The Messiah - Our Prince Of Peace:
The Prophecy - He Will Be known As The Prince Of Peace: |
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Old Testament Prophecy |
New Testament Fulfillment |
| For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.(Isaiah 9:6-7) | And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) |
One of the titles of this divine child to be born (given) to us would be the Prince of Peace.
A Gift From Jesus:
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27)
Though Jesus did not usher in an age of "peace on earth" as many hoped then and many wish for today, He did offer peace with God to everyone willing to trust in Him and the atonement for sin He offered through His death and resurrection.
For He (Messiah) Himself and the promise He leaves with us is our peace.
The news is full of nations at war with each other. The world is full of crime, unrest and turmoil. Since Jesus is the Price of Peace, where is the peace that He is prince of? That question is often asked by those who don't recognize Jesus as their Messiah. At one time in my life I asked the same question. While it was a good question to ask at the time, (because it helped me come to the truthful conclusion about this Prince of Peace) it is even a better question to answer now.
Simply put, there are two different kinds of peace that Jesus our Messiah is the Prince of. And they are associated with the two different times the Messiah comes to earth.
The first kind of peace and by far the most important, occurred when the Messiah came 2000 years ago. This peace is peace between man and God. Paul wrote it this way; "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19). (Reconciliation = Peace)
In other words, the first kind of peace available to us through faith in Christ is the peace that can come from knowing that your sins have been forgiven and you are in good standing with God. No value could ever be put on this peace because with it comes things like Assurance Of Salvation, and the promise of Heaven after our death here on earth. This is what the Messiah is Prince of right now, the Prince that can bring this peace to you, through faith in Him. With this peace comes this promise of blessings to those who have confessed that Jesus is Lord and believe He was raised from the dead. (See Romans 10:9)
Knowing the Prince of Peace, allows you to not only posses an unending peace with God, but an experience of peace in your heart that surpasses human understanding (Phil. 4:7).(1)
The second peace is the one most of the world is in search of now. Israel was looking for a Messiah who would deliver them from Roman military control. When Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and offered the first kind of peace but not the second He was rejected by many of the Jews. Many people did not understand at the time that first the Messiah would come to bring us an opportunity to be at peace with God and then return a second time to bring a ruling peace that only the King of all Kings would bring.
While passages such as Isaiah 53 were clearly recognized as Messianic passages, it was often taught that there would be two separate Messiahs' to accomplish all that the prophets wrote about. The Suffering Servant Messiah was known as the Son of Joseph and would have to die in our place. The ruling King of Kings Messiah was known as the Son of David and would rule over the Millennial Kingdom. The rabbis taught the two Messiah idea and not that it would be one Messiah that would come two separate times. For more on this please check out The Two Messiahs theory.
Jesus Is Coming Back and when He does His Messianic Kingdom will be set up. He will rule from Jerusalem as the King of all Kings. During this kingdom is when the lion will lay down with the lamb and there will be no more war. Isaiah chapters 2 and 11 offer a description of this future time when there will be a literal peace here on earth as the King of King reigns. For more information on this issue please check out this article from the Living in the End Times section of this web site concerning The Millennial Kingdom.
If you are looking for a peace that can only be known through a saving faith in Christ and are not sure how to find it please spend some time in prayer right now asking God to comfort you and provide the peace that comes with knowing the truth about our Messiah. The Bible teaches this:
Why not spend some time in prayer right now talking with God. 
Because of what our Messiah accomplished on the cross He Himself has become our peace. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (Ephesians 2:14). Along with the blessing of peace we are taught here that what was sometimes viewed as a barrier, (not being born Jewish) has been removed since the salvation offered through the blood of our Messiah is open to all.
The Hebrew word shalom has a much wider meaning than our term "peace." Shalom is not merely absence of war and strife but prosperity, well-being, harmony within and without, peace in one's heart and peace with God, it is the perfect state of man.(2)
Articles related to the Isaiah 9:6 prophecy include:
Articles related to our Messiah's birth include:
The Prince of Peace in the Hebrew is Shar Shalom: Some give this title the following definition "the one who removes all peace disturbing factors and secures the peace."
The Government of Immanuel (See A Virgin Birth Isaiah 7:14) will procure and perpetuate peace among the Nations of the World.
Some commentators look at Hezekiah as the fulfilment of this prophecy. Hezekiah was a man of war and not a prince of peace.(2)
1). The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1&2 Thessalonians p.14.
2). The Prophet Isaiah by Victor Buksbazen p.165.
The Amazing Prophecy of Names, Isaiah 9:6. RBC Ministries.
Jews for Jesus.
John MacArthur Study Bible p.968.
