Child born, cross on shoulders, Angel of great counsel

Isaiah says again: ‘And they wished to be consumed by fire. For a child is born to us and a son is given to us; the power has been set upon his shoulders, and he is called the Angel of great counsel. For I will establish peace with the rulers, and again peace and salvation upon him! Great is his authority, and his peace is without end. The God of hosts will give him access to the throne of David, and will establish him in the kingship; he will establish him by right and justice, from now and forever.’ (Isa 9:6-7) This announces that the Son of God is subject to birth and that he is eternal king.

As for the words ‘They wished to be consumed by fire,’ they address those who do not believe in him and who have done against him all that they have done. The prophet says it because they will declare at the judgment: Would that we had been burned by fire before the Son of God’s birth, rather than not believe in his birth!

For those who died before Christ’s manifestation there is hope that at their resurrection in the judgment they will arrive at salvation — at least those who feared God and died in righteousness and inwardly received God’s Spirit, like the patriarchs, the prophets, and the righteous. (Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 3:19-20) But for those who after Christ’s manifestation have not believed in him, their punishment on the day of judgment will be inexorable. (Jn 3:18-19)

As for the words ‘whose power is upon his shoulders,’ it is a figure to indicate the cross, on which his arms were nailed. (Jn 19:17) For this cross, which was and remains a reproach for him and also for us because of him, marks, he says, his power — that is, it is the sign of his kingdom. (Gal 6:14; 1 Cor 1:18) And the prophet says ‘the Angel of great counsel’ — that is, of the Father, whom he has made known to us. (Jn 1:18)