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Bible Q

Does the New Testament apply Isaiah 9:6 to Jesus?

Answered by .

Indirectly, yes.

Firstly, Matthew in 1:23 has already made reference to the Isaiah 7:14 and 8:8 Hezekiah-Immanuel prophecies, so it is would not be surprising to find the third concluding part of the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 which has the same context related to Hezekiah, as well.

Secondly, in Matthew 4:16 the gospel writer quotes Isaiah 9:1-2 to illustrate that Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, specifically Capernaum in Zebulun and Naphtali, fulfills the Messianic “Wonderful Counsellor” prophecy that a “great light” would shine on people living in darkness and the shadow of death.

So from Matthew 1:23 to Matthew 4:16 we have both Isaiah 7:14 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”, and indirectly also the 9:6 Wonderful Counsellor prophecy applied to Jesus as well. Matthew is pointing out the full lifespan of Hezekiah as a fore-type, or foreshadow, of the full lifespan – and resurrection – of Christ.

Isiaiah 9:1 The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. In earlier times he humiliated the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali; but now he brings honor to the way of the sea, the region beyond the Jordan, and Galilee of the nations. 2 (9:1) The people walking in darkness see a bright light; light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness. 3 You have enlarged the nation; you give them great joy. They rejoice in your presence as harvesters rejoice; as warriors celebrate when they divide up the plunder. 4 For their oppressive yoke and the club that strikes their shoulders, the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat.
Matthew 4:13 While in Galilee, he moved from Nazareth to make his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach this message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”
Conclusion

So Hezekiah’s royal birth from the maiden daughter of the high priest, the events of Isaiah 7 and 8 which occurred when Hezekiah was a child, and the “near death and near resurrection” of Hezekiah – and the granting of 15 extra years of life, are all foreshadows of Christ.
But most importantly the victory of the angel of death over the encamped Assyrian army can be understood as a foreshadow of Christ’s defeat of sin. Without this conclusion to the birth prophecy the purposes of Matthew introducing Isaiah chapters 7 to 9 is lost.
Additionally there are several other posts related to Isaiah 9:6 on BibleQ net. This one only deals with the issue of whether the New Testament quotes the verse:
Footnotes

* Kim, Young Jin (1992):

“… Many authors agree that Matthew’s quotation of the Isaiah passage is an independent rendering which does not directly follow the Masoretic Text or the Septuagint. The main difference between Matthew 4:15 and the text of Isaiah is that Matthew omitted the description of the past contempt and the future hope of Galilee which are found in the Isaiah passage. But Matthew did retain all of the geographical references of the Isaiah passage. This reveals Matthew’s special emphasis on the geographical significance of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Matthew retained the words of Isaiah 9:2[1] in verse 16, but with a minor change and addition …” (Kim, Young Jin Jesus and the Gentiles in the Gospel of Matthew: A Historical Study of the Redemption Motif (pp. 213-214) Doctor of Theology Dissertation, 114, 1992 )

 

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