Hence, the first great promise which God gave to the fallen pair, and through them to the race, set the seed of the woman, the Messiah, in conflict with “that old serpent called the devil and Satan.”  That promise is now in process of fulfillment, and must reach its final consummation when John’s apocalyptic vision is fulfilled, “And the devil that deceived them (the nations) shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever.”

X. GOD HIS OWN INTERPRETER.

"To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not accordingly to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”  Isaiah viii. 20.

"Thy law is the truth.”  Psa. cxix. 142.

"Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.”  Psa. cxix. 138.

"Lead me in thy truth and teach me.”  Psa. xxv. 5.

"The word of our God shall stand forever.”  Isaiah xl. 8.

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.”  Mark xiii. 31.

The destructive critics have assaulted the most precious prophetic scriptures.  It has been already stated that the final aim of skepticism is against the person of Christ.  If the unbelieving world can be rid of both the prophecies concerning Christ, and the history of his life, his sacrificial death and resurrection, they will be rid of that stumbling stone which they have been pleased to call the “much-abused supernaturalism.”  Hence, the strenuous effort is made to destroy predictive prophecy concerning the person of the Son of God.  The fact that there are more than thirty-five prophecies, containing one hundred and thirty distinct counts, concerning the birth, the life, the teaching, the death, and the resurrection of our Lord, greatly disturbs the critics.

The prophecy of Isaiah ix. 6 has been troublesome.  The prophet foretold, in distinct and unimpeachable language, the coming of the Messiah:  “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.”

A critic who claims to be loyal to the word of God says concerning this passage:  “The prophet always paints upon the canvas the events of the near future.  I can not believe that Isaiah ix. 6 refers to a far-off event, because it would not give comfort to his people at that time.”  As this prophecy was given more than seven hundred years before the coming of the Messiah, our critic concludes that it could be of no practical benefit to Israel, hence, must have referred to some person who must soon appear.