The stories of the first two children that we covered were relatively straightforward. The third child's story (which is actually the second of the four stories encountered in Isaiah) is found in chapter seven. I initially skipped over it because it is a little different and more complex.

In Isaiah seven, starting with verse 10, we read:

When it says that the LORD spoke to Ahaz, it probably means that he spoke to him through the prophet Isaiah.

After prompting, King Ahaz refuses to ask a sign from God. He professes reverence for God in doing so. But it is almost certainly only an outward reverence. On the one hand he talks about not tempting God, but on the other hand he is ransacking the Temple of its silver and gold in order to pay off the king of Assyria. He had already made his decision. It was the king of Assyria in whom Ahaz was trusting, not God. He had put his confidence in Tiglath-Pileser, not in Jehovah.

Ahaz doesn't. So God gives a sign: "Pretty soon Syria and Israel aren't going to bother you anymore, because Assyria is going to take care of them."

That's it? That's all? I mean, don't get me wrong. That would be amazing and wonderful news to King Ahaz. And only God can with certainty predict the future. But that is a fairly "run of the mill" prophecy as far as Old Testament prophecies go. It doesn't quite match the buildup of being "as deep as Sheol or high as heaven".

As mentioned before, Isaiah is a wonderfully peculiar prophet. Like other Old Testament prophets, he speaks to the people of his day and time; but his prophecies almost always end up making reference to something in the more distant future...something greater and more wonderful.

And that is the case that we have here.

There have been many books written about this prophecy, often wrangling about controversies that I don't think need to exist, such as whether it refers to Isaiah's day or to Jesus' day or to both; or what about the translation of the Hebrew word "almah" in verse fourteen? Should it be "young maiden" or should it be translated "virgin"? Dealing with all of these issues in detail is beyond the scope of this book, so I will just present it briefly as I understand it.

First of all, I believe that the prophecy points to both Isaiah's day and to the time of Christ. The commentator Albert Barnes said,

...nothing is more common in Isaiah than for him to commence a prophecy with reference to some remarkable deliverance which was soon to occur, and terminate it by a statement of events connected with a higher deliverance under the Messiah.
(Barnes, Albert, Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical, on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. pp.177-178)

Some contend that it only points to the time of Christ, but that view seems to ignore the context and the literal words of the prophecy. Isaiah says that Ahaz is in dread of two kings. Those two kings, the king of Syria and the king of Israel, are mentioned by name in verse one, and again in verse four, and again in verses eight and nine. Isaiah further says that Ahaz need not worry about these two kings. Before this child grows old enough to know right from wrong (or possibly before he is even weaned), the king of Assyria will vanquish both Syria and Israel. That seems pretty straightforward. That seems to be the obvious meaning.

But it isn't the only meaning. Isaiah almost always looks also to a more distant future. And as great a prophecy as this would be to King Ahaz, it just doesn't seem to fit the prelude of God's challenge, which out of all the pages of the Old Testament, is found only here: "let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."

With regard to the question of the translation of the Hebrew word "almah" and the controversy associated with it, I also think that that is a controversy that shouldn't exist, because the use of the word seems to fit Isaiah's prophetic style perfectly. Some say that the word should be translated to indicate a young woman who has never had sexual relations (i.e., "virgin"). Others say that it merely indicates a young woman who, due to her age, would be assumed to have never had sex (i.e., "young woman"). But, either way, in this case it is the context and the intent of the prophecy that clarifies things. The young woman in Isaiah's day would be someone who had never had sexual relations, but who, before she becomes pregnant, would have sexual relations, become pregnant in the normal manner, and have a child. She was a virgin at the time that the prophecy was given, but she would marry, have sexual relations and become pregnant. She was a virgin at the time of the prophecy, but was not a virgin at the time that the child was born. But that isn't as "deep as Sheol or high as heaven". That happens all the time. But Isaiah also foretells a time in the more distant future, when there would be a young maiden who hadn't had sexual relations, but who would become pregnant without any sexual relations. Is that as "deep as Sheol or high as heaven?" Yes it is. But we're not done yet. Her child would also be the Creator of the Universe and everything in it. Yes, that will definitely be as deep as Sheol or high as heaven.

The child would be named "Immanuel", which means "God with us." For Ahaz, the message would be to not put your trust in the Assyrian ruler, but to put your trust in God, because he will be with you. But the name takes on a different light when we look at the later fulfillment at the time of Christ. It's not just that God will be willing to support and care for us, but that the Lord of All the Universe will literally come to Earth and literally be with us in human form.

If Ahaz had been bold enough or faithful enough or honest enough to ask for a sign, he couldn't have come up with anything that amazing.

The word "Immanuel" occurs twice in chapter eight, also. We see it first in verse eight. Beginning with verse six, we read:

"Because this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and melt in fear before Rezin and the son of Remaliah; therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory; and it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks; and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck; and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel."
(Isaiah 8:6-8 [RSV])

In spite of the fact that "the spoil speeds; the prey hastens", and that Assyria is coming and it will cover the land, the people of Judah are to take heart because "Immanuel", "God is with us". Assyria will not be the final victor.

The word "Immanuel" is also found in verse ten, although it isn't translated that way. Isaiah addresses the enemies of God's people and says:

Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
speak a word, but it will not stand,
for God is with us.
(Isaiah 8:10)

Similar thoughts are also found elsewhere in the book of Isaiah:

...fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10)

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you..."
(Isaiah 43:1b-2a)

Immanuel. God is with us.

One of the lessons of chapters 7 and 8 of the book of Isaiah is the importance of faith and the tragedy of faithlessness. King Ahaz would have probably made a different decision if he really had believed that the God of All the Universe was indeed with him and was going to help him. But he didn't believe. Faithlessness eventually yields a fruit, not only of immorality, but also of hopelessness.

Robert Ingersoll was a noted agnostic from the mid to late nineteenth century who frequently spoke out against what he deemed to be the superstitious views of those who professed a faith in God. At the funeral of his brother, Ebon Ingersoll, Robert Ingersoll said this:

Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry.
(Robert Ingersoll. New York Tribune. June 4, 1879)

Faithlessness eventually yields a fruit of hopelessness.

At the Columbine, Colorado high school shooting in 1999, one of the gunmen confronted a fellow student and said: "Do you believe in God?"

She answered, "Yes."

The gunman said, "Why?" before continuing his deadly rampage.

Faithlessness eventually yields a fruit, not only of immorality, but also of hopelessness.

It is tragic to see the hopelessness of people who do not have God in their lives. Isaiah tells Ahaz, and he tells us, that God is with us.

In the well-known 23^rd Psalm, David begins by expressing his faith:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(Psalms 23:1 [BSB])

He goes on to say,

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
(Psalms 23:4 [BSB])

Having God with us gives us comfort and peace. It also gives us hope.

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(Colossians 1:27 [RSV])

The prophecy of Isaiah eventually culminates in the first century:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
(Luke 2:8-11 [KJV])

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14)

As God's people, we need to understand that "Immanuel"--that God is with us.

God is With Us. Immanuel.

The last of the four stories of children is found in Isaiah chapter nine. The historical context is apparently a few years later than that of chapters 7 and 8, with Assyria having already conquered Syria and Israel, and Judah now basically a vassal state to the Assyrian Empire.

As mentioned before, it is somewhat characteristic of Isaiah's prophecies to have both an application to Isaiah's day, but also an application to a more distant future. Although the entirety of a prophecy might have reference to both Isaiah's day and to the future, oftentimes the earlier part of the prophecy will be more weighted toward Isaiah's day, and the latter part toward that distant future. Sometimes, in the middle part of the prophecy, it is difficult to determine whether it is referring primarily to Isaiah's day or to that distant future; but by the end of the prophecy it becomes clear that the future is primarily, or sometimes entirely, in mind.

The transition from the present to the future in Isaiah's prophecies is often smooth and gradual. However, in a few prophecies, he will have a stark break, what I like to refer to as an unscalable wall. At least it is not scalable or climbable unless one leaves all the baggage of unbelief behind. There is an unscalable wall in Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 35, and there is such an unscalable wall in this prophecy in chapter nine as well.

Although the beginning of the prophecy has some recognizable application to the more distant future, its primary reference is probably to events that are likely the result of the Assyrian invasion. At this time the kingship of Judah would have changed from evil king Ahaz to his godly son Hezekiah. And as Isaiah gives this prophecy, the people of his day would likely have Hezekiah in mind as the words of the prophecy unfold. It might be more difficult to see Hezekiah and his day in this prophecy than it is in some of Isaiah's prophecies, but Hezekiah and his day and time are likely a legitimate part of the prophecy...at least up to a point...at least up to that unscalable wall.

Let's look at verse one:

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

During the Assyrian invasion at the time of the Syro-Ephraimitic War, certain parts of the northern kingdom of Israel had been captured and the people had been taken captive into Assyria. Chief among those areas were Zebulun and Naphtali.

In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.
(II Kings 15:29 [BSB])

[Note: The towns mentioned are various towns in Naphtali.]

The "way of the sea" in verse one of Isaiah chapter nine refers to the Sea of Galilee. The general region known as Galilee would later also be the name of the Roman province of that general region. Naphtali was located in Upper (or northern) Galilee. Zebulon was located in Lower (or southern) Galilee. Not mentioned here or anywhere else in the Old Testament, but among the towns in the area of Zebulun, would be the town of Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus. Its reputation can be seen in John chapter one, where Nathanael asks, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46a) The general disdain for Galilee can be seen when Nicodemus tried to defend Jesus before other Pharisees in John chapter seven:

Some semblance of normality was restored to the areas of Zebulon and Naphtali during the reign of Hezekiah, after the eventual departure of the Assyrian forces.

And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.
(II Kings 18:7-8 [BSB])

But it would be much later that full glory would be restored to the region. Galilee would be made glorious "in the latter time" as it says in verse one.

Verses two through five may have reference to the events surrounding the Assyrian invasion of Judah, in which all the cities except Jerusalem were captured. Jerusalem itself was encircled, and its surrender demanded by a representative of the Assyrian monarch. Hezekiah's response to the demands of the Assyrian representative was a heartfelt prayer to God. The result was that the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night, and the remainder of the Assyrian army went home and left Jerusalem intact.

The reference to Midian is referring to the time when 300 men "armed", so to speak, with only torches and trumpets routed the Midianite army. It was a victory that wasn't due to human power and might. Likewise the deliverance by the angel of the Lord against the Assyrian army in response to Hezekiah's prayer wasn't something that the people of Judah could claim credit for. It came from God. It was an incredible, supernatural deliverance. But it foreshadows an even greater deliverance when Christ will rescue mankind from an even more powerful and deadly enemy. And it foreshadows a time when we will be a part of a kingdom in which the warrior's gear will no longer play a part.

The prophecy transitions from the present to the future.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire. (And the people might shout, "Yes. Praise to King Hezekiah!")
For to us a child is born, ("Yes, Hezekiah!")
to us a son is given; ("Praise the tribe of Judah!")
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, ("Go, Hezekiah!")
and his name shall be called
"Wonderful Counselor ("Wonderful Hezekiah!"),
Mighty God, ("Wait just a minute....Let's go back to the part about the boots of the tramping warriors and stuff...")
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
(vid. Isaiah 9:5-6 [Note: The words in bold were included as commentary, and they are not part of the original text.])

So Isaiah once more talks about the present, but also sees into the distant future. There comes a point,...there comes an unscalable wall, in which the tremendous blessings of the present have to yield into the unimaginable blessings of the future.

There are at least two songs that are derived from verse six:

The first of these is occasionally sung in churches today, although it perhaps doesn't do justice to the passage. The same can be said of one version of the second one, the one that is most often sung in churches. A better known version of the latter song does a much better job, although it is not really adapted for congregational singing. It comes from the musical composition by Handel known as the "Messiah", which includes the famous "Hallelujah Chorus". Much of the first part of the "Messiah" is based on the book of Isaiah, and many of its songs come directly from the book. "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" from Handel's "Messiah" is a magnificent song and well worth listening to.

Let's go back and look at the passage in chapter nine again, this time a little more closely:

Isaiah 9:1-2

These verses are referred to in the book of Matthew:

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

This part of the passage doesn't really seem to be a classic prophecy, as we see elsewhere in Isaiah and among the other prophets. It more closely resembles a type/antitype sort of prophecy, although perhaps not exactly. In some of Isaiah's prophecies, he speaks to his day, but the bigger message (the antitype) lies under the covers, so to speak--hidden, but to be revealed during the latter days.

The times were dark in Judah during the days of Assyrian domination, and even during the oppression by the Philistines, the Syrians, and the northern kingdom of Israel. But the days grew brighter when Hezekiah would reclaim lost territory. An even greater brightness appears with the coming of Christ, who would drive away darkness by his life, and would even drive away the darkness of death with his rising from the grave.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.
(John 1:4-5 [WEB])

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
(John 8:12 [WEB])

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
(I Peter 2:9 [RSV])

Isaiah's oracle continues:

You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
(Isaiah 9:3-4)

God delivered his people from the Midianites under the judgeship of Gideon. It was a deliverance by God, not by man, because all that God's people had were 300 men armed with torches and trumpets. God promises that he will also deliver his people from the Assyrians just like he did from the Midianites.

Elsewhere in Isaiah, we read,

Therefore thus says the Lord, the LORD of hosts: "O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they smite with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. For in a very little while my indignation will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. And the LORD of hosts will wield against them a scourge, as when he smote Midian at the rock of Oreb; and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke will be destroyed from your neck."
(Isaiah 10:24-27b [RSV])

God promises the overthrow of Assyria:

The LORD of hosts has sworn:
"As I have planned,
so shall it be,
and as I have purposed,
so shall it stand,
that I will break the Assyrian in my land,
and on my mountains trample him underfoot;
and his yoke shall depart from them,
and his burden from their shoulder."
(Isaiah 14:24-25)

But, in the latter days, there will be a greater yoke that will be broken and a greater burden lifted. Satan will be defeated and his power splintered. Although he still fights, his fate has now been sealed, and his doom is now inevitable. We have been freed, and we have a brighter future sealed. Satan's heavy yoke of death and destruction will be replaced with a loving yoke of guidance that will lead us to rest and peace.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)

Isaiah's depiction of victory continues:

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
(Isaiah 9:5)

When the war is over, the people of Judah will go out onto the battlefield and collect the boots and bloody garments of the Assyrians and use them for fuel. That which was part of their oppression will be made into fuel for their benefit.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
(Isaiah 9:6a)

For those in Isaiah's day, the child born would have been the good king Hezekiah. But Isaiah also sees into the future to a greater son to be born. "To us a son is given":

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
(John 3:16)

...for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
(Luke 2:11 [KJV])

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
(John 4:10 [WEB])

Paul will aptly write,

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.
(II Corinthians 9:15 [NHEB])

The Gift. The Greatest Gift. God always gives of his best.

...and the government shall be upon his shoulder,...
(Isaiah 9:6b)

Hezekiah was king over a kingdom. Jesus is also king over a kingdom--a different type of kingdom.

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever...
(Daniel 2:44 [RSV])

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
(Matthew 28:18)

Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11 [WEB])

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."
(Revelation 11:15)

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
(Revelation 19:16)

...and his name shall be called...
(Isaiah 9:6c)

The longest name in the Bible is usually considered to be Mahershalalhashbaz, one of the names that we looked at previously. But if these names in chapter nine are considered to be one name, then it is definitely the longest. Most people, though, usually consider them as separate names.

..."Wonderful Counselor,...
(Isaiah 9:6d)

That this name is associated with divinity can be seen from elsewhere in the book of Isaiah. For example,

This also comes from the LORD of hosts;
he is wonderful in counsel
and excellent in wisdom.
(Isaiah 28:29)

Although the Holy Spirit is referred to as the "Counselor" in the New Testament, this doesn't appear to be specifically talking about the Holy Spirit, but rather about the wonderful counsel that comes from God, who knows all things and gives the greatest advice and counsel.

In the latter days, we do see a Divine Counselor promised by name:

But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me...
(John 15:26 [RSV])

...Mighty God...
(Isaiah 9:6e)

The deity of Jesus is intrinsic to the New Testament story.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:1 [WEB])

The Gospel of John repeatedly presents Jesus as the great "I Am". One of the book's primary climaxes is with Thomas' confession: "My Lord and my God!" The book of Colossians says that in Jesus all the fullness of deity dwelt bodily. The book of Revelation presents him as "the first and the last", "the Alpha and the Omega", "the beginning and the end". Isaiah prophesies that the child to be born will called Immanuel ("God with us"). The child to be born will be the "Mighty God".

Isaiah 9:6f

...Everlasting Father,...
(Isaiah 9:6f)

This doesn't seem to appear to be specifically referring to God the Father, but to a characteristic of the One who is to come. He will be like a father, because he cares about his people. He is like a shepherd looking after his sheep...and more than a shepherd. He is like a father looking after his children. Being described, not just as a father, but as an "Everlasting Father" would be another indicator of deity. He will always and forever be looking after his people.

...Prince of Peace."
(Isaiah 9:6g)

The One who is coming will not just be someone who talks about peace, or who sometimes engages in peaceful activity. He will be the Prince of Peace. We see that theme in Hebrews chapter seven when talking about Melchizedek. Christ is said in Psalms 110:4 to be a "priest forever after the order of Melchizedek"--not after the order of Levi, but after Melchizedek, the king of Salem who appears suddenly in Scripture without any genealogy, without any beginning days or ending days noted. Of Melchizedek it is said,

He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.
(Hebrews 7:2b)

To his disciples, Jesus said:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
(John 14:27)

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!"
(John 16:33 [BSB])

Regarding tensions between Jews and Gentiles, it is said,

For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end.
(Ephesians 2:14-16 [RSV])

Isaiah also prophesied about him,

But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:5)

Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end...
(Isaiah 9:7a)

Zechariah prophesied about the coming Messiah and his kingdom. It will be not only different than, but also greater than any other kingdom known to man.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your King comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
...He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.
(Zechariah 9:9,10b [BSB])

...on the throne of David and over his kingdom...
(Isaiah 9:7b)

King David was a ruler over God's people. His descendant, Jesus, the Son of God, would also be a ruler over God's people.

There are people today, especially among those of a premillennialist persuasion, who contend that, when Jesus returns to earth, it will be to set up a physical kingdom centered in Jerusalem over the nation of Israel with Jesus physically reigning on the throne of David. But that wasn't the intent of the prophecy. In Acts chapter two, on the Day of Pentecost, when Peter is preaching, he references this category of prophecy:

“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ..."
(Acts 2:29-31a)

He concludes this line of argument by saying,

"Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
(Acts 2:36 [RSV])

In other words, Jesus is now reigning on David's throne. As one of David's descendants, Jesus is also reigning today over God's people, the church, who are referred to in the book of Galatians as "the Israel of God". He is reigning over God's people today as David had reigned over God's people in ages past.

In the first chapter of Luke, an angel speaks to Mary and says,

We are currently a part of that eternal kingdom. We are today the Israel of God, the remnant of God's people. Our ruler is the greater descendant of David, Jesus Christ, who, even in a greater way than his forefather David, is a ruler over God's people. So don't be looking for a physical throne in Jerusalem. Look at his eternal throne in Heaven. Don't be looking for a coming kingdom. We are part of the kingdom that has already come and which will last for all eternity.

...to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness...
(Isaiah 9:7c)

"Justice and righteousness" is one of the major themes of the Bible. In Old Testament times, the poor and oppressed would look to a righteous judge to deliver them. I could take chapters writing about the topic, but that's not the primary realm of this book. I'll be brief and just mention a few passages:

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
(Isaiah 11:3b-4; [NIV])

"When the oppressor is no more,
and destruction has ceased,
and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,
then a throne will be established in steadfast love,
and on it will sit in faithfulness
in the tent of David
one who judges and seeks justice
and is swift to do righteousness."
(Isaiah 16:4b-5)

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule in justice.
Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
a shelter from the storm,
like streams of water in a dry place,
like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
(Isaiah 32:1-2)

Isaiah even uses a word play regarding justice and righteousness.

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, a cry!
(Isaiah 5:7)

The word play is not evident in English, but it is in Hebrew:

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice (Hebrew: mishpat),
but behold, bloodshed (Hebrew: mispah);
for righteousness (Hebrew: tsedhaqah),
but behold, a cry (Hebrew: tse'aqah)!
(Isaiah 5:7)

...from this time forth and forevermore.
(Isaiah 9:7d)

His kingdom will be forever.

"Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David—
that his line will continue forever
and his throne endure before me like the sun;
it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky.”
(Psalms 89:35-37 [NIV])

The prophet Daniel also speaks explicitly about a coming eternal kingdom (vid. Daniel 2:44; 7:14).

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
(Isaiah 9:7e)

His will shall be accomplished. The culmination of all things will be in accord with his desires. His enemies will be destroyed. Goodness will prevail. Evil will be eradicated. Death will be no more. His kingdom will be eternal. It is wonderful beyond description and will be even more so as it triumphs forevermore. And God lovingly invites us, each one of us, to be a joyful and extravagantly blessed member of it.