16: Minor Prophets - Micah 4-5

[Dunkle] All right. So, welcome back to Minor Prophets class. We are joyfully going through the Book of Micah. In the previous class, we went over the five W's. We talked about Micah prophesying really during the end of the northern kingdom Israel. He's concurrent with Isaiah. Isaiah seems to be the prophet that went into the king's court. He's in the city Jerusalem.

Micah's message and Isaiah's messages are very similar, but Micah is out in the country. We don't know that they ever met, but they both are hearing from God and giving His message, and that's what really matters. And they're prophesying that there's going to be punishment for sin. And both of them will also look ahead to the Kingdom of God that's coming.

So, we covered the first three chapters. We can jump into chapter four, and I wanted to stress that similarity with Isaiah, because we see it very strongly here. Actually, verses one through three is pretty much identical. Sorry, Micah 4:1–3 is pretty much identical with Isaiah 2:2–4. So, when we read this, you might be saying, I know this from somewhere. We usually quote from Isaiah: 

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, shall be exalted above the hills; many people shall flow to it" (Micah 4:1).

Mountains—this is surely symbolic. I don't think God is going to stack up mountains, have mountains flow. Mountains are almost always symbolic of kingdoms, governments, nations. God's government is going to be in charge of all the governments of the earth.

We know when that is going to happen—it is when Jesus Christ returns to this earth, conquers all the other nations. He becomes the King of kings, the Lord of lords. His mountain will be exalted above the other mountains and hills—His Kingdom supreme. "Many nations shall come and say, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord." Of course, we know that from our hymnal, "Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord" (Micah 4:2).

"In the house of the God of Jacob, He'll teach us His ways. We'll walk in His paths. Out of Zion, the law shall go forth." 

Reminds us the law hasn't been nailed to the cross. The law isn't obliterated. The law continues in the Kingdom of God. And the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem. It says He will teach us His ways. This is referring to Jesus Christ, the King of kings. He's not only King, He's also priest. And one of the roles of a priest is to be a teacher. His lips should teach knowledge, should be the teacher of God's way.

And if we're called to be kings and priests in the Kingdom of God, we want to see this as also part of our responsibility. We look forward not only to ruling with Christ, but I'd like to say to teaching with Christ. You might guess, because of what I do for a living, I look forward to that much more than some other people might. That's why I like to remind us that teaching is not only standing up and lecturing. Teaching is something we do by example as much as any other way. People learn from what you do, and we'll be leaders and teachers in the Kingdom.

Well, let's continue with this. Of course, in verse 3, "He shall judge between many peoples, rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Micah 4:3).

This is one of the most idyllic pictures of the Millennium that we have. We quote it often because it's so wonderful. There has been war going on on the earth almost continuously since Adam and Eve left the garden. Nations are always lifting up sword against nation. There's war going on even right now, but that's going to come to an end.

And I don't know how much literal swords will be turned into plowshares, although if you've ever seen that statue that sits out in front of the United Nations building in New York, it's a beautiful statue of a very strong man with a big old hammer beating a sword and making it into a plowshare. It's such a good, vivid example or symbol of what we're looking forward to.

But we can think also of various types of farming tools and implements being crafted from war tools and implements. I meant to say that the other way around, to be honest—you know, implements for war being changed into implements for farming. The example I think of rather than sword to plowshare is a tank maybe adapted to be used as a tractor and pull your combine or your plow behind that.

But they're not even going to learn war. You know, West Point isn't going to be needed, and neither is the Naval Academy or any of these others. We're not going to learn about war. Now, I'll note in verse 4 is something that's not seen in Isaiah chapter 2, but it's still part of this vision.

"But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree" (Micah 4:4).

Sitting under the vine and fig tree is a symbol of peace and prosperity. I say that because every time we see it in the Bible, that's what it's representing. One place I'll note is that in 1 Kings 4:25 we see that. In 1 Kings 4:25, it's describing Solomon's reign.

Remember, his father David fought many wars. That's why God wouldn't let David build the temple. He said, you've got too much bloodshed. Your son Solomon will build the temple. Solomon did. Solomon means peace. So peace reigned and prosperity. And it says that in that period everyone sat under their vine and under their fig tree. The kingdom during Solomon's time is sometimes used as a picture or a type of the Millennium for when Christ will come.

So although Solomon's not mentioned here, we see that clear connection to the Millennium. No one will be afraid. We think of that—we won't have to lock our doors. We won't have to worry about walking down a dark street at night.

All people will walk each in the name of his—let me back up, I said that wrong. In verse 5, "For all people walk" Present tense "each in the name of his god," That’s a small g, "but we will walk in the name of the Eternal" That’s the YHVH, the tetragramaton, "our God forever and ever" (Micah 4:5).

I think it's significant. Perhaps when it's in present day, people walk in the name of their god—that's the state of the world today. But the way it's going to be is we—and maybe we is going to be all of us on the planet—will walk in the name of the only God, the one true God. That makes this fit with the millennial vision that Micah is presenting.

Everyone's going to know the true God. The nations will flow, and He'll teach us His ways. No one's going to learn war. No one's going to worship a false god. Everyone will know the one true God.

Now I want to pause to mention something that could be a nagging question that I told you. This is just like what Isaiah wrote in chapter 2, and it sounded like it, right—even without turning there. So it makes scholars wonder, hey, what's going on here? Did Micah commit plagiarism? Did Isaiah copy from Micah? Did they sit down in a room together and bang this out and wordsmith the saying? It's really nice. I could see two heads are better than one.

And my answer is, well, we don't know. It's possible they worked together. It's possible Micah saw what Isaiah wrote and said, man, that's good. Hey, Isaiah, do you mind if I use that?

But it's also possible—and I want to say likely—that, well, it's not likely, it's certain that God inspired both of them. It could be that they were ignorant, each that the other wrote these words, but the same God inspired them. Because we see the author of the Bible as being God Almighty. And He wanted this to be known, maybe enough that He made two of His different writers put it in their works, so we can see it twice in the Bible. As they say, repetition is the best form of emphasis. This is a good one.

So I want to say I don't think it's plagiarism. It's not cheating. It's certainly not proof that the Bible is uninspired. I believe the Bible is inspired, and it's all the more so that we have this in the Bible.

Okay, let's move on, though. So now we've talked about the vine and the fig tree. Everybody is going to walk in the name of the true God. So we go on in verse 6. We see, "In that day" (Micah 4:6). That's a phrase that more often than not is an indicator of end-time prophecy. And we've been talking about what we consider end time, talking about the Millennium, so we're still in that vein.

"In that day," says the Eternal, "I will assemble the lame, I will gather the outcast and those whom I have afflicted" (Micah 4:6). "I will make the lame a remnant, and the outcast a strong nation" (Micah 4:7).

This seems to be referring to God gathering the remnants of the nation of Israel. We see numerous prophecies that God will gather those who are alive after the Day of the Lord, and He'll bring them back to the Promised Land. So—and they'll begin to increase their numbers. So the outcast I'll make into a strong nation.

"So the Eternal will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, forever." So God's going to gather them and rule over them.

"And you, O tower of the flock, stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you it shall come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem" (Micah 4:8).

Now, here's where we wonder, because we see daughter of Zion often as a symbol of the Church. But there are many places in Micah where I have to look and say, well, I'm not sure. Sometimes a prophecy makes it undeniable—it's the Church. Other times, not quite clear, because it could be referring to the physical Jews and Jerusalem. And this one, I'm not so sure.

The former dominion seems to refer to the Promised Land, so we are clear. And one of the things I would say is, you know, when Jesus Christ establishes the Kingdom, maybe it's not something we need to worry about—is it the nation of Israel or is it the Church? Because at that time there will not be separation of church and state.

If you're in the United States, it's drilled into your head—separation of church and state. The government's the government, churches are separate. In ancient Israel, it wasn't like that. In ancient Israel, God gave the religious law to Israel, and the government and the nation of Israel and the Church were one and the same.

I want to propose in the Millennium there's not going to be a difference. Everyone will be called into the Church regardless of what nation or kingdom they're in. So just say we don't have to worry about separating these things when we talk about reigning under Jesus Christ.

Now let's go on in verse 9. Now I draw a line here—I literally drew a line in my Bible to show that we're changing gears. It seems with verse 9 we're saying, before that restoration, we want to back up and talk about some of the tribulation, some of the difficulties to come.

So he starts off, he says, "Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished? For pangs have seized you like a woman in labor" (Micah 4:9).

That's pretty rough. That woman-in-labor metaphor appears a number of times in Scripture. As a matter of fact, I'll note one that Jesus Christ Himself did in John 16. John 16, starting in verse 20, He's talking at the time of the end. He says, "You will weep and lament, but your sorrow will be turned to joy" (John 16:20).

Just like a woman has sorrow, but as soon as she gives birth, she doesn't remember the sorrow. And I've told classes in the past, I've never gone through labor because I'm not a woman—and don't think I'll ever go through labor, and I'm pretty happy about that. I hear it's pretty hard.

But I have seen women soon after they give birth, and they're pretty cheery. They forget the pain, as it says, "for joy that a human being has been born into the world" (John 16:21). And God likes to remind us, as bad as the tribulation and the trumpet plagues and the Day of the Lord are going to be, that happy ending afterwards is going to be fabulous and wonderful. And we'll pretty quickly put back out of our mind the memories of what happened.

So like a woman in birth pangs—I'm in verse 10 now—"Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in birth pangs; for now you shall go forth from the city, you shall dwell in the field, and to Babylon you shall go" (Micah 4:10).

So this is looking back to the birth pangs. So we know the good is coming afterwards, but while you're in that, it's going to be bad.

"And there you shall be delivered; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies" (Micah 4:10).

It's worth noting he's talking about the kingdom of Judah would be conquered and sent to Babylon. But who's giving this prophecy, writing it down? God is giving it to Micah. Micah is writing it down during the time that the Assyrians are coming to conquer Israel.

Babylon's not a factor here. So God is prophesying in advance—you know, okay, way in the future, more than a hundred years from now, Judah is going to go to Babylon. We see that more than once. Of course, God can look very far in the future.

We might note, though, when we're talking about the daughter of Zion, let's do a parallel. Maybe this could be called a dual prophecy, because the Church of God down through the ages has lived amongst the system of Babylon. And at the end time, we'll be, you know, surrounded by Mystery Babylon the Great. You know, there's that call, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins" (Revelation 18:4). So God wants us to leave Babylon, but at times the Church is in Babylon, and we have to separate.

And let's get back to this, though. Starting in verse 11, I want to focus on the conquest, the punishment that'll come.

"Now also many nations have gathered against you" (Micah 4:11). So the Assyrian conquest came, and they would employ other nations with them. Babylon later would do that. "They gathered against you who say, let her be defiled, let her eyes look on Zion. But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, nor do they understand His counsel; for He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor" (Micah 4:12).

That they seem to be these nations that are coming to conquer God's people.

And the point I'm making is they don't realize this is part of God's plan. They don't realize they are a tool in His hand, but that is what He's doing. So they're not conquering because of their own power. They're given this opportunity because it's going to accomplish God's will.

I have a note here—back in Joel 3:2, we noticed many nations gathering for the conquest at Armageddon. So this many nations is something we see more than once.

Then verse 13 turns the page a little bit again. "Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion" (Micah 4:13). Okay, again, is this talking about the Jewish people around Jerusalem, or the Church, or both?

"For I will make your horn iron" (Micah 4:13). Horn—the term refers to animal horns that are often a symbol of military power. So it seems like, I'm going to make you strong. "And I will make your hooves bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples" (Micah 4:13).

Okay, talked about God's people being punished. Now God says, I'm going to turn that around. "I will consecrate their gain to the Lord, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth" (Micah 4:13).

People have wondered, what is this referring to? Is it talking about giving Judah military strength? Because after the Babylonian conquest, and well after the time of the Persians, when Judah was allowed to reestablish itself as a government, they did gain some military strength. You know, they later threw off the Seleucid rule in the Hellenistic Empire. In the era that we call the Maccabean period, they exercised some great strength. They regained their independence and existed as an independent kingdom for several years. I said Maccabean—it's worth noting we also call that the Hasmonean kingdom, hopefully I have that spelling correct, the Hasmonean period.

So this could be referring to that time when God would give the Jewish people a certain power. Some have wondered, though, is it also looking to, you know, when God will gather the Church that will meet Him in the air? "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout... and the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). And it continues that we'll be with Him.

Christ is going to come back to earth, and it says the armies of heaven will be following Him. If we're part of those armies of heaven, our horn might be strong as iron and hooves like bronze. Well, you don't have to get horns and hooves to fulfill this, but we can see that duality. We know God is going to fulfill His will.

So we'll move into chapter 5. Now, "Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us" (Micah 5:1). It seems before the end time—gather in troops, O daughter of troops—"they will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek" (Micah 5:1).

So there's some duality here. Jerusalem would be besieged several times through history. The Assyrians besieged Jerusalem, and we know the story in the Bible shows how God sent an angel and delivered them then. Babylon besieged Jerusalem and destroyed it. It would be rebuilt later. The Romans besieged it, and I'm not even going to go on to talk about the Crusaders. So that is fulfilled a number of times.

But some wonder if what it says at the end of verse 1—"they will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek" (Micah 5:1)—is that a reference? Some say, well, it's talking about Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. Others say it's a reference to the Messiah that's mentioned in verse 2, who would be struck. You know, Jesus Christ would be brutalized as part of His sacrifice.

But Micah 5:2 is one of the most famous prophecies in the Bible: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

And this is a well-known prophecy of the coming of the Messiah.

He's from everlasting. He's always been, he always will be. This is quoted in Matthew 2:4-6, by the way. If you remember, you know, at the time Christ was born, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Wise men came from the east and they came to Herod saying, where is he? We've seen his star, and they probably consulted the prophecy, saw it was time. Herod says, well, where is this person supposed to be born? And the religious leaders say, Bethlehem. And they read Matthew 5:2. 

By the way, the name Bethlehem means literally house of bread, which we might connect because Jesus called Himself the bread of life. He's born at a place called house of bread. You see, Ephrathah—that was Bethlehem's ancient name before it was given a Hebrew name. We see that in Genesis 35:19. So it's referring to the older name and the newer name, but that's where the Messiah was prophesied to be born.

So, as I said, it might be a reference to being struck on the cheek. We'll leave that. In verse 3 it says, "Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel" (Micah 5:3).

This seems perhaps to refer to the fact that God is going to allow the Jews to be conquered. You know, "so until the time that she who is in labor has given birth"—that travailing in birth— "then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel."

In reference to the travailing in birth, I want to turn and read Isaiah 66:8, because since we're talking about the possibility of spiritual interpretation of this, Isaiah 66, right near the end of the book, has an interesting reference to being born: "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children" (Isaiah 66:8).

This seems to be a reference to the Church coming into existence and becoming a spiritual nation all at once, not through the process of childbirth and generations being born. And the Church is referred to as a spiritual nation, so perhaps there's a connection with that here in Micah 5:3.

And in verse 4 it goes on to say, "And He shall stand and feed His flock." After the first resurrection, Christ will be the good shepherd who takes care of all his people. "In the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace" (Micah 5:4–5).

This one is still referring to Jesus Christ. Not only will He bring peace, but it says He will be peace. He's the one commonly called the Prince of Peace—so peace is coming. Actually, Prince of Peace is in Isiah 9:6.

Boy, that's something. I'm pausing here because many Bible scholars think the placement of where the verse starts should be with the next sentence. What we just read, "this One shall be peace" (Micah 5:5), could have been the end of verse 4 rather than the start of verse 5. And my Bible actually has it separated into paragraphs that way.

So now it begins a new thought, perhaps: "When the Assyrian comes into our land" (Micah 5:5). Okay, is this prophecy for their time or the end time? Quite probably both.

"When he treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princely men" (Micah 5:5). "They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, and the land of Nimrod" (Micah 5:6).

By the way, the land of Assyria, land of Nimrod—if you think back to Genesis 10, Nimrod is listed to have founded Babylon and Nineveh and some other towns. So when it says land of Nimrod, it's just referring back to he’s the one that founded several of these towns.

"Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian" (Micah 5:6). The "He" here, though, is not Nimrod. He seems to be God, the One who shall be peace.

But when the Assyrian comes in, there's going to be some resistance. And we've got a question—who? Who are these seven shepherds, eight princely men?

That's a question I'll just tell you—I don't know. And you can find so many speculations. I don't want to list them, because it seems there may well have been resistance leaders—maybe military leaders, government leaders—at the time the Assyrians are entering the land anciently. Perhaps it's a dual prophecy, maybe resistance against what we'll call the beast power.

If so, I don't want to try to attach any names to this. When we do that, we get into trouble. But it's something to watch for. If we see seven and eight prominent leaders, it might tell us it connects to this. But let's not worry about making the connections.

Now, let's move on to what we do know. In verse 7, "Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass" (Micah 5:7). That implies well dispersed.

"The remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in many peoples. And how will they be among them? Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver" (Micah 5:8).

"Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off" (Micah 5:9).

Oh, this sounds like some strength, some seriousness. There are many scholars who look at this in ancient times and say, yeah, these are the Jews that were allowed to return to their Promised Land after Cyrus gave them permission, and they rebuilt the city, they rebuilt the temple. Later, they developed this power in the Maccabean Hasmonean period. Okay, that's not a bad interpretation. That may well be true.

Although it's worth noting it doesn't say remnant of Judah—it says remnant of Jacob in verse 7 and in verse 8. Many scholars who understand the interpretation that we've had in the Church of God of who the descendants of Jacob are at the end times have looked to the English-speaking peoples and the tremendous military might and the fabulous wealth that our peoples have had in the last couple of two or three centuries and interpreted it that way.

Whether or not you're eager to believe the identity of Israel, you should be aware of this interpretation. And it seems to fit a little better than just looking at the Maccabees.

Going on in verse 10, "And it shall be in that day," again seeming to indicate end-time prophecy, "I will cut off your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots" (Micah 5:10). Those seem to be symbolic of military power.

In that day, when Christ is intervening in world affairs, no military power is going to make a difference. He'll be supreme over all of that. So He's going to overcome military power.

In verse 12, we’ll see he’ll overcome false religion. "I will cut off sorceries from your land, and you shall have no soothsayers" (Micah 5:12). "Your carved images I will also cut off, and your sacred pillars from your midst; you shall no more worship the work of your hands" (Micah 5:13).

That's what's coming. We can see that as a surety. No military power stands up when God exercises His will. He'll destroy false religion.

And He says, "I will pluck your wooden images from your midst; thus I will destroy your cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations that have not heard" (Micah 5:14–15).

Okay, on the nations. So we tend to focus a lot on God's punishment of Israel, but other nations also will be punished, especially at that end time.

And if we're talking end time, He says, I'll destroy your cities. Modern cities are not easy to destroy. If you study World War II, it's hard to destroy them. Even the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there were remains left. So it's just worth noting, you know, this could be talking about weapons of mass destruction, which it's a fearful thing to think of the end time.

I like the idea of a place of safety when I think of these prophecies. That's why we want to remember—after the labor pangs, there's the joy. Okay, after the tribulation, after the Day of the Lord, there's the Millennium, the Kingdom of God.

You know, I guess I want to call back to where I've said the Old Testament prophecies tend to jump back and forth chronologically. If we look at the Olivet prophecy, if we look at what it shows us in Revelation, we progress to that time where God wipes away all tears. I'm excited and happy about that. I want to put behind us "I will destroy your cities" (Micah 5:14). Have to have the one before the other, but we'll get there.

And of course, we're all getting excited about going to the Feast of Tabernacles. We want to focus on those prophecies. So we'll focus on that, and we'll pick up next time. We'll dive into Micah 6 and 7, and probably in that class begin the introduction to the Book of Nahum.

So let's call it a day. We'll move on from there.