The prophet Isaiah gave us a name for the coming Messiah. He was the only one in scripture to use this name, and he only used it twice. It is the name, "Immanuel", and means "God with us". The name's meaning goes even deeper than that simple interpretation, as we will see.
Enemies came up against Jerusalem. Rezin (firm, stable, pleasure, delight, self-will, goodwill), king of Syria had joined with the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, named Pekah (open the eyes), to plan the attack. These kings even planned to replace the weak king of Judah, Ahaz, with a man who was the son of Tabeal (God is good, pleasing to God, to be better). Sounds good, right? But their plans were not God's plans. The names of the kings are interesting in this account. Scripture uses the term "open the eyes" to describe two kinds of events. In the first, Satan is beguiling Eve to eat of the fruit of a forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He assures her "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil." Not only did Eve eat, but Adam did as well. "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." (Gen. 3:5, 7)
Adam and Eve were drawn to a way to open their own eyes, with their own strength and self-determination. As a result, they saw only the natural circumstances, and self. Seeing these things, they tried to make for themselves their own feeble natural coverings, which can never substitute for the omnipresent covering of the Almighty. They also determined to hide themselves from God.
The other way for the eyes to be opened, is if God opens them (Gen, 21:19, Num. 22:31, 2 Ki. 6:17-20, and many more). When God opens your eyes, you see saving truth. You see beyond the natural circumstances, and into the greater spiritual reality.
In this case, we may be able to say that the king of Israel, Pekah, chose to open his own eyes, and saw the king of Syria as pleasing, firm, and stable, and therefore joined with him against Jerusalem, and assured himself that by so doing, Judah would end up with a better king. The king of Judah, Ahaz (to be caught, to be affrighted), was not a spiritually strong man, and he was involved in idolatry. The prophet Isaiah goes before King Ahaz to inform him of the approaching danger, and to give him a promise from the LORD. The LORD promised that the attacking kings' plans would not stand, and would not come to pass (Isa. 7:7, 8:8-10). However, Isaiah warns Ahaz, "If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established." Because the defeat of the attacking kings hinges on Ahaz' belief of the prophetic promise, Isaiah tells Ahaz to seek a confirming sign from the LORD, no matter how large or difficult, but Ahaz refuses to do so, perhaps in some religious self-righteousness, but really in fear, as his name implies. Isaiah, fed up with such reticence, prophesies the sign himself. However, Isaiah isn't just dealing with one king. What happens to this king, even though he is a weakling, will affect God's elected Messianic bloodline that God has chosen from out of David, by His own covenant promise. So Isaiah prophesies in this manner: "Hear now, O house of David!..." (Isa. 7:13). Isaiah reaffirms the Messianic promise to David as the sign:
"Therefore, the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isa. 7:14
God also warns the prophet Isaiah that the prophet was not to conform to the ways and ideas of the people, but should remain faithful to the revelation of Immanuel (Isa. 8:11-12).
This prophesied child, Immanuel: God with us, will eat "curds (intoxicating power, to join, a wall of protection, even double walls) and honey (stickiness, gumminess)", and "shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good". The stickiness of the honey is like the power that will join God to men. Through Immanuel, He will be joined to them in power, and be double walls of defense around them.
The meaning of the word "Immanuel" itself, comes from el, God as the ram of sacrifice, even whose very skins are used to cover the tabernacle, and im and amam meaning "with, among, near, communion, together, at the same time, join together, gather together, to overshadow, to shut, to hide, to conceal".
Jesus revealed Himself as "Immanuel" several times:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks (brood) under her wings, but you were not willing!" Mt. 23:37, Lk. 13:34
"...that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one...Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am...the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
Jn. 17:21-26 (excerpt)
All of these words of Jesus reveal His identity as Immanuel. In the Concordance, the commentator likens the concept of the word "Immanuel" with the German word, "zusammen". Zusammen literally means "to the same", usually translated as "all together".
What does Immanuel mean to all of us today? It is in the idea that God is not only "with us", but He has made us a part of Himself through Messiah, Christ. He has placed us together with Him, in Him. Where we are weak, He is strong. Where we are poor, He is rich. Where death has claimed a hold on us, He is the overcoming life, and so forth. Paul also stressed our inseparability with Christ (Rom. 6:5, Eph. 2:5-6, 1 Thess. 5:10). All of this is the manifestation of Immanuel. And so we are also therefore joined together with each other as Paul taught (1 Cor. 1:10, 5:4, Eph. 1:10, 2:22).
To me, personally, Immanuel has special meaning. Several years ago, I had a serious illness, and required surgery. In the world's "open eyes", the odds were against me. As I awoke from the surgery, I could only think and say aloud repeatedly one phrase, "Immanuel, God with me". Those who were there probably thought the drugs had dulled my mind, but the Lord set my identity with His, and placed that confession in my mouth, before I could even "reason" it out, or decide it myself. And I am healed.
Let the same belief and confession of Immanuel also be in your heart and mouth.
Our Father has sent Immanuel, God with us.
Excerpt From Charles Spurgeon's Sermon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc9Z43YPF-Q
"Jesus, Name Above All Names"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEBAHFFJdW8
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCDvc4G7EgI
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