Every Bible-savvy Christian knows the prophecy of Immanuel. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “’Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). We all understand that the virgin was Mary, and the Son was Jesus. But few know the dramatic backstory to this descriptive name of our Savior—Immanuel.

The Predicament

King Ahaz of Judah surveyed the aqueduct just outside of Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:3). The war that had pummeled Judah during his father’s reign dragged into his own, exacting heavy losses (2 Kings 15:37; 2 Chronicles 28:5–8). Now, Ahaz checked the water supply as he prepared the city for yet another attack.

King Rezin of Syria[1] and King Pekah of Israel had tried to draw Ahaz into an alliance against the mighty Assyrian empire. In the 730s B.C., the Assyrians had swallowed up kings and nations. Their armies were poised to devour everything along the trade routes south to Egypt. Ahaz felt that even if he combined Judah’s armies with the forces of Syria, and Israel, they would lose to Assyria. So, Ahaz spurned the overtures of his northern neighbors.

In response, Syria and Israel amassed their armies to depose Ahaz, install their own man on the Davidic throne, and force Judah to ally with them against Assyria (Isaiah 7:6). As the two armies approached, Ahaz’s heart trembled (Isaiah 7:2). He could not go on like this! Driven to desperation, Ahaz considered an alliance—not with the neighboring kingdoms trying to force his hand but with King Tiglath-Pileser III and the Assyrian empire itself.

The Offer

As Ahaz stood beside the reservoir, the prophet Isaiah and his son, Shear-Jashub, approached him.[2] Isaiah boldly delivered God’s message: “Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah [Pekah of Israel]” (Isaiah 7:4).[3] God urged Ahaz to trust Him, not Assyria. The two attacking nations would flame out and would soon cease to be a threat. God warned that if Ahaz did not trust Him, his throne would never be secure (Isaiah 7:9).

The Second Chance

Ignoring Isaiah’s message, Ahaz furthered his plans to ally with Assyria instead of trusting God (2 Kings 16:7). So, God sent the prophet with another message for the king: “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above” (Isaiah 7:11). Not only did God give Ahaz a second chance, but He also offered the king assurance to bolster his faith in God’s ability to protect him, his Davidic throne, and his country.

But Ahaz had already made up his mind. With Assyria on his side, he did not feel he needed God with him. Ahaz put a spiritual spin on his refusal of God’s offer of a sign. He even loosely quoted Scripture to defend his disobedience: “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!” (Isaiah 7:12; Deuteronomy 6:16). Twice, Ahaz rejected God’s message. He had passed the point of no return.[4]

The Prophecy of Immanuel

Despite Ahaz’s refusal, God chose to give him a sign anyway. The sign concerned the Davidic line that was under attack but always under God’s protection because of the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Isaiah confronted the wicked king: “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:13–14).

The name Immanuel means “God with us.” Ahaz felt he did not need God with him. But he did. The king thought he and his alliance could secure the Davidic line, but they could not.

Because he subjugated Judah to Assyria in exchange for aid, Ahaz became the last independent king of Judah. Yes, 130 years would pass before Babylon removed the kings of Judah from the throne in Jerusalem. But until that day, the last kings of Judah—Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, and finally Jeconiah—would reign as vassal kings under tribute to foreign empires. The line of David would wane. For 600 years until the time of Christ, no Davidic descendant would reign on the throne of David. Ahaz’s heirs would fall from the palace in Jerusalem to a rural carpenter shop in lowly Galilee.

The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 foreshadows a transition from Ahaz and his failing line of kings to Jesus—from the last independent king to the everlasting King of Kings.[5] While Ahaz rejected the presence of God, the next independent sovereign in Jerusalem would be God in the flesh. The Davidic line would be secure because King Immanuel is eternal. Though Jesus Christ would not to be born for over 700 years, God called Ahaz’s domain “Your land, O Immanuel” (Isaiah 8:8). The coming King will conquer and rule over all nations, including Israel, Syria, and Assyria (Isaiah 8:9). No plot to depose Him will succeed (Isaiah 8:10). Immanuel will reign securely because through Him “God is with us” (8:10). This Child—a Son, born to rule—will be called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

The Birth of Immanuel

At the dawn of the first century, a virgin conceived and bore a Son (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). The Gospel of Matthew identifies this child, named Jesus, as the Immanuel of Isaiah. The first chapter records the prophecy’s fulfillment just after listing Jesus’ genealogy, establishing his right to sit on the Davidic throne (Matthew 1:1).[6] The faithless King Ahaz’s name can be seen in Matthew 1:9. Not far beyond his name lies a list of descendants who, despite Ahaz’s attempts to protect his dynasty, never ruled in Jerusalem. On that first Christmas, the promised Immanuel entered the world, heir to a kingdom already His—a kingdom promised to come on earth one day and guaranteed to continue forever.

The King is Immanuel, God with us. 

Footnotes

[1] Syria is also referred to as Aram as seen in the graphic of the Nimrud Tablet.

[2] God purposely named Isaiah’s son, Sheaer-Jashub, meaning “a remnant will return.” This name was a constant reminder that though God would judge His people because of their sin, He would preserve enough of them to keep His covenant promises.

[3] God omitted Pekah’s name, calling him the son of Remaliah. This emphasized that Pekah was not a son of David with a right to the throne like Ahaz.

[4] Ahaz’s heart become so hardened against God that he embraced the false gods of Syria and Assyria. He put a pagan altar in the temple and used the bronze altar built by Solomon for divination. Ahaz even burned his own sons to false gods in the valley of Hinnom. Ahaz is arguably the most wicked king in the history of Judah (2 Kings 16:10-15; 2 Chronicles 28:3, 23-25).

[5] Phrased like the pronouncement of a royal birth, God proclaims that a virgin would bear a Son. This could hint that, though rightfully king, Immanuel would not be Ahaz’s direct physical descendant. See more about this in footnote 6.

[6] The genealogy of Matthew follows the line of David through wicked Ahaz and Jeconiah, whom God cursed (Jeremiah 22:24, 30), to Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. The genealogy of Luke follows the line of David to the virgin Mary whose line bypasses both Ahaz and Jeconiah. Physically, Jesus is the son of David through Mary and qualified to fulfill the Davidic Covenant. By adoption He is the son of David through Joseph and heir of the throne.

Nimrud Tablet Photo: courtesy of Logos Bible Software and the Trustees of the British Museum.