The Immanuel Prophecies

1. Read: Isaiah 7:14

2. About the Text:

1) The Hebrew word “Immanuel” means “God with us.”

2) Isaiah’s prophecies in Isaiah 7-12 concern this figure.

3) Judah was a small nation beset by enemies.

4) These enemies were Samaria (the northern kingdom) and Damascus (Syria).

5) King Ahaz thought he could count on Assyria as his ally to defend against them.

6) The prophecies that Isaiah gives in these chapters contradict Ahaz’ trust in Assyria.

7) They point out that Assyria would be the enemy that would besiege Jerusalem.

8) Their only hope lay in Immanuel, God with us.

9) God wanted them to trust in Him instead of Assyria.

10) “The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:13).

11) Who is Immanuel and why should they trust in Him?

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. The prophecy

1) “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 7:14).

2) Isaiah prophesied that Immanuel, God with us, would be born of a virgin.

2. Fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23

1) “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”

2) This prophesy was fulfilled in Mary’s conception and birth of Jesus.

1. The prophecy

1) “He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

2) This was spoken about how Israel would regard the LORD.

3) Throughout their history, they chose to trust in men instead of God.

2. Fulfilled in 1 Peter 2:4-8

1) “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.”

2) Peter applies this prophecy to Jesus.

3) He says that those who are disobedient find Jesus a stone of stumbling.

1. The prophecy.

1) “Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.”

2) There was a time of darkness for Israel

3) There would also be a time of light.

4) The light would come from Galilee.

2. Fulfilled in Matthew 4:12-16

1) “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.’”

2) Jesus began his ministry in Galilee.

3) He brought light to those in darkness.

1. The prophecy

1) “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

2) We want to focus on the description, “Mighty God.”

2. Fulfilled in John 1:1-2

1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

2) Jesus was God in the flesh.

3) He healed lepers, cast out demons, walked on water, raised the dead.

1. The Prophecy

1) “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 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 in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”

2) The Messiah would be of the seed of David.

3) The Gentiles will seek Him.

2. Fulfilled in Romans 15:8-12

1) “Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written . . . . And again, Isaiah says: ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.’”

2) Jesus was of the seed of David.

3) The Gentiles seek him even today.

1. The Prophecy

1) “Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

2) The Holy One refers to the Lord God.

2. Fulfilled in Luke 1:35, Acts 3:14.

1) “And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

2) “But you denied the Holy One and the Just.”

3) The angel said that to Mary that Jesus would be the Holy One.

4) Peter calls Jesus the Holy One.

1. Immanuel would be . . .

1) Born of a Virgin

2) A Stone of Stumbling

3) A Great Light from Galilee

4) The Mighty God

5) The Root of Jesse

6) The Holy One

2. Jesus fulfills all of these prophecies.

3. He is Immanuel – God with us.

4. Invitation