07-30-2006, 11:46 PM
Bismillah:
Quote:Jesus is clearly called "Mighty God" in Isaiah.
Firstly, it is important when applying a prophesy to someone to not selectively pick and choose catch phrases from the prophesy and <b>disregard the rest.</b> In this prophesy we find that the very first stipulation presented for this person is that <b>he shall carry the government upon his shoulders</b>. However, as is popular knowledge, Jesus pbuh never in his whole lifetime ever formed a government nor became a head of state. In fact we find him saying in the Bible quite explicitly:
John 18:36 "Jesus answered,<b> My kingdom is not of this world</b>: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence."
Matthew 22:21 "Then saith he (Jesus) unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
So according to the Bible, Jesus never tried to establish a government nor to challenge the authority of the pagan emperor Caesar over himself and his followers. Now, if someone were to go the extra mile and to make the case that Jesus commands a "spiritual" government in the hereafter, then we need to know whether the hereafter shall be a place of governments, kings, laws and regulations? !!!!!!!!!!!
Secondly, when we study the words "mighty God" carefully, we notice an interesting fact. For some reason, the words used are not "Almighty God" but rather "mighty God." Naturally, this makes one curious as to what the original Hebrew text actually says. so little research about this matter will tell you that the word for "Almighty" as applied exclusively to God in the OT is the Hebrew word "Shadday" <b>{shad-dah'-ee}. </b> However, this is not the word used in this verse. The actual word used in this verse is the Hebrew word "<b>Gibbowr</b>" meaning "mighty" and not "The Almighty." Now, although to us such a difference might seem subtle and insignificant, still, to the Jews, the difference was quite pronounced.
In the famous Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary by <b>James Strong</b> the word "gibbowr" or short "gibbowr" {ghib-bore'}, is translated as; <b>warrior, tyrant:-champion, chief, excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.</b> On the other hand the word "<b>Shadday</b>" {shad-dah'-ee}, is translated as, <b>the Almighty:-Almighty.</b>
The word translated as "God" here is the Hebrew word "El" {ale} which in addition to it's use to refer to God Almighty in the Bible is also used to refer to <b>mighty men, to demons, to angels, and to ido</b>ls. please note that it was a common practice in the Bible to use the word "<b>god</b>" to convey an air of authority or power. Some of the examples presented were:
"I have said, <b>Ye (the Jews) are gods</b>; and all of you are children of the most High" Psalms 82:6
and "And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee <b>a god </b> to Pharaoh" Exodus 7:1
as well as <b>"the god </b> of this world (the Devil) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." 2 Corinthians 4:4
When reading such verses we begin to understand the reason why Isaiah 9:6 refers to a "mighty god" and not an "Almighty God." If the author did indeed mean to convey that this person would be the "incarnation" of God Almighty who would come down to earth in the form of a human being in order to walk among us and die on the cross, <b>then why did this author chose to "water down" his statement by only referring to him with the generic term used for humans, demons, idols, and angels, and not the specific term reserved for God Almighty alone?</b>
and lastly, nowhere in the NT where Jesus was called "Immanuel" and nowhere Marry did call him with this name. even if you translate the word to 'God with us".
Salam
Wael.