Isaiah 7:14 — "Virgin or Young Woman"

The Reformed Church in America affirms the traditional reading of Isaiah 7:14 as a prophecy of the Messiah's virgin birth. The passage is understood as a sign (אוֹת) from God: a young woman (or virgin) will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel ('God with us'). This Messianic prophecy was fulfilled in the incarnation of Jesus through Mary's virginal conception.

The RCA's confessional tradition (Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism) affirms the virgin birth as essential to Christian faith and the doctrine of Christ's incarnation. The miraculous nature of the birth testifies to God's redemptive sovereignty and Christ's unique nature as both fully human and fully divine. This interpretation maintains continuity with medieval and Reformation theology.