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Does the New Testament refer to Jesus as God? Though this is an important question, it’s only a starting point for wrestling with who Jesus is. In what follows we’ll consider the evidence from five scholars on what texts they say attribute deity to Christ. Then we’ll examine the biblical evidence that pulls in the opposite direction, suggesting that Jesus was not God. Lastly, we’ll examine five major possibilities for interpreting this data, including trinitarianism, modalism, Arianism, Greco-Roman polytheism, and biblical unitarianism.
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Get the transcript of this episodeAlso see Five Major Problems with the TrinitySupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio hereGet Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this precious pearl of great price. -
Have you heard of Hippolytus’s Refutation of All Heresies? Written not long after 222 A.D. this book works through dozens of heresies–beliefs that the author disagreed with. Some scholars have argued against Hippolytus as the author, preferring to call him pseudo-Hippolytus. But regardless of who wrote the tome, the fact is that this huge book was the mature result of nearly seventy years of Christians cataloging heresies. In each case the next generation typically included much of what had come before and this book is no exception. It’s a massive tome, totaling more than 400 pages long in the most recent translation by David Litwa.
In this talk, delivered at the 2024 UCA conference held in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dr. Dale Tuggy draws on the Refutation of All Heresies to catalog the major christological options that were known to the author in the third century. Excluding all the gnostic groups, Tuggy identifies three broad groups of Christians who held very different ideas about Christ: the Dynamic Monarchians, the Modalistic Monarchians, and the Logos Incarnationists. Or to use the parlance of today, biblical unitarians, oneness believers, and Arians.
But, what about the Trinity? Where was it? Why didn’t pseudo-Hippolytus mention three persons in one being? Surely hundreds of millions of Christians who say the Church has always believed in the Trinity from the beginning can’t be wrong, can they? Listen in to this talk to find out.
Dale Tuggy is an analytic philosopher specializing in Trinity theories. He’s the author of the Trinity article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as well as the book What Is the Trinity, which gives a brief introduction to the various Trinity models and their problems. A month ago, a new book came out that he contributed to called One God, Three Persons, Four Views, in which he debated various Trinitarian scholars, putting forward his own non-trinitarian view as an alternative. Find out more about Tuggy and his work at his blog: Trinities.org.
In what follows he lays out the various christologies in the period before Nicea as well as explains quotations by Athenagoras and Mileto that modern trinitarian defenders use to prove that the Trinity was there in the second century. Lastly, he provides evidence for which view he thinks was the majority in the second and third centuries.
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Get the transcript of this episodeCheck out these other episodes with Dale TuggySupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio hereGet Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this precious pearl of great price. -
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Have you ever noticed that the New Testament authors love to quote the Old Testament? This happens hundreds of times. Sometimes the quotation is direct, other times it is a paraphrase, still others a New Testament author will allude to the Old Testament. In today’s episode, we’re going to hear Dr. Jerry Wierwille explaining what Paul did in Romans 10.13 when he quoted Joel’s prophecy and applied it to Jesus.
Not only will this presentation help you to understand Romans 10.13 better, it will open your eyes to the various interpretive methods that first-century Jews used when quoting the Old Testament and applying it to various situations.
Dr. Wierwille has been a frequent guest on Restitutio over the years so many of you will be familiar with him. Nevertheless, let me give you a brief bio. Wierwille’s first love was science and so his Ph. D. is in biodmedical engineering. After that he shifted his interest to NT studies and earned both an MTS and an MDiv with a focus on Pauline literature. Now he’s working on a Ph. D. in NT at Stellenbosch University. He’s also the lead translator for Revised English Version and the director of research at Spirit and Truth. He is a teaching elder at Living Hope Community Church where I serve as the lead pastor.
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Get the transcript of this episodeCheck out these other episodes with Jerry WierwilleSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio hereGet Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this precious pearl of great price. -
Has anyone ever said to you, “Oh, you believe Jesus is just a mere man.” How do you respond when someone says that? Do you just go along with it and say, “Yep, that’s what I believe–Jesus is just another guy”? I hope not.
Jesus is not just another guy. He’s the virginally-conceived son of God who lived righteously without sin, healed dozens (maybe hundreds) of people, preached tirelessly about the kingdom, taught the Bible and how to live, performed many miracles and exorcisms, voluntarily died for our sins as a perfect sacrifice. Then God raised him from the dead and he ascended to God’s right hand from which place he is the head of the church and from which place he will come again on the last day to establish God’s reign upon the earth.
This doesn’t sound like just another guy to me.
Even so, Jesus’s unprecedented and magnificent accomplishments don’t make him God either. He is a genuine, authentic, 100% human being. He shows us what God can do with a human being who wholly submits to God in everything. In today’s episode Anna Brown will draw upon the Bible and the ancient Near Eastern background to show that humans can bear God’s image, representing him on earth. Although some allege that Jesus had to be God to succeed, Brown shows in her presentation that it was actually Christ’s humanity that equipped him to stand in for God as his quintessential image.
Anna Brown grew up in Oregon and graduated from Hillsdale College with a Bachelorβs in Economics. Fluent in Spanish and learning Hebrew, she has traveled in Europe, Australia, and Israel, and lived in Spain. She currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and two children, where she does marketing and publishing for Living Hope International Ministries.
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Get the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio hereGet Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this precious pearl of great price. -
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Now I realize many of you are listening from other countries outside the USA, so you may not have this holiday where you live. That’s fine. Still, I do appreciate how we set aside a day each year in this country to practice gratitude. In what follows we’ll consider a great biblical example of thankfulness: Hannah. My hope is that by considering her amazing story, you will be inspired to give God thanks for your blessings. And this message about gratitude is relevant any day of the year.
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Get the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean’s bio here -
Cayce Fletcher is the host of A More Beautiful Life Collective, a blog, a YouTube channel, and a podcast. She releases a new show each week on making theology practical and developing a more beautiful life. As a wife, mother, and homemaker she appeals more to women than men, but I personally–as a man–have found much of her contact about lifestyle really helpful and I recommend it to you. In this interview, she shares about her journey of faith, why she made the show, systematic theology, and leading a good, true, and beautiful life.
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Get the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean’s bio here -
It’s easy for complacency to set in our walk with God. It’s easy to settle into apathy with respect to spiritual growth. It’s easy to stop dreaming about what God can do in our lives. Today we’ll hear another message from Revive earlier this year–this one from yours truly. We’ll consider three examples of people who pursued blessing from God: Jabez, Rahab, and Jacob. This episode should nicely round out our four-part series on walking with God.
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Get the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean’s bio here -
Over our last two episodes we’ve been hearing from Pastor Bob Carden on the topic of healing and walking by the spirit. Today I’d like to play out a sermon by Carden’s successor, Garrett Bova who is the lead pastor now at Align Ministries. Now I realize his message will challenge some of you to consider speaking prophetically in a way that may be foreign to you. All I ask is that you hear him out. He talks about the power of words of encouragement and speaking blessings over people.
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Visit the Align Ministries website for more about Garrett BovaGet the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean’s bio here -
Comparing the Hebrew of Isaiah 9.6 to most popular English translations results in some serious questions. Why have our translations changed the tense of the verbs from past to future? Why is this child called “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father”? In this presentation I work through Isaiah 9.6 line by line to help you understand the Hebrew. Next I look at interpretive options for the child as well as his complicated name. Not only will this presentation strengthen your understanding of Isaiah 9.6, but it will also equip you to explain it to others.
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See my other articles hereCheck out my class: One God Over AllGet the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean’s bio hereBelow is the paper presented on October 18, 2024 in Little Rock, Arkansas at the 4th annual UCA Conference. Access this paper on Academia.edu to get the pdf. Full text is below, including bibliography and end notes.
Abstract
Working through the grammar and syntax, I present the case that Isaiah 9:6 is the birth announcement of a historical child. After carefully analyzing the name given to the child and the major interpretive options, I make a case that the name is theophoric. Like the named children of Isaiah 7 and 8, the sign-child of Isaiah 9 prophecies what God, not the child, will do. Although I argue for Hezekiah as the original fulfillment, I also see Isaiah 9:6 as a messianic prophecy of the true and better Hezekiah through whom God will bring eternal deliverance and peace.
Introduction
Paul D. Wegner called Isaiah 9:6[1] βone of the most difficult problems in the study of the Old Testament.β[2] To get an initial handle on the complexities of this text, letβs begin briefly by comparing the Hebrew to a typical translation.
Isaiah 9:6 (BHS[3])ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΎΧΦΆΦ£ΧΦΆΧ ΧΦ»ΧΦΌΦ·ΧΦΎΧΦΈΦΧ ΧΦΌ ΧΦΌΦ΅ΦΧ Χ Φ΄ΧͺΦΌΦ·ΧΦΎΧΦΈΦΧ ΧΦΌ ΧΦ·ΧͺΦΌΦ°ΧΦ΄Φ₯Χ ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ©ΧΦ°Χ¨ΦΈΦΧ Χ’Φ·ΧΦΎΧ©ΧΦ΄ΧΦ°ΧΦΧΦΉ ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΦ¨Χ Χ©ΧΦ°ΧΦΧΦΉ Χ€ΦΌΦΆΦ ΧΦΆΧ ΧΧΦΉΧ’Φ΅Χ₯Φ ΧΦ΅Φ£Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΦΧΦΉΧ¨ ΧΦ²ΧΦ΄ΧΧ’Φ·ΦΧ Χ©ΧΦ·Χ¨ΦΎΧ©ΧΦΈΧΦ½ΧΦΉΧΧ
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)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.
Curiosities abound in the differences between these two. The first two clauses in English, βFor to us a child is bornβ and βto us a son is given,β employ the present tense while the Hebrew uses the perfect tense, i.e. βto us a child has been born.β[4] This has a significant bearing on whether we take the prophecy as a statement about a child already born in Isaiahβs time or someone yet to come (or both).
The ESV renders the phrase,ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΧ Χ©ΧΦ°ΧΧΦΉ (vayikra shβmo), as βand his name shall be called,β but the words literally mean βand he called his nameβ where the βheβ is unspecified. This leaves room for the possibility of identifying the subject of the verb in the subsequent phrase, i.e. βAnd the wonderful counselor, the mighty God called his nameβ¦β as many Jewish translations take it. Questions further abound regardingΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (el gibbor), which finds translations as disparate as the traditional βMighty Godβ[5] to βdivine warriorβ[6] to βin battle God-likeβ[7] to βMighty chiefβ[8] to βGodlike hero,β[9] to Lutherβs truncated βHeld.β[10] Another phrase that elicits a multiplicity of translations is ΧΦ²ΧΦ΄ΧΧ’Φ·Χ (aviad). Although most versions read βEternal Father,β[11] others render the word, βFather-Forever,β[12] βFather for all time,β[13] βFather of perpetuity,β[14] βFather of the Eternal Age,β[15] and βFather of Future.β[16]
Translators from a range of backgrounds struggle with these two phrases. Some refuse to translate them at all, preferring clunky transliterations.[17] Still, as I will show below, thereβs a better way forward. If we understand that the child had a theophoric nameβa name that is not about him, but about Godβour problems dissipate like morning fog before the rising sun. Taking the four pairs of words this way yields a two-part sentence name. As weβll see this last approach is not only the best contextual option, but it also allows us to take the Hebrew vocabulary, grammar, and syntax at face value, rather than succumbing to strained translations and interpretational gymnastics. In the end, weβre left with a text literally rendered and hermeneutically robust.
Called or Will Call His Name?Nearly all the major Christian versions translate ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΧ (vayikra), βhe has called,β as βhe will be called.β This takes an active past tense verb as a passive future tense.[18] What is going on here? Since parents typically give names at birth or shortly thereafter, it wouldnβt make sense to suggest the child was already born (as the beginning of Isa 9:6 clearly states), but then say he was not yet named. Additionally, ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΧ (vayikra) is a vav-conversive plus imperfect construction that continues the same timing sequence of the preceding perfect tense verbs.[19] If the word were passive (niphal binyan) we would read ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§ΦΌΦΈΧ¨Φ΅Χ (vayikarey) instead of ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΧ (vayikra). Although some have suggested an emendation of the Masoretic vowels to make this change, Hugh Williamson notes, βthere is no overriding need to prefer it.β[20]
Translators may justify rendering the perfect tense as imperfect due to the idiom called a prophetic past tense (perfectum propheticum). Wilhelm Gesenius notes the possibility that a prophet βso transports himself in imagination into the future that he describes the future event as if it had been already seen or heard by him.β[21] Bruce Waltke recognizes the phenomenon, calling it an accidental perfective in which βa speaker vividly and dramatically represents a future situation both as complete and independent.β[22] Still, itβs up to the interpreter to determine if Isaiah employs this idiom or not. The verbs of verse 6 seem quite clear: βa child has been born for us β¦ and the government was on his shoulder β¦ and he has called his nameβ¦β When Isaiah uttered this prophecy, the child had already been born and named and the government rested on his shoulders. This is the straightforward reading of the grammar and therefore should be our starting point.[23]
Hezekiah as the Referent
One of the generally accepted principles of hermeneutics is to first ask the question, βWhat did this text mean in its original context?β before asking, βWhat does this text mean to us today?β When we examine the immediate context of Isa 9:6, we move beyond the birth announcement of a child with an exalted name to a larger prophecy of breaking the yoke of an oppressor (v4) and the ushering in of a lasting peace for the throne of David (v7).
Isaiah lived in a tumultuous time. He saw the northern kingdomβthe nation of Israelβuprooted from her land and carried off by the powerful and cruel Assyrian Empire. He prophesied about a child whose birth had signaled the coming freedom God would bring from the yoke of Assyria. As Jewish interpreters have long pointed out, Hezekiah nicely fits this expectation.[24] In the shadow of this looming storm, Hezekiah became king and instituted major religious reforms,[25] removing idolatry and turning the people to Yahweh. The author of kings gave him high marks: βHe trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel. After him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah nor among those who were before himβ (2 Kgs 18:5).[26]
Then, during Hezekiahβs reign, Sennacherib sent a large army against Judea and laid siege to Jerusalem. Hezekiah appropriately responded to the threatening Assyrian army by tearing his clothes, covering himself with sackcloth, and entering the temple to pray (2 Kings 19:1). He sent word to Isaiah, requesting prayer for the dire situation. Ultimately God brought miraculous deliverance, killing 185,000 Assyrians, which precipitated a retreat. There had not been such an acute military deliverance since the destruction of Pharaohβs army in the sea. Indeed, Hezekiahβs birth did signal Godβs coming deliverance.
In opposition to Hezekiah as the referent for Isa 9:6, Christian interpreters have pointed out that Hezekiah did not fulfill this prophecy en toto. Specifically, Hezekiah did not usher in βan endless peaceβ with justice and righteousness βfrom this time onward and forevermoreβ (Isa. 9:7). But, as John Roberts points out, the problem only persists if we ignore prophetic hyperbole. Hereβs what he says:
If Hezekiah was the new king idealized in this oracle, how could Isaiah claim he would reign forever? How could Isaiah so ignore Israelβs long historical experience as to expect no new source of oppression would ever arise? The language, as is typical of royal ideology, is hyperbolic, and perhaps neither Isaiah nor his original audience would have pushed it to its limits, beyond its conventional frames of reference, but the language itself invites such exploitation. If one accepts Godβs providential direction of history, it is hard to complain about the exegetical development this exploitation produced.[27]
Evangelical scholar Ben Witherington III likewise sees a reference to both Hezekiah and a future deliverer. He writes, β[T]he use of the deliberately hyperbolic language that the prophet knew would not be fulfilled in Hezekiah left open the door quite deliberately to look for an eschatological fulfillment later.β[28] Thus, even if Isaiahβs prophecy had an original referent, it left the door open for a true and better Hezekiah, who would not just defeat Assyria, but all evil, and not just for a generation, but forever. For this reason, it makes sense to take a βboth-andβ approach to Isa 9:6.
Who Called His Name?
Before going on to consider the actual name given to the child, we must consider the subject of the word ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΧ (vayikra), βand he called.β Jewish interpreters have and continue to take ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (el gibbor), βMighty God,β as the subject of this verb. Here are a few examples of this rendering:
Targum Jonathan (2nd century)And his name has been called from before the One Who Causes Wonderful Counsel, God the Warrior, the Eternally Existing Oneβthe Messiah who will increase peace upon us in his days.[29]
Shlomo Yitzchaki (11th century)The Holy One, blessed be He, Who gives wondrous counsel, is a mighty God and an everlasting Father, called Hezekiahβs name, βthe prince of peace,β since peace and truth will be in his days.[30]
Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi (16th century)βFor a child is born to us.β A son will be born and this is Hezekiah. Though Ahaz is an evildoer, his son Hezekiah will be a righteous king. He will be strong in his service of the Holy One. He will study Torah and the Holy One will call him, βeternal father, peaceful ruler.β In his days there will be peace and truth.[31]
The Stone Edition of the Tanach (20th century)The Wondrous Adviser, Mighty God, Eternal Father, called his name Sar-shalom [Prince of Peace][32]
Although sometimes Christian commentators blithely accuse Jewish scholars of avoiding the implications of calling the child βMighty Godβ and βEternal Father,β the grammar does allow multiple options here. The main question is whether Isaiah specified the subject of the verb ΧΦ·ΧΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈ (vayikra) or not. If he has, then the subject must be ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (el gibbor). If he has not, then the subject must be indefinite (i.e. βheβ or βoneβ). Whatβs more, the Masoretic punctuation of the Hebrew suggests the translation, βand the Wonderful Adviser, the Mighty God called his name, βEverlasting Father, Prince of Peaceββ[33]
However, Keil and Delitzsch point out problems with this view on both grammatical and contextual grounds. They write:
[I]t is impossible to conceive for what precise reason such a periphrastic description of God should be employed in connection with the naming of this child, as is not only altogether different from Isaiahβs usual custom, but altogether unparalleled in itself, especially without the definite article. The names of God should at least have been defined thus, ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ’Φ΅Χ₯ Χ€ΦΌΦ΅ΧΦΆΧ ΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨, so as to distinguish them from the two names of the child.β[34]
Thus, though the Masoretic markings favor the Jewish translation, the grammar doesnβt favor taking βWonderful Counselor, Mighty Godβ as the subject. Itβs certainly not impossible, but it is a strained reading without parallels in Isaiah and without justification in the immediate context. Letβs consider another possibility.
His Name Has Been Called
Instead of taking ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (el gibbor) as the subject, we can posit an indefinite subject for ΧΦ·ΧΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈ (vayikra): βone has called.β Examples of this outside of Isaiah 9:6 include Gen 11:9; 25:26; Exod 15:23; and 2 Sam 2:16. The phenomenon appears in Gesenius (Β§144d) and JoΓΌon and Muraoka (Β§155e), both of which include our text as examples. However, the translation βone has called his nameβ is awkward in English due to our lack of a generic pronoun like on in French or man in German. Accordingly, most translations employ the passive construction: βhis name has been called,β omitting the subject.[35] This is apparently also how those who produced the Septuagint (LXX) took the Hebrew text, employing a passive rather than an active verb.[36] In conclusion, the translation βhis name has been calledβ works best in English.
Mighty Hero
Now we broach the question of how to render ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ el gibbor. As Iβve already noted, a few translations prefer βmighty hero.β But this reading is problematic since it takes the two words in reverse order. Although in English we typically put an adjective before the noun it modifies, in Hebrew the noun comes first and then any adjectives that act upon it. Taking the phrase as ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (gibbor el) makes βmightyβ the noun and βGodβ the adjective. Now since the inner meaning of ΧΦ΅Χ (el) is βstrongβ or βmighty,β and ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ gibbor means βwarriorβ or βhero,β we can see how translators end up with βmighty warriorβ or βdivine hero.β Robert Alter offers the following explanation:
The most challenging epithet in this sequence is βel gibor [sic], which appears to say βwarrior-god.β The prophet would be violating all biblical usage if he called the Davidic king βGod,β and that term is best construed here as some sort of intensifier. In fact, the two words could conceivably be a scribal reversal of gibor βel, in which case the second word would clearly function as a suffix of intensification as it occasionally does elsewhere in the Bible.[37]
Please note that Alterβs motive for reversing the two words is that the text, as it stands, would violate all biblical usage by calling the Davidic king βGod.β But Alter is incorrect. We have another biblical usage calling the Davidic king βGodβ in Psalm 45:6. We must allow the text to determine interpretation. Changing translation for the sake of theology is allowing the tail to wag the dog.
Another reason to doubt βdivine warriorβ as a translation is that βWherever ΚΎeΜl gibboΜr occurs elsewhere in the Bible there is no doubt that the term refers to God (10:21; cf. also Deut. 10:17; Jer. 32:18),β notes John Oswalt.[38] Keil and Delitzsch likewise see Isa 10:21 as the rock upon which these translations suffer shipwreck.[39] βA remnant will return,β says Isa 10:21, βthe remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.β The previous verse makes it clear that βmighty Godβ refers to none other than βYahweh, the holy one of Israel.β Without counter examples elsewhere in the Bible, we lack the basis to defy the traditional ordering of βGodβ as the noun and βmightyβ or βwarriorβ as the adjective.[40]
Mighty God-Man
Did Isaiah foresee a human child who would also be the mighty God? Did he suddenly get βa glimpse of the fact that in the fullness of the Godhead there is a plurality of Persons,β as Edward Young thought?[41] Although apologists seeking to prove the deity of Christ routinely push for this reading, other evangelical scholars have expressed doubts about such a bold interpretation.[42] Even Keil and Delitzsch, after zealously batting away Jewish alternatives, admit Isaiahβs language would not have suggested an incarnate deity in its original context.[43] Still, it would not be anachronistic to regard a king as a deity in the context of the ancient Near East. We find such exalted language in parallels from Egypt and Assyria in their accession oracles (proclamations given at the time a new king ascends the throne).
Taking their cue from the Egyptian practices of bestowing divine throne names upon the Pharaohβs accession to the throne, G. von Rad and A. Alt envisioned a similar practice in Jerusalem. Although quite influential, Wegner has pointed out several major problems with this way of looking at our text: (1) the announcement is to the people in Isa 9:6, not the king; (2) Isa 9:6 does not use adoption language nor call the child Godβs son; (3) ΧΦΆΧΦΆΧ (yeled), βchild,β is never used in accession oracles; (4) the Egyptian parallels have five titles not four as in Isa 9:6; (5) Egyptians employ a different structure for accession oracles than Isa 9:6; and (6) we have no evidence elsewhere that Judean kings imitated the Egyptian custom of bestowing divine titles.[44]
Another possibility, argued by R. A. Carlson, is to see the names as anti-Assyrian polemic.[45] Keeping in mind that Assyria was constantly threatening Judah in the lifetime of Isaiah and that the child born was to signal deliverance, it would be no surprise that Isaiah would cast the child as a deliberate counter-Assyrian hero. Still, as Oswalt points out, β[T]he Hebrews did not believe this [that their kings were gods]. They denied that the king was anything more than the representative of God.β[46] Owing to a lack of parallels within Israel and Isaiahβs own penchant for strict monotheism,[47] interpreting Isa 9:6 as presenting a God-man is ad hoc at best and outright eisegesis at worst. Furthermore, as Iβve already noted, the grammar of the passage indicates a historical child who was already born. Thus, if Isaiah meant to teach the deity of the child, weβd have two God-men: Hezekiah and Jesus.
Far from a courtly scene of coronation, Wegner makes the case that our text is really a birth announcement in form. Birth announcements have (1) a declaration of the birth, (2) an announcement of the childβs name, (3) an explanation of what the name means, and (4) a further prophecy about the childβs future.[48] These elements are all present in Isa 9:6, making it a much better candidate for a birth announcement than an accession or coronation oracle. As a result, we should not expect divine titles given to the king like when the Pharaohs or Assyrian kings ascended the throne; instead, we ought to look for names that somehow relate to the childβs career. We will delve more into this when we broach the topic of theophoric names.
Mighty Godβs Agent
Another possibility is to retain the traditional translation of βmighty Godβ and see the child as Godβs agent who bears the title. In fact, the Bible calls Moses[49] and the judges[50] of Israel ΧΦ±ΧΦΉΧΦ΄ΧΧ (elohim), βgod(s),β due to their role in representing God. Likewise, as Iβve already mentioned, the court poet called the Davidic King βgodβ in Ps 45:6. Additionally, the word ΧΦ΅Χ (el), βgod,β refers to representatives of Yahweh whether divine (Ps 82:1, 6) or human (John 10.34ff).[51] Thus, Isa 9:6 could be another case in which a deputized human acting as Godβs agent is referred to as God. The NET nicely explains:
[H]aving read the NT, we might in retrospect interpret this title as indicating the coming kingβs deity, but it is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way. Ps 45:6 addresses the Davidic king as βGodβ because he ruled and fought as Godβs representative on earth. β¦When the kingβs enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.[52]
Raymond Brown admits that this βmay have been looked on simply as a royal title.β[53] Likewise Williamson sees this possibility as βperfectly acceptable,β though he prefers the theophoric approach.[54] Even the incarnation-affirming Keil and Delitzsch recognize that calling the child ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (el gibbor) is βnothing furtherβ¦than this, that the Messiah would be the image of God as no other man ever had been (cf., El, Ps. 82:1), and that He would have God dwelling within Him (cf., Jer. 33:16).β[55] Edward L. Curtis similarly points out that had Isaiah meant to teach that the child would be an incarnation of Yahweh, he would have βfurther unfolded and made central this thoughtβ throughout his book.[56] He likewise sees Isa 9:6 not as teaching βthe incarnation of a deityβ but as a case βnot foreign to Hebrew usage to apply divine names to men of exalted position,β citing Exod 21:6 and Ps 82:6 as parallels.[57]
Notwithstanding the lexical and scholarly support for this view, not to mention my own previous position[58] on Isa 9:6, Iβm no longer convinced that this is the best explanation. Itβs certainly possible to call people βGodsβ because they are his agents, but it is also rare. Weβll come to my current view shortly, but for now, letβs approach the second controversial title.
Eternal Father
The word ΧΦ²ΧΦ΄ΧΧ’Φ·Χ (aviad), βEternal Father,β is another recognizable appellative for Yahweh. As I mentioned in the introduction, translators have occasionally watered down the phrase, unwilling to accept that a human could receive such a title. But humans who pioneer an activity or invent something new are fathers.[59] Walking in someoneβs footsteps is metaphorically recognizing him as oneβs father.[60] Caring for others like a father is yet another way to think about it.[61] Perhaps the child is a father in one of these figurative senses.
If we follow Jerome and translate ΧΦ²ΧΦ΄ΧΧ’Φ·Χ (aviad) as Pater futuri saeculi, βFather of the future age,β we can reconfigure the title, βEternal Father,β from eternal without beginning to eternal with a beginning but without an end. However, notes Williamson, βThere is no parallel to calling the king βFather,β rather the king is more usually designated as Godβs son.β[62] Although we find Yahweh referred to as βFatherβ twice in Isaiah (Isa 63:16; 64:7), and several more times throughout the Old Testament,[63] the Messiah is not so called. Even in the New Testament we donβt see the title applied to Jesus. Although not impossible to be taken as Jesusβs fatherly role to play in the age to come, the most natural way to take ΧΦ²ΧΦ΄ΧΧ’Φ·Χ (aviad) is as a reference to Yahweh. In conclusion, both βmighty Godβ and βeternal Fatherβ most naturally refer to Yahweh and not the child. If this is so, why is the child named with such divine designations?
A Theophoric Name
Finally, we are ready to consider the solution to our translation and interpretation woes. Israelites were fond of naming their kids with theophoric names (names that “carry God”). William Holladay explains:
Israelite personal names were in general of two sorts. Some of them were descriptive namesβ¦ But most Israelite personal names were theophoric; that is, they involve a name or title or designation of God, with a verb or adjective or noun which expresses a theological affirmation. Thus βHezekiahβ is a name which means βYah (= Yahweh) is my strength,β and βIsaiahβ is a name which means βYah (= Yahweh) has brought salvation.β It is obvious that Isaiah is not called βYahwehβ; he bears a name which says something about Yahweh.[64]
As Holladay demonstrates, when translating a theophoric name, it is customary to supplement the literal phrase with the verb, βto be.β Hezekiah = βYah (is) my strengthβ; Isaiah = βYah (is) salvation.β Similarly, Elijah means βMy God (is) Yahβ and Eliab, βMy God (is the) Father.β Theophoric names are not about the child; they are about the God of the parents. When we imagine Elijahβs mother calling him for dinner, sheβs literally saying βMy God (is) Yah(weh), itβs time for dinner.β The childβs name served to remind her who her God was. Similarly, these other names spoke of Godβs strength, salvation, and fatherhood.
To interpret the named child of Isa 9:6 correctly, we must look at the previously named children in Isa 7 and 8. In chapter 7 the boy is called “Immanuel,” meaning βGod (is) with usβ (Isa 7:14). This was a historical child who signaled prophecy. Isaiah said, βFor before the boy knows to reject evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandonedβ (Isa 7:16). In Isa 8:1 we encounter βMaher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,β or βThe spoil speeds, the prey hastens.β[65] This child has a two-sentence name with an attached prophecy: βFor before the boy calls, βmy fatherβ or βmy mother,β the strength of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off before the king of Assyriaβ (Isa 8:4). Both childrenβs sign names did not describe them nor what they would do, but what God would do for his people. Immanuel is a statement of faith. The name means God has not abandoned his people; they can confidently say, βGod is with usβ (Isa 8:10). Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz does not mean that the child would become a warrior to sack Damascus and seize her spoils, but that God would bring about the despoiling of Judahβs enemy.
When we encounter a third sign-named child in as many chapters, we are on solid contextual grounds to see this new, longer name in the same light. Isaiah prophecies that this child has the government upon his shoulder, sits on the throne of David, and will establish a lasting period of justice and righteousness (Isa 9:5, 7). This child bears the name βPele-Yoets-El-Gibbor-Aviad-Sar-Shalom.β The name describes his parentsβ God, the mighty God, the eternal Father.
Although this perspective has not yet won the day, it is well attested in a surprising breadth of resources. Already in 1867, Samuel David Luzzatto put forward this position.[66] The Jewish Publication Society concurred in their 2014 study Bible:
Semitic names often consist of sentences that describe God β¦ These names do not describe that person who holds them but the god whom the parents worship. Similarly, the name given to the child in this v. does not describe that child or attribute divinity to him, but describes Godβs actions.[67]
The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV) footnote on Isa. 9:6 says, βAs in many Israelite personal names, the deity, not the person named, is being described.β[68] Additional scholars advocating the view also include Holladay (1978), Wegner (1992), Goldingay (1999, 2015), and Williamson (2018).
Even so, Keil and Delitzsch eschew βsuch a sesquipedalian name,β calling it βunskillful,β and arguing that it would be impractical βto be uttered in one breath.β[69] But this is to take the idea too literally. No one is going to actually call the child by this name. John Goldingay helpfully explains:
So he has that complicated name, βAn-extraordinary-counselor-is-the-warrior-God, the-everlasting-Father-is-an-officer-for-well-being.β Like earlier names in Isaiah (God-is-with-us, Remains-Will-Return, Plunder-hurries-loot-rushes), the name is a sentence. None of these names are the personβs everyday nameβas when the New Testament says that Jesus will be called Immanuel, βGod [is] with us,β without meaning this expression is Jesusβ name. Rather, the person somehow stands for whatever the βnameβ says. God gives him a sign of the truth of the expression attached to him. The names donβt mean that the person is God with us, or is the remains, or is the plunder, and likewise this new name doesnβt mean the child is what the name says. Rather he is a sign and guarantee of it. Itβs as if he goes around bearing a billboard with that message and with the reminder that God commissioned the billboard.[70]
Still, thereβs the question of identifying Yahweh as Χ©ΧΦ·Χ¨ΦΎΧ©ΧΦΈΧΧΦΉΧ (sar shalom). Since most of our translations render the phrase βPrince of Peace,β and the common meaning of a prince is someone inferior to the king, we turn away from labeling God with this title. Although HALOT mentions βrepresentative of the king, officialβ for the first definition their second is βperson of note, commander.β[71] The BDB glosses βchieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, princeβ as their first entry.[72] Wegner adds: βThe book of Isaiah also appears to use the word sar in the general sense of βruler.ββ[73] Still, we must ask, is it reasonable to think of Yahweh as a Χ©ΧΦ·Χ¨ (sar)? We find the phrase Χ©ΧΦ·Χ¨ΦΎΧΦ·Χ¦ΦΌΦΈΧΦΈΧ (sar-hatsava), βprince of hosts,β in Daniel 8:11 and Χ©ΧΦ·Χ¨ΦΎΧ©ΧΦΈΧ¨Φ΄ΧΧ (sar-sarim), βprince of princes,β in verse 25, where both refer to God.[74] The UBS Translatorsβ Handbook recommends βGod, the chief of the heavenly armyβ for verse 11 and βthe greatest of all kingsβ for verse 25.[75] The handbook discourages using βprince,β since βthe English word βprinceβ does not mean the ruler himself but rather the son of the ruler, while the Hebrew term always designates a ruler, not at all implying son of a ruler.β[76] I suggest applying this same logic to Isa 9:6. Rather than translating Χ©ΧΦ·Χ¨ΦΎΧ©ΧΦΈΧΧΦΉΧ (sar shalom) as βPrince of Peace,β we can render it, βRuler of Peaceβ or βRuler who brings peace.β
Translating the Name Sentences
Now that Iβve laid out the case for the theophoric approach, letβs consider translation possibilities. Wegner writes, βthe whole name should be divided into two parallel units each containing one theophoric element.β[77] This makes sense considering the structure of Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which translates two parallel name sentences: βThe spoil speeds, the prey hastens.β Here are a few options for translating the name.
Jewish Publication Society (1917)Wonderful in counsel is God the Mighty, the Everlasting Father, the Ruler of peace[78]
William Holladay (1978)Planner of wonders; God the war hero (is) Father forever; prince of well-being[79]
New Jewish Publication Society (1985)The Mighty God is planning grace; The Eternal Father, a peaceable ruler[80]
John Goldingay (1999)One who plans a wonder is the warrior God; the father for ever is a commander who brings peace[81]
John Goldingay (2015)An-extraordinary-counselor-is-the-warrior-God, the-everlasting-Fathers-is-an-official-for-well-being[82]
Hugh Williamson (2018)A Wonderful Planner is the Mighty God, An Eternal Father is the Prince of Peace[83]
My Translation (2024)The warrior God is a miraculous strategist; the eternal Father is the ruler who brings peace[84]
I prefer to translate ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (el gibbor) as βwarrior Godβ rather than βmighty Godβ because the context is martial, and ΧΦ΄ΦΌΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨(gibbor) often refers to those fighting in war.[85] βMighty Godβ is ambiguous, and easily decontextualized from the setting of Isa 9:6. After all, Isa 9:4-5 tells a great victory βas on the day of Midianββa victory so complete that they burn βall the boots of the tramping warriorsβ in the fire.
The word Χ€ΦΌΦΆΧΦΆΧ (pele), though often translated βwonderful,β is actually the word for βmiracle,β and ΧΧΦΉΧ’Φ΅Χ₯ (yoets) is a participle meaning βadviserβ or βplanner.β Since the context is war, this βmiracle of an adviserβ or βmiraculous plannerβ refers to military plansβwhat we call strategy, hence, βmiraculous strategist.β Amazingly, the tactic God employed in the time of Hezekiah was to send out an angel during the night who βstruck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyriansβ (Isa 37:36). This was evidently the warrior Godβs miraculous plan to remove the threat of Assyria from Jerusalemβs doorstep. Prophecies about the coming day of God when he sends Jesus Christβthe true and better Hezekiahβlikewise foretell of an even greater victory over the nations.[86] In fact, just two chapters later we find a messianic prophecy of one who will βstrike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wickedβ (Isa 11:4).
The next phrase, βThe eternal Father,β needs little comment since Godβs eternality and fatherhood are both noncontroversial and multiply attested. Literally translated, Χ©ΧΦ·Χ¨ΦΎΧ©ΧΦΈΧΧΦΉΧ (sar-shalom) is βRuler of peace,β but I take the word pair as a genitive of product.[87] Williamson unpacks this meaning as βthe one who is able to initiate and maintain Peace.β[88] That his actions in the time of Hezekiah brought peace is a matter of history. After a huge portion of the Assyrian army died, King Sennacherib went back to Nineveh, where his sons murdered him (Isa 37:37-38). For decades, Judah continued to live in her homeland. Thus, this childβs birth signaled the beginning of the end for Assyria. In fact, the empire itself eventually imploded, a fate that, at Hezekiahβs birth, must have seemed utterly unthinkable. Of course, the ultimate peace God will bring through his Messiah will far outshine what Hezekiah achieved.[89]
Conclusion
We began by considering the phraseΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΧ Χ©ΧΦ°ΧΧΦΉ (vayikra shβmo). We noted that the tense is perfect, which justifies a past-tense interpretation of the child who had already been born by the time of the birth announcement. I presented the case for Hezekiah as the initial referent of Isa 9:6 based on the fact that Hezekiah’s life overlapped with Isaiah’s, that he sat on the throne of David (v7), and that his reign saw the miraculous deliverance from Assyriaβs army. Furthermore, I noted that identifying the child of Isa 9:6 as Hezekiah does not preclude a true and better one to come. Although Isa 9:6 does not show up in the New Testament, I agree with the majority of Christians who recognize this text as a messianic prophecy, especially when combined with verse 7.
Next we puzzled over the subject for phraseΧΦ·ΧΦΌΦ΄Χ§Φ°Χ¨ΦΈΧ Χ©ΧΦ°ΧΧΦΉ (vayikra shβmo.) Two options are that the phrase Χ€ΦΌΦΆΧΦΆΧ ΧΧΦΉΧ’Φ΅Χ₯ ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (pele yoets el gibbor) functions as the subject or else the subject is indefinite. Although the Jewish interpreters overwhelmingly favor the former, the lack of definite articles and parallel constructions in Isaiah make me think the latter is more likely. Still, the Jewish approach to translation is a legitimate possibility. I explained how a passive voice makes sense in English since it hides the subject, and settled on βhis name has been called,β as the best translation.
Then we looked at the phrase ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦΌΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ (el gibbor) and considered the option of switching the order of the words and taking the first as the modifier of the second as in βmighty heroβ or βdivine warrior.β We explored the possibility that Isaiah was ascribing deity to the newborn child. We looked at the idea of Isaiah calling the boy “Mighty God” because he represented God. In the end we concluded that these all are less likely than taking God as the referent, especially in light of the identical phrase in Isa 10:21 where it unambiguously refers to Yahweh.
Moving on to ΧΦ²ΧΦ΄ΧΧ’Φ·Χ (aviad), we considered the possibility that βfatherβ could refer to someone who started something significant and βeternalβ could merely designate a coming age. Once again, though these are both possible readings, they are strained and ad hoc, lacking any indication in the text to signal a non-straightforward reading. So, as with βMighty God,β I also take βEternal Fatherβ as simple references to God and not the child.
Finally, we explored the notion of theophoric names. Leaning on two mainstream Bible translations and five scholars, from Luzzatto to Williamson, we saw that this lesser-known approach is quite attractive. Not only does it take the grammar at face value, it also explains how a human being could be named βMighty Godβ and βEternal Father.β The name describes God and not the child who bears it.
Lastly, drawing on the work of the Jewish Publication Society, Goldingay, and Williamson, I proposed the translation: βThe warrior God is a miraculous strategist; the eternal Father is the ruler who brings peace.β This rendering preserves the martial context of Isa 9:6 and glosses each word according to its most common definition. I added in the verb βisβ twice as is customary when translating theophoric names. The result is a translation that recognizes God as the focus and not the child. This fits best in the immediate context, assuming Hezekiah is the original referent. After all, his greatest moment was not charging out ahead of a column of soldiers, but his entering the house of Yahweh and praying for salvation. God took care of everything else. Likewise, the ultimate Son of David will have Godβs spirit influencing him: a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of God (Isa 11:2). The eternal Father will so direct his anointed that he will βnot judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hearβ (Isa 11:3). In his days God will bring about a shalom so deep that even the animals will become peaceful (Isa 11:6-8).
An advantage of this reading of Isa 9:6 is that it is compatible with the full range of christological positions Christians hold. Secondly, this approach nicely fits with the original meaning in Isaiah’s day, and it works for the prophecy’s ultimate referent in Christ Jesus. Additionally, it is the interpretation with the least amount of special pleading. Finally, it puts everything into the correct order, allowing exegesis to drive theology rather than the other way around.
Bibliography
Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament. Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2012.
The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1917.
The Jewish Study Bible. Edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. Second ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Net Bible, Full Notes Edition. Edited by W. Hall Harris III James Davis, and Michael H. Burer. 2nd ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Edited by Carol A. Newsom Marc Z. Brettler, Pheme Perkins. Third ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
The Stone Edition of the Tanach. Edited by Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz. Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll, 1996.
Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures: The New Jps Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. 4th, Reprint. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985.
Translation of Targum Onkelos and Jonathan. Translated by Eidon Clem. Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, 2015.
Alter, Rober. The Hebrew Bible: Prophets, Nevi’im. Vol. 2. 3 vols. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2019.
Ashkenazi, Jacob ben Isaac. Tze’enah Ure’enah: A Critical Translation into English. Translated by Morris M. Faierstein. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017. https://www.sefaria.org/Tze’enah_Ure’enah%2C_Haftarot%2C_Yitro.31?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en.
Baumgartner, Ludwig Koehler and Walter. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Edited by M. E. J. Richardson. Leiden: Brill, 2000.
Brown, Raymond E. Jesus: God and Man, edited by 3. New York: Macmillan, 1967.
Carlson, R. A. “The Anti-Assyrian Character of the Oracle in Is. Ix, 1-6.” Vetus Testamentum, no. 24 (1974): 130-5.
Curtis, Edward L. “The Prophecy Concerning the Child of the Four Names: Isaiah Ix., 6, 7.” The Old and New Testament Student 11, no. 6 (1890): 336-41.
Delitzsch, C. F. Keil and F. Commentary on the Old Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996.
Finnegan, Sean. “Jesus Is God: Exploring the Notion of Representational Deity.” Paper presented at the One God Seminar, Seattle, WA, 2008, https://restitutio.org/2016/01/11/explanations-to-verses-commonly-used-to-teach-that-jesus-is-god/.
Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996.
Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910.
Goldingay, John. “The Compound Name in Isaiah 9:5(6).” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61, no. 2 (1999): 239-44.
Goldingay, John. Isaiah for Everyone. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015.
Holladay, William L. Isaiah: Scroll of Prophetic Heritage. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978.
III, Ben Witherington. Isaiah Old and New. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ggjhbz.7.
Luzzatto, Samuel David. Shi’ur Komah. Padua, IT: Antonio Bianchi, 1867.
O’Connor, Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Esenbrauns, 1990.
Ogden, Graham S., and Jan Sterk. A Handbook on Isaiah. Ubs Translatorβs Handbooks. New York: United Bible Societies, 2011.
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PΓ©ter-Contesse, RenΓ© and John Ellington. A Handbook on Daniel. Ubs Translator’s Handbooks. New York, NY: United Bible Societies, 1993.
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End Notes
[1] Throughout Iβll refer to Isaiah 9:6 based on the versification used in English translations. Hebrew Bibles shift the count by one, so the same verse is Isaiah 9:5.
[2] Paul D. Wegner, “A Re-Examination of Isaiah Ix 1-6,” Vetus Testamentum 42, no. 1 (1992): 103.
[3] BHS is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, the standard Hebrew text based on the Leningrad Codex, a medieval Masoretic text.
[4] In Hebrew the perfect tense roughly maps onto English past tense and the imperfect tense to future tense.
[5] See NRSVUE, ESV, NASB20, NIV, NET, LSB, NLT, NKJ, ASV, KJV.
[6] See translations by Robert Alter, James Moffat, and Duncan Heaster. Also see Westminster Commentary, Cambridge Bible Commentary, New Century Bible Commentary, and The Daily Study Bible.
[7] See New English Bible.
[8] See Ibn Ezra.
[9] See An American Testament.
[10] βHeldβ means βheroβ in German. In the Luther Bible (1545), he translated the phrase as βund er heiΓt Wunderbar, Rat, Kraft, Held, Ewig -Vater, FriedefΓΌrst,β separating power (Kraft = El) and hero (Held = Gibbor) whereas in the 1912 revision we read, βer heiΓt Wunderbar, Rat, Held, Ewig-Vater FriedefΓΌrst,β which reduced el gibbor to βHeldβ (hero).
[11] See fn 4 above.
[12] See New American Bible Revised Edition and An American Testament.
[13] See New English Bible and James Moffattβs translation.
[14] See Ibn Ezra.
[15] See Duncan Heasterβs New European Version.
[16] See Word Biblical Commentary.
[17] See Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, the Koren Jerusalem Bible, and the Complete Jewish Bible.
[18] In the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1QIsaa 8.24 reads βΧΧ§Χ¨Χ,β the vav-conversed form of βΧ§Χ¨Χ,β translated βhe will call,β an active future tense. This reading is implausible considering the unambiguous past tense of the two initial clauses that began verse 6: βa child has been bornβ¦a son has been given.β
[19] βHere the Hebrew begins to use imperfect verb forms with the conjunction often rendered βand.β These verbs continue the tense of the perfect verb forms used in the previous lines. They refer to a state or situation that now exists, so they may be rendered with the present tense in English. Some translations continue to use a perfect tense here (so NJB, NJPSV, FRCL), which is better.β Graham S. Ogden, and Jan Sterk, A Handbook on Isaiah, Ubs Translatorβs Handbooks (New York: United Bible Societies, 2011).
[20] H. G. M. Williamson, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-27, vol. 2, International Critical Commentary, ed. G. I. Davies and C. M. Tuckett (New York: Bloomsbury, 2018), 371.
[21] Wilhelm Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, ed. E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910), Β§106n.
[22] Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, IN: Esenbrauns, 1990), Β§30.5.1e.
[23] John Goldingay takes a βboth-andβ position, recognizing that Isaiah was speaking by faith of what God would do in the future, but also seeing the birth of the son to the king as having already happened by the time of the prophecy. John Goldingay, Isaiah for Everyone (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015), 42.
[24] Jewish authors include Rashi, A. E. Kimchi, Abravanel, Malbim, and Luzzatto.
[25] See 2 Kings 18:3-7.
[26] Unless otherwise noted, all translations are my own.
[27] J. J. M. Roberts, First Isaiah, vol. 23A, Hermeneia, ed. Peter Machinist (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001), 153.
[28] Ben Witherington III, Isaiah Old and New (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017), 95-6, 99-100. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ggjhbz.7.
[29] Translation of Targum Onkelos and Jonathan, trans. Eidon Clem (Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, 2015).
[30] Shlomo Yitzchaki, Complete Tanach with Rashi, trans. A. J. Rosenberg (Chicago, IL: Davka Corp, 1998). https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Isaiah.9.5.2?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en.
[31] Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi, Tze’enah Ure’enah: A Critical Translation into English, trans. Morris M. Faierstein (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017). https://www.sefaria.org/Tze’enah_Ure’enah%2C_Haftarot%2C_Yitro.31?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en.
[32] Square brackets in original. The Stone Edition of the Tanach, ed. Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz (Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll, 1996).
[33] Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, ed. W. Hall Harris III James Davis, and Michael H. Burer, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019), 1266.
[34] C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 249-50.
[35] As mentioned above, the Hebrew is not actually passive.
[36] The LXX reads βΞΊΞ±α½Ά καλΡαΏΟΞ±ΞΉ Οα½Έ α½Ξ½ΞΏΞΌΞ± Ξ±α½ΟΞΏαΏ¦β (kai kaleitai to onoma autou), which means βand his name is called.β
[37] Rober Alter, The Hebrew Bible: Prophets, Nevi’im, vol. 2, 3 vols. (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2019), 651.
[38] John Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, Nicot (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986), 247.
[39] Delitzsch, 252.
[40] The ΧΦ΅ΧΦ΅Χ ΧΦ΄ΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨Φ΄ΧΧ (eley gibborim) of Ezek 32.21 although morphologically suggestive of a plural form of el gibbor, is not a suitable parallel to Isa 9:6 since ΧΦ΅ΧΦ΅Χ (eley) is the plural of ΧΦ·ΧΦ΄Χ (ayil), meaning βchiefβ not ΧΦ΅Χ (el). Thus, the translation βmighty chiefsβ or βwarrior rulersβ takes eley as the noun and gibborim as the adjective and does not actually reverse them.
[41] Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1-18, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965), 338.
[42] Translatorβs note A on Isa 9:6 in the NET states, β[I]t is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way.β Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, 1267.
[43] βThe Messiah is the corporeal presence of this mighty God; for He is with Him, He is in Him, and in Him He is with Israel. The expression did not preclude the fact that the Messiah would be God and man in one person; but it did not penetrate to this depth, so far as the Old Testament consciousness was concerned.β Delitzsch, 253.
[44] See Wegner 104-5.
[45] See R. A. Carlson, “The Anti-Assyrian Character of the Oracle in Is. Ix, 1-6,” Vetus Testamentum, no. 24 (1974).
[46] Oswalt, 246.
[47] Isa 43:10-11; 44:6, 8; 45:5-6, 18, 21-22; 46:9. Deut 17:14-20 lays out the expectations for an Israelite king, many of which limit his power and restrict his exaltation, making deification untenable.
[48] Wegner 108.
[49] See Exod 4:16; 7:1. The word βGodβ can apply to βany person characterized by greatness or power: mighty one, great one, judge,β s.v. βΧΦ±ΧΦΉΧΦ΄ΧΧβ in Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament.. The BDAG concurs, adding that a God is βthat which is nontranscendent but considered worthy of special reverence or respectβ¦ of humans θΡοί (as ΧΦ±ΧΦΉΧΦ΄ΧΧ) J[ohn] 10:34f (Ps 81:6; humans are called ΞΈ. in the OT also Ex 7:1; 22:27,β s.v. βΞΈΞ΅ΟΟβ in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.
[50] See Exod 21.6; 22:8-9. The BDB includes the definition, βrulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power,β s.v. βΧΦ±ΧΦΉΧΦ΄ΧΧβ in The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
[51] Thayer points this out in his lexicon: βHebraistically, equivalent to God’s representative or vicegerent, of magistrates and judges, John 10:34f after Ps. 81:6 (Ps. 82:6)β s.v. βΞΈΞΞΏΟβ in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.
[52] Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, 1267.
[53] Raymond E. Brown, Jesus: God and Man, ed. 3 (New York: Macmillan, 1967), 25.
[54] Williamson, 397.
[55] Delitzsch, 253. See also fn 40 above.
[56] Edward L. Curtis, “The Prophecy Concerning the Child of the Four Names: Isaiah Ix., 6, 7,” The Old and New Testament Student 11, no. 6 (1890): 339.
[57] Ibid.
[58] Sean Finnegan, “Jesus Is God: Exploring the Notion of Representational Deity” (paper presented at the One God Seminar, Seattle, WA2008), https://restitutio.org/2016/01/11/explanations-to-verses-commonly-used-to-teach-that-jesus-is-god/.
[59] Jabal was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock (Gen 4:20) and Jubal was the father of those who play the lyre and the pipe (Gen 4:21).
[60] Jesus told his critics, βYou are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your fatherβs desiresβ (John 8:44).
[61] Job called himself βa father to the needyβ (Job 29:16) and Isaiah prophesied that Eliakim would be βa father to the inhabitants of Jerusalemβ (Isa 22:21).
[62] Williamson, 397.
[63] For references to Yahweh as father to the people see Deut 32:6; Ps 103:13; Prov 3:12; Jer 3:4; 31.9; Mal 1.6; 2:10. For Yahweh as father to the messiah see 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chron 7:13; 28:6; Ps 89:27.
[64] William L. Holladay, Isaiah: Scroll of Prophetic Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978), 108.
[65] See NRSVUE fn on Isa 8:1.
[66] ΧΧΧ Χ ΧΧΧΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ¨ Χ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧ’Χ₯ ΧΧΧ’ ΧΧΧ ΧΧ ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ¨ Χ©ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ ΧΧΧΧΧ ΧΧ©ΧΧΧ, ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ’Χ₯ ΧΧΧΧΧ¨ ΧΧ’Χ©ΧΧͺ Χ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧ©Χ¨ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧͺ ΧΧΧΧ ΧΧ ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ, ΧΧΧ”Χ ΧΧ€Χ¨Χ© ΧΧΧ¨ΧΧ ΧΧΧ©Χ¨Χ ΧΧΧ’. ΧΧΧ€Χ ΧΧ€ΧΧ¨ΧΧ© ΧΧΧ ΧΧ ΧΧΧ Χ ΧΧΧ¨ΧΧ ΧΧΧ ΧΧͺΧΧ¨Χ ΧΧΧ, ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ Χͺ ΧΧ ΧΧΧ ΧΧ¨ΧΧΧ ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ ΧΧ€ΧΧ Χ©ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ’Χ₯ ΧΧΧΧΧ¨ Χ’ΧͺΧ, ΧΧΧΧΧ’ Χ©ΧΧΧ ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ¨ ΧΧΧ’Χ ΧΧΧΧΧΧͺ ΧΧ©ΧΧΧ ΧΧ ΧΧ’Χ, ΧΧΧ ΧΧ€Χ¨ ΧΧ¨ΧΧͺΧ Χ’Χ ΧΧ ΧΧ ΧΧ Χ ΧΧ©Χ¨ΧΧ, ΧΧΧ ΧΧ©ΧΧ ΧΧͺ ΧΧ¨ΧΧͺ ΧΧΧΧͺΧ. ΧΧ©ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ ΧΧ©ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ ΧΧ©ΧΧΧ, ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ ΧΧ’Χ¨ΧΧ¦ΧΧ ΧΧ©Χ¨ ΧΧ ΧΧ€Χ¦Χ ΧΧ ΧͺΧΧ© ΧΧΧ ΧͺΧΧ₯ ΧΧΧΧΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ¨ΧΧ‘, ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ ΧΧ©Χ€ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ’Χ€Χ¨, ΧΧ ΧΧͺΧ Χ©ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ¨Χ₯, ΧΧΧ Χ©Χ¨ΧΧΧ Χ ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ¨ΧΧͺ. Chat GPT translation: “And behold, the intention in the phrase ‘Wonderful Counselor’ and so on is that the mighty God, who is the Eternal Father and the Prince of Peace, is the Counselor and decrees to perform a wonder for Israel at the time of the reign of the child born today. Afterwards, it is explained as ‘to increase the dominion’ and so on. According to this interpretation, it is not in vain that the prophet elaborates on the attributes of God here, for the prophet’s intention is to hint that when the wonder that God now advises and decrees comes about, it will be known that He is the Mighty God and possesses the ability and that He is the Eternal Father. He will not break His covenant with His sons, the children of Israel, nor forget the covenant of their ancestors. He is the Prince of Peace and loves peace, and He will not favor the oppressors whose every desire is to tear apart, destroy, and obliterate, but He will humble them to the dust and grant peace to the land, as we have seen throughout the generations.β Samuel David Luzzatto, Shi’ur Komah (Padua, IT: Antonio Bianchi, 1867). Accessible at Sefaria and the National Library of Israel.
[67]The Jewish Study Bible, ed. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, Second ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 784.
[68] The New Oxford Annotated Bible, ed. Carol A. Newsom Marc Z. Brettler, Pheme Perkins, Third ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 991.
[69] Delitzsch, 249.
[70] Goldingay, 42-3.
[71] Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, ed. M. E. J. Richardson (Leiden: Brill, 2000).
[72] See s.v. βΧ©ΧΦ·Χ¨β in The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
[73] Wegner 112.
[74] Keil and Delitzsch say the sar of Dan 8:11 refers to βthe God of heaven and the King of Israel, the Prince of princes, as He is called in v. 25,β Delitzsch, 297.
[75] RenΓ© and John Ellington PΓ©ter-Contesse, A Handbook on Daniel, Ubs Translator’s Handbooks (New York, NY: United Bible Societies, 1993).
[76] Ibid.
[77] Wegner 110-1.
[78] The main text transliterates βPele-joez-el-gibbor-/Abi-ad-sar-shalom,β while the footnote translates as indicated above. The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1917), 575.
[79] Holladay, 109.
[80] Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures: The New Jps Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text (4th: repr., Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985), 634.
[81] John Goldingay, “The Compound Name in Isaiah 9:5(6),” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61, no. 2 (1999): 243.
[82] Goldingay, Isaiah for Everyone, 40.
[83] Williamson, 355.
[84] An alternative is βThe warrior God is planning a miracle; the eternal Father is the ruler of peace.β
[85] For ΧΦ΄ΦΌΧΦΌΧΦΉΧ¨ in a military context, see 1 Sam 17:51; 2 Sam 20.7; 2 Kgs 24:16; Isa 21.17; Jer 48:41; Eze 39:20; and Joel 2:7; 3:9.
[86] See 2 Thess 2:8 and Rev 19:11-21 (cp. Dan 7:13-14).
[87] See Gesenius Β§ 128q, which describes a genitive of βstatements of the purpose for which something is intended.β
[88] Williamson, 401.
[89] Isaiah tells of a time when God will βjudge between nations,β resulting in the conversion of the weapons of war into the tools of agriculture and a lasting era when βnation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any moreβ (Isa 2:4).
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This is part two of my conversation with Bob Carden who served as the lead pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship for decades before retiring. (The church is now called Align Ministries, led by Garrett Bova.) Continuing on the topic of healing and deliverance from last week, we begin by talking about evil spirits and pornography addiction. Next we spend a good deal of time discussing how Align Ministries enables holy spirit activity during their weekly services. Carden ends with a challenge, saying, "Put yourself out there for God. Don't be afraid to attempt something the Bible says you should be able to do."
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People need the touch of God in their lives. People are broken, wounded, and sick. Jesus Christ has already come and made available deliverance from sin and its consequences. He did this throughout his ministry and continues to bring healing through his church today. Bob Carden shares about his own journey of faith from Catholicism to the Way Ministry to pastoring a non-denominational church in Naperville, IL. Now retired, he relates his decades-long pursuit of the miraculous, especially deliverance and healing. Now I realize this can be a controversial subject, which is why I'm so thankful for how Carden's kind and compassionate tone comes through in this conversation.
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Learn more about Bob Carden at Align MinistriesGet Carden's book, One God: The Unfinished ReformationGet the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean's bio here -
Seneca Harbin became a Christian later in life through reading the Bible. However, when he was attending a megachurch in Indianapolis, he starting hearing the pastor preach about Christ in a way that seemed bizarre and unbiblical. To his surprise Seneca discovered that the vast majority of Christians held to these extra-biblical speculations about multiple persons in the godhead and dual natures of Christ. This set him on a quest to find others who, like him, preferred to stop where scripture stops and understand Jesus as the Messiah not a God man.
After relating his own spiritual journey, he talks about his recent book, The Cost of Truth, which adds in the testimonies of several others, including Bill Schlegel, Will Barlow, Johnny Barnes, Seth Ross, Susanne Lakin, Candise Tuggy, and Ryan Russell. I believe this book will fire you up. It's easy to get complacent, but this little book of testimonies shows us that God is not done yet. He's reaching people in our time, calling them out of darkness and confusion into his marvelous light.
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Pick up your copy of The Cost of TruthCheck out these other podcast interviews about leaving the Trinity.Get the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean's bio here -
Last week Dustin Smith and Sam Tideman discussed the intermediate state--what happens after death but before resurrection on the last day. Although most Christians affirm the folk idea of going immediately to heaven or hell at death, Smith and Tideman argue that the Bible teaches the dead are in Sheol or Hades. However they disagree on what's happening there. Smith holds to soul-sleep while Tideman believes the dead are conscious. We went through many scriptures last time, but today we'll discuss two critical texts on this subject: the witch of Endor and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
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Dustin Smith and Sam Tideman discuss whether people are conscious in the intermediate state (between death and resurrection). Interestingly, neither of them think the deceased are currently in heaven or hell. Smith affirms the sleep of the dead, seeing all the dead, whether good or bad, as unconscious and unaware of the passage of time. Tideman puts forward the idea that the souls of the dead are in a semi-conscious dreamlike state in a chamber called Sheol or Hades. Today is part one of their discussion in which both lay out their positions and then discuss Ecclesiastes 9.10 and Isaiah 14.9-11. This is part one of their conversation. Stay tuned for part two next week.
Dr. Dustin Smith currently serves as a New Testament scholar at Spartanburg Methodist College in South Carolina. Smith has authored or edited six books, including the 2024 monograph, Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John. He is also the weekly host of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast.
Sam Tideman is a Harvard educated data scientist at Google who has keen interests in biblical studies, theology, and especially church history. He hosts the YouTube channel, "Transfigured," which has a total of nearly 250k views with interesting guests like Tim Mackie, Alister McGrath, and John Vervaeke.
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This is part 5 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
This episode begins by delving into the history of how the theologians of the third and fourth centuries rejected the kingdom since they thought it was too crude, too hedonic, and too Jewish. Next I briefly cover three rediscovery movements, including the Anabaptists of the 16th century, the Adventists of the 19th century, and the New Testament scholars of the 20th century. Still, the majority of Christendom lies in the shadow of heaven-at-death mythology, hidden from the light of God's grand vision for our world. You and I have work to do. The kingdom of God is not a side doctrine--a footnote in eschatology. It's extremely important. We are kingdom ambassadors. And we have a winning message to tell the world.
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Get your copy of Kingdom Journey here.Check out the full Kingdom Seminar seriesGet the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean's bio here -
This is part 4 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
Jesus didn't just believe in a future kingdom that didn't affect the present. His entire ministry was saturated with kingdom symbology and activity. Wherever he went, he brought a bubble of the kingdom with him. As Christ-followers, we too, are called to prophesy the kingdom in how we live. This should include adopting the kingdom's culture, as well as pledging allegiance to the kingdom.
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Get your copy of Kingdom Journey here.Check out the full Kingdom Seminar seriesGet the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean's bio here -
This is part 3 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
The kingdom of God is the golden thread running throughout the whole Bible from beginning to end. In this presentation, we'll consider some of the key texts from the Old and New Testaments that define what the kingdom is. In contrast to many who think the goal of Christian salvation is to go home to be with the Lord in heaven, the Bible offers a consistent vision of God's children living forever on a restored world. Rather than leaving the planet or physicality, the kingdom is the idea that God will fix up this place, healing everything in it from national strife to animal violence--and everything between.
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This is part 2 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey.
What is heaven? Although it is not the place where the dead go when they die, it is, still, a real place. Today we'll survey different ways in which the Bible talks about heaven, including the sky, God's throne, the storehouse, and the heaven of heavens. Next we'll consider what other religions teach about the afterlife. Finally, we'll conclude by seeing how the Biblical authors courageously took a radically unpopular view about life after death.
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Get your copy of Kingdom Journey here.Check out the full Kingdom Seminar seriesGet the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean's bio here -
Last December, my first ever published book came out, called Kingdom Journey. Recently I recorded a seminar on the kingdom at a church in South Carolina based on the book that I will be playing out over the next 5 weeks. In this seminar I highlight some of the key points in my book and also add in some new content. Today we're going to start by asking the question, "Why should I care about the kingdom of God?" In what follows I make the case that we should care because Jesus said to prioritize the kingdom and because he preached it as gospel. Whether you've long believed in God's kingdom coming to earth at Christ's return or you're new to it, I hope this message will encourage and inspire you to share the message with others.
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Last month the Unitarian Christian Alliance put on the first conference in Europe. A mixture of British and American speakers presented on various aspects of unitarian Christianity. In today's episode I speak with Daisy Jones, one of the main coordinators of the event as well as Mark Cain who assisted in planning and in recording the presentations. They share some highlights from this year's conference as well as what they are planning for next year.
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Find out more about the Unitarian Christian Alliance as well as about future eventsListen to the interview with Josh and Daisy Jones: Walking with GodGet the transcript of this episodeSupport Restitutio by donating hereJoin our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSFLeave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the airIntro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.Who is Sean Finnegan? Read Sean's bio here - Show more
