Wonderful Counselor: What Does it Mean?

Last week we covered the meaning of Immanuel-God with us.

This week we are going to look at the incredible prophecy of Jesus written hundreds of years before His birth:

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.

His name will be called Wonderful Counselor (remember that the names of God reveal His character.) Jesus is our wonderful counselor. But what does that really mean?

Today we toss around the word wonderful. We say that movie was wonderful, or that cake was wonderful. But the word “wonderful” as is translated from Hebrew means more than just nice, or great.

The Hebrew word wonderful means miraculous, extraordinary, marvelous, beyond human understanding, wondrous acts that inspire awe and reverence. Let’s look at a different verse in the Old Testament where we see this same Hebrew word translated as “wonders”. In the song of Moses in Exodus 15:11, Moses said, “Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders.”

Moses uses this word which is the same word as “wonderful” in Isaiah 9:6. We can see from this verse that the meaning of the word means something much more than just “great.” In the words of the song of Moses, he is praising God after He parted the Red Sea and the Israelites crossed over on dry land. Moses and all of the Israelites experienced the wonders of God—His wonderful, miraculous, extraordinary, marvelous, beyond human understanding, wondrous act that inspired awe and reverence during this miracle.

The word “counselor” means to advise, to counsel, provide guidance, making decisions, offering wisdom. There are places in scripture where one person counsels another. For example, in Exodus 18:19 Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses counsels him to delegate some responsibility when he sees that Moses is exhausted. Old Testament kings often sought the counsel of others.

Now we better understand the meanings of each of the words “wonderful” and “counselor.” The prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 calls the coming Messiah (Jesus) Wonderful Counselor. So, what does Wonderful Counselor really mean? If we put the meanings of these words together, we get a glimpse into the character of God, and what God offers His children.

Jesus as our Wonderful Counselor offers us what we all need. As our counselor, He offers us His guidance, His wisdom, His advice. But that’s not all. The guidance, wisdom and advice He gives isn’t just “good’—it is miraculous, extraordinary, and marvelous. His wisdom to us is a wondrous act that inspires awe and reverence. His advice to us is beyond our human understanding.

Amazing.

For a child of God, The Wonderful Counselor is available to give us Wonderful Counseling 24/7. No appointment needed.

All we have to do is ask Him.

Carla Killough McClafferty