The prophet Isaiah declared to King Ahaz of Judah, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). Centuries later, in giving his account of the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth, Matthew cited Isaiah 7:14 as a prophecy Jesus’ His birth would fulfill: “Now all of this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matt. 1:22-23).
Without question, Isaiah’s words to Ahaz constituted a divine prophecy that was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus centuries after Ahaz lived. Mary was a virgin in the absolute sense; in fact, the word translated virgin in Matthew 1:23 means “a woman who has never had intimate relations with a man.”
Did Isaiah’s prophecy mean anything immediately for Ahaz, during his time and relevant to his circumstances? It is reasonable to assume that it did, that in addition to being fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ, this prophecy also came true in the short term in the arrival of a son during Ahaz’s day. What was the immediate context for this verse? Briefly stated, Ahaz was nervous because the kings of Israel and Aram were joining forces to fight against Judah. Isaiah told Ahaz not to fear them, and God asked Ahaz to ask Him for a sign of affirmation. Ahaz refused, declaring, “I will not ask. I will not test the LORD” (v. 12). Isaiah then told Ahaz God would give him a sign anyway, in the form of the birth of a child, specifically a son. Eventually judgment would come on Judah, but for the immediate future, the nation would experience protection from Israel and Aram. God’s sign of affirmation would be the birth of a baby boy.
The numerous details of this situation are quite complex, and it is not clear just who was born in fulfillment Isaiah’s prophecy as it relates to Ahaz’s and Judah’s situation. Even so, believing in an immediate fulfillment as well as a distant, ultimate fulfillment makes perfect sense—but in what sense did a virgin conceive in the time of Isaiah and Ahaz? We know that through the power of God’s Spirit, Mary conceived Jesus, and no human male was involved. This was a once-in-history occurrence, so something different had to happen in the time of Ahaz.
Interestingly, the word translated virgin in Isaiah 7:14 means “a young woman of marriageable age”; it can mean, but it does not have to mean a woman who has not had sexual relations with a man. Thus, a woman in Ahaz’s time conceived a son through natural means and gave birth to a son, fulfilling the prophecy in the short term. A case can be made she was a newly married virgin just before having the relations that impregnated her. Because of the differences in the Hebrew and Greek words translated virgin, both an immediate and an ultimate fulfillment fit the specifics laid out in Scripture. God’s plan, timing, and word are all perfect.
Copyright © 2015 B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in this article are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.