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Virgin Birth of Yeshua the Messiah, God’s
True Hope and Deliverance by Dr.
Arnold Fruchtenbaum* CHAPTERS 7-12 of
Isaiah constitute a single unit, sometimes referred to as "The Book of
Immanuel" because the name "Immanuel"
appears three times in the Hebrew text (7:4;8:8,10). The first prophecy which we
will look at within this section of Scripture deals with the birth of
Immanuel. In the Bible, when parents name a child, the meaning of the name
shows the thinking of the parents. When God names the child, as here, the
name shows the very nature of the child. Immanuel means "with us,
God." The character of the
child will be "God among us." The Controversy As
mentioned in our discussion of Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:3-14 is a prophecy
concerning the virgin conception and birth of the Messiah. This is perhaps
the most controversial of the messianic prophecies and therefore requires a
closer textual analysis than others. The exact meaning of this passage is
disputed by rabbis, liberal theologians and even by some evangelical
theologians. The passage talks of
"a sign: The virgin will be with child.. "
There are two areas of controversy
here: 1. The sign Since
the context of the chapter requires a short range prophecy - giving a sign to King Ahaz - how can this be applied to the birth of a
child some 700 years later, as claimed in Matthew 1:22-23? 2. The Hebrew word “Almah" Does
it really mean a virgin, or simply a young unmarried woman? We will deal with both of these
contentious issues before proceeding to discuss the passage itself. Hermeneutics Since
Isaiah 7:13-14 requires an immediate sign to King Ahaz,
many Evangelicals have taken this verse to be an example of "double
fulfillment." This principle states that a prophecy may have more than
one fulfillment. This verse may, accordingly, be both a sign for King Ahaz
and the sign in Matthew 1:22-23 for the birth of Jesus. This author does not accept the
principle of double fulfillment either here or in any other place in the
Bible. If this principle were true, there would be no real need for the
virgin birth at all. There is another, better principle of biblical
interpretation which is "Double Reference." This principle states
that one block of Scripture dealing with one person, one event, one time, may
be followed by another block of Scripture dealing with a different person,
place and time, without making any clear distinction between the two blocks
or indicating that there is a gap of time between the two blocks. The fact of
a gap of time is known only from other Scriptures. There are, therefore, two
separate prophecies side-by-side each having their own fulfillment, but with
only one fulfillment per prophecy. "Double Fulfillment" states that
one prophecy can have two fulfillments. "Double Reference" states
that the one piece of Scripture actually contains two prophecies, each having
its own fulfillment. As
will be explained later, Isaiah 7:3-17 contains two quite separate prophecies
with different purposes, and having different fulfillments at different
times. The Hebrew Word Almah The
major debate, of course, is over the exact meaning
of the Hebrew word almah, translated here as virgin. In describing a young woman, there
are three Hebrew words which Isaiah could have used: 1.
Na’a’rah Na'a'rah
means "damsel" and can refer to
either a virgin (as in I Kings 1:2), or a non-virgin (as in Ruth
2:6). 2.
Betulah This is commonly considered to
mean a virgin, exclusively. It is argued that if Isaiah
had really meant to say a virgin,
then he would have used this word.
It is true that this word is often used to mean virgin, but not
always. For example: i. In Joel 1:8 it is used in reference to a widow. ii.
In Genesis 24:6, because the word does not exclusively mean
"virgin" the writer adds the phrase "had never known a
man" in order to clarify what he means. iii.
Again in Judges 2:12 the phrase "had not known a man" has to be
added to give the precise meaning. 3. Almah
Almah means "a virgin," "a
young virgin," a "virgin of marriageable age." This word is used seven times in the
Hebrew Scriptures and not once is it used to describe a married woman; this point
is not debated. i. Genesis 24:43. In contrast to 24:6 mentioned above,
verse 43 requires no additional qualifying remarks since the one word alone
is sufficient to mean "virgin." Furthermore, it is used of Rebekah who was obviously a virgin at the time of her
marriage to Isaac. ii.
Exodus 2:8. Used in reference to
Moses' sister Miriam, who was a virgin. iii.
Psalm 68:25. Used in reference to the royal procession of virgins. Since the King in this context is God
Himself, absolute virginity is required; it is unthinkable that God would
allow unchaste, unmarried women in His procession. iv.
Song of Songs 1:3. The context here is purity in marriage. v.
Song of Songs 6:8. The word is used here in contrast to wives and concubines
who would obviously be non-virgins. vi.
Proverbs 30:18-19. The word is used in verse 19 in contrast to an adulteress in verse 20. vii.
Isaiah 7:14. Since all of the above six verses mean "a virgin,"
what reason is there for making Isaiah 7:14 the only exception? Since everyone agrees that almah means
an unmarried woman, if the woman in Isaiah 7:14 were a non-virgin, then God
would be promising a sign involving fornication and illegitimacy. It is
unthinkable that God would sanction sin, and in any case, what would be so
unusual about an illegitimate baby that could possibly constitute a sign? As
far as ancient Jewish writers were concerned, there was no argument about
Isaiah 7:4 predicting a virgin birth. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew
Scriptures made about 200 b.c.e./b.c., 200
years before the issue of Jesus' Messiahship ever arose. The Jews who made this translation, living much closer to the
times of Isaiah than we do today, translated Isaiah 7:14 using the Greek word
parthenos which very clearly and exclusively means a
virgin. There
can therefore be no doubt that the unique event which God is promising as a sign,
is the miraculous conception of a son by a girl who is still a virgin. The Threat to the House of David - 7:1-2 At
this point in history there was an empire arising which was threatening the
smaller kingdoms of the Middle East - the
Assyrian Empire. Among these
smaller kingdoms was Syria (or Aram), the northern Kingdom of Israel (or
Ephraim), and the southern Kingdom of Judah. The kings of Israel and Syria
joined forces against their common enemy (verses I-2), but still did not have
enough military might to withstand an Assyrian attack. They invited Judah to
join forces with them, but Ahaz, King of Judah, refused. Israel
and Syria then conspired, not only to dethrone Ahaz, when they might have
succeeded, but to depose the entire House of David. This is the emphasis in
verse 2. They would then
establish a new dynasty in Judah more favorable to an alliance against Assyria. This,
then, is a direct attack upon God's eternal covenant with David. It is
therefore doomed to failure. (The Davidic Covenant is discussed under I
Chronicles 17:10b-14 in the section on The
Writings.) The Message to Ahaz - 7:3-9 Ahaz
is not a worshipper of the one true God, but has fallen into idolatry and is
very much afraid of the approaching attack (verse 2). In verses 3-9 God gives
a message to Ahaz. In verse 3, Isaiah is commissioned to meet with Ahaz, who
is inspecting water supplies in preparation for a siege. Isaiah is also to
take his son with him. His son is called Shear-Jashub,
meaning "a remnant will return." The reason for taking his son is
not explained until verses 15-16.
In verses 4-6 the message is given, describing the plot and telling
Ahaz not to be afraid. The plot consists of overthrowing Ahaz and replacing
him with the son of Tabeel. Isaiah was a master of
the Hebrew language and loved playing word games. He does so here in verse 6. Tabeel means "God is good." By altering the
vowel pattern very slightly, Isaiah changes this to mean "good for
nothing." The one that means "God is good" will prove to be
"good for nothing." Because of the Davidic Covenant, no conspiracy
against the House of David can ever succeed. God clearly states this in verse
7, and in verses 8-9 God will judge the two kings involved in the conspiracy. The Signs of Deliverance - 7:10-17 The Offer of
a Sign - 7:10-11 Ahaz, however, is an idolater who does not
trust in God and has made his own arrangements. He has sent letters and gifts
to the Assyrian Emperor, asking for assistance in his defense against these
two kings. He has greater faith in the Assyrian Empire than in the God of
Israel. So, in verse 10, God speaks a second time. He offers Ahaz a sign - whatever it takes to convince Ahaz not to
fear, not to trust the Assyrians, but to trust in God. Whatever it takes, let him ask for it and God will do it for him. The
word for "sign" does not of itself mean a miracle; it could be a
miraculous or a natural sign. Within this context, however, it is clear that
it will take a miracle to convince Ahaz. God offers him a sign anywhere he
wants - in heaven, on earth, under the earth
-whatever it takes to convince him. The Rejection
of the Offer - 7:12 In response, the idolatrous Ahaz suddenly
becomes very spiritual. In verse 12 he refuses to "test" God or
"tempt" Him. This is a reference to Deuteronomy 6:16, but he
misapplies it. Nevertheless, it is evident that even in idolatry,
Ahaz was not ignorant of the true God! Deuteronomy 6:16 warns against
asking for a sign, but here God is offering a
sign and Ahaz is invited to respond. Ahaz does not want a sign, lest it come
to pass, and he be forced to abandon his alliance with Assyria. Then come the
crucial verses, 13 and 14. The Sign to the House of David - 7:13-14 In verse 13, Isaiah turns from addressing
Ahaz as an individual and addresses the entire House of David. The English
language does not distinguish between "you" addressed to one person
and "you" addressed to many people. In
Hebrew there is a difference, and there is a clear change between the
singular "you" of verses 9,11,16,17 and the plural "you"
of verses 13-14. The sign therefore is not just for Ahaz, but for the whole
House of David. This becomes clearer if we state the passage again with the
singular [s] and plural [pl] words indicated: 7:9 . . .and the head of Ephraim is
Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you
[s] will not believe, you [s]
surely shall not last.""' 10 Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
11 "Ask a sign for yourself [s] from the LORD your God; make it deep as
Sheol or high as heaven." 12 But
Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!" 13 Then
he said, "Listen now, 0 house of David! Is it too slight a thing
for you [pl] to try the patience of men, that you [pl] will
try the patience of my God as well? 14 "Therefore
the Lord Himself will give you
[pl] a sign: Behold, a virgin will be
with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 15 "He
will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to
refuse evil and choose good. 16 "For before the boy will know enough to
refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you [s]
dread will be forsaken. "The LORD will bring on you [s], on
your people, and on your father's house such days as have never come since
the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria." (NASB, with comments added) In
verse 14, the Hebrew word for "behold" is a word which draws
attention to an event which could be past, present or future. However,
grammatically, whenever "behold" is used with the Hebrew present
participle, it always refers to a future event. That is the case here. Not only is the
birth future, but the very conception is future. This is not referring to a pregnant
woman about to give birth. The
text specifically says "the virgin" (the NIV and NKJV are
correct at this point;
the NASB like most translations says "a virgin,"
which is quite wrong). According to the rules of Hebrew grammar, when finding
the use of a definite article (the), the reader should look for a reference
in the immediate previous context. Having followed the passage from chapter
7:1, there has been no mention of any woman. Having failed with the immediate
context, the second rule is the "principle of previous reference,"
something which has been dealt with much earlier and is common knowledge
among the people. Where in Jewish Scripture or tradition is there any concept
of "the virgin giving birth to a son"? The only possible reference
is to Genesis 3:15. Contrary to the biblical norm, the Messiah would be
reckoned after the Seed of the Woman. Why? Because He would have no human father;
His would be a virgin conception and birth. The key point of this should not be
missed. God is promising that the House of David cannot be deposed or lose
its identity until the birth of a virgin-born son. Again, this requires that
Messiah be born prior to the destruction of the Temple and its genealogical
records in 70 A.D. The Sign to Ahaz - 7:15-17 Having
concluded that Isaiah 7:12-14 is a long range prophecy concerning the birth
of Messiah, that still leaves a problem. What about
Ahaz? An event 700 years in the future is of little significance to him.
There is however a second sign in verses 15-17, and this time it is
specifically for Ahaz. The "you" in verse 16 is again singular,
meaning Ahaz. Before Isaiah's son is old enough to make moral distinctions
between right and wrong, the kings of Israel and Syria will be deposed and
their threat removed. This was fulfilled within three years. Isaiah again
uses the definite article before the term "boy." This time there is
another boy mentioned in the context: Isaiah's son. The boy of verse 16
cannot be the son of verse 14 but refers back to Isaiah's son in verse 3. Why
else was Isaiah commanded to take him? Summary of Isaiah 7:1-17 In
Isaiah chapter 7, King Ahaz, the King of Judah, is under threat of attack.
This threat is not only to him personally but to the whole House of David.
Through the Prophet Isaiah, God tells King Ahaz to be at peace and to be
unafraid. Two reasons are given, two signs which guarantee God's promise of
security. The first sign, in verses 13 and 14, is that no attempt to destroy
the House of David will succeed until the birth of a virgin-born son. The
term "virgin" is required both by the Hebrew vocabulary and the
context. The second sign, in verses 15 and 16, is given to Ahaz personally.
God promises that the attack upon him by Israel and Syria will not succeed,
and before Isaiah's son, Shear-Jashub, reaches an
age of moral maturity, the two enemy kings will cease to exist. Isaiah 7:14 teaches that:
*used
for educational purposed in line with goals of the author and Ariel
Ministries www.ariel.org from Messianic Christology, 1978 © For more information contact the
author or
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