Isaiah 7:14–16 (KJV 1900) — 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, That he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, The land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
Most of you are familiar with the above scripture, and if you are honest, you have primarily focused on the fulfillment of this text with the birth of Jesus. However, closer scrutiny of the context indicates that the “you” in verse 14 is none other than King Ahaz, who, having been deposed by Syria and Israel, allied himself with Assyria for help. The cost of this alliance was secured by Judah becoming a vassal state of Assyria, forced to pay heavy tribute. Yet, amid this period of time, the Prophet Isaiah came with a word of encouragement:
Isaiah 7:3–4 (KJV 1900) — 3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field; 4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; Fear not, neither be fainthearted For the two tails of these smoking firebrands, For the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
It appears that Ahaz does not entirely believe the continued narrative that follows these prophetic words, nor will Ahaz respond to God’s beckoning to “ask for a sign.” (vs. 11). As such, God then moves past Ahaz’s reluctance and the prophet Isaiah declares:
Isaiah 7:14–16 (KJV 1900) — 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, That he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, The land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
There is more to this prophecy that moves into chapter eight, but it is evident from this text that the prophecy is immediately related to the days of Ahaz and the events surrounding him. Picking up in chapter 8, the Lord tells Isaiah:
Isaiah 8:1–4 (KJV 1900) — 1 Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. 3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
In other words, by the time your child is old enough to speak and able to choose between right and wrong, the threat from Syria and Israel will be over. In 7:14, the name Emmanuel, in the immediate context of the passage, implies “God with us” in the sense of being with his people and being able to deliver and save. In Isaiah 8:3, Maher-shalal-hash-baz points to the speed by which God would dispel those threatening the nation of Judah.
Isaiah 7:14-16, commonly attributed to the birth of Jesus, had an immediate fulfillment that was directly related to the historical context of the biblical text. Yet, Matthew 1:23 quotes directly from Isaiah 7:14 to refer to Jesus. How does this work? This answer is found in Isaiah chapter nine.
The Birth of Another Child
Isaiah 9:1–7 (ESV) — 1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
ESV
Notice, in the FORMER TIME, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the LATTER TIME, he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. It is evident from this prophecy that the child that is born (vs. 6-7) is far more than just a human child. This son is a different child than the one that is historically the result of Isaiah 8:1-4, yet Matthew will draw from Isaiah 7:14-16 and 9:1-7 as a reference to the birth of Jesus Christ.
The clear answer to this is that there is a DOUBLE FULFILLMENT to a virgin conceiving a child, and while it makes sense in its historical context, it also makes sense in the future context of Christ. Both Immanuel and the descriptive text of Isaiah 9:6-7 point toward a future time where another son will be born who will sit “on the throne of David and over his kingdom.”
Please let me know what your thoughts are. What other biblical texts where we might see a double fulfillment? Does that “scroll written on both sides” indicate a double fulfillment premise?