Meaning ‘God with us’, the name ‘Immanuel’ was given at first to a child born in the time of Ahaz, king of Judah (735-716 BC). The birth and naming of the child was a sign of assurance to the king and his people that God was with them to protect them during an enemy attack (Isaiah 7:10-16; see AHAZ).
The promise given to Ahaz was quoted in the New Testament by Matthew in relation to the birth of Jesus Christ. The virgin Mary also would conceive and give birth to a son named Immanuel, but in this case ‘God with us’ meant much more. In Jesus Christ, God actually came and lived as a man among the inhabitants of earth (Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:14). (For fuller discussion see VIRGIN.)
The "bridge" element in the title reflects the aim of all Bridgeway books, which is to bridge two gaps at once - the gap between the word of the Bible and the world of today, and the gap between the technical reference works and the ordinary reader.Wikipedia
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