June 30 Bible more

Interpreting Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14 and 8:6-10 regarding Immanuel Old Testament Biblical prophecies often have a present or near fulfillment, which is usually incomplete, and a future fulfillment which is complete. Today’s Bible reading has familiar quotations which have reference to the life of Christ, but for the people of Judah in King Ahaz’s time, it also had a near fulfillment. Isaiah 7:14 Many Christians are familiar with Isaiah 7:14 but are not familiar with the context of it. The background for the text is found in Isaiah 7:1-2 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. Now the house of David [meaning Judah] was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim [meaning Israel]”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. (NIV) Isaiah 7:14 testifies of an encouraging sign given by God to King Ahaz that the alliance of Israel and Aram against Judah would not work; for despite the wickedness of Ahaz and the huge losses Judah would sustain, God would still be with Judah (Immanuel means “God with us”). The whole prophecy says, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria." The Lord predicted that a well-known prophetess, who was a virgin at the time, would later marry (although unstated, this is reasonable to assume), and have a son. Before that child knew right from wrong, the two kings from Ephraim and Aram would be destroyed. This was fulfilled two or three years later in 732 B.C. when Tiglath–Pileser III of Assyria destroyed Damascus (The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, edited by Walvoord and Zuck, ©1985, p.1048). Isaiah 8:3 was the present fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14-16. Later, this Scripture would be proclaimed as completely fulfilled in Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus (Matthew 1:21-23). Names had significant meanings in Old Testament days. The name of Isaiah’s firstborn son, Shear-Jashub (Isaiah 7:3) meant, “a remnant will return.” Although Israel would be punished for her sins and carried into exile, a remnant in Judah would remain. A son, later born of the prophetess, was Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. His name means “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.” Before the child would be old enough to know good from evil, Assyria would swiftly come and loot the possessions of Aram and Israel. Notice that in the near or present fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, her child is called Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, not Immanuel (Isaiah 8:1-4). This is a clue that the prophecy was not completely fulfilled. Isaiah 8:6-10 Near fulfillments, as was said earlier, are not always complete. The fulfillment of the name “Immanuel” can be found in Isaiah 8:6-10, not in the child. Isaiah 8 says the northern kingdom of Israel had the rejected the waters of Shiloah (a gentle pool in Jerusalem). They spurned the peace of God that comes from an obedient life, so the LORD would soon send the flood waters of Assyria to deluge the land and carry her away. Yet God would be “with Judah” (Immanuel means “God with us”) and rescue her during the Assyrian invasion, although the flood waters of the invasion would reach up to her neck (8:6-10). Later, the complete fulfillment of these Scriptures will be in Jesus. God will remember his covenant and people and send them a savior for their souls (Matthew 1:21-23). When Jesus returns to earth, he will rescue Israel once again when the flood waters of war threaten to annihilate her (Revelation 16:12-16; 19:11-21)

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