, in which the faithful should have the highest cause for joy; which should bring with it an abolition of the whole yoke of sin and the law, and a destruction of all hostile and adverse powers, whether kings or princes, yea, of sin, Satan, and death itself, with respect to the saints. Who then can wonder at the joy of the church, in so great a light, in so excellent a teacher? But what is the foundation of this joy? The prophet gives the most certain and solid reason; because a child is born, and this child, the son of the living God; about to take the empire and found the kingdom of peace, and that eternal and most ample, and to destroy the whole government of sin; being indued with such properties and virtues as belong to so great a king and governor Vitringa has proved, beyond all controversy, that this passage immediately refers to the Messiah, even our Lord JESUS CHRIST; and that it contains, First, An account of the birth of this illustrious person; Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; where Christ is called a child in respect to his human, a son with respect to his divine nature. See Luke 2:11.Galatians 4:2. Secondly, The office of this illustrious person; The government is upon his shoulder: which refers to the kingdom committed by the Father to Jesus Christ, whereof he himself says, All power is given to me in heaven and earth: Matthew 28:18. See also John 5:22. And of this kingdom and government the prophets and apostles speak largely. The expression is metaphorical, and alludes to the regal robe worn by kings and governors. See Jonah 3:6 and chap. Isaiah 22:22 of this book. Thirdly, We have five qualities, or remarkable properties fitting him for his office. The first is, Wonderful; which seems to refer to the wonderful mystery of the two-fold nature in the Son of God, and is well explained by Revelation 19:12 where it is said of this divine person, that he had a name written which no man knew but himself; which name is in the next verse said to be, "The word of God,—the wisdom of God; the only-begotten, the first-begotten; the image of the Eternal Father, the effulgence of the divine glory." Comp. Judges 13:18. Genesis 32:29 and Proverbs 30:4. He is secondly called Counsellor; an illustrious name, which, no doubt, respects the prophetic office of Christ. The Hebrew word יועצ ioets, properly signifies, "A person who gives counsel to others;" and Christ is here denoted not only as the lawgiver of his church, but as the king, enforcing those laws by all the modes of persuasion. See chap. Isaiah 11:1, &c. Luke 7:30. The third name is Mighty God: See chap. Isaiah 10:21. This name is to be referred to the divine nature of the Messiah, and that mighty power whereby he subdueth all things to himself; the mighty God is the Messiah, the potent conqueror of Satan, and of all power subject to that great enemy of goodness. See Psalms 45:5 and compare Luke 11:22. John 16:33. Romans 8:38 with Romans 8:35.Revelation 3:21; Revelation 19:16. The fourth name is Everlasting Father, or Father of Eternity, which Christ may very properly be called, First, As he is the cause of eternal life to all the faithful; Hebrews 5:9. John 3:36; and secondly, As he was the founder of the new and eternal age; that is to say, of the oeconomy which is to endure for ever; for Christ is the father of a new generation to continue through all eternity, the second Adam, father of a new race; the head of a new and everlasting family, in which all the faithful are reckoned. The last appellation, Prince of Peace, is of easy interpretation, and to be explained from what the prophet immediately subjoins concerning the state of his kingdom, from chap. Isaiah 11:6. Psalms 72:1; Psalms 72:20 and Zechariah 9:9. We have, fourthly, the amplitude of this his dignity, and the success of his administration, set forth in the 7th verse; which is fully explained by the parallel places, and particularly Luke 1:33. And in the last place we have the efficient cause of all that is preceding; The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this: that is, God's desire of promoting and vindicating his glory and majesty, is the principle of all the effects consolatory and tremendous, which concern the church. All things tend to the illustration of his glory and majesty, which God will defend and avenge, and that not faintly, but with zeal; a sign and sacrament of which is his name Jehovah; consolatory to the pious, terrific to the despisers of his covenant. See Luke 21:22. John 16:11 and Vitringa.