Thank you for your reply, but do we really need to refer to the opinions of those who rejected their MessIah (and still do) and who have formulated their rehearsed excuses to deny that this prophet spoke of the coming of Jesus Christ, (Immanuel) whom Isaiah also spoke of?
So who was “Immanuel” In the Jewish understanding? It’s not just the name, but the meaning of the Bible names that is important.
Immanuel
Does the evidence really fit Hezekiah? Should the Jewish explanation be accepted without question, since they have proven time and time again in their history to have disobeyed the God they claim to serve and lied about their accountability for the death of their Messiah?
I have to ask how it was possible to attribute the fulfillment of this prophecy as pertaining to Hezekiah when he certainly did not prove to be a “Mighty God,” an “Eternal Father,” or a “Prince of Peace,” nor did he establish the “throne of David” firmly, or sit on it,
forever.
Why was Israel in such a poor state before Hezekiah’s reign began?
”When Hezekiah came to the throne, the kingdom of Judah was under God’s disfavor, for Hezekiah’s father Ahaz had committed many detestable acts before Jehovah and had let the worship of false gods run unrestrained in Judah. Therefore, Jehovah had permitted the land to suffer at the hands of its enemies, particularly the second world power, Assyria. Ahaz had stripped the temple and the palace to provide a bribe for the king of Assyria. Worse yet, he had cut up the utensils of the temple, closed its doors, and made altars for himself “at every corner in Jerusalem,” sacrificing to other gods. Ahaz, by an alliance, had placed his kingdom under the protection of the king of Assyria during his reign. (
2Ki 16:7-9; 2Ch 28:24, 25) But Hezekiah, early in his reign, “proceeded to rebel against the king of Assyria.”—
2Ki 18:7.
At Hezekiah’s accession to the throne of Judah, the northern ten-tribe kingdom of Israel was in even worse condition. For Israel’s gross sins Jehovah had allowed them to come into dire straits, becoming tributary to Assyria, and it would not be long until Assyria would swallow up Israel and carry her people into exile.—
2Ki 17:5-23.”
Exerpt from Insight Volume 1 Hezekiah
The prophesy refers to someone much bigger than Hezekiah ever was…..the Jews will continue to deny Jesus as the Messiah until he comes, and then they will no longer be able to hold on to their delusions about him…..(Matt 23:37-39)
Speaking to Jews today, we see the same vehemence in their attitude as was expressed by them when Jesus walked the earth, and the animosity stirred up against him was at its peak. That animosity has not diminished, but nor has it stopped individual Jews from converting to ‘Christianity’…..the real position of the Jews who do so however, is revealed in what they call themselves……they do not identify as “Christians”….always as Jews, (Messianic Jews) so where does that leave gentile converts?
There is so much more to these issues than meets the eye, but motive must be considered.
Can I ask what real difference it makes to attribute Isaiah’s prophesy to Hezekiah in the big picture anyway?
It is denial for the sake of denial….isn’t it? Just another Jewish excuse to deny their Messiah has come and gone without them….they missed all his wonderful attributes because of their own wickedness. (Matt 23:13-15; 33)