Isaiah 9:6,7 is a wonderful prophecy of the birth of Jesus and the worldwide scope of the government which he will preside over. To help us grasp more fully what his rulership will mean for the people, this prophecy assigns him several meaningful titles. “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Some Hebrew scholars claim that no punctuation should follow the word “Wonderful,” that it is merely an adjective for “counsellor.” We know, of course, that Jesus is “Wonderful.” No matter from what standpoint we view the Master, he is “Wonderful.” But it seems that here the Lord is telling us that Jesus is a “Wonderful Counsellor.”

This term “Counsellor” means more than one who gives advice: it is more like our word attorney, one who represents a client before the bar of justice. Jesus will act in this capacity when he serves as “Mediator between God and men.” (I Tim. 2:4-6) His work as Counsellor will be akin to his role as judge. In both respects he will deal with the people to effect their recon- ciliation with God, and thereby provide them everlasting life.

Jesus will indeed be a “Wonderful Counsellor” and a righteous Judge. In another prophecy we read of this future Judge, “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; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”—Isa. 11:2-4

One with such qualifications will deal justly with the people, and under his administration those who desire to return to God and to receive the blessing of everlasting life on a perfected earth will be given every opportunity to do so.

The assurance that he will not judge after the sight of the eyes, nor according to the hearing of the ears is especially note- worthy. The most competent of all the judges the world has ever had have been limited in making their decisions upon what could be seen and heard—they have been unable to look into the hearts of the people and there discover their hidden motives, or whether their words and conduct belied the real facts of their lives. But Jesus will be endowed with divine powers of perception. He will know the truth concerning all, regardless of their professions. No wonder Paul said that the world will be judged in righteousness by that man whom God hath ordained!—Acts 17:31