We left off in Part II talking about the 7000 year Plan of God. Before creation we have the Olam Haba, and after the 7000 years we go back to the Olam Haba (world to come). The 7000 years are divided up into several ages. The first 6000 years is called the Olam ha Zeh, this present age. This is followed by a 1000 year period called the Atid Lavo, or the future age and also referred to as the Day of the Lord and the Messianic Kingdom. The Olam ha Zeh is divided into three, 2000 year periods. The first 2000 years was the age of Tohu, or desolation. The next 2000 period is called the age of Torah, or teaching. The third 2000 is called the Yom’ot Mashiach, or the days of the Messiah. We are at the close of this period, within the Olam ha Zeh.
With that in mind, let’s look at a concept. The Yom’ot Mashiach is not over till the end of the Atid Lavo because they “overlap.” The Atid Lavo is the Kingdom of God in the earth (Messianic Kingdom). The Yom’ot Mashiach is the Kingdom of God in the heart. The Olam Haba (world to come) will have three applications. All the righteous will have restored bodies (1 Cor 15.24) and is called the Olam Haba “Major.” But before one receives their new bodies and when they believe, they are in the Olam Haba “Minor.” Yeshua is in the Olam Haba at his resurrection, and that is called the Olam Haba “Messiah.”
The Olam Haba is also known as “forever and ever” or the L’Olam Vaed. It is also known as Gan Eden and Paradise. When we look at what biblical eschatology is, we know that prophecies can have numerous fulfillments. Prophecies in the Olam ha Zeh can be fulfilled again in the Atid Lavo. The Olam ha Zeh is referred to in Matt 24.3 when the talmidim ask Yeshua three questions. The first is “when will these things be (referring to when the Temple will be destroyed)”; the second is “the sign of your coming” and the third is “and the end of the age.” The age being referred to here is the Olam ha Zeh, the end of the 6000 years and the beginning of the Atid Lavo. The Atid Lavo is referred to in 1 Thes 5.1-3 with the term “day of the Lord.” Jer 30.4-7 and Matt 24.8 refer to the Birth-pains. This is called the Chevlai Shell Mashiach in biblical eschatology, the first seven years of the Atid Lavo.
In Christian eschatology, there is 6000 years and the Birth-pains. After the Birth-pains comes the 1000 year Millenium. In biblical eschatology, we have the end of the 6000 years (the Olam ha Zeh), then the Atid Lavo of 1000 years begins, or the “day of the Lord.” The first seven years of the Atid Lavo is the Birth-pains. Isa 13.6-9 talks about the day of the Lord being a time of trouble, darkness, destruction and birth-pains. So, this is just one verse of many that put the birth-pains in the Atid Lavo, or the day of the Lord. Isa 26.1-21 also talks about the birth-pains and the day of the Lord (Atid Lavo). Now, remember that the Birth-pains, also called the “tribulation” period in Christianity, and “eschatology” goes by three names in the Scriptures. The three names are the Acharit Yamin (the last days, the latter days); the Ik’vot Mashaich (footsteps of the Messiah) and the Chevlai Shell Mashiach (the birth-pains of the Messiah).
When you come across passages about the time of trouble (Jer 30.4-7), distress (Isa 26.26) and travail (Isa 66.7-9) know that in the first century these passages dealt with that 7 year period called the “Birth-pains.” In describing an actual historical event at the time it was written, it also was prophetic. Ecc 1.8-9, 3.15 and Num 24.17 all refer to events as having numerous fulfillments (here now, but not yet). Don’t worry about all the passages, what we want is the concepts and the terms defined. Then you can go into all the passages in the Scriptures and see these things for yourself.
During the first three and a half years of the Birth-pains, billions on earth will die. We will have war between America and Russia, with America being destroyed in one day. We will also have a war between Europe and Russia. In the second year of the Birth-pains, Israel will be at war with the Arab states. In the third year, Russia will invade Israel and be wiped out. After that, things are going to get worse. More fear among man-kind than at any time in history. At this time in the Olam ha Zeh, we are right before the Birth-pains really start. We are now in what is called a spiritual “Braxton-Hicks” contraction period. It’s not the real birth-pains, but it is very painful. God designed the human body to teach eschatology. The birth-pains have four periods of time. We have the effacement, dilation, transition and the expulsion. The menstrual cycle teaches what happened in Gan Eden, but that is for another time.
We are going to get into some things now, but this is not a study of prophecy. This is a study on how to study and how to work in the Scriptures. If we can get down the concepts, terms and principles, we can apply them anywhere. To illustrate this, we are going to work in the book of Micah, and Chapter 5 in particular.
Micah 5.1…”with a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek”…there will be three applications to this verse, which include the Assyrian invasion of Israel, Yeshua and the Russian invasion. The Assyrian invasion is a picture of the Russian invasion (Isa 10.24).
Micah 5.2…this is alluding to the Messiah being the “shepherd” in prophecy. In Matt 2.6 we have a quote from the Targum Uzziel (an Aramiac paraphrase of the prophets) on this verse where “shepherd” is added to Micah 5.2 to clarify a meaning.
Micah 5.3…”he” is the Messiah and “them” is Israel.
“until the time” is referring to the Birth-pains, in the Atid Lavo. Yeshua is in the Olam Haba (his state of being)
“remainder of his brethren” is the 144,000 (Rev 7; Rev 14). This number is a multiple of 12 and it means “a great number” if not exactly 144,000.
Micah 5.4…”rise and shepherd his flock in the name of the Lord his God” is a Yom Kippur term. Yom Kippur is the only day this happens and it is a function of the High Priest to stand and minister in the name of the Lord because the High Priest is the only one who does this service. The “he” there is the Messiah.
Micah 5.5..”this one” is the Messiah and “peace” has a broken vav in Hebrew, meaning peace is not complete yet. Even though Messiah has come, we are still in the Atid Lavo and have not reached the Olam Haba yet (1 Cor 15.24). This is during the birth-pains.
“Assyrian” is the Russian army coming during the birth-pains, around Yom Kippur of the third year.
“we” is Israel rising up against them (Russia/Gog)
“seven shepherds and eight princely men” is the false messiah and the seven remaining horns of Europe. Remember, they have a treaty with Israel.
Micah 5.6.. “they” is the false messiah (Europe) will “shepherd “waste” (by attacking) the land of Assyria (Russia, after God defeats them when they invade-Ezek 39.1-6).
“Nimrod” is Assyria, Mesopotamia
“Asshur” means the “steppes” or grasslands and is alluding to Russia. The Cossacks came from the steppes of Russia.
“he” is the Messiah and he will deliver Israel from the Assyrian (Russia). Europe will not have a hand in defeating Russia, but the false messiah will capitalize on Russia’s defeat. For the first three and a half years, the 144,000 will be ministering in Israel, but that will change after Yeshua is accepted as Messiah (Ezek 39.22). Then the 144,000 will be sent to the nations of the world the last half of the birth-pains.
Micah 5.7…”the remnant of Jacob” is referring to the 144,000
“and go amidst many peoples” means they will go among the nations of the world.
Micah 5.8…”like a lion among the beasts of the forests, and like a young lion among the flocks of sheep” means that nothing will stop them from getting the truth out to those who have ears to hear. Many will become believers among the non-Jews before Yeshua returns on Yom Kippur at the end of the seventh year of the birth-pains (Matt 24.30-31).
During the last three and a half years of the birth-pains, Israel will have fled to the Jordanian/Moabite wilderness (Isa 16.1-5, 42.10-12 with “Cela” being Petra; Rev 12.14).
In Part 4, we will pick up here and get into some detail about the above verses and give more concepts, terms, phrases and principles we need to know. Remember, we are not going for all the passages but these concepts. This is only an example of how you can put together these concepts to interpret the Scriptures and get the basic idea about what the Lord was trying to communicate in biblical eschatology.
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