The Prophecy Project:
Session 12
WELCOME… To session number TWELVE of the prophecy project. Last session I gave a brief introduction to Assyria the nation and empire, and the Assyrian people. How they came from Asshur one of the sons of Shem, and how they lost their nation in the Middle East at the end of World war I. They are not Syrians they are a unique people. They have survived attempts of genocide by others in the area, and are currently attempting to re-establish an Assyrian state in modern Iraq. Numbers Chapter 24, shows that there will be an Assyrian nation, army and leadership in the last days, the days of the coming of the Jewish Messiah, the Star out of Jacob, the Sceptre, he is a King. There is also reference to the ships of Chittim, and how they will interfere with Asshur’s plans, they will humiliate him.
But now I want to study Micah chapter 5, but first we will set the stage by reading Chapter 4. I will read selected verses and comment as I go.
1. But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow to it.
2. And many nations shall come, and say, come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; And he (God) will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3. And he (God) shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they (the nations) shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
6. In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
7. And I will make her that halteth a remnant, and her that was cast off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
10. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there (Babylon) the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
11. Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
12. But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as sheaves into the floor.
13. Arise (Israel) and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou (Israel) shall beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
of Iron, Hoofs of brass. Israel shall beat many people.
Now, knowing that Micah is speaking into the end times and having this Chapter four foundation, let look at Micah 5.
1. Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: They shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
someone (he) is laying siege against Israel, they shall smite Israel with a rod upon the cheek. we will see who this man is, later in this chapter. The reference to a rod, speaks of Discipline, Israel is to be disciplined.
2. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.
This is a Messianic scripture, and is confirmed in Matthew 2:1-6
1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, (2) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and we come to worship him. (3) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (4) And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. (5) And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, (6) And thou Bethlehem of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Now, Jesus did not set up a kingdom to rule Israel during his life, but he did accomplish most of what the Messiah was supposed to do.
Isaiah 53:1-12
1. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? (2) For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (3)he is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (8) He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (9) And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when he made his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (11) he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (12) Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The intercession, justification, bruising, chastisement, rejection from men, sorrows, offering for sin, cut off for transgressions, poured out unto death, can all be seen in the gospels of Jesus. Yet for all of this is more to done.
Isaiah 61:1-3
(1) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (3) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
Jesus spoke to this scripture, in Luke chapter 4: 16-21
(16) And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (17) And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it is written, (18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (20) And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. (21) And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Upon first reading it can seem that Jesus fulfilled all of Isaiah 61:1-3 but, he actually stopped at “the day of vengeance of our God, and did not include the restoration in Zion, found in verse 3. The setting up of a kingdom and the ruling of Messiah will have to wait until that day, the day we saw in Revelation chapter 19. when the Lord and his wife and his army return with him from heaven. The ministry of Messiah is twofold, redemption of man and then restoration and kingdom.
BACK TO MICAH 5
(3) Therefore will he (Messiah) give them (Israel) up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then (in that time) the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
This shows the gap in time between the redemption by Messiah and restoration by Messiah, (until that time) then (in that time).
(4) And he (Messiah) shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now (in that time) shall he (Messiah) be great unto the ends of the earth. (not just in Israel).
(5) And this man (Messiah) shall be the peace (establish peace), when the Assyrian shall come into our land (Israel): and when he (the Assyrian) shall tread in our palaces (Jerusalem), then shall we (Israelis) raise against him (the Assyrian) seven shepherds, and eight principal men. (this is a command group)
(6) And they (the Israelis) shall waste (destroy) the land of Assyria with the sword, and (also) the land of Nimrod (central Iraq) in the entrances thereof: thus shall he (Messiah) deliver us (Israel) from the Assyrian, when he (not they) cometh into our land, and when he (the Assyrian) treadeth (marches) within our borders.
(7) And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. (8) And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. (9) Thine hand (the remnant) shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
(10) And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will (allow) cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee (Israel), and I will destroy thy chariots: (11) And I (God) will cut off the cities of thy land (Israel), and throw down all thy strong holds: (12) And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: (13) Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. (14) And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so I will destroy thy cities.
Israel is purged by God before his kingdom can be established in Zion. God cannot allow Israel to enter the kingdom age with: their horses, chariots, strongholds, witchcrafts, soothsayers, graven images, the work of their hands, even their cities are unclean and must be purged.
(15) And (also) I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen (the nations), such as they have not heard. (the great tribulation)
Except those days be shortened no flesh would survive.

..Stop here..
I need to close this session at this point, but next session I want to move into Isaiah chapter 10 . which speaks about Asshur the king of Assyria.
Thank you.