Isaiah 7:14 — "Virgin or Young Woman"

The Church of the Nazarene affirms Isaiah 7:14 as a messianic prophecy of the virgin birth. The Nazarene theology interprets almah in this context as referring to a virgin, and understands the passage as prophetic of Jesus's conception and birth through Mary without a human father.

The Nazarene reading connects Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:22-23, where Matthew explicitly cites this prophecy in relation to Jesus's birth. This prophecy-fulfillment reading is important to Nazarene Christology and underscores the supernatural character of the Incarnation. The virgin birth is understood as a sign of God's redemptive action in Christ.