The immanence of God in nature is implied in Jn 3* 4=^ 11^. His immanence in man is suggested in l^"''' 8'- 14". Here God, in some active way, is operative in nature and in the soul of man as its Divine light.
But it is in Jesus Christ that the Fourth Gospel finds the immanence of God in a special manner. For this see l'"" S^ 7^ 8^« 1(P 12'^ «• =o 1332 1411. 18. 26 1523 1627. 28 yji. 21. 23. In several of these passages the term \byos is used concerning Jesus Christ. In this term the idea of immanence is involved ; but as this topic is fully treated in art. Logos it need not be discussed at length here. Suffice it to say that Jesus Christ, as the eternal Logos, is re- garded by many as the Divine principle by whose agency the operative intelligence of God is mani- fested and made effective in the entire universe. Care is needed here not to give too much of the colour of the Alexandrian philosophy to the teach- ing of the Fourth Gospel upon this point.
This Gospel also lays stress upon the fact that God is immanent in believers, as the subjects of HU spiritual Kmgdom. See Z^ 4» 6=^ 7"-^ 11-^ lo'-^" 178. 23. 21 Jn passages like these the fact is presented that there is such a union with, and participation in, Christ on the part of believers, that He is said to be the source of a spiritual life which is Divine. In a deep mystical sense God may be regarded as immanent in believers by virtue of this union, and their partaking of the Divine natm-e thereby.
As against Deism, tlie Gospels very plainly teach that God is in constant and vital contact with the universe. As against Pantheism, they also teach that God is vaster than the universe, and is in
i way conditioned by it. Hence they present a
the immanence and transcendence of God in the relations which He sustains to the universe. It may be added that the fact of this immanent and transcendent relation, rather than the mode of it, is set forth in the Gospels. The Epistles expand some of these things (cf. Ro 1™ 5= 8", 1 Co P" 2'" 6'" 8«, Gal I's 4", Eph &", Ph. 2'=, Col 1", He P 2>\ 1 Jn 3r* 4I' ; see also St. Paul in Ac 17"- =*).
IMMANUEL ('EiiixavomiK) occurs once only in the NT (Mt I'-", in the quotation from Is 7" where the name is ^iven in the form Vxii^y). It is necessary, first of all, to examine the oririnal prophecy before discussing the Evangelist's application of it to Jesus.
1. The circumstances which led to the prediction were as follows. Probably under the influence of a wish to force Judah into a coalition against Assyria, an attack was made on the southern king- dom by Syria and Ephraim about 735-734 (Is 7'"-)- The attack was specially directed against the Davidic dynasty, and it was the object of the allies to dethrone Ahaz and set the son of Tabeel in his place (v."). The invasion filled Aliaz with panic, and he resolved to call in the aid of Tiglath-pUeser, the king of Assyria (2 K 16""- )• Between the gieat Empire of Assyria and the petty State of Judah there could be no talk of equal alliance, Judah ' must forfeit its independence and become a vassal of As.syria. This involved hea^'y taxation and the loss of all power of independent action. Taxation ]
would only aggravate the social misery and ruth- less oppression from which the poor were suttering, and make it more difficult than ever to carry through those social reforms which the prophets regarded as most necessary. Accordingly, Isaiah vehemently opposed the king's project. He made light of the danger from Syria and Ephraim, and stigmatized the allies as fag-ends of smoking tire- brands, which might cause considerable annoyance, but had lost all power for serious mischief. He bade Ahaz be quiet and fearless, assuring liim that God would frustrate the designs of his foes (Is 7''*), but warning him that his stability depended on his faith (v."). Possibly our present text is somewhat abbreviated, but at any rate Isaiah, either on that or possibly another occasion, otlered him a sign in confirmation of his assurance, placing the universe from Shuol tu Hf,i\en at Iiis disposal. Ahaz refused, since li.' h.i.l .ili.ady made up his mind, but pretendt-il iliat lii~ unwillingness was prompted by rehictame tu tiinpt God. The pro- phet passionately cries out against the conduct which, not content with wearjing men, goes on to weary God. Then he proceeds to give the king a sign from God Himself, namelj', the sign of Im- nianuel (v. ""■•).
The translation of the Hebrew is itself somewhat uncertain. It may now be taken for granted that the word nc^a translated ' virgin ' in the EV should be more correctly rendered 'young woman.' The proper Heb. term for ' virgin ' is n^ina, though even this is used in Jl 1* for 'young widow.' All that can with certamty be said of the word used by Isaiah is that it indicates a young woman of marria- geable age, but says nothing as to whether she is married or not. Accordingly the terms of the pro- phecy do not warrant us in interpreting the sign as the prodigy of a virgin conception. The natural interpretation to put on the prophecy is that a young woman, either married at the time or soon to be married, would give birth to a son and call liini by this name. It is also uncertain whether we should translate with RV ' shall conceive ' or with RVm ' is with child.' The former is, however, per- haps the more probable. The third question is whether we should translate ' a virgin ' or ' the virgin.' The Hebrew has the artic-le, which is correctly rendered ' the xdrgin,' in which case some definite person is in the prophet's mind. But Hebrew idiom often uses the definite article where in English we should translate indefinitely, so that ' a virgin ' is equally correct as a rendering of the