1. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 1 of 9 Isaiah and His Sons A Counter-Missionary Education Lesson by Uri Yosef, Ph.D., Director of Education Virtual Yeshiva of the Messiah Truth Project, Inc. http://virtualyeshiva.com [The article on this topic is located here - http://thejewishhome.org/counter/IsaiahsSons.pdf]http://thejewishhome.org/counter/IsaiahsSons.pdf Copyright © Uri Yosef 2011 for the Messiah Truth Project, Inc. All rights reserved Counter-Missionary Education

2. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 2 of 9 Introduction Christian missionaries claim that the name עִמָּנוּאֵל (Imanu’ EL ) in Isaiah 7:14 is unique among all the other names of biblical personalities. According to Christian theology, this verse prophesies the birth of Jesus by a virgin who conceived him from the Holy Ghost. The author of the Gospel of Matthew states it this way: Clearly, this newborn baby boy was named Jesus, not “Emmanuel”, in the New Testament, and the author’s explanatory comment at the end of v. 23 intends to bridge, or “harmonize”, this gap. In this lesson, which is somewhat of an excursion relative to Isaiah 7:14 and the “Virgin Birth” proof texts, we explore the significance of the names of Isaiah’s sons. Particular attention is given to the name עִמָּנוּאֵל by examining a collection of other biblical names with similar characteristics to test the validity of its interpretation by the author of the Gospel of Matthew.

3. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 3 of 9 Isaiah – יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Y e sha’ YA hu) Consider Isaiah’s own declaration about himself and his children: Isaiah indicates the method for naming his children. All his sons have names that are symbolically connected with certain prophesied events, a clue that will be applied in the analysis. Isaiah himself was ordered to be a sign to Israel, a story that he recorded in Chapter 20. In that account, Isaiah describes how he was commanded by God to walk partially naked and barefoot for three years, thereby symbolizing the impending Assyrian conquest of Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia).

4. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 4 of 9 One son – שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב (Sh e AR Ya SHUV – A Remnant Shall Return) The name: The sign: The realization took place during King Hezekiah’s celebration of the Passover: The outcome:

5. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 5 of 9 A 2 nd son – מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז (Ma HER Sha LAL H ASH B AZ – Quicken-Booty Hasten-Plunder) The name: The sign: The realization – Part 1: The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered and exiled by the Assyrians

6. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 6 of 9 A 2 nd son – מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז (Ma HER Sha LAL H ASH B AZ – Quicken-Booty Hasten-Plunder) (Continued) The realization – Part 2: The Kingdom of Judah was conquered and exiled by the Babylonians

7. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 7 of 9 A 3 rd son – עִמָּנוּאֵל (Imanu‘ EL – With Us Is God) The name: The sign: The realization – Part 1: Hezekiah’s promise to his people The realization – Part 2: God was with the House of Judah

8. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 8 of 9 Other Biblical Names that Share Some Attributes with the Name עִמָּנוּאֵל

9. March 10, 2011Isaiah and His Sons Page 9 of 9 Two Salient Questions: The Answer (to both questions): 1. Why do Christians single out עִמָּנוּאֵל as having messianic significance? 2. Why do Christians consider the name עִמָּנוּאֵל special relative to all these other names with “ אֵל ” ( EL ) & “ יָה ” ( YAH ) found in the Hebrew Bible? The primary reason עִמָּנוּאֵל is singled out by Christians as having messianic significance is that, unlike the case is with the other biblical names that include one of God’s titles, עִמָּנוּאֵל is part of a (mistranslated) passage, a so- called “proof text” that is referenced in the New Testament. Conclusion: As the prophet Isaiah himself stated in Isaiah 8:18, he and his children were signs given to Israel, so that hearing the names, or seeing the persons with those names, would bring to mind their significance and direct attention to their prophetic message. The contemporaneous fulfillment of these prophetic messages, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible, testify to the fact that they are not messianic prophecies.