The Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7 about the Child whose name is Mighty God and Everlasting Father was just reduced to nothing through Jewish translations with anti-Christian bias. Here we will will look into this prophecy and decide who this child is using Scripture.

Isa 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (NKJV)

Isa 9:6-7 For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him. His government shall be great, and of his peace there is no end: it shall be upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to support it with judgement and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this. (LXX)

Isa 9:6-7 For a child is born unto us, A son is given unto us; And the government is upon his shoulder; And his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom; That the government may be increased, And of peace there be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To establish it, and to uphold it Through justice and through righteousness From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts doth perform this. (JPS-Tanakh 1917)

For Christians, the prophecy is Messianic in nature. This verse is applied to the Messiah in the Aramaic Targum¹. As it can be seen, this verse refers to Mighty God in Christian translation but loses a bit in Septuagint when it became Messenger of Great Counsel. However, according to Jewish Tanakh translation in 1917, they changed the entire term to a proper name (Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom) which seems to defeat the Messianic prophecy, in turn reject the claim that Jesus is God Himself.

To prove that the above verses in Isaiah 9:6-7 is referring to Messiah, we need to understand what it says and how it differs with different interpretations. To identify, I am just taking what all the translations have in common and check where does this lead to. All the translations including Christian Bibles, LXX and JPS Tanakh agree that this Child will establish his Kingdom through justice and righteousness forever which I highlighted in blue.

Dan 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and his kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall beat to pieces and grind to powder all other kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Dan 7:13-14 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Dan 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, And, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven One like unto a son of man, And he came even to the Ancient of days, And he was brought near before Him. And there was given him dominion, And glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and languages Should serve him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (JPS-Tanakh 1917)

The only kingdom that was mentioned by the prophets to be everlasting is the Kingdom that will be set up by God Himself and the ruler is the Messiah. Is Isaiah speaking about a different kingdom, nullifying what prophet Daniel is speaking about? Absolutely not. Hence, the Isaiah prophecy in chapter 9:6-7 is clearly referring to the Messiah.