Micah 5.1-15 begins with a prophecy about the siege of Jerusalem by Assyria, and eschatologically this will take place again in the day of the Lord (when Yehovah reveals his power to overthrow his enemies and defends the kingdom; also means when Messiah comes). It is probably the most important, compact, and eschatological chapter in the Bible. It alludes to the birth of Messiah, the first and second “birth-pains” of the Messiah, the 144,000, the second coming of Yeshua on Yom Kippur, the invasion of Gog and Magog (Russia), and the False Messiah. If one wants to teach prophecy and you have the background to do it, this is the chapter to go to. You must know it backward and forward.
v 1…”Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops (the thought is this, “Crowd together with fear in a troop “); they (the enemy) have laid siege against us (set or prepares a siege); with a rod (Assyria-Isa 9.4, 10.5, 10.24; but also alludes to Gog and Magog/Russia)) they will smite the judge of Israel (the person holding the highest office; this would be Ahaz and Hezekiah) on the cheek (refers to the treatment of the king, humiliation; this alludes to Yeshua).
v 2…But as for you, Bethlehem (house of bread) Ephratah (fruitful), too little to be among the clans of Judah (of little importance), from you one (Yeshua as Messiah) will go forth for me (Yehovah) to be ruler in Israel (a targum on this verse is quoted in Matt 2.6). His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity (“mimay olam”-or before there was creation, eternity past, equal to the “l’olam vaed.” The 7000 years involves the Olam Ha Zeh, the present age of 6000 years, and the Atid Lavo, the last 1000 years. This 7000-year period is followed by the “olam vaed” or the Olam Haba again; Yehovah’s will is from eternity and planned before the world was created -Eph 1.4). It will be manifested through the birth of a descendant of David in a small town called Bethlehem of Judah).
v 3…Therefore, he (Yehovah) will give them (Israel) up (into the hands of the enemy-the Davidic line has lost the throne and has fallen into poverty because God has given them up) until the time (when the future Messiah from the line of David comes; he was not going to come to Zion the royal city, but from the insignificant town of Bethlehem, and until this happens, they were under the power of the nations). When she who is in labor has borne a child (Yeshua born from Mary), then the remainder of his brethren (Judah who preserved the Torah and Yeshua’s brethren) will return to the sons of Israel (the ten northern tribes).
v 4…And he shall stand and shepherd his flock (blessings the birth of Yeshua brings; lead them) in the strength of the Lord (in his power and authority to protect the flock from the threat of “wolves”), in the majesty of the name of the Lord (Yehovah) his God (a Yom Kippur terms), and they will remain (sit undisturbed, dwell); because at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth (his authority extends to the whole world, including the non-Jews).
v 5…And this one (Messiah) will be peace. When the Assyrian (Gog/Magog/Russia but a type of all the nations-Rev 20.7-10) invades our land (Num 24.24; Isa 9.2-7, 10.24-25-Assyria was the kingly power at this time, and they are a picture of Gog and Magog/Russia in Ezek 38 and 39), when he tramples on our citadels (palaces). Then we (Israel) will raise against him (Assyria, or Gog and Magog/Russia)) seven shepherds (princes/kings) and eight leaders of men (this may allude to the Russian invasion of Israel in the birth-pains; the False Messiah started with ten shepherd kings, but later this was reduced to seven in Dan 7.8, 20, 24. The False Messiah has a treaty with Israel in Dan 9.27. Counting the False Messiah, this makes eight leaders-Rev 17.11).
v 6…And they (the eight) will shepherd (rule over) the land of Assyria (eschatologically Gog and Magog/Russia) with the sword (Russia will be defeated by the power of God, but the False Messiah will take advantage of their defeat and attack Russia itself and defeat them-Ezek 39.1-6), the land of Nimrod (Mesopotamia/Assyria, and a picture of Russia) at its entrances (cities and fortresses-Isa 3.26, 13.2). And he (Yehovah through Messiah) will deliver us from the Assyrian (prophetically Russia/Gog and Magog-Ezek 38-39; Isa 36-37; Num 24.24) when he attacks our land (Isa 14.25), and when he tramples our territory (when Russia attacks Israel in the birth-pains; Yehovah defended Judah and destroyed the Assyrian army with a plague, and he will do the same thing when Russia attacks-Ezek 38.22. Israel will believe in Yeshua as a nation as seen in Isa 10.12; Ezek 39.22; Isa 9.2-7. As a result, however, the False Messiah will take credit for this defeat and become powerful and move into Israel to take the Temple and set up the Abomination of Desolation between Tishri 10 and the defeat of Russia, and Nisan 10 six months later. When this happens, Israel, who now believes in Yeshua, will reject him and flee to the Moabite-Jordanian wilderness and be protected by God for the last three and a half years of the birth-pains-Rev 12.1-17).
v 7…Then (after the defeat of Gog and Magog/Russia and Israel’s redemption into the Messiah) the remnant of Jacob (possibly an allusion to the 144,000 from all twelve tribes) will be among many peoples (for the first three and a half years they preached the Basar in Israel, like Yeshua. But during the last three and half years they will be sent with the Basar to the non-Jews) like dew (a type of teaching the Torah-Deut 32.1-2) from the Lord, like showers on vegetation (bringing renewed life, a resurrection, born again, etc) which do not wait for man (redemption and resurrection is all God’s work-John 1.13).
8…And the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations (non-Jews), among many peoples (Yeshua’s talmidim preached to the lost sheep of Jacob for three and a half years, then they were sent into the whole world in Matt 28.19-20. In the same way, the 144,000 preached in Israel for three and a half years, and then they will be sent into the whole world for the last three and a half years of the birth-pains, and then the end will come) like a lion among the beast of the forest and like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, if he passes through, tramples down and tears, and there is none to rescue (in other words, there will be none who will be victorious over the 144,000 if they oppose them).
v 9…Your hand (considered from the shoulder to the fingers, and synonymous with “arm” or “zeroah”, a term for the Messiah) will be lifted up against their adversaries, and all your enemies will be cut off (Israel’s supremacy).
v 10…And it will be in that day (the day of the Lord),” declares the Lord, “that I will cut off your horses (power and confidence of men) from among you and destroy your chariots (all the instruments of war will be destroyed, all war ceases).
v 11…I will also cut off the cities of your land and tear down all your fortifications (won’t have these to put their trust in for defense).
v 12…I will cut off sorceries (witchcrafts) from your hand and you will have fortune tellers no more (soothsayers who deceived the people with the false appearance of things and pretend to know the times and seasons).
v 13…I will cut off your carved images and your sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.
v 14…I will root out your Asherim from among you and destroy your cities (Targum says “destroy your enemies”-Yehovah is going to exterminate everything that is related to idolatry).
v 15…And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath among the nations (outside the land) which have not obeyed (the Torah and refused to listen; these things will be done so that the peace he is bringing to Israel cannot be disturbed).”
Leave a Reply