Last Updated on January 10, 2026 10:55 AM by herald
2. A Government Promised
The first passage we are going to study is a well-known section of Isaiah: chapter 9 verses 6 -7. It is scripture we read at Christmas but invariably gloss over because we are fixated on Jesus as a baby. Here is that passage from the New King James version:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. Isaiah 9: 6-7 NKJ
If we do a content analysis of the seventy-five words in that passage, it becomes very clear, that it contains a substantial number of words, devoted to the single theme of Christ’s government. Here is the result of that content analysis:
“the government will be upon His shoulders” 7 words; “the increase of His government” 5 words and the section: “reign on the throne of David” down to “forevermore” 24 words. That adds up to 36 words, making it just one word short of 50 percent!
In other words, half of this key prophecy in Isaiah is devoted to Christ’s role as head of a government! God’s government.
A government is simply the rule or reign of an individual or set of people. A government ruled by a king is called a kingdom. Jesus was born to set up a government ruled by God- in other words, God’s Kingdom – not to set up a religion!
Let that sink in for a moment. While you are doing that, get your Bible and open your mind as we study what is written in the Word of God about this kingdom. Test what we are saying against the scripture. In fact, this is an appropriate point at which to explain the main proposition of this article. That proposition is this:
Being a member of the church, meaning the body of Christ on earth – is not the endgame of salvation because the church on earth is a temporary arrangement. The real mission of the church is to help people enter into the Kingdom of God and get ready for the eternal rule of the Kingdom of God on earth.
In other words, the gospel the church should be preaching is the same gospel John the Baptist and Jesus himself proclaimed:
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 3:1-2.
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17
But let us not stop here. Let us show you how what both John the Baptist and Jesus preached is consistent with other scriptures.
