What does it mean that Jesus is "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6)?

“MIGHTY GOD!” He is the “mighty El.” The title “El” here for God is singular. Its first occurrence is in Genesis 14—“most high El, possessor of heaven and earth.” El signifies the strong One, the First. “God is One,” and the attributes of God are generally connected with this singular name El. Blessed indeed it is that He is made known to our praising hearts in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father’s love, for He is “image of the invisible God.” He is the uncreated Son, “because by Him were created all things” (Col. 1:15-16). Rightly and most suitably therefore is He called “mighty God.”

The Mighty God

This Name of the Messiah indisputably denotes the deity and the omnipotent power that belongs to such a glorious Person. It is in the middle of the five features of the Name of David's greater Son. It guarantees that illimitable power will be available to Him to effect all that the other features represent. “There be god's many”, wrote the apostle Paul, but for the intelligent Christian there is only one living and mighty God (1 Cor. 8:5-6). Dagon, the fish god of the Philistines, was humiliated beside the Ark of God. The gods of Egypt were impotent in the presence of Jehovah's power (Ex. 12:12). Baal and his worshippers were ridiculed by Elijah on mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:21-39). But someone might say “The title The Mighty God is connected with a man, David's seed, who will sit on David's throne. Can a man be The Mighty God?” The answer is an emphatic “yes”. The Man who will fill David's throne is God. The Old and New Testaments bear witness to this fundamental truth. In Micah 5:1-2 the prophet wrote that the ruler who would come from Bethlehem Judah was One whose goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity. Zechariah prophesied that the coming Shepherd who was to be smitten would be none other than Jehovah's Fellow (Zech. 13:7. See also Mark 14:27). A careful comparison of Isaiah 6:1-5 with John 12:37-41 will reveal that the King, Jehovah of Isaiah 6, is the Jesus of John chapter 12. Three times in the book of Isaiah Jehovah is called the First and the Last (Isa. 41:4; Isa. 44:6; Isa. 48:12. There is a slight difference in Isaiah 41:4). Three times in the book of Revelation the Lord Jesus is called the First and the Last (Rev. 1:17; Rev. 2:8; Rev. 22:13). Compare Exodus 17:9 with Matthew 1:21 (Mr. Darby has a footnote to Ex. 17:9, “Joshua — Jah the Saviour, called Jesus in Greek”). The Jehovah the Saviour of the Old Testament is Jesus, Jehovah the Saviour of the New Testament. In the New Testament the testimony to Jesus being God is abundant and plain. Jesus the Word, is God (John 1:1-4). That unequivocal testimony should be quite sufficient for any unbiased reader. So called “Jehovah's witnesses”, who do not believe that Jesus is God, have attempted to alter the accepted Greek text of this passage to support their denial. Competent scholars have exposed their errors. The Jews were in no doubt that when the Lord Jesus claimed that God was His Own Father He was claiming equality with God (John 5:17-18). When Jesus said, “I and My Father are One” the Jews attempted to stone Him. They accused Him of blasphemy and that He was claiming to be God (John 10:30, 33). Thomas, the doubting apostle, addressed the Lord Jesus as “My Lord and My God” (John 20:28). The Lord Jesus didn't rebuke him, as the angel rebuked the apostle John (Rev. 22:8-9). Jesus is God, but the angel was a creature. Paul worshipped the Lord Jesus in his doxology in Romans 9:5. Christ is God blessed for ever. The fulness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell in Him, the Son of God (Col. 1:19. See also 2:9). That could never be said about a creature. Jesus existed in the form of God and did not grasp to be on an equality with God. He is God (Philip. 2:6). This is the great contrast between the first man and the second Man. The Lord Jesus is the great God and our Saviour who is to appear in glory, the Son of God (Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:7-8). Peter refers to the Lord Jesus as our God and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1). John ends his first epistle as he began his gospel, with a clear testimony that Jesus is God: “We are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This (He) is the true God, and eternal life” (1 John 5:20. See also John 17:3). The Lord Jesus is referred to as the Image of God (Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4). He is never referred to as being in the likeness of God for the simple reason that He is God. A humble contemplation of these Scriptures will provide substance in the soul for worship. What a glorious Man to sit on David's throne. The Mighty God, possessor of omnipotent and irresistible power, will subdue all things to Himself (Philip. 3:21).

The Mighty God

Finally in Isaiah 9 we have the description of the Messiah, clearly the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and one of the names given Him here is "the mighty God" (v.6). Now if you turn over to chapter 10 you will find there that the same name is given to Jehovah, "the mighty God" (v.21), so here in the Old Testament itself is conclusive proof that the Messiah, the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is God, the mighty God.

We will draw attention to some of the Scriptures that Mr. Roberts does not quote. Let us begin with one or two from the Old Testament. “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” (Isa. 9:6). Here we have one and the same Person, a Child of days and the Father of eternity. How could that be if He were not both God and Man, one Person? The inspired Word of God calls the Child “The Mighty God.” Is there not here the plainest assertion of the deity of the Child born, the Son given? We are left in no doubt as to who is meant, for in Isaiah 7:14 we read, “Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Matthew relating the birth of Christ tells us distinctly that all this happened as the fulfilment of this very Scripture. Moreover the angel of the Lord told Joseph that the name of the blessed Child was to be JESUS, which means, Jehovah Saviour, the clearest affirmation of His deity, for Jehovah is one of the names of God.

Who, then, is Immanuel? His birth is predicted in Isaiah 7:14, and, after detailing the circumstances of His rejection in the following chapter, the prophet foretells the establishment of His kingdom in chapter 9. Together with this he takes occasion, in a passage already quoted, to present a series of titles, or names, which are expressive of the infinite and divine character of Immanuel's person. Let us pass them briefly under review. The first is "Wonderful," a word used oftentimes for that which excites astonishment, or admiration. Sometimes it is employed to denote a miracle, and nothing so awakens the attention as a miraculous display of power. And what miracle is so great as that of the Incarnation? What could produce such wonder as the fact that Immanuel could be born of a virgin? Then He is called "Counsellor." Divine wisdom is indicated by this word, as, for example, where it says, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." (Isaiah 11:2) The appellation "The mighty God" proclaims its own significance, for there could not be a more distinct declaration of His Deity; nor does the following term, "The everlasting Father," or "The Father of eternity," speak less plainly, inasmuch as it sets forth the eternity of His being. Finally, He is "The Prince of Peace," a title which indicates the Solomon character of His reign, so admirably described in Psalm 72.

It is evident, therefore, that Immanuel, "God with us," is the name belonging to our blessed Lord in connection with the earthly people, and that they will not enter into its full and blessed significance until after He has taken His great power, and when He shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously. 'Who, then, is Immanuel? His birth is predicted in Isaiah 7:14, and, after detailing the circumstances of His rejection in the following chapter, the prophet foretells the establishment of His kingdom in chapter 9. Together with this he takes' occasion, in a passage already quoted, to present a series of titles or names which are expressive of the infinite and divine character of Immanuel's Person. Let us pass them briefly under review. The first is "Wonderful," a word used oftentimes for that which excites astonishment or admiration. Sometimes it is employed to denote a miracle, and nothing so awakens the attention as a miraculous display of power. And what miracle is so great as that of the Incarnation? What could produce such wonder as the fact that Immanuel could be born of a virgin? Then He is called "Counselor." Divine wisdom is indicated by this word, as, for example, where it says, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." (Isaiah 11:2.) The appellation "The mighty God" proclaims its own significance, for there could not be a more distinct declaration of His Deity; nor does the following term, "The everlasting Father," or "The Father of eternity," speak less plainly, inasmuch as it sets forth the eternity of His being. Finally, He is "The Prince of Peace," a title which indicates the Solomon character of His reign, so admirably described in Psalm 72.

There is a title given to the Lord in Isaiah (chap. 9:6) which, while it has been taken to establish error on the one hand, seems on the other hardly to have been realized in its fulness of meaning by those most orthodox. It is that of “Everlasting Father,” which is given in the margin of the Revised Version as (more literally) “Father of eternity.” It is given to Him as One upon whose shoulder is the government in Israel, but of the increase of whose government and peace there shall be no end; and the titles given Him show His capacity for this rule. He is no ordinary king, but the “Wonderful”—“a phenomenon,” says Delitzsch, “lying altogether beyond human conception or natural occurrence.” Then He is the “Counselor,” whose purposes in their deep unfathomable wisdom need and admit no help from others; who find, on the other hand, in Him their wisdom. For, thirdly, He is El-gibbor, “the Mighty God,”13 infinite in resources, almighty in execution of His will; and then Abiad, the “Father of eternity,” and “Prince of peace,” which is the enduring effect.

There is a title given to the Lord in Isaiah (Isa. 9:6) which, while it has been taken to establish error on the one hand, seems on the other hardly to have been realized in its fulness of meaning by those most orthodox. It is that of "Everlasting Father," which is given in the margin of the Revised Version as (more literally) "Father of eternity." It is given to Him as One upon whose shoulder is the government in Israel, but of the increase of whose government and peace there shall be no end; and the titles given Him show His capacity for this rule. He is no ordinary king, but the "Wonderful" — "a phenomenon," says Delitzsch, "lying altogether beyond human conception or natural occurrence." Then He is the "Counselor," whose purposes in their deep unfathomable wisdom need and admit no help from others; who find, on the other hand, in Him their wisdom. For, thirdly, He is El-gibbor, "the Mighty God," infinite in resources, almighty in execution of His will; and then Abi-ad, the "Father of eternity," and "Prince of peace," which is the enduring effect.

Let Isaiah 9:6 furnish us with an answer: "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." Take careful notice of this remarkable prophecy. It does not speak of some passing manifestation of God as was the case when Jehovah appeared for a brief moment in human guise to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 18. "The mighty God" is the name of the Child who is to be born, the Son who is to be given, who is, as the next verse shows, to sit on David's throne, and exercise government thence, producing an age of justice and consequent peace upon earth.

Further: Isaiah 9:6-7 are the climax of a prophecy which began in Isaiah 7, when Isaiah encountered Ahaz, King of Judah, and gave him a sign from the Lord. The sign was, "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" — Immanuel meaning "God with us," as explained in Matthew 1:23.

Isaiah 8 makes further reference to the coming Immanuel, and His rejection is hinted at in verses 14 to 18 of that chapter; and then in Isaiah 9 we discover that the virgin's Son is to be born not for herself alone, but as God's gift to the whole of Israel, the coming Deliverer and King, and His Name is given us in five-fold completeness.

Read from this verse to Ezekiel 32:21, and compare Psalm 89:7. In Isaiah 9, the use of El Gibbor (the Mighty God) does not apply, in its direct force, to the essential deity of Christ, although being in righteousness it must be divine. He must be God, but it is His position not His nature which is asserted. For this we may compare, where the words show the force of the comparison, the passages above cited, and see also El (God) in any dictionary or concordance.