Part 30 of a series. Read part 29.

Believers in Jesus can truly say, "He Himself is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14) - both now and for eternity.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

As we resume our series on the Scripture texts of Handel's masterwork, we now come to the last of the five names of the prophesied Redeemer that are found in one of its great choruses: The promised Messiah was to be called "the Prince of Peace."

The Significance of the Words

Let us first consider these words in the original Hebrew. The word translated "Prince" is the masculine noun sar. It denotes, variously, a man who occupies the official position of ruler, commander, or captain; the prince of a royal household; or, the individual who occupies the first position of leadership among a group of people who have a particular identity or perform a specific function.

The word translated "peace" is the Hebrew shalom. Most often, in Old Testament contexts, we think of this word as signifying the absence of war, which it does. But shalom also carries many other significances in the Old Testament. In various places shalom denotes completeness in number, quiet contentment, and being on terms of friendship with another person - especially a friendship brought about by a covenantal relationship. In that sense especially, shalom is used in the Hebrew of the Old Testament to signify peace between God and man.

All Are Found in Jesus

All of these elements of Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace, clearly combine in the person and work of Jesus the Messiah - and far more. Let me next summarize the main points before we look at them in greater detail.

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve first fell into sin, it was God Himself who immediately, personally stepped in to make the atoning blood sacrifice of animals, making tunics of the skins for them to cover their now-shameful nakedness. This prefigured the full and final atonement of the Messiah for their sin, the robe of His righteousness that would be theirs forever, and the ultimate restoration of peace between God and man through the Messiah's cross.

In Genesis chapter 14 we find Abraham, our father in the faith, paying tithes to Melchizedek, whose name means "King of Peace." We are told in the Holy Spirit's own commentary on this event in the book of Hebrews that Melchizedek prefigured Jesus the Prince of Peace in several cosmically vital respects.

The New Testament gives many more proofs of the fulfillment of the Sar Shalom of Isaiah 9:6 in the person and work of Jesus. One of the New Testament words that parallels the Old Testament word for "prince" appears four times - twice in Acts, twice in Hebrews - to identify Jesus as the Prince of the prophecy given through Isaiah.

The New Testament also tells us that the completeness in number of the full body of believers, from Eden to eternity, is guaranteed in the person and work of the One who is the Prince of Peace.

The New Testament declares the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Prince of Peace as both a present fact for the believer in Christ, and the future eternal hope of both His people and of an entire creation that is now under the bonds of the curse. Romans 5:1 declares that it is through Him that those who believe are now having peace with God. And as the Prince of Peace Himself told His disciples, it is "My peace" that He freely bestows upon His people - a unique peace, not peace "as the world gives" (John 14:27). That is because "He Himself is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14). Not only has He brought present peace for the believer, He has also guaranteed the ultimate restoration of all things, the entire created order, to a completely renovated state of perfect peace, "having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20).

All of these things shine out to us from the pages of Scripture, and all demand further examination to better understand the Messiah's glories. We shall endeavor to do so, the Lord willing, as we continue.

Next: "According to the Order of Melchizedek"

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