`Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we

should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah'

(Isa. 1:9).

The word here is the Hebrew sarid, derived according to Gesenius from a

word that means to flee, or escape, and is found in Joshua 10:20.  It is this

same word that we find in Joel 2:32, a passage that was partly fulfilled at

Pentecost, and quoted by Peter in Acts 2.  This association of the remnant

with Pentecost illuminates the basic intention of the Prophets -- for

Pentecost was a `first-fruits' harvest, an early anticipation of the greater

ingathering at the end of the age.  This anticipatory character of the

remnant is found in Romans 9 to 11, to which we will turn presently.  The

other word shear is found both as a verb and a noun in Isaiah, `He that is

left in Zion' (Isa. 4:3), being its first occurrence.  The prophet not only

saw visions, but his children bore prophetic names.  One, `Shear-jashub'

(Isa. 7:3) means `The remnant shall return', a sign and a promise that will

be as surely fulfilled as was the greater sign and greater prophecy of the

same chapter, namely, that of `Immanuel' (Isa. 7:14).

The subject matter of Isaiah 7 to 12 falls into three sections:

Virgin's  Son.

Immanuel (Isa. 7:1 to 9:7).

Remnant  Shall  Return  (Isa. 9:8 to 10:34).

Root  and  Offspring  of  David  (Isa. 11 and 12).

For our present purpose, we must pass by a great deal of detail, but we

believe the accompanying structures will be of service in drawing attention

to the outstanding features of each section.

In the first of these sections (Isa. 7:1 to 9:7) we are struck by the

recurrence of the children who are said to be given for `signs', and with the

importance of the typical meaning of their names.

Shear-Jashub -- `The remnant shall return' (Isa. 7:3).

Immanuel -- `God with us' (7:14).

Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz -- `Haste, spoil, speed, prey' (8:1-4).

In addition we have the words of the prophet concerning himself and his

`Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs

and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts, which dwelleth in

mount Zion' (Isa. 8:18).

And then finally, in chapter 9, we have the glorious prophecy that sums

up all these signs:

`For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the

government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called

Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The

Prince of Peace' (Isa. 9:6).

Intertwined with these wonderful signs, we have references to the

political atmosphere of the times, driving the people, because of unbelief,