When reading Isaiah it is easy to consider it written in the time of the author. The literary style alone, "on that day" sets us up in the present/future tense. Through chapter 7, knowing the geo-political stage provided by Collins, I get the impression that Isaiah is following the prophetic tradition of speaking truth to power; "If you do not stand firm in faith you shall not stand at all" (7:9b). I agree with Collins' suggestion that the child predicted is more likely the child of Ahaz to ensure confidence in the survival of the line. This is much more in line with the general geo-political theme of Isaiah and is exactly what needs to be heard while resettling .