And He Shall Be Called…

To focus our attention in the right place during this Christmas week, I’d like to look at the four names of Jesus listed in Isaiah 9:6. Here is what it says: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah prophesied the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the One who shall be called by these names. 

As we’ll discuss in this article, these are much more than simply names. They describe and illustrate the character of Christ—who He is and what He has come to do. Let’s now look at the meaning of these names:

Wonderful Counselor

In the original text, Wonderful Counselor is actually two separate names attributed to Jesus. He shall be called Wonderful. And He shall be called Counselor. First, let’s look at the name Wonderful. In Hebrew, the word pelé is used here—meaning wonderful, marvelous, extraordinary. ¹ Jesus is wonderful, marvelous, and extraordinary. He is beyond our understanding. He came down fully God and fully man, born of a virgin. How can this be? This blows my mind! Jesus experienced life like any man, but without sin. And He sacrificed Himself for our sins on the cross and rose to life three days later, defeating sin and death. Jesus, our Messiah, is Wonderful.

Moving on to the name Counselor, the Hebrew word for counsel or counselor is ya’ats. It translates as “to advise, consult, give counsel, purpose, devise, plan.” ¹ I like how Matthew Henry clarifies the meaning of this name: “He is the counsellor, for he was intimately acquainted with the counsels of God from eternity, and he gives counsel to the children of men, in which he consults our welfare. It is by him that God has givenus counsel, Ps. 16:7; Rev. 3:18. He is the wisdom of the Father, and is made of God to us wisdom.” ¹ Jesus should be the first one we seek for wisdom and counsel.

Mighty God

The next name is Mighty God. In one of his sermons, Charles Spurgeon, speaking on this verse, defines this name: “The term here used for God, El, is taken from a Hebrew or root, which, as I take it, signifies strength; and perhaps a literal translation even of that title might be, ‘The Strong one,’ the strong God. But there is added to this an adjective in the Hebrew, expressive of mightiness, and the two taken together express the omnipotence of Christ, his real deity and his omnipotence, as standing first and foremost among the attributes which the prophet beheld. ‘The mighty God.’” ¹ This name completely encompasses God’s strength, power, and might. He alone can do the impossible. He alone can save us. Only our Mighty God could go to the cross to pay the price for all sin and then rise from the dead three days later. Only our Mighty God could make a way for us to have a restored relationship with Him and make it possible for us to live in eternity with a holy, righteous, just, and pure God. That’s Jesus!

Everlasting Father

This name has always confused me. Before researching the Hebrew words for this name, it confused me because Jesus is the Son, not the Father, in the Holy Trinity. And this verse in Isaiah is clearly talking about the names Jesus will be called. So, I really enjoyed researching each of these names for clarification when writing this article. I encourage you to look up the Hebrew words and their definitions for a deeper study of the Bible. It is helpful for understanding the original meaning of verses in Scripture.

The Hebrew word for eternal or everlasting is àd, while the Hebrew word for father is àb—as in father of an individual or people. ¹ But how is this a name for Jesus, the Son of God? I appreciate how David Guzik spells out the meaning of this name. He says: “The idea in these Hebrew words is that Jesus is the source or author of all eternity, that He is the Creator Himself. It does not mean that Jesus Himself is the Person of the Father in the Trinity.” ¹ Let’s look at Colossians 1:15-17 for more clarification: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” These verses tell us, along with what Guzik said, that Jesus is the Creator. He created all things and holds all things together. And He is eternal. He was before all things. He is the source of eternal life for us. Without Jesus, we would not be able to spend eternity with God, in His presence. He defeated death through His resurrection to make this possible for us.

Prince of Peace

At the end of this list of names is probably one of the more commonly used names of Jesus, especially for this time of year. Many of us think of peace when we think of Jesus. This is an appropriate picture of Jesus because of what He did on the cross for all nations. Jesus does not discriminate. He came to earth to die for us all, no matter our race, sex, or status. His Kingdom stands for peace forever. “He is the prince of peace. As a King, he preserves the peace, commands peace, nay, he creates peace, in his kingdom. He is our peace, and it is his peace that both keeps the hearts of his people and rules in them. He is not only a peaceable prince, and his reign peaceable, but he is the author and giver of all good, all that peace which is the present and future bliss of his subjects” (Matthew Henry). ¹ Won’t it be a glorious day to be in His Kingdom and His presence for all eternity? Nothing will be able to destroy the peace.

Let’s now briefly look at the Hebrew words and their definitions. Sar is the Hebrew word for prince. It translates as “prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.” ¹ The Hebrew word for peace is shalowm—meaning “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.” ¹ Jesus, the Prince of Peace, cared about our completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace so much that He willingly came down to earth, to our level, and gave Himself for us on the cross. He did this to defeat sin and conquer death through His resurrection, bringing us peace in Him. He is the source of peace.

The Big Takeaway

This Christmas think upon these names and find peace, joy, and hope in God. On December 25^th of each year, we celebrate the birth of our Messiah who is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He paid a great price for us to experience and know who He is which these names clearly illuminate. I encourage you to take time to celebrate, praise, and thank our God for who He is and what He does. There is no other like our God.

I’ll leave you with these words from John Calvin:

“’Whenever, in short, it appears to us that everything is in a ruinous condition, let us recall to our remembrance that Christ is called Wonderful, because he has inconceivable methods of assisting us, and because his power is far beyond what we are able to conceive. When we need counsel, let us remember that he is the Counselor. When we need strength, let us remember that he is Mighty and Strong. When new terrors spring up suddenly every instant, and when many deaths threaten us from various quarters, let us rely on that eternity of which he is with good reason called the Father, and by the same comfort let us learn to soothe all temporal distresses. When we are inwardly tossed by various tempests, and when Satan attempts to disturb our consciences, let us remember that Christ is The Prince of Peace, and that it is easy for him quickly to allay all our uneasy feelings. This will these titles confirm us more and more in the faith of Christ, and fortify us against Satan and against hell itself.’” ¹

*All definitions and translations of Hebrew words in this article are found on Blue Letter Bible. The quotes in this article from different pastors, ministers, and authors are also found here:

¹Blue Letter Bible. blueletterbible.org.