IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND a single prophetic Messianic scripture in the O.T. that fully encapsulates all that Jesus will eventually come to mean to mankind. However, against the backdrop of the failed history of all of the cycles of civilization that have come and gone, there is one that is worthy of consideration. From the 8 th century B.C. prophet Isaiah we encounter this great promise of God: “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” (Isa. 9:7) Grown weary of the endless promises of our various political entities in our generation, our perhaps jaded and cynical hearts are quickened by the hope that one day there will be a leader who’s word will withstand the test of his promises.
Perhaps in our more idealistic—and less informed—youth we were captivated by the vision cast by some fiery-eyed and eloquent spokesman for what seemed to be a great movement towards a far better future. We sang the praises and chanted the slogans, attended rallies, handed out flyers, and contributed our small voices and smaller financial contributions to ‘the cause.’ And, wonder of wonders, our man and our team won, and a great mobilization of forces convened to redirect the machineries and resources of government and implement the policies to carry us into a new age of moral and ethical righteousness and prosperity. But then corruption—the common story—corruption is revealed; a peccadillo here, increasing graft there, whispers of immorality, nepotism, cronyism. The great vision becomes conflicted by myriad personal and political interests. Our taxes are spent on an increasing list of everything except the promised goal. The previously touted moral and ethical forces are subsumed by the grinding power of not just bureaucracy, but by the inescapable human condition called ‘sin.’
Or so it has been throughout recorded history. Some leaders have been better than others. Some causes have made a notable difference for a while. The erratic record of history is undeniable. Scripture informs us, if we will but listen, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Prov. 29:2) The problem of good government appears to be tied directly to the character issue of righteousness, and here again scripture is quite pointed. Paul, quoting the O.T., states, “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Rom. 3:10-12, c.f. Psa. 14:1-3)
We turn our eyes away from the hopelessness of human government to the promise of God. From the scriptures about the Coming One, our hearts become inflamed and our hopes rise. Regarding his ‘government and peace,’ Isaiah continues, “He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”
And Isaiah testifies to the character of this ruler, attributes that will pour forth from the speech of “every nation, tribe, people and language.” (Rev. 7:9) We will say of him that he is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6)
This, then, is the antidote. More specifically, the Messiah, known to you and me as the historical and resurrected Jesus Christ, and as our savior and Lord, is the remedy to our deep concerns about the inconsistencies of our leaders.
As ‘Wonderful Counselor,’ Jesus is perfectly and eternally equipped to give us the wisdom, revelation, and knowledge to conduct our response to all of the challenges of this life. The prophet says of him, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.” His wisdom is trustworthy and available.
As ‘Mighty God,’ he is literally “El Shaddai,” the all-powerful God of creation. Paul says, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Col. 1:16) The power that created the universe and all life is resident within him, and available to us.
As ‘Everlasting Father,’ he is not only eternal, but was un-created and pre-existent before the universe came into being. He will be the same after the “new heaven and new earth” (Rev. 21:1) come into being. Because he is the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8), we can trust in him for today, tomorrow, and forever.
As ‘Prince of Peace,’ he is the one who will eventually bring an end to war forever. “He will judge between the nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isa. 2:4) And for you and me in the here and now, “he himself is our peace” (Eph. 2:14), the one who gives us “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” and which “guards our hearts and our minds.” (Phil. 4:7)
The coming one will one day bring all these wonderful promises into full resolution, but that awaits the Day of Judgment and the creation of ‘ the new heaven and new earth.’ Or does it?
In fact, the kingdom of heaven has already begun. It began with Jesus’ baptism in the Spirit and his ministry. “‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1:15) Jesus furthers this radical reshaping of our worldview, saying “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23)
The apostle John says, “To those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12). Adopted into the family of God, we have become citizens of the now-but-not-yet kingdom of heaven. As such, we live as “not of the world any more than Jesus is of the world.” (John 17:14)
As you and I must dwell physically in this present world subject to our governments’ constrictions of our freedoms, dwell on this thought in hope: Our spirits are governed by God, and it is his eternal kingdom that we already “live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28a) The one who governs us has already come.
Q. Which of my citizenships do I most highly value?
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