Stephen Barkley
The reign of King Ahaz was grim. With war on the horizon, the wicked King of Israel chose to seek help from Assyria instead of trusting in God, who had even offered to give him a sign. (I don’t know about you, but if God offered to give me a sign, I’d take it!)
All was not lost, however. Ahaz would give birth to Hezekiah, who was known (for the most part) as a good king. When the prophet Isaiah announced this royal birth he used epic language. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2 NLT). Good news: Ahaz will not reign forever. His son will be different.
A little later on in this prophecy, the royal son was given four titles (Isaiah 9:6):
- Wonderful Counselor
- Mighty God
- Everlasting Father
- Prince of Peace
Prophecies often have multiple horizons. What was originally intended to refer to King Hezekiah was eventually applied to Jesus (see Matthew 4:12–17). During the season of Advent, I preached four messages on these royal titles.
Below are the five minute versions of these messages. If you’re interested in more than a Five Minute Message, you can find the full audio of each message on the Sermon page.
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