The Messiah. To the vision of the Prophet this event, marking a new epoch in the existence of the world, was a present reality: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." It was already done in the great Council in heaven. Even the names of the Messiah, indicating his mission on earth, had been selected. These names, if we drop the comma after Wonderful, as I believe we may do safely, since punctuation marks are very arbitrary, are four:
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Wonderful Counselor. See Pearl of Great Price, Mos. 4:1-3; 28. The full meaning of this name is better understood when read in the light of the revelations in the Pearl of Great Price concerning the plan of salvation. The translators who made the Greek translation known as the Septuagint, must have had a Hebrew text different to that now commonly accepted. Their rendition of the passage, transformed into English, is:
"For unto us a child is born, and to us a son is given, whose government is on his own shoulder; and his name shall be called, Messenger of a Great Counsel. Great is his government and to his peace there is no boundary," etc.
The important and remarkable fact is here made clear that the early translators of the Hebrew text of Isaiah, understood the "Wonderful," "Counselor" of the English version to mean, "The Messenger of a Great Counsel," as revealed in the Pearl of Great Price.
Mighty God. Some modern scholars would like to understand this to mean that our Redeemer is here referred to as mighty "warrior." He was that in the conflict that ended with the expulsion of the fallen angel from the presence of God. See 37; Pearl of Great Price, Mos. 4:3, 4. But he was also "God." The name indicates his divinity.
Everlasting Father. Literally: "Father of Eternity." Meaning the originator and ruler of ages, or eras. Comp. Micah 5:2.
Prince of Peace. If we divide mankind into two great divisions, one governed by law and the peaceful administration of the law, and the other by tyrannic violence, then we will find the Prince of peace at the head of the first of these divisions. That is his kingdom, as the Prince of Peace.