Jesus is the Everlasting Father?

[Birdmanman]

From Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (NIV)

In the Douay-Rheims, it is instead written “the Father of the world to come”.

This passage from Isaiah has been used by some to identify the Messiah. Is “Everlasting Father” or “the Father of the world to come” an appropriate appellation of Jesus? Or maybe this is trying to hint at some deeper Trinitarian concept (like “I and the Father are one”).

 

[Lancer]

Dom Orchard’s Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (Vol I Old Testament) says that it indicates…

…the Messianic King’s eternal solicitude for his people’s welfare. Not the Eternal God The Father.

Naturally, the ancient Jews, with their emphasis on monotheism,
would have difficulty calling the Messiah God. [Trinity was not in their mind/understanding]

I think of it like a Marine Battalion Commander leading his young Marines in combat…he is not their Father…but he will…in combat…and even after combat…and at the end of their service in the Corps…be forever be concerned for their welfare…like a father…and he knows that he is not their earthly/biological father…but still feels and is thought of as their father…a bond that never ends…even when the real father is still there. If you lead Marines…especially in combat…your are always…forever…“the old man”…even when you are "pushing up daises in the cemetery…and even when those young Marines are old and gray themselves.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.

Pax Christi

FYI: The author of this particular Book of Isaiah Commentary is…no “lightweight”…but a “long-ball hitter” in baseball terms:

Rev (Father) E. Power, S.J., PhD Linguistics, Professor of Sacred Scripture, Milltown Park, Dublin and also Professor of Biblical Archaeology and Geography; Arabic and Syriac Languages at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome.

 

[Birdmanman]

Thanks so much for that help! Here’s how I like to think about it:
We call priests father, priests reflect Christ for us, we can safely call Christ “Father” as He is priest, prophet, and king, though properly speaking about the Trinity He (Jesus, the person) is the eternally begotten Son (rather than the Trinitarian “Father”).

I should really get a good Catholic Commentary for the Bible and start reading Scott Hahn. I take a very heavy Devil’s Advocate approach to Sacred Scripture (like St. Augustine with the Gospel, right now I would not believe the (inerrancy of the) Bible except that the authority of the Catholic Church compels me to do so).

 

[Verbum]

Hi Birdman,

Jesus is above patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is te super-patriarch forever

Verbum.

 

[patrick457]

BTW, not exactly related to the question, but I should point out that the passage runs differently in the Septuagint.

(Hebrew) For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us; and the dominion was on his shoulder, and he called his name Wonderful Counselor (pele’ yō’ēṣ), Mighty God ('ēl gibbōr “El the Mighty [Warrior]”), Everlasting-Father ('ăḇî’aḏ), Prince of Peace (śar-šālōm).

(Greek) Because a child was born for us, a son also given to us, whose government was on his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger (angelos) of Great Counsel, for I will bring peace upon the rulers, peace and health to him.

 

[R_C]

The Biblia Sacra Vulgata also mentions the word Father:

et vocabitur nomen eius Admirabilis consiliarius, Deus fortis, Pater futuri saeculi, Princeps pacis