Prophecy shows God’s love as it foretells the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Sometimes, you may wonder about God’s love, but Bible prophecy, such as the coming of the Messiah, shows He has not forgotten about us. God gives prophets a message, and they, in turn, give the message to the people.
The prophet Isaiah gives a fantastic prophecy written between 701-681BC. This prophecy reveals many things about the Messiah who would come, including His divine and human qualities.
Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor, David, for all eternity. [1] In addition, the Messiah would be a descendant of the human King David, and He would inherit his throne.
The Birth Announcement of Jesus
Nowadays, people send out birth announcements just after the baby is born. The coming birth of the Messiah would be different. God sent the birth announcement seven hundred years before the birth. The prophet Isaiah delivered the prophetic message of the coming of this child when Israel was facing an extreme threat from the regional superpower Assyria.
This country conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and led many Jews into captivity. Isaiah addressed this difficult circumstance by prophesying the coming of a future King. This seven-hundred-year delay wasn’t because God could not have done it sooner but because God’s perfecting timing would be centuries later. Through this prophecy, God wanted to show His love and sustain the people through difficult times.
The Baby Has Four Different Names
Most babies have just one name on their birth announcement, but the Messiah would be different. Isaiah gives us multiple names to describe the Messiah: Isaiah 9:6Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. [2] The Messiah would be so majestic that one name would not be enough to describe His mission to humanity.
A Wonderful Counselor indicates that Jesus will be a source of supernatural wisdom we all need. Mighty God tells us that Jesus will be supernaturally strong and powerful, which is good news for struggling believers. Everlasting Father shows that Jesus will care for and love His people forever because He is the Good Shepherd. Finally, He is the Prince of Peace who will bring peace to His children no matter their circumstances.
Isaiah’s prophecy came true, and Jesus was born seven hundred years later, fulfilling every part of this prophecy. In great love, Jesus took on our flesh to rescue us from our sins on the cross. He is forever our loving Savior. To learn more about how the prophecy of God shows God’s love, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/prophecy-of-messiah
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.