What is the meaning of “Everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6?

Response

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” «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. », (Isaiah 9:6, ESV).

In this passage, the verse proclaims the redemption of Israel and describes the roles, titles, and blessings of the Messiah who will govern the earth and bring about an era of blessing and peace that will never end. One of His titles is “Everlasting Father.”

The Hebrew expression translated as “Everlasting Father” could also be rendered as “Father of Eternity.” Some have suggested that this title implies that the Messiah to come is the creator of all things: He is the father of time and eternity, the “architect of the ages.” While this is confirmed in the New Testament (John 1:1-3;Colossians 1:16-17), it is not the main focus in Isaiah. In the Hebrew structure of the phrase, father is the key noun, and everlasting (ESV, NIV, KJV) or eternal (NASB) describes His role as a father. He is the Father for all eternity.

The Hebrew term translated as “everlasting” conveys the concept of “perpetual” or “never-ending.” Indeed, the following verse states about the Messiah, “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” «Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will p

Perform this. », (Isaiah 9:7). The emphasis is forward-looking, so “everlasting” is probably a better translation than “eternal,” which not only indicates “without end” but also “without beginning.” (Again, from the New Testament, we may argue that the Messiah is without beginning, but that is not the emphasis of this term in Isaiah.)

So, as the Everlasting Father, the Messiah will be a father, and His fatherhood will be without end. Some have objected that this designation as a father seems to confuse the roles within the Trinity, calling “Father” the one who is really “the Son.” Some in the Oneness movement use this verse as a proof text to show that Jesus really is the Father and that there is only a Unity, not a Trinity. In both cases, the interpreters are reading New Testament concerns back into the Old Testament. Neither Trinitarian nor anti-Trinitarian concerns are being discussed in Isaiah 9:6.

Many rulers in ancient times were considered the “father of the country.” Americans who read this term might immediately think of George Washington, who is called “the father of his country.” It was Washington’s determination and leadership that led to victory in the Revolutionary War and his support of a strong national government that led (at least in part) to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Without Washington, the United States might not exist today, or it might exist with a far different form of government. However, if some of the interpretations discussed so far are guilty of reading New Testament theological concerns into Isaiah in an anachronistic fashion, using George Washington as an interpretive clue to the meaning of the phrase is also anachronistic. The most appropriate analogy is far more universal.

In ancient times, the “father of the nation” was viewed in much the same way as the father of a family. It was the father who was to protect and provide for his children. In the same way, this Child tTo be born as a king who will act as a father to the children of Israel—He will safeguard and support them. His role as a protector and provider will not be constrained by aging or death. His role as a father (protector and provider) will endure indefinitely. The exact way this will happen is not disclosed in Isaiah’s prophecy. The complete identity of the Messiah—that He is God incarnate, the second Person of the Trinity who would safeguard and provide for His people through His death and resurrection on their behalf; and that Gentiles could also be included in the family of Israel—might be suggested in Isaiah, but God’s people would need to wait nearly 700 years to witness the Messiah revealed in the “fullness of time” (see Galatians 4:4).