Micah 05
Micah 5:1 (4:14) But now slash yourself, daughter surrounded by soldiers! We are besieged! With a scepter they strike Israel’s ruler on the side of his face.
During the Great Tribulation, Jerusalem will be surrounded by the Gentile armies of the Antichrist. This Gentile army will be able to take the city of Jerusalem. They will march into the city and slap the Jerusalem ruler on the cheek. Slapping a ruler on the cheek was an ancient sign of conquest over the local ruler.
2 (5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah— from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf,
one whose origins are in the distant past.
The Messiah who will deliver Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation will be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. There were two cities of Bethlehem. Ephrathah was in Judah and the other Bethlehem was in Galilee. Micah wanted to make sure that the Messiah’s identity would not be confused.
The Messiah would be a god-man. Humanly, He will be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Divinely, He was the second person of the Trinity who stepped out of eternity.
3 So the Lord will hand the people of Israel over to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of the king’s countrymen will return to be reunited with the people of Israel.
During the first coming of the Messiah, Jesus will be rejected by the nation and called demon-possessed. He will hand Israel over to her Gentile enemies. After the Great Tribulation, Israel will experience birth pangs and deliver birth to a new nation. Israel will return as one united nation. Israel will worship Jesus as her Messianic King.
4 He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the Lord’s strength, by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will assume His post as King. He will protect His people by using His rod of iron. He will need a rod of iron, because many of the Gentiles who are born into the kingdom will reject Him. The Jews will live in peace. Jehovah will be honored and worshipped by many of the Gentile nations.
5 He will give us peace. Should the Assyrians try to invade our land and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, we will send against them seven shepherd-rulers, make that eight commanders.
Jehovah will bring peace to Israel during the Millennial Kingdom. The Assyrian is אַשּׁ֣וּר (asher), a singular noun, and not plural. The Assyrian is the Antichrist who will attempt to destroy Israel during the Great Tribulation. He will establish his headquarters in Mesopotamia, which was the ancient region of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. He will attempt to invade Israel during the Great Tribulation. Jehovah will raise up Jewish shepherd soldiers to resist him.
6 They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with a drawn sword. Our king will rescue us from the Assyrians should they attempt to invade our land and try to set foot in our territory. ‘
The land of Assyria is Mesopotamia. The headquarters of the Antichrist will be established in this region. The king is Jesus. The Assyrians is singular, meaning the Antichrist. Jesus will be the King of Israel who will rescue Israel from the invasion of the Antichrist.
7 Those survivors from Jacob will live in the midst of many nations. They will be like the dew the Lord sends, like the rain on the grass that does not hope for men to come or wait around for humans to arrive.
During the Great Tribulation, the Jewish people will be scattered and living in the midst of the Gentile nations. These Jews will be like the dew in the morning. They will bring refreshment to all nations by teaching them about the Messiah.
8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations, in the midst of many peoples. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which attacks when it passes through; it rips its prey and there is no one to stop it.
Those who survive the Great Tribulation will be scattered in all nations of the world. The goat Gentiles are unbelievers who have taken the mark of the beast. They will attempt to exterminate all of the Jews. When Israel is attacked by this one world army of the Antichrist, the Jews will be empowered by God to fight back. The Jews will be like lions. The Gentiles will be like sheep. Israel will rip the Gentiles apart just as a lion rips apart a flock of sheep.
9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed!
The Jewish people of the Great Tribulation will be energized to fight against the Gentile armies of the Antichrist. They will lift up their hand in battle and defeat the Gentiles. All of the enemies of the Jews will be destroyed. Every Jew and Gentile will enter into the Millennial Kingdom as a redeemed believer in Christ.
10 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will destroy your horses from your midst, and smash your chariots.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus the Messiah will rule from Jerusalem with a rod of iron. He will eliminate all war machines from the earth. Instead, taxes will be spent upon agriculture, education, and other beneficial social programs.
11 I will destroy the cities of your land, and tear down all your fortresses.
During the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no fortified cities.
12 I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you.
During the Millennial Kingdom, all occult practices will be removed.
13 I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst; you will no longer worship what your own hands made.
During the Millennial Kingdom, all idolatry will be removed.
14 I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst, and destroy your idols.
During the Millennial Kingdom, all Asherah poles will be removed. Asherah poles were stone and wooden images of the erect male organ.
15 I will angrily seek vengeance on the nations that do not obey me.”
During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will rule with a rod of iron. There will be some Gentile nations who disobey the laws of the Millennial Kingdom. Jesus will judge those nations who do not follow His law.