As I read the text of Isaiah 7, I notice that Isaiah is not acting as the first-person narrator in the story. For example, verse three says, “Then the LORD said to Isaiah…” This indicates that Isaiah is not likely the person telling the story in this chapter. A similar narration is found again in verse thirteen when the narrator says, “Then Isaiah said….” If Isaiah were actually the person telling the story, Isaiah might use words that are found in Isaiah 8:1, “Then the LORD said to me.” Briefly browsing chapters 6 and 8, a reader easily finds an indication that Isaiah is speaking in the first-person narration through words such as “me” and “I.” This is not found in chapter 7.
Another indication of Isaiah 7 being written outside of the time of First Isaiah is found in the second half of verse eight. A parenthetical phrase mentions the fall of Ephraim and its people in the future. The way the words are written indicates that the narrator is looking back on this event and providing more information only known to someone in the future. If this is true, chapter seven as a narrative stands outside of the events of First Isaiah.