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| PentecostalTheology.com
In Isaiah 7, King Ahaz, the Judean king, is surrounded by the armies of Aram and Israel and things look bleak. At Isaiah 7:13-17, the prophet tells Ahaz that God will give him a sign that the seige will be broken. The sign, according to the NIV is that a “virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” The NIV footnote on the word “virgin” notes that the original Hebrew word could be read to be a “young woman” rather than “virgin.” But given that Christian Bibles mostly say “virgin” the question arises: Did Ahaz find this sign? How would he have found a virgin who had just given birth? How would he know she was a virgin? Of all the signs God could have given Ahaz that the seige would be lifted and his enemies destroyed, this seems difficult. If you accept that this prophecy was meant for Jesus alone, then why was it given to Ahaz at that moment in time?
