is addressed to the “house of David.” Who is the house of David in Matthews time?
If, by the “house of David,” the prophecy referred to the whole people of Israel, then the house of David in Matthew’s time was the Jews. If it meant the royal family, it is unclear who that would be in Matthew’s time, in any widely recognized way. The Davidic throne had been empty for hundreds of years by that time, though doubtless many still hoped for a return of the Davidic Kingdom. • What does Matthew establish with the genealogy of Matt. 1:1-17? Perhaps this answers the question of who was the house of David in Matthew’s time. The genealogy establishes Jesus’ legal standing as an heir of David and a legitimate contender for a reconstituted throne. • No one ever calls Jesus “Immanuel” in the New Testament. Is this a problem? Interesting question, since we are examining prophecy. Three possibilities exist: (1) some called Him Immanuel, but that fact was not recorded in the Gospels; (2) he was not called Immanuel then but will be in the future (and is now); or (3) He was called (or
