Shalom everybody and welcome to another pod for  Israel I’m here with Dr Golan Broshi my name is   Dr Seth Postel and we are continuing in our series  of the case for messiah and Old Testament defense   of the New Testament faith and today we’re  actually going to be looking at a passage  

That has received quite a bit of heat from the  anti-missionaries Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 and   we’re going to be asking ourselves did the gospel  writers distort the words of Isaiah 7 14 so good  

To see you back Golan welcome to you thank you so  let me just kind of set the stage I’ll introduce   kind of the issues here so we actually have two  very different translations of the Hebrew text of  

Isaiah chapter 7 14. and so we actually have for  instance a new American Standard Version therefore   the Lord himself will give you a sign Behold a  virgin will be with a child and bear a son and  

She will call his name Emmanuel the JPS on the  other hand which is a Jewish translation of the   Hebrew Bible actually says look the young woman is  with child and about to give birth to a son and so  

For a young woman to be pregnant is not so much of  a miracle right that’s normal yes so the issue is   the definition of that of that girl Alma versus  correct so are we you know does the original  

Hebrew word actually mean virgin or not so there  are two very different translations and obviously   there are two very different interpretations right  so if we look at the New Testament both in Matthew   chapter one and in Luke chapter one it’s clear  that they understand that that Mary right Miriam  

Is this virgin that is supernaturally pregnant  and that is a sign that Jesus fulfills this   passage whereas if you look at the Jewish rabbinic  interpretations they would argue they’ve got a   couple of different arguments they would say that  this woman is is not a virgin right it’s Isaiah’s  

Wife right and that by naming the son Immanuel she  does it by the power of the Holy Spirit or others   would say that the young woman is a has his wife  or his daughter okay so so the rabbinic approach  

Would be that the word Alma is for a young young  girl but not not necessarily a virgin and he   doesn’t talk about a future prophecy that that  would be fulfilled 700 years but something that  

Is fulfilled in the next chapter or in the same  chapter correct so and we’ve got a kind of a a   slide that kind of kind of summarizes the issue so  here’s the anti-missionary claims against the New  

Testament and they’re really two I mean we could  probably add some but I think the main arguments   that the New Testament has Twisted or distorted  Isaiah 7 14 is first the gospels mistranslated uh   the word Alma the original Hebrew word for Alma is  young woman is what they argue and that if Isaiah  

Wanted to say that a virgin is pregnant they would  have used the Hebrew word Betula so he would have   used a different word the different words so the  Matthew basically muddles uh the the original word   secondly and this is this is another argument  is that Matthew and Luke ripped Isaiah 7 14 out  

Of context the sign is given to ahaz right and  therefore it had to have been fulfilled in the   days of ahaz and the the sign is that Samaria and  Iran would be defeated so it can’t be a prophecy   that’s dealing with something that happened  700 years later so let’s focus now on the  

First thing yeah that’s a really important issue  what what does the word Alma actually means so in   this podcast I think what we’ll do obviously we’re  going to address these two concerns one at a time  

Okay we’re going to deal it deal with it one at a  time and so the big Focus what in the world does   the word Alma mean right what does it even mean  did the gospel writers abuse it mistranslate it  

Let’s just be honest with our sources here too I  think a book that’s that came out recently that’s   a very important book is by Christoph Rico  and Peter J Gentry the mother of the infant  

King Isaiah 7 14 and they did a lot of work uh on  on the meaning of Alma and Betula and so it’s a   it’s a book that’s it’s worth a read okay so but  before the word Alma we would just want to make  

Clear what does the word Betula actually means so  in modern Hebrew if you wanted to say virgin how   would you would say that’s the only word right in  modern Hebrew there’s no other word to refer to a  

Virgin and so the argument goes likewise in modern  Hebrew so in Biblical Hebrew there’s only one one   word for Virgin and it’s a bit too long and it’s  not the word that Isaiah uses he uses Alma correct  

So the word Betula how many times does it appear  in at least 50 times 15 versions okay Exodus 22   verse 16 uh in the English verse 15 in the Hebrew  I’ll give you an example if a man seduces a virgin  

Who is not engaged right and lies with her he must  pay a Dao referred to be his wife so it’s clear   that the word here Betula means she didn’t she  didn’t know a man she didn’t sleep with anybody  

Yet correct correct so um there is actually one  contested use of Betula and again there’s 50 over   50 times it appears there’s one contested use  of the word Betula and that’s in Joel chapter 1   verse 8. so Joel 1 8 says whale Like a Virgin a  Betula girded with sackcloth for the bridegroom  

Of her youth so some people would argue that this  word the use of the word Matula here proves that   Betula can’t mean virgin because how can a a woman  who’s a virgin be lamenting the bridegroom of her   youth in other words obviously they were already  together however however it probably means that  

She’s mourning the loss of her fiance before  correct correct so so we would agree right that   Betula does in fact mean virgin yep okay and  that’s actually what Rico and gentry also they   would argue that Betula actually refers to Virgin  and in the case of it actually shows that Betula  

Has no respect for age so in Hebrew Betula can  mean batula doesn’t have any respect for age it’s   just a virgin woman either young or old correct  and also in modern Hebrew exactly alrighty so now   let’s this is the debated what about yeah  what about the word okay the word is used  

Nine times right so it’s rare it’s not as common  as batula in the Bible is it the word Alma is   it is the meaning always clear in the Hebrew  Bible nope and it’s not always clear and even  

In in modern Hebrew it’s not so clear what do  you mean when you say Alma is it a young girl   is he it doesn’t it’s not so clear so what’s  really important to notice that it the word is  

Not used a whole lot in the Hebrew Bible and  there are cases where you simply cannot know   what it means because it’s used for instance  for titles in the Psalms it doesn’t say what   they are so Psalm 46 the superscription psalm 68  verse 25 Song of Songs one three First Chronicles  

15 20. we don’t know we can’t use these to  determine its meaning so in other words in   some some places where the word Dalma appears it  doesn’t say anything about it it’s just a title   it doesn’t interpret it correct okay okay but and  this is really important in every clear case in  

Every clear case when the word is used the word it  refers to a girl who is a virgin so for instance   Rebecca Rebecca in Genesis 24 43 she’s a virgin  she’s a young woman who’s not yet married Exodus  

2 8. it’s clear that the word there means virgin  Miriam is Moses’s older sister but she’s young   of course right song of song six eight these are  cases where the word can be checked and in these   instances we’re dealing with women who are young  and virgins so where’s the debate okay where’s the  

Debate obviously actually well obviously the big  debate would be Isaiah 7 14. but we can’t use that   we can’t use that because that would be begging  the question right we can’t use our you know our   premise to prove the conclusion so we’re having  one more place there’s one more place though  

Um that the anti-missionaries love to use as proof  that al-mach does not refer to a virgin that’s in   proverbs 30 verse 19. so that’s the proof text  that’s the proof text that it cannot mean virgin  

So what does it say there so let’s read it okay  proverbs 30 verses 18 and 19 there are three   things which are too wonderful for me four which  I do not understand the way of an eagle in the sky  

The way of a serpent on a rock the way of a ship  in the middle of the sea and the way of a man with   a maid okay whatever that means this is the way of  an adulterous woman she eats and wipes her mouth  

And says I have done no wrong and so I’ve actually  heard some of the anti-missionaries actually say   here this is proof what what does a man do with a  maid he sleeps with her and therefore she can’t be  

A a virgin but there’s a problem with that just I  want you to notice number one we’re dealing with   poetry and so there’s a debate as to what exactly  is the point being made what’s too wonderful and  

Some have actually argued that what’s amazing is  that the way of an eagle in the sky means that an   eagle fly through flies through the sky and there  are no traces he doesn’t leave a trace what about  

A serpent on a rock also a serpent on the Rock and  the Sheep on the sea doesn’t leave a trace doesn’t   leave a trace and so if this is talking about  a man sleeping with a woman there is a trace of  

Course you would be pregnant she’d be pregnant and  so the point being that this is a poetic passage   and it’s actually can be argued in any number of  ways and so we can only rely on those passages  

That are absolutely clear to make our case so this  is illegitimate yeah this is not a clear it’s not   a clear text it’s a debatable text correct so  Golan why then do you think if we’re saying that  

Alma is a virgin and Betula is a virgin doesn’t  that that’s kind of foolish right we have two two   words so there must be a distinction there must be  a difference between those two Hebrew words right   correct and so so what does Rico and gentry  conclude okay so they basically conclude that  

Alma in contrast to Betula relates to a specific  period in a woman’s life when she is both young   and a virgin and this is clear in the case of  Rebecca Genesis 24 43 and in the case of Exodus  

2 verse 8 with Miriam so so in other words not  only that Alma is the Virgin it’s a young girl   a virgin a virgin a young girl correct a young a  very young woman okay correct so the question then  

Becomes is there any proof to this interpretation  from the text itself so what do we always say   what’s the best commentary on scripture but  only scripture right so the best commentary   in scripture is scripture and I think the best  commentary and the meaning of the word Alma is in  

The book of Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 54 because  he uses the word Alma in a different format the   same root but in a slightly different he talks  about the period of time when a woman is in  

Alma the period of her youth her Alum so her the  period of her youth defines what it means to be   an so let’s just read the whole section and you’re  reading from Isaiah 54 1-6 correct shout for Joy o  

Baron one the barren one here is a metaphor for  Zion right xion that that after the Exile she’s   empty of children the land of Israel is empty of  children and so this woman has no children shout  

For Joy o Baron one you have been have borne no  children Break Forth into joyful shouting and cry   aloud you who have not travailed for the sons of  the desolate one will be more numerous than the  

Sons of than the sons of the married woman says  the Lord enlarge the place of your tent stretch   out the curtains of your dwellings spare not  lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs   for you will spread abroad to the right and  to the left and your descendants will possess  

Nations and resettle the desolate cities fear not  for you will not be put to shame and do not feel   humiliated for you will not be described traced  but you will forget the shame of your Youth and  

Here’s the word this is the period of an alma this  all right and the reproach of your widowhood you   will remember no more for your husband is  your maker whose name is the Lord of hosts  

And your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel who  is called the God of all the Earth for the Lord   has called you like a wife Forsaken and grieved  in spirit even like a wife of one’s youth when  

She is rejected says your God and so what’s really  important here is that this text actually provides   two different reasons for a woman in the ancient  world to not have children in both cases for a  

Woman at that time period not to have children  was a disgrace right it was a shameful it was   shameful at that time period And so Isaiah  actually describes two situations in which   a woman would feel shame for not having children  scenarios correct okay so let’s look at the first  

Situation and 54 Verses 4 verse a the first part  fear not for you will not be put to shame and do   not feel humiliated for you will not be disgraced  but you will forget the shame of your youth being  

An alma exactly the word shame of your being  an alma the period of your I don’t know how   to say it your youngness right okay your youth  yeah the parallel line provides the solution   to this problem 54 verse 5 a for your husband  is your maker whose name is the Lord of hosts  

In other words what is the solution to an alma  not having a child a husband a husband takes her   and in Hebrew the word the husband actually means  the the actual intimate act correct so to become  

A husband means to make an unmarried woman your  wife exactly now let’s look at we’ll talk about   this in a minute but I want you to notice the  parallel 54 4B and the reproach of your widowhood  

You will remember no more in other words here’s  a there are two scenarios to shame the shame   of an alma without children and the shame of an  al-mana a widow without children a widow what’s   the solution to the al-mana to the Widow and  your Redeemer go away who is the Holy One of  

Israel who is called the God of all the Earth in  other words in this situation God will redeem he   will redeem the Widow in other words to redeem  a widow is to provide children for a woman whose  

Husband who whose husband died and she doesn’t  have a children so let’s stop here because this   is really important in other words why would a  woman what what is the shame of an alma in this   text it’s that she never had a husband nobody  ever took her and therefore she never had a  

Child so Alma has to mean according to this text  a woman that never that was never married or was   never had a husband correct and that’s why she  doesn’t have a child let’s be clear on this this   is really important if we’re saying that the  best commentary on scripture is scripture what  

We’re saying here is that Isaiah In this passage  defines for us what an alma is and Alma is a woman   who doesn’t have children because she hasn’t yet  been slept with she hasn’t yet been taken by a  

Husband in other words she’s she’s the Virgin  she’s a young virgin correct so let’s I I think   it’s worth reading Rico and gentry summary  about this passage it’s very well written   the two women will forget forever the shame that  they had bitterly suffered and they will no longer  

Remember the fact that they were without  hope of having Descendants the reason for   the foreseen absence of progeny for children is  different for each of the two women the first one   has been married but her husband died before she  could conceive so she is in a State of widowhood  

The State of widowhood will cease as soon as the  Redeemer the goel comes on the scene as for the   second one she has never had a husband and she is  in a state of alumim this state of alumim right  

Being an alma I’m the word right will cease once a  BAL a husband takes her in marriage the conclusion   to which this strict parallelism leads us is that  the word Alma can only refer to a girl who has  

Never been married and who has never had children  once a BAL a husband arrives in the scene both her   celibacy and the absence of children or progeny  will cease so in other words according to these   two Scholars the difference between the Virgin  and Alma is that Alma is a young virgin a virgin  

Could be old or young but Alma is Almar refers to  a young virgin correct specifically a young woman   who’s yet to been take be taken by a husband  and so I think that this actually as we kind  

Of conclude the first response about the meaning  of the word Alma the fact that Alma has to be a   woman that has not yet known a man a young woman  who’s known a man makes this text all the more  

Startling so let I’m going to read it and actually  if we look at the Hebrew here it there’s all   sorts of beautiful plays on words here so you’re  reading Isaiah 7 10 to 14. correct then the Lord  

Spoke to ahaz again saying sha’al ask a sign for  yourself from the Lord your God make it as deep as right and so it’s interesting is the word ask  and she all sound almost exactly the same and  

They look almost the same they look exam exactly  so ask for yourself a sign make it as deep as   [ __ ] right or as high as Heaven we’re going to  get to that in a minute but ahaz said I will not  

Ask nor will I test the Lord then he said listen  now o House of David and by the way here he’s not   speaking just to he’s talking to the House of  David plural plural listen now House of David  

It is is it too slight a thing for you to try the  patience of men that you will try the patience   of my God as well therefore the Lord himself  will give you a sign Behold a Alma a virgin is  

Pregnant it does not say an alma will become  pregnant because that would not be a sign if   she is but there’s an alma who is pregnant how  is it possible for an alma who has never slept  

With a man who’s not been taken by a man to be  pregnant and here we see the beautiful play on   words is there connection between Alma and as  high as Heaven the same the same words it’s the  

Same words it’s the same letters just reverse same  letters yes right so what is this sign that’s as   high as Heaven La Mala and Alma will is pregnant  is and the emphasis on is it’s not tahar it’s she  

Is pregnant absolutely and so here we see that  this is truly an amazing sign and so so we can   conclude at least for that part that the gospel  writers did not reap a part to the the the the  

Translation or the meaning of the word they did  not distort the meaning of Alma I think that we   see from the book of Isaiah that they actually  that Matthew gets the the meaning and Luke gets  

The meaning correctly so we tackle the the meaning  of the word El map what about the next argument   what about the context did the gospels writers  reap out Isaiah 7 14 from its context well so  

What’s the problem with the context oh does  it is it a prophecy to be fulfilled or was it   fulfilled in Isaiah times yeah so the whole issue  of you know the context seems to tie Emmanuel’s  

Birth to the time period of the Assyrians and if  that’s the case obviously this can’t be about the   Messiah obviously right and so maybe I’ll read it  Isaiah 7 14-20 just so that we get a sense of the  

Context therefore the Lord himself will give you  a sign Behold a virgin will be with child notice   I use the word virgin we probably should say young  virgin right young unmarried woman right will be  

With child and bear son and she will call his name  Emmanuel he will eat curds and honey at the time   he knows enough to refuse evil and choose good  for before the boy will know enough to refuse  

Evil and choose good the land whose two kings you  dread will be forsaken ah here we go so Emmanuel   had to have been born during the time of the  Assyrians Case Closed you notice it says the  

Lord will bring on you and on your people and on  your father’s house such days as have never come   since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah  the king of Assyria again Assyria in that day  

That the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in  the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for   the bee that is in the land of Assyria they will  all come and settle on the Steep Ravines on The  

Ledges of the cliffs on all the thorn bushes and  on all the watering places in that day the Lord   will shave with a razor hired from the regions  beyond the afraides that is with the king of  

Assyria The Head and the hair of the legs and  it will also remove the beard and so so Syria   is coming up a lot do they have a case is it is  it is it the about the time of Assyria you know  

What’s really important here Golan and and this is  really important is that when we approach Isaiah   7 obviously the best way to interpret any given  passage is in the larger context and what’s really   significant and even the rabbis will admit it that  all the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah are placed  

In the context of the days of Assyria let me  show you what I mean by this I want you to notice   Isaiah chapter 10. now some people would argue  like Isaiah chapter 9 is not about the Messiah  

We’ll do another podcast on that so let’s the  rabbis do agree that Isaiah 11 is about the   Messiah right have you checked the rabbinic  commentaries even the anti-missionary say but   the immediate context of Isaiah chapter 11 is  Isaiah chapter 10. so let’s read it let’s read  

All right woe to a Syrian I’m going to start  in verse 5 of chapter 10. woe to Assyria the   rod of my anger and the staff and whose hands  is my indignation wait the Syria again it’s   Assyria I send it against a Godless nation  and commissioned it against the people of  

My Fury to capture booty and to seize plunder  to trample them down like mud in the streets   yet it does not so intend nor does it plan so in  its heart but rather it is its purpose to destroy  

And to cut off many nations for it says are not  my princes all Kings is not Kano like carcamesh   or hamat like akpad or Samaria like Damascus as my  hand is reached to the kingdoms of the idols whose  

Graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem  and Samaria shall I not do to Jerusalem and her   images just as I’ve done to Samaria and her Idols  so it will be that when the Lord has completed  

All his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem he  will say I will punish the fruit of the Arrogant   heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of  his haughtiness now I’m going to skip down to  

Verses 33 and 34 behold the Lord the god of hosts  will Lop off the bows with a terrible crash this   is talking about the Judgment of the Assyrians  he’s going to cut down after the Judgment when  

The Assyrians come down and wipe out or or kind of  they’re used as God’s Rod of judgment against the   people of Israel then God’s going to cut down the  bows with the terrible question in other words the  

Assyrians those also who are tall and stature will  be cut down and those who are lofty will be abased   he will cut down the thickets of the forest with  an iron ax and Lebanon will fall by the mighty  

One and then right after this cutting down of  everything it says in chapter 11 verse 1 then when   at the Judgment of the Assyrians exactly  then a shoot will spring from the stem of   Jesse another Messianic prophecy the rabbis  absolutely don’t argue that Isaiah chapter 11  

The context if we were going to take the  historical context of Isaiah’s days we would   say that this prophecy had to have already been  fulfilled exactly and so this whole lopping off   it’s it in some ways too the the parallel story of  chapter 10 is when the Assyrians come and they’re  

Standing outside the Gates of Jerusalem right if  you remember the commander and he’s mocking and   and you know where are the gods of this nation and  that nation and God intervenes in a miraculous way   and rescues Hezekiah so in some ways you could  say that Isaiah 11 looks like Hezekiah just like  

You could say that Isaiah 9 looks like Hezekiah  or Isaiah 7 looks like Hezekiah but for the fact   that we’re dealing with a period of time these  descriptions of this exalted king and a forever   Kingdom it can’t be Hezekiah we could say that  the Deeds of Hezekiah are a sign for the Messiah  

All right so we have you’re saying  we have another Messianic prophecies   which which apparently deal in the context of  Assyria but are projecting for a for a later   time absolutely so not only does Isaiah tie the  birth of the Messiah right to the days of Assyria  

We have another classic example in in Micah  chapter five in Micah chapter five which also   in rabbinic interpretation it’s a Messianic inter  it’s a Messianic prophecy but as for you Bethlehem   afrata too little to be among the clans of Judah  from you one will go forth for me to be ruler in  

Israel his goings forth are from long ago from the  days of Eternity therefore he will give them up   until the time when she who is in labor has borne  a child then the remainder of his Brethren will  

Return to the sons of Israel and he will arise  that is this one born in Bethlehem and Shepherd   his flock in the strength of the Lord and the  Majesty of the name of the Lord his God and they  

Will remain because at the time he will be great  to the ends of the Earth this one will be our   peace when the Assyrian invades our land when he  tramples on on our own citadels then he will raise  

Against him Seven Shepherds and eight leaders of  men they will Shepherd the land of Syria yep with   The Sword and the land of nimrod at its entrances  and he will Deliver Us from the Assyrian when he  

Attacks our land when he tramples our territory  so it seems like the word Assyria means more than   what we think it is it has to be it it has to  be okay but another interesting phenomenon that   we see are that other Messianic prophecies that  the rabbis would agree are Messianic prophecies  

Are actually tied to the days of Israel’s historic  enemies yep numbers 24 14 and 17-19 and now behold   I’m going to my people come and I will advise  you what this people will do to your people in  

The days to come I see him but not now I Behold  Him but not near a star shall come forth from the   from Jacob a scepter shall rise from Israel and  shall Crush through the forehead of Moab Israel’s  

Ancient enemy and tear down all the sons of sheth  Edom shall be a possession see ear its enemies   in other words this whole use of Israel’s past  enemies in the context of future prophecies is   quite normal Rabbi ever used that verse as as was  fulfilled as the Messianic fulfillment on barkva  

Many years later that work absolutely and there  it there it is and here we see this whole notion   of what is it exactly unequal weights and measures  equals weights and measures so here are the here’s   the inconsistencies of the anti-missionaries one  one well-known anti-missionary I’m going to quote  

Him Isaiah 11 is a Messianic chapter Isaiah 11  verse 1 tells us about the kind of family he the   Messiah comes from in the context of Assyria  correct and it’s still a Messianic prophecy   so you tell me why is Isaiah 11 definitely  about the Messiah even though chapter 10 the  

Context is Assyria but Isaiah 7 is not about  the Messiah and he’s not the only Rabbi who   agrees that Isaiah 11 is the Messianic prophecy  right right talgum yonatan in Isaiah 11 verse 1   a king shall come out from the son of Jesse and  the Messiah from his son’s son shall bear fruit

And thy staff that is the Messiah as it is  said in Isaiah 11 1 and there shall come   forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse and  the last the last reference from the talmud  

Ah okay let’s see here let me see I have it here  Ah that’s right from Sanhedrin 93 uh B the Messiah   was blessed with six virtues as it is written  and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him  

The spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit  of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and   of the fear of the Lord and it is written and his  Delight right from Isaiah 11 shall be the fear of  

The Lord and He Shall neither judge after the  sight of his eyes nor decide after the hearing   of his ears so even the rabbis of the talmud so  is there 11 even though the context is Assyria   they saw it as a Messianic Prophet so these  anti-missionaries can’t have it both ways in  

Other words if you’re going to say that Isaiah  7 cannot be a Messianic prophecy because of the   reference to Assyria and the days of Assyria then  Isaiah 11 has to be eliminated too but by the way   many of the anti-missionaries are going after  the legacy of Russia and we have a quote from  

Russia Isaiah 11 1 that you can read ah okay and  the shoot this is what Rashi says in Isaiah 11 1   and a shoot shall spring forth from the stem of  Jesse and if you say here are the consolations  

For Hezekiah and his people that shall not fall  into his hands now what will be the Exile that   was exiled to hallan Habor is their hope lost is  it not lost eventually the king Messiah shall come  

And redeem them so even Rashi here understands  why this ought to be Hezekiah right he it ought   to be Hezekiah because of the context of  chapter 10 but Hezekiah becomes a picture   of something of somebody so much greater and  the enemy Assyria it’s it is is depicted as  

An eschatological enemies the worst of enemies  can you give can you give an example anywhere   where Assyria is used and it’s clearly cannot  be referring to the the kingdom the historical   Kingdom of Assyria anywhere in the Bible maybe  even in Isaiah okay in Isaiah chapter 14 verses  

22-26 right so notice this is a judgment in the  Judgment sections the oracles against the Nations   I will rise up against them declares the Lord  of hosts I will cut off from Babylon name and   survivors Offspring and posterity declares the  Lord I will also make it a possession for the  

Hedgehog and swamps of water and I will sweep it  with the broom of Destruction declares the Lord of   hosts the Lord of hosts is sworn saying surely  just as I have intended so it has happened and  

Just as I have planned so it will stand to break  Assyria in my land and he goes on but the point   is is that in the book of Isaiah the kingdom of  Assyria and the kingdom of Babylon are actually  

Merged so that the fall of Babylon in some ways  is depicted as the fall of a series of the fall of   Assyria or Babylon is an extension of Assyria and  it’s it’s not the only one the only place in the  

Bible is there another place in the Bible where  Syria absolutely does not refer to Assyria in the   days of Isaiah and that and in Ezra the one you’re  going to read the nether is really clear okay so  

Ezra chapter 6 verse 1 for the context and then  we’ll skip to verse 22. then King Darius issued a   decree and search was made in the archives where  the treasures were stored in in Babylon so King   Darius is from the Persian period so we’re talking  about Three Kingdoms later Assyria Babylon Persia  

And notice what it says when they observe the  Passover in the days of this Persian king okay   and they observed the Feast of unleavened bread  seven days with joy for the Lord had caused them  

To rejoice and it turned the heart of the king of  Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work   of the house of God the god of Israel so again  the name of Syria doesn’t necessarily mean the   actual Assyrians it’s an eschatological term to  mean the enemies the the most brutal enemies of  

Of of Israel and of God sure and we also have  that example numbers of amalek right this this   you know amalek even in the book of of Esther  and the scroll of Esther you’ve got Haman who  

Is this amalekite and so you you don’t have any  issue here again with using the name Assyria and   making the Assumption okay that proves that it  had to be fulfilled in the time period of Isaiah  

So in other words if Isaiah 7 is talking about the  the context of Assyria it doesn’t say it doesn’t   it doesn’t mean that it’s not an eschatological  event yet to come correct and once again if the   anti-missionaries want to insist that Isaiah 7 is  eliminated because of the reference to Assyria and  

The kings in those days they have to be consistent  they have to be consistent so let’s throw out   Isaiah chapter 11 and yet the anti-missioneries  say with confidence that Isaiah 11 is also a   Messianic prophecy so I think it’s time to Summer  to sum up the whole the whole episode correct what  

Did we find out great discussion so number one  uh the word Alma although the anti-missionaries   would argue that Matthew and Luke they basically  abused the text and they they used you know they   don’t even know Hebrew or whatever the word  al-mad does in fact mean a young virgin it’s  

A young unmarried woman and that translation is  affirmed in Isaiah chapter 54 Verses 4 and 5 and   so what we really do have is an incredible miracle  that you actually have a pregnant Alma exactly   and then secondly and finally the New Testament  didn’t rip Isaiah 7 out of the context in fact  

All of the Messianic prophecies in at least  in the first part of the book of Isaiah are   set in the context of the Assyrian context and  this interpretation is affirmed by the way that   all Jewish interpreters treat Isaiah chapter 11.  by the way we see it also in the New Testament  

In the Book of Revelations where Babylon is used  as the word for in a future enemy correct yeah so   there’s no issue there whatsoever and so we see  this in Matthew and I love it in Matthew chapter   1 verses 18 through 25 we’ve got this birth  narrative it’s interesting we just coming off  

A season where around the world people are all  around the world celebrating the birth of a of   a Jewish kid a little Jewish boy right which is  quite quite remarkable but you know we can have  

Our readers look at this passage after but gondan  what do you think say would be the take on what’s   the application that we can we can make from what  we’ve just done I think at least personally for me  

I can absolutely trust the words of the gospels  and by the way when they wrote the gospels they   had they had the Bible they had the tanach the Old  Testament in front of them they didn’t have any   other scriptures so basically what you’re saying  then is that when Christians hear their faith  

Being assaulted and against the New Testament  and the way that the New Testament treats the   Hebrew Bible you’re saying that actually that  we can trust the way they’re interpreting the   Hebrew Bible and and it’s not that we don’t  welcome again we’re talking about the Jewish  

Debate it’s an in-house debate and we welcome  the debate we just want to to point out that we   can trust what the Bible says and maybe one other  application and that is is that if you’re seeking   if you don’t you’ve not yet figured out you’re  thinking through the Hebrew Bible and whether  

It does in fact talk about the Messiah and whether  Jesus is the Messiah or not we simply are here to   tell you that actually by carefully searching  the scriptures you will know that Jesus is in   fact the Messiah amen the scripture is Rock  Solid and we trust the rock amen amen [Music]  

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