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Much controversy has surrounded the passage in the prophet Isaiah’s record contained in the seventh chapter of his prophecy. Verse fourteen states:
The Virgin Birth: Understanding Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
The New Testament records the fulfillment of this prophecy regarding the Messiah Jesus’ birth through the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1: 18-25, Luke 1:26-37).
The prophecy of the virgin birth is disputed by some to be a messianic prophecy. It is seen merely as a “sign” to Ahaz that he would be delivered from the Assyrians.
The time frame of this deliverance is illustrated using the symbolism of a currently pregnant woman. That is showing Ahaz from the time that he is being told the sign, to the time it takes to birth and wean a child, he would be delivered. That prophecy was fulfilled.
It is obvious that the prophecy is constructed to convey two messages at the same time. It is a sign to Ahaz, and it is also a prophecy of the virgin birth. In other words, it is a “duel” prophecy, meaning it is prophesying of two events at the same time. We have an example of this in Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:15-30. He is prophesying of the coming attack on Jerusalem which happened in 70AD, and also a similar attack which will occur before He returns, which is also prophesied in Zechariah 14.
The definition of the word ‘sign’ in Isaiah’s prophecy within the context is defined as “a special event which confirms prophecy.” Mary’s virgin birth which was fulfilled, is the sign that confirms the prophet’s words that a virgin would give birth to a son in whom God would indwell and be “God with us.”
The word “sign” in the prophecy can also mean a miracle. There is nothing unusual about a woman getting pregnant, unless there is no man involved. Therefore the usage of the word, “sign” validates the meaning of the word as virgin in the prophecy. The woman in the prophecy knows that she is pregnant without ever knowing a man. Thus she understands that this baby has to be Divine and symbolically gives the Child a name that is intended to show that this Child is very special, calling Him Emmanuel, which means “God with Us.” God was in Christ reconciling the word to Himself - II Corinthians 5:19
The Child’s name, “God with us,” correlates to the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 9:6; the Messiah would be called “The mighty God.” It is obvious from the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life that God was operating through Him, performing miracles that no other man has done before, like healing someone who has been blind since birth (John 9). The prophet David says that God heals the blind in Psalm 146:8. There is no record of God healing the blind in the Old Testament. God was healing through Jesus which fulfills David’s prophecy. Therefore when Jesus healed the blind it is an identifying characteristic of the Messiah. It is also confirmed by the secular Jewish historian, Josephus, that Jesus performed miracles.
Those who are eager to discredit the miracle of Jesus’ birth and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, point to the fact that the word that is translated into “virgin” in the prophecy is not the Hebrew word for virgin which is bethulah. The word that is used instead in the Hebrew is “almah.” This word means, “a young woman of marriageable age” - or child bearing age. In Biblical times it was basically understood to mean an unmarried virgin, even though it can be translated as a young married woman. The word almah is derived from a root word that means vigor or puberty. The word almah is the same word that is used to describe the virgin Rebekah in Genesis 24:43.
The Septuagint, also known as the LXX, is the Greek translation of the entire Old Testament that was used by the New Testament writers. It was translated by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt and was completed approximately around 285 B.C., long before Jesus’ arrival, and long before there was any anti-Christian bias against the usage of the word almah. These scholars, who were also familiar with the meaning and usage of the word almah, also translated that word as “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14. The Hebrew Masoretic text also uses the word virgin.
While some modern scholars choose to translate almah as a young woman, or girl, the early Jews understood at that time in their culture, that that a young woman who was not yet married - “a young woman of marriageable age,” would mean a virgin.
The validity of Jesus’ prophesied miracle birth cannot be disputed unless the facts regarding the usage of the word almah, are blatantly ignored or contorted, as some have done in order to discredit another one of God’s miracles that testify of the uniqueness of the Messiah Jesus.
The Messiah’s lineage began with a miracle, and like a prophetic bookend, it would concluded with a miracle. Abraham’s ninety year old wife Sarah, was miraculously restored so she could birth the son that would produce the lineage through which the Messiah was to emerge. Mary also conceived miraculously resulting in the messiah Jesus’ birth, placing a supernatural exclamation point upon the entire event.
A virgin birth was essential, because if Jesus had been conceived by natural means, then His life force would have been inherited from Adam with its corruption. Because Jesus’ life was instigated directly by God, His life force was the Holy Spirit. “As the Father has life in Himself, so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). The purpose of God giving Jesus the Holy Spirit as His life force was to impart Jesus’ Holy Spirit of eternal life into the believer. Immediately after Jesus resurrected from the dead, He breathed His Spirit into His disciples, enabling them to have eternal life through the union with Jesus’ uncorrupted Spirit (John 20:22). That Spirit is imparted to believers through faith in Jesus’ atonement and resurrection. Thus a pure virgin birth was essential for the fulfillment of God’s plan for humanity.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. – John 3:16,17
Copyright 2024 by H.D. Shively