Category Archives: Christ

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 9 of 12

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The Jews reject their own Messiah

“1 Now you shall gather yourself in troops,
Daughter of troops.
He has laid siege against us;
They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.”
Mic 5:1

It almost pictures it as part of the siege against the true Zion of God.

And maybe it is. You know it was clearly forecast that the Jews would stumble over the Christ, over the Lord, Yahweh Himself, as discussed in the previous post of this series.

Is this King Zedekiah of 2Kings who is being struck?
Why or why not?

Some commentators say so.Perhaps such happened, but it must be said that there is no record of such. Additionally King Zedekiah was NOT really a “judge” of “Israel.” At best he was a Babylonian puppet king over a greatly diminished Judah.

Also Jesus is the true judge of Israel

“For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
2Cor 5:10

And that is the way Jesus pictures Himself in Matthew 25 and in many of His parables.

Of course the Messiah was to be struck

“… he was cut off out of the land of the living for the disobedience of my people to whom the stroke was due?”
Isa 53:8

And again,

“Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him …”
Isa 53:10

And the Messiah was struck

“29 They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.”
Mtt 27:29-30

Some would argue that the ruler of Israel was to be struck on the check by a rod, not a reed, as in the World English Bible quoted above, and also in perhaps most English Bibles, in keeping with traditions in translations. The Hebrew word used in Mic 5:1 is shevet, and it is a word used for a rod or a club or a staff/scepter such as kings used.

The word “reed” used in the Gospels for striking Jesus is kalamos, and is word used in the New Testament of both “reeds” and pens made of reeds, but it is also of a measuring rod in Rev 11:1, and Rev 21:15-16. Here it could be also be translated as either a “rod” of a “staff.” The New American Standard Version, 95 ed., says in footnote “Or staff, i.e. to mimic a king’s scepter.” The NIV does translate it as “staff.” “The New English Translation also translates it as a staff, and their footnote refers to the standard New Testament Greek lexicon.

So Mic 5:1 clearly can be taken of Jesus.

I think Jesus is the ruler of Israel who is struck on the cheek with a rod in Mic 5:1, and He indeed is the true judge of Israel, and of you and me.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 8 of 12

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Now the nationS gather aginst Israel in Micah 4, she defeated them, and took their profits, and dedicated them to the Lord God of Glory. Remember it said,

This distress in which most of the Jews perish, and those left both win the conflict and turn to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth as the true Messiah of Israel, is within history! This is discussed in detail in Jewish Chronicles., to be released in the fall of 2020.

“Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion;
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hoofs brass;
And you will beat in pieces many peoples:
And I will devote their gain to Yahweh,
And their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.”
Mic 4:13

But there are evidently TWO giant assemblies of the nationS against BOTH the Jews and Christians, that are discussed in Scripture.

One of these is the great distress of the Jews in which they turn to the Lord as a group, Deut 4:30, Deut 30:6, Zech 10:11-12, and so on. This time evidently also includes a major assault on Christianity world-wide. This happens within history, and seems to be the assault described in Micah 4.

The second great assembly of the nationS against both the Jews and all Christians is, of course, at the end of this universe, as described in the Gospels, and Revelation 20, and all through the Old Testament. It is addressed in all three of my books on prophecy and especially in Revealing the Christian Age.

But first comes the rejection of their own Messiah by the Jews,
AS FORETOLD IN SCRIPTURE!

It is a broad subject in Scripture. Isaiah says, speaking of the Lord,

“14 He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 Many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.”
Isa 8:14-15

Certainly that is exactly what has happened over the last two thousand years.

Now you can say that this is just about Yahweh, the Lord God Himself, but it is in the grand context of the Messiah, all the way from being born of virgin in Isaiah 7, to again speaking of the Messiah’s birth as a “child” in Isaiah 9, and saying of this “child,”

“… and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ”
Isa 9.6

The son, the child is called Mighty God, and Everlasting Father! The child … even in the Old Testament … is clearly God. As the apostle John put it,

“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.”
Jn 1:1-5

And again,

“10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.”
Jn 1:10-11

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 7 of 12

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Micah does say the former dominion given to Zion/Judah, will be restored.

“You, tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come,
Yes, the former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
Mich 4:8.

This also is something else which clearly has not happened yet.

Then it urges the daughter of Zion to be in pain as child birth, Mic 4:9-10

It reminds me of Revelation 12.

“She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.”
Rev 12:2

It is as if what he says is dealing with that new kingdom coming into being, and that is indeed the case. The Jews are pictured as coming to Babylon in the end of Mic 4:10

“For now you will go forth out of the city,
And will dwell in the field,
And will come even to Babylon.
There you will be rescued.
There Yahweh will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.”
Mic 4:10c-g

And that is what happened, and they returned the first time in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. This fits the Old Testament history which we know. Notice this is NOT a strict chronological treatment, for being rescued from Babylon obviously had to happen first.

But then it pictures “many nations” gathering against “Zion,” Mic 4:11

that too is a subject of many prophecies, but it is by no means clear that this has happened to either literal Zion or Spiritual Zion. This is major subject in Psalm 2, Ezekiel chapters 37 to 39, and Zechariah chapters 12 to 14. It appears that there will be two great periods in history when “all the nations” oppose both Christianity and the Jews. This is discussed in detail in my coming book “Jewish Chronicles.”It is also discussed in “Revealing the Christian Age,” and to a lesser extent in “Prophecy Principles.”

The enemies of God do not realize that God is the one who has gathered these nations against Zion.

“But they don’t know the thoughts of Yahweh,
Neither do they understand his counsel;
For he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.”
Mic 4:12

And why do these things not fit the Assyrian,
or Babylonian or Roman invasions?

But gather them God will, and daughter of Zion will thresh them, Mic 4:13. God will make Zion’s horns to be of iron, and her hoofs of brass. Now tiny Judah did have some successes against the Greek Seleucid kings of Syria in the second century BC. But this pictures the Jews threshing “many peoples,” and then taking their property, which has never happened to date!

“Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion;
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hoofs brass;
And you will beat in pieces many peoples:
And I will devote their gain to Yahweh,
And their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.”
Mich 4:13

No. This has NOT happened, YET.

We will come back to this later.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 6 of 12

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We are pressing on in our review of Micah to see what he has to say about Bethlehem.

Now Israel is going through bad times, morally,
politically, and internationally.

Micah is protesting all this wickedness in his prophecies, and he has said early that these things will cause Judah and Israel to be destroyed. Then he points out in Mic 4:1-2 that what seems to be a new law (and it was) going forth from Jerusalem. It did in the first century of the Christian age. Then he says that this will lead to end of all wars (but that is really only in the world to come). Then he drops back to talk about what will yet happen to Israel and Judah.

So how will these things turn out for a
Judah and an Israel that is to be
destroyed because
of their sins?

Vivid pictures of a future peace and prosperity are in Micah 4:4. Then it goes on to say that God says,

“6 “In that day,” says Yahweh,
“I will assemble that which is lame,
And I will gather that which is driven away,
And that which I have afflicted;
7 And I will make that which was lame a remnant,
And that which was cast far off a strong nation:
And Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. ”
Mic 4:6-7

Micah foretold the destruction of both Israel and Judah in Mic 1:6-9. Here then Micah says God will take some of the survivors, the lame, those who have been driven away, those God has afflicted and cast off, and make them a strong nation! Then it says Yahweh Himself will reign over them “even forever.”

Now it is clearly said in more than one prophecy that Jesus will reign forever over Jacob/Israel/Judah.

“33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his kingdom.””
Lk1:33

Without discussing all of the issues of both Jerusalem below and Jerusalem above, it is easy to see thatl a few survivors did come back from the destructions around 586 BC, and we see the survivors in the Bible books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and Haggi and Zechariah and Malachi.

But there are problems here.

This second regathering is a subject dealt with in detail in Fain’s new book, Jewish Chronicles, due for release in the fall of 2020.

You see they never became a really mighty nation with Yahweh Himself ruling over them. Shall we record this as a failed prophecy? Many would and do. Even so, Jesus says, Scripture cannot be broken, Jn 10:35.

So Micah pictures some Jewish survivors of catastrophe that are lame and weak and dispersed, whom God rescues and makes into a nation and reigns over them forever! And it has’t happened yet, so it has to happen.

Zechariah, who was with the survivors in Ezra and Nehemiah, says there will be a second dispersal of the Jews (which clearly happened in 70 AD), and a second regathering Israel, Zech 10:9-10. Also Isaiah, speaking before the first regathering, speaks of a second regathering, Isa 11:1.

So this gathering of the lame and the afflicted, and making them
a “strong nation,” is yet to come.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 5 of 12

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Please excuse this small aside on some
basics about prophecy.

Time after time we see the prophets turn from the immediate thing they are forecasting, to the end of all things. An excellent example can be seen in Hebrews chapter one.

“10 And, “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth.
The heavens are the works of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you continue.
They all will grow old like a garment does.
12 As a mantle you will roll them up,
And they will be changed;
But you are the same.
Your years will not fail.””
Heb 1:10-12

In Hebrew one the author is comparing the role of angels and the role of the Son, Jesus the Christ. In Heb 1:8-9 it quotes Psalm 45 “of the Son,” and then in verse 10 he says, “And,” and then quotes Psa 102:25-27 in verses 10-12 as seen above.

Now what does Heb 1:10-12 say?

Well, in the beginning (how far back is that?) God created the heavens and the earth. Then he points out in verse 11 that the heavens and the earth will grow old, and then in verse 12 the author says the heavens and earth will be rolled up and put away like an old coat that is worn out! Well! That clearly has not happened yet! So how much time is between Heb 1:10 and Heb 1:12? I honestly have no idea, but it is a great deal of time in human terms. Still there is no indication of the passage of time, except perhaps the assumption of time for the heavens and the earth to grow old!

Unfulfilled prophecies

Even so, notice clearly that Heb 1:12 is talking about the end of this present world! As we have noted, that has NOT happened yet. So here is an unfulfilled prophecy in the New Testament, and that is a quoted from Psa 102:26 and that is clearly an unfulfilled prophecy from the Old Testament.

And what does the author of Hebrews
do next?

He goes right back to discussing how things are setup in this world at this present time.

“But of which of the angels has he said at any time,
“Sit at my right hand,
Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?””
Heb 1:13

But wait a minute! That was the end of
the world in Heb 1:12!

Right! And then he goes right back to talking about the present in verses 13 and 14, and all the rest of the book of Hebrews. At times he comes back to the subject of the end of the world again, for instance in Heb 12:26-29.

And so do ALL the prophets!

They will talk about the subject at hand, as Mic 4:2 talks about the coming of the gospel, then relates how all of these things will turn out, as when Jesus makes all wars cease, as Micah 4:3, and later talk about other things which must happen before the end.

This is a consistent pattern in prophecy, and you should expect it.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 4 of 12

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Micah says they should cry and plead and repent

He says it will go badly for those who plot wicked schemes, especially in those final times when Yahweh will call all of us to account. In chapter 3 Micah is rebuking the rulers and all of the false prophets

Will all of this end in nothing but disaster? Starting in chapter 4, Micah says no, and that will lead to our verses about Bethlehem. The immediate context starts in Micah 4 with a description of the coming of the gospel.

“But in the latter days, It will happen …” Mic 4:1
Good Things Are Coming!

That is according to this ancient prophet Micah, and his contemporary Isaiah. Isa 2:2-3 and Mic 4:1-2 are just about the same. Compare them for yourself in almost any translation. However it does says that despite all of the horrors of their times that,

“1 But in the latter days,
It will happen that the mountain of Yahweh’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains,
And it will be exalted above the hills;
And peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will go and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh,
And to the house of the God of Jacob;
And he will teach us of his ways,
And we will walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion will go forth the law,
And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem;”
Micah 4:1-2

Now the Mountain of the Lord’s House
is an important subject.

It was pointed out in the posts on mountains in September of 2019 that mountains continually carried religious significance in themselves. “Mountains for Places of Worship,” “Mountains a Blessing, Mountains a Snare.” Lastly “God’s Mountain Will Rule ALL,” which is what Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 deal with.

It does say that “out of Zion will go forth the law,” at the end of verse two. The gospel was preached first on Mount Zion in Peter’s sermon to the worshippers in Acts 2. In this way “the law of Christ” (1Cor 9:21, Gal 6:2) began going forth. And nations have streamed to this glory, and are still doing so.

Then it goes well beyond anything that
has happened so far.

In Mic 4:3 it says the Messiah will judge between many peoples. And then it says

“Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
Neither will they learn war any more.”
Mic 4:3d-e

This has NEVER happened, either spiritually or physically. Wars are still going on, both physical and spiritual, and we are to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:13) and wage the good warfare (2Cor 10:4). Jesus says not a single letter of this can fail, Mtt 5:18. But this WILL happen. How much time is between Mic 4:2 and Mic 4:3. We do not know.

Then notice how prophecy works

It relates the immediate thing of which the prophet speaks, to the end, the objective, of all things. We will look at a very easy to understand example of this in Part 5.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 3 of 12

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But to get to Mic 5:2, and to see how we should have understood from that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, first we need to get our bearings in the book of Micah the prophet. First of course would be to see what the prophet says of himself.

“The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.”
Mic 1:1

So here we see the grand subject matter of the prophet. Jothham’s reign started around 750 BC and Hezekiah’s reign ended around 686 BC, so we can see the range of years in which included Micah prophesying. You can read of those kings in the books of Kings and Chronicles, and so get some historical background on conditions in those days. This would make Micah and Isaiah contemporaries of each other, and some of the verses in Isaiah chapter two and Micah four overlap each other, but we do not know how this happened.

These were turbulent times in Israel and Judah.

Crime and idolatry and unfaithfulness to the Lord were rampant in those days, and neither most of the rulers or the people were close to really repenting.

The first three chapters of Micah prophesy the destruction of both the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah, because of their bloodshed and idolatry and other sins.

In Mich 1:2-4 talks about the coming day of the Lord, when Yahweh will come out of His place and bring an end to this world. Some brush this aside as poetry which is irrelevant to us, but they SHOULD NOT! Almost always, the immediate things of history are related to the ultimate end of all things. Mic says that this things will happen because of their sins, Mic 1:5; and talks as if these things are pertinent to them, and to us. Indeed they are, for “they” and “we” will all be there on that final day when

“28 … for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, 29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.”
Jn 5:28-29

These are common patterns in prophecy we should recognize: the present things are related to the coming ultimate things. Sometimes the present things seem very distant from the future things, so such things mystify some, but they shouldn’t

So Micah says Samaria, the capital of Israel will be (future) made a ruin, Mich 1:6-8. That happened during Micah’s day in 722 BC with the Assyrian conquest. Then he says that the same will happen to Judah, Mic 1:9. That didn’t happen until 586 BC, another 136 years later, well after Micah’s time. That was not nearby in human terms, but very close by in historical terms, and almost nothing in the grand time scale of Scripture.

Indeed, all of their things and our things are related to that final end which is coming.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901