Temple 201-The Ceremonies (Birth of Yeshua at Sukkot)-Part 46

In Isa 7.15-25, we find out that before the boy is old enough to know to refuse evil and choose good, the two kingdoms coming against Ahaz will be defeated. The Lord will call for Assyria to come against them. In Isa 8.1-4 it says that Isaiah “approached” the prophetess (his young wife) and she conceives and gives birth to a son they call Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “swift the booty, speedy the prey” and he was also known as Immanuel. Isa 8.5-8 then goes on to describe how the Assyrians will come in and defeat the enemies of Ahaz. So, what we have is this. According to Isa 7.14, a child will be born, a son. Isaiah will be the father and his wife is the mother and the son will be Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Before he is old enough to talk, the problem with Ephraim and Syria would be handled by Assyria (Isa 8.1-8).

Was the wife of Isaiah a virgin? No, but she was a young maiden, the first fulfillment of Isa 7.14. English translations use “virgin” to promote the idea of the virgin. In the LXX (Septuagint) it does the same thing and uses the Greek word “parthenos” meaning virgin, and then English translations use it from there. Now, the LXX was written hundreds of years before Yeshua, so we know that “virgin” is a valid translation. But “almah” can mean virgin or young woman, and that is what is used in Isa 7.14. The second fulfillment will be through a virgin, and that will be the birth of Yeshua. In other words, Isa 7.14 uses the word “almah” in Hebrew. Almah can mean “virgin” or “young woman” and in the case of Isaiah and the prophecy of his son, almah refers to his wife, a young woman. In the case of Yeshua, it will refer to Miriam being a virgin. That is why the Hebrew word for “virgin only” was not used because this verse will have numerous fulfillment’s. It is essential that we have a virgin birth with Yeshua if we are to deal with the curse of Coniah in Jer 22. So, the Tanach used the proper word “almah” in Isa 7.14.

If the curse of Coniah is in effect, there can’t be a king, hence the Messiah, produced from the line of the king’s descended through Solomon to Coniah. Now, that brings us to the two genealogies in the gospels. There is one in Matthew and another in Luke. The genealogy in Matthew is that of the kings and the genealogy of Yeshua’s step-father Joseph, the legal father of Yeshua. The genealogy in Luke is the genealogy of his mother Miriam. Matt 1.1-17 gives us the genealogy of Joseph and the genealogy of the kings. It also tells us that Jeconiah, even though he was written down as childless, had children and grandchildren. So, what does it mean in Jer 22.30 by “childless?” It doesn’t mean he wasn’t going to have children, but it will be as though he didn’t have children because none of them would reign as king.

So, let’s look at the genealogy of Miriam. First of all, look at the names in her genealogy. Many of the names there are priestly names, like Eli, Mattat, Mattathias and Eliezar for instance (Luke 3.23-29). In Luke 3.31 we see “Nathan, the son of David” not Solomon. This genealogy is the same as the one in Matthew from Abraham to David, but from there in Luke it stems from Nathan to Miriam. In the first century, a woman’s genealogy can be represented by the name of her husband. It is obvious that Miriam descended from David through Nathan. It is also obvious that Miriam is also descended from Aaron and is tied to the priesthood because of the names in her genealogy, and remember, Miriam was a relative of Elisheva, a descendant of Aaron (Luke 1.36). Why is there a need to give us the genealogy of Miriam unless the curse of Coniah was still a factor? The curse of Coniah would make it an impossible situation without the virgin birth. The Messiah must have the right to the throne through Solomon and he must come from the flesh of David.
Judaism says that the curse of Coniah was lifted, but if that is true, why do we need a virgin birth?

Earlier, we made a point of the question as to why the angel apparently sent Miriam to the house of Zechariah. Secondly, how could a young woman establish the fact that she was a virgin, and yet pregnant? Who would she need to establish this to? Where could she go to do it? In Part 47, we will discuss the fact that there was a ceremony in the Temple for Miriam to establish the fact that she was a virgin.

Posted in Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, The Temple, Tying into the New Testament

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