braham" (_Matt. 1_), and then goes on to name
fourteen generations from Abraham to David; fourteen generations from
David to the days of the carrying away into Babylon; and fourteen
generations from the Babylonian days until the birth of Jesus. The
critics call attention to this _recital of Jesus's descent, through
Joseph, from the House of David_, which is but one of the many
indications that the original Matthew inclined quite strongly to the
view that Jesus was the Hebrew Messiah, come to reign upon the throne
of David, rather than a Divine Avatar or Incarnation.

The critics point to the fact that _if Joseph were not the real father
of Jesus, where would be the sense and purpose of proving his descent
from David through Joseph?_ It is pertinently asked, _"Why the
necessity or purpose of the recital of Joseph's genealogy, as applied
to Jesus, if indeed Jesus were not truly the son of Joseph_?" The
explanation of the critics is that the earlier writings of Matthew
contained nothing regarding the Virgin Birth, Matthew having heard
nothing of this pagan legend, and that naturally he gave the genealogy
of Jesus from David and Abraham. If one omits the verses 18-25 from
Matthew's Gospel, he will see the logical relation of the genealogy to
the rest of the account--otherwise it is paradoxical, contradictory
and ridiculous, and shows the joints and seams where it has been
fitted into the older account.

"But," you may ask, "what of the Messianic Prophecy mentioned by
Matthew (1:23)? Surely this is a direct reference to the prophecy of
Isaiah 7:14." Let us examine this so-called "prophecy," of which so
much has been said and see just what reference it has to the birth of
Jesus.

Turning back to Isaiah 7, we find these words, just a little before
the "prophecy":

"Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a
sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in
the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither
will I tempt the Lord. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of
David; is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye
weary my God also?" (_Isaiah 6:13._)

Then comes the "prophecy": "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you
a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call
his name Immanuel." This is the "prophecy" quoted by the writer of the
Gospel of Matthew, and which has been quoted for centuries in
Christian churches, as a fore