A remnant in exile

The awesome prophecy given to Joseph by the angel about Jesus’ birth is found in Matthew 1:22-23, but it was first recorded in the words of Isaiah, the prophet, during the reign of King Ahaz, 700 years before the birth of Christ.  The circumstances surrounding the original prophecy are really interesting and helpful.  What we think of as a message of hope and salvation to Joseph was originally a prophecy of judgment meant to turn the unbelieving people of God back to Faith.  It’s not unusual for Biblical prophecy to have a double fulfillment.  In this case, we learn something about how it was fulfilled both in Isaiah’s day and on Christmas morning in Bethlehem.

In Isaiah chapter 6, verses 9-13, there are some things about the time and circumstances of this prophecy.  Isaiah is brought into the presence of God, before His throne, where angels bow and proclaim holy, holy, holy.  It’s here that he receives a message to deliver to the congregation of God’s chosen people, but it’s a message of judgment.  It says that the people have heard the Word of God and chosen to live without Faith in God.  Their faithlessness has become their judgment, and God is bringing that judgment on them because of their unrepentant hearts.  The congregation of Israel has no hope of salvation, but God promises to preserve a few of the faithful, that’s the tenth that Isaiah’s prophecy says will be left; they’re the stump, or the holy seed of God.

Immediately following the vision in heaven, Isaiah is being sent with a message for Ahaz, the ruler of Judah, the Southern Kingdom of Israel.  Jerusalem was being threatened with attack from both the northern Kingdom of Israel and Syria.  King Ahaz was stressed about his situation and had turned to his godless neighbors, the Assyrians, for help.  Isaiah was sent to persuade the king that God was going to make him victorious over Israel and Syria, without the help of Assyria.

King Ahaz is the perfect example of the one described in Isaiah’s prophecy who hears and sees but isn’t allowed to understand because of his faithlessness, making religious excuses for not believing God.  He said, “I would not tempt Him,” which really means, “I’ve got more faith in an alliance with Assyria, so I don’t need God.”  In the light of this display of disbelief, Isaiah speaks the words of prophecy that we know so well from Matthew’s Gospel:

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

So the King is to be given a sign, an infant born to a woman who is, according to the Hebrew meaning of the word, without a child, and the child’s name is God with us.

Most prophecies have a double fulfillment—an immediate fulfillment and a future one.  Here, the immediate fulfillment was understood in the sign that was given to King Ahaz, which is that a woman, who presently is without child, will be giving birth to a child before the enemies have a chance to attack.  The time of his birth and his name were to show King Ahaz of God’s presence among his people during times of tribulation; he didn’t have to trust in the hand of an enemy for help, God will save you Himself and the salvation will come in the time of the birth.

The prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of a son to Isaiah, when Israel and Syria were no longer threats to Jerusalem, but the child grew up to witness the fall of Jerusalem.  Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled all the way around; Jerusalem and King Ahaz were given a sign for hope, a sign for repentance, a delay so they could renew their Faith, but, they thought that the victory over their enemies meant that God had overlooked their sin.  So, just as Isaiah had predicted, they would fall and be destroyed.  God kept a remnant in their exile, just as He promised, and they returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple.

Without a doubt, the sign that Isaiah spoke of had a greater fulfillment that would come through the obedience of a virgin, who would conceive by the Holy Ghost.  This unwed woman would not be carrying the child of a prophet but the Son of God conceived of the Holy Ghost.  Born in troubled times, this child was truly God with mankind.  This person, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man came to save His people from sin.  He came just like Isaiah’s son came to a rebellious world, but it’s the glory and absolute authority of His kingdom that awaits us.  We, like the remnant of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day, are in a type of exile, a period of waiting and remaining in the wilderness of this fallen world.  We’re constantly challenged to remain faithful to our King as we await His future Kingdom.