The Messiah would be born of a virgin

In Isaiah 7:14, the prophet delivers what many Christians consider to be a dual prophecy, one that was fulfilled symbolically 2700 years ago, and one that was fulfilled literally with the birth of Jesus Christ about 2000 years ago.

The symbolic part of the prophecy correctly stated that a political alliance that threatened Jewish sovereignty about 2700 years ago would fail in a short amount of time. That amount of time was defined as the amount of time that it takes for a child to learn right from wrong.

Christians believe that the more important and literal meaning of this prophecy refers to someone who miraculously would be born of a virgin and referred to as "Immanuel," which literally means "God is with us." According to the New Testament, Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and is the Son of God. Because God allowed himself to born as a man, as Jesus, to live and suffer among us and to offer us salvation, he can be called "God is with us" in the most literal sense.

Non-Christian scholars have challenged this interpretation. They say that the Hebrew word "almah," which is the word that Christian Bibles often translate as "virgin," actually means "young woman." It is true that "almah" means "young woman," however, the Bible never uses the word to refer specifically to a married woman. And the Bible makes it clear that unmarried women are to be virgins.

Also, it is worth noting that Isaiah prefaces the prophecy by speaking that it would involve a sign from God himself to the house of David, meaning the descendants of King David. This reinforces the Christian view that the verse ultimately is speaking of a miraculous birth involving the Messiah, who was to be a descendant of King David, which Jesus was, according to the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke.


To learn more about Bible prophecy, visit our sister site at AboutBibleProphecy.com.


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