This is the time of year we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. When we look at one of the greatest prophesies of all time, the one that causes the world to celebrate, we can see that it was given to an evil king. This seems quite strange. We see that there were two prophets living in the same era prophesying the same things regarding a Messiah. We also see that people have tried to alter the prophecy after the fact, but the older Greek texts set the record straight. Isaiah and Micah prophesied about the Messiah, his first coming, his second coming from out of eternity, and his future kingdom. Two thousand years ago Matthew reiterated this prophecy; let’s explore.
Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
December 8th, 2020 is the date that we memorialize the immaculate conception this year. We recognize that Jesus was not born on December 25th, but based on astronomical phenomenon and other clues was probably born in September on the Feast of Trumpets. No matter, we can celebrate His birth any time. What we want to study is the prophecy that Matthew quotes. I will leave previous studies linked in context.
Starting with the history of the time of the prophecy given by Isaiah and Micah, Ahaz is king over Judah, but he is an evil man. Syria and Israel (the northern kingdom) intended to rise up against Judah.
2Ki 16:1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2Ki 16:2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.
There is a mistranslation here, as Ahaz was 25 when he started to reign (otherwise he would have been 11 when Hezekiah was born). He started to do the idolatrous things that the northern kingdom was doing.
2Ki 16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
2Ki 16:4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
Ahaz was sixteen when Hezekiah was born. Hezekiah was born before Ahaz became king. Passing a child through the fire was a sacrifice to Moloch, of the first child, and which ended in death. It might be that Ahaz’s first son was sacrificed, and at sixteen Ahaz’s second son; Hezekiah was then the heir of the kingdom.
Josephus Antiquities 9:12:1. NOW Jotham died when he had lived forty-one years, and of them reigned sixteen, and was buried in the sepulchers of the kings; and the kingdom came to his son Ahaz, who proved most impious towards God, and a transgressor of the laws of his country. He imitated the kings of Israel, and reared altars in Jerusalem, and offered sacrifices upon them to idols; to which also he offered his own son as a burnt-offering, according to the practices of the Canaanites. His other actions were also of the same sort….
He offered his own son as a burnt offering, also implying Hezekiah was a second son. Ahaz was not the brightest 16 year old.
2Ki 16:5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
2Ki 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
Rezin and Pekah made an alliance to resist Assyria and force Ahaz to join them. If Ahaz didn’t join, then they would kill him and put the son of Tabeel on the throne of David. Yahweh could not let that happen. Ahaz/Achaz was part of the lineage of the Christ. Therefore the prophecy that Isaiah would give would establish that the heirs of David would remain on the throne until the captivity.
Mat 1:9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
Or in other spelling Ahaz beget Hezekiah.
Joh 7:42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Elath is at the very southern end of Israel at the sea of Aqaba, Midian and Jordan are to the east, and Sini is to the west. What Rezin did was take his troops east of Judah on the eastern side of Jordan, through the mountains, and took that land for his people. Strategically having Syrians to the south of Judah and to the north of the northern kingdom was a handicap for Ahaz. However the Syrians in Elath were eventually cut off from Syria when Assyria overcame Damascus.
At about this time Isaiah comes to Ahaz and prophesies. This is the third king that Isaiah has been involved with so far.
Isa 7:1 (Brenton) And it came to pass in the days of Achaz the son of Joatham, the son of Ozias, king of Juda, there came up Rasim king of Aram, and Phakee son of Romelias, king of Israel, against Jerusalem to war against it, but they could not take it.
Isa 7:2 And a message was brought to the house of David, saying, Aram has conspired with Ephraim. And his soul was amazed, and the soul of his people, as in a wood a tree is moved by the wind.
Isa 7:3 And the Lord said to Esaias, Go forth to meet Achaz, thou, and thy son Jasub who is left, to the pool of the upper way of the fuller's field.
Isa 7:4 And thou shalt say to him, Take care to be quiet, and fear not, neither let thy soul be disheartened because of these two smoking firebrands: for when my fierce anger is over, I will heal again.
Isa 7:5 And as for the son of Aram, and the son of Romelias, forasmuch as they have devised an evil counsel, saying,
Isa 7:6 We will go up against Judea, and having conferred with them we will turn them away to our side, and we will make the son of Tabeel king of it;
Isa 7:7 thus saith the Lord of hosts, This counsel shall not abide, nor come to pass.
Isa 7:8 But the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus, Rasim; and yet within sixty and five years the kingdom of Ephraim shall cease from being a people.
Isa 7:9 And the head of Ephraim is Somoron, and the head of Somoron the son of Romelias: but if ye believe not, neither will ye at all understand.
This is a great encouragement for Ahaz and Judah, but Ahaz didn’t really care. Imagine Ahaz wanting to handle the situation on his own rather than allowing Yahweh to work.
Isa 7:10 And the Lord again spoke to Achaz, saying,
Isa 7:11 Ask for thyself a sign of the Lord thy God, in the depth or in the height.
Yahweh is trying to get his attention but Ahaz doesn’t want to hear from Yahweh. Ahaz could have asked Yahweh Elohim for piles of gold, or the immediate death of his enemies, but he didn’t ask for anything.
Isa 7:12 And Achaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
Isa 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a little thing for you to contend with men? and how do ye contend against the Lord?
Ahaz was not being humble, he was being a jerk. Isaiah is not deterred, he keeps on speaking. Isaiah was telling the nation of Judah about Yahweh whether the leaders of the kingdom wanted to hear it or not. Interestingly, Hezekiah was probably around nine years old at this time, and he was listening to Isaiah.
This is where we want to consider the prophecy. The most incredible prophecy given to men was given to an evil idolatrous king who didn’t want to hear it. Through this prophecy, all young virgins recognized that they could birth the Messiah. Through this prophecy all the people of Judah expected that a Messiah would come to save them.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 G1223 On account of G3778 this, G1325 [3will give G2962 1 the lord G1473 2himself] G1473 to you G4592 a sign; G2400 behold, G3588 the G3933 virgin G1722 [2in G1064 3 the womb G2983 1will conceive], G2532 and G5088 shall bear G5207 a son, G2532 and G2564 you shall call G3588 G3686 his name G1473 G* Immanuel.
3933 LSJ Gloss:παρθένος a maid, maiden, virgin, girl
Dodson:παρθένος a virgin a maiden, virgin; extended to men who have not known women.
Strong’s:παρθένος a maiden; by implication, an unmarried daughter Derivation: of unknown origin;
KJV Usage: virgin.
TBESG:παρθένος virgin
G:N-M/F
παρθένος, -ου, ἡ
[in LXX chiefly for בְּתוּלָה, Exo.22:16 (15),
Refs Job.31:1, Isa.23:4, al.; also for נַעַר, נַעֲרָה,
Refs Gen.24:14, 16 24:55 34:3, and for עַלְמָה,
RefsGen.24:43, Isa.7:14;]
a maiden, virgin: Mat.1:23 (LXX)
Refs Mat.25:1, 7 25:11 Luk.1:27, Act.21:9, 1Co.7:25 ff, 2Co.11:2; masc., of chaste persons (CIG, 8784 b) : Rev.14:4.†
(AS)
Thayer:
1) a virgin
1a) a marriageable maiden
1b) a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man
1c) one's marriageable daughter
2) a man who has abstained from all uncleanness and whoredom attendant on idolatry, and so has kept his chastity
2a) one who has never had intercourse with women
παρθένος
parthenos par-then'-os Of unknown origin; a maiden; by implication an unmarried daughterKJV Usage: virgin.
“On account of this Yahweh himself to give you sign. Look the virgin to take in matrix and bring forth a son and call his name Immanuel.”
Let’s briefly discuss the idea of a “virgin”. The Hebrew text, and the Masoretic Text are incorrect. The Septuagint is far older than the MT. In 250 BCE all texts and scrolls were transcribed in the temple of Nehemiah under the direction of the High Priest, by order of Ptolemy. All original scrolls and documents were then taken to the library at Alexandria to be stored. Unfortunately the Library was burned three times. From about 300 CE the Masoretes started to transcribe the Septuagint, although around 100 CE they had started altering text at a Yeshiva near Tel Aviv after the Jews were kicked out of Jerusalem. They were not Greek scholars, nor did they have the original texts. They basically set out to erase Jesus from the texts. From 600 to 1000 CE they finished the rewrite calling their work the Masoretic Text. The 1611 King James scholars used the Masoretic text for the old testament, however they recognized that there was an alteration to Isaiah 7:14, claiming "a young women” rather than “a virgin.” The word is virgin, but the Jews wanted to claim that Jesus’ birth father was Joseph, and that there was another Messiah coming. This is why we study through the Septuagint.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2014/12/erasing-jesus-intentional-sabotage.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2014/10/recovery-of-sight-to-blind-isaiah-61.html
Mary’s father was a Nazarite from Galilee and Mary’s mother was from Bethlehem. Both were from the line of David. At three years of age Mary was dedicated to the temple for temple service. At the age of fourteen the young girls were to be sent home to their families so that they could marry. Mary and seven other young virgins however were betrothed to men at that time. This was arranged by the high priest, and as we know, Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Mary then went home to Galilee and a few months later Joseph went to Galilee to marry her. Notice that in Mary’s story, the people of Israel had made provision for some young women to be kept pure until the age of fourteen. They did this to be in compliance with the prophecies.
It seems unusual that Isaiah is prophesying the Messiah to Ahaz because he then goes on to explain what is happening in Judah and how Yahweh will deliver them in chapter 8. While it is possible that the child born could have been another child from Ahaz, which would give the timing of their deliverance, it is exclusively a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Both Ahaz and Isaiah had wives and both had sons, but neither had a virgin conceive a son. A virgin will conceive, not a young woman. This is why Mary and other young girls were given to temple service. If the Masoretes had not altered the text, we would understand this. Prophetically, Isaiah has babies on his mind, as he himself will have another son.
Isa 7:15 Butter and honey shall he eat, before he knows either to prefer evil or choose the good.
Isa 7:16 For before the child shall know good or evil, he refuses evil, to choose the good; and the land shall be forsaken which thou art afraid of because of the two kings.
Isa 7:17 But God shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon the house of thy father, days which have never come, from the day that Ephraim took away from Juda the king of the Assyrians.
What did Ahaz do with these words? He ignored them. He then made an allegiance with Assyria. Instead of relying on Yahweh he relied on himself and Tiglath Pileser. Assyria helped Ahaz by capturing Damascus. In the not too distant future, Assyria would capture the northern kingdom.
Isaiah goes on with his prophecy and speaks of conceiving another son of his own. Yahweh names Isaiah’s son. Then Yahweh says that he will bring a river over the people, and Isaiah says in chapter 8 verse 8 “O God with us”. Again, Isaiah says in verse 10 “God is with us”. Let’s read the rest of Isaiah’s prophecy regarding “God with us” from the Amplified.
Isaiah 8:11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread.
13 The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].
We see a lot of distrust of Yahweh and His word, even in our day. People are more apt to believe fallible men made of clay, rather than the creator. Here is a pearl of great price: do not be in fear of what they fear, nor make others afraid. People who reject the written word, in whole or in part, have a tendency to put others in fear causing them to lose their faith. Those who cause others fear and to lose their faith will be responsible before the Lord. Isaiah is told by Yahweh not to walk in the way of the people.
Isaiah 8:14 And He shall be a sanctuary [a sacred and indestructible asylum to those who reverently fear and trust in Him]; but He shall be a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. [Isa. 28:6; Rom. 9:33; I Pet. 2:6-8.]
15 And many among them shall stumble thereon; and they shall fall and be broken, and be snared and taken.
Both houses of Israel will stumble over Him. Both houses of Israel will be offended in Him. He is a trap. But if we fear Him, he is our sanctuary.
Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law and the teaching among my [Isaiah’s] disciples.
17 And I will wait for the Lord, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for and hope in Him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and wonders [that are to take place] in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells on Mount Zion.
Now is a good time to mention the names of Isaiah’s children. They were named to speak prophecy into Israel. Shear-jashub went with Isaiah to speak to Ahaz. His name means “a remnant shall return”. Isaiah’s son who was born and named by the Lord in chapter 8, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “spoil quickly, plunder speedily” or “swift is booty, speedy is prey”. Isaiah says his children are signs and wonders for Israel from Yahweh of the angel armies.
Isaiah 8:19 And when the people [instead of putting their trust in God] shall say to you, Consult for direction mediums and wizards who chirp and mutter, should not a people seek and consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?
20 [Direct such people] to the teaching and to the testimony! If their teachings are not in accord with this word, it is surely because there is no dawn and no morning for them.
21 And they [who consult mediums and wizards] shall pass through [the land] sorely distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will fret, and will curse by their king and their God; and whether they look upward
22 Or look to the earth, they will behold only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and into thick darkness and widespread, obscure night they shall be driven away.
Why were people consulting wizards and mediums? They were doing this because Ahaz and others before him allowed this in both the northern and southern kingdoms. What happens when their pretend gods don’t help them? They will cry and curse the Elohim. Instead of doing that, why not seek the Elohim?
There probably should not have been a chapter separation here as “but” is a conjunction. The connection is that the people who are looking to the Elohim, who are in anguish over the condition of the nation, they will see glory in Galilee and the surrounding nations.
Isaiah 9:1 BUT [in the midst of judgment there is the promise and the certainty of the Lord’s deliverance and] there shall be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He will make it glorious, by the way of the Sea [of Galilee, the land] beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined. [Isa. 42:6; Matt. 4:15, 16.]
3 You [O Lord] have multiplied the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before You like the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil [of battle].
After the captivity, when the southern kingdom came back into the land and the northern kingdom and southern kingdom joined forces again, the Lord had multiplied the nation. Under Assyrian rulership and under Greek rulership the nation somewhat bonded again, apart from Samaria which was in the middle of the nation. Then under Roman rule something awesome happened.
Isaiah 9:4 For the yoke of [Israel’s] burden, and the staff or rod for [goading] their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, You have broken as in the day of [Gideon with] Midian. [Judg. 7:8-22.]
5 For every [tramping] warrior’s war boots and all his armor in the battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. [Isa. 25:1; 40:9-11; Matt. 28:18; Luke 2:11.]
7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. [Dan. 2:44; I Cor. 15:25-28; Heb. 1:8.]
The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Is 8:11–9:7). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
It may seem odd to have to span what someone has divided into three chapters to get back to the prophecy of the Messiah, but the context is what helps us to understand the entirety of the prophesied virgin birth. We typically take Isaiah 7:14 and either give it a yea or nay. But in the context, what do we see? Ahaz doesn’t want a sign, he is going to take care of the situation himself. Isaiah brings his son to talk to Ahaz and gives him a sign that parallels the future Messiah. Then Isaiah and his prophetess wife conceive another son. Isaiah’s sons are prophecies for Israel. But another son will also be born into Israel and he will be a son birthed by a virgin and born into a family of Nazarites. Isaiah gives the timing as after the captivity when the nation started prospering again, and as one nation, although under the government of another nation. This is done because of the zeal of Yahweh of the angel armies.
One of the most evil kings in history received the prophecy that caused all of Judah to look forward to the Messiah. It seems unusual because Ahaz didn’t actually care what Yahweh had to say. In fact, Ahaz took the furnishing of the temple and changed them for worshiping idols. However we have to think about what Isaiah was doing. Isaiah was encouraging the nation, not the king. Just as we have people today, grieved at the condition of their nation, and grieved at the blindness of people who claim to be spiritual, Isaiah was giving this prophecy for the people, even though it was given to the king. The people needed to hear the encouragement. They needed to know that even though they were under the control of an evil ruler, Yahweh had not forgotten them. They needed to know that their heirs would still have their land and that Yahweh of the angel armies will deliver them.
Luke picks up the story from Mary’s perspective as to how she became pregnant. This takes place six months after her cousin Elizabeth became pregnant.
Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month [after that], the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 To a girl never having been married and a virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one [endued with grace]! The Lord is with you! Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.
30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.
31 And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
32 He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David,
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end. [Isa. 9:6, 7; Dan. 2:44.]
34 And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband?
35 Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God. [Exod. 40:34; Isa. 7:14.]
36 And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.
38 Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her.
The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Lk 1:26–38). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Matthew tells the story from Joseph’s perspective.
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant [through the power] of the Holy Spirit.
19 And her [promised] husband Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly.
20 But as he was thinking this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary [as] your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of (from, out of) the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God].
22 All this took place that it might be fulfilled which the Lord had spoken through the prophet,
23 Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us. [Isa. 7:14.]
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him: he took [her to his side as] his wife.
25 But he had no union with her as her husband until she had borne her firstborn Son; and he called His name Jesus.
The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Mt 1:18–25). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-day-was-jesus-born-fall-feasts.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-night-sky-when-jesus-was-born-what.html
Mary visits Elizabeth, and the baby in Elizabeth’s womb recognizes the Messiah in utero, in Mary. Then Elizabeth receives the Holy Spirit and prophesies.
Luke 1:39 And at that time Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah,
40 And she went to the house of Zachariah and, entering it, saluted Elizabeth.
41 And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
42 And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb!
43 And how [have I deserved that this honor should] be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, the instant the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.
The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Lk 1:39–45). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2017/06/deep-compassion-elisabeth-prophet.html
Micah was a prophet and a bit younger than Isaiah. He prophesied during the times of Joatham, Achaz, and Hezekiah. It seems that Micah and Isaiah have similar revelation from Yahweh and they are speaking it out at about the same time in history.
Micah 5:1 NOW GATHER yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; a state of siege has been placed against us. They shall smite the ruler of Israel with a rod (a scepter) on the cheek.
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity). [Gen. 49:10; Matt. 2:5-12; John 7:42.]
3 Therefore shall He give them up until the time that she who travails has brought forth; then what is left of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel.
4 And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall dwell [secure], for then shall He be great [even] to the ends of the earth. [Ps. 72:8; Isa. 40:11; Zech. 9:10; Luke 1:32, 33.]
The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Mic 5:1–4). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Micah says that the ruler of Israel was coming against them, which we know from the plans of Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel. He is repeating what was happening in their present, then shifts to the future with the prophecy of Bethlehem. He says that the one that comes out of Bethlehem will be one who has been “from of old”, or “out of eternity”.
Micah 5: 2 G2532 And G1473 you, G* Beth-lehem, G3588 of the G3624 house G* of Ephratah, G3641.1 are very few G1510.2.2 G3588 G1510.1 being G1722 among G5505 thousands G* of Judah; G1537 from out of G1473 you G1473 to me G1831 shall come forth G3588 the one G1510.1 being G1519 for G758 ruler G3588 G* of Israel; G2532 and G3588 G1841 his goings forth G1473 G575 were from G746 the beginning, G1537 from G2250 [2of days G165 1eon].
“… and his exodus away from origin from out of an age a day.”
Micah says that this one who will be a ruler, archōn, first in rank over Israel, will make his exodos, exit from the origin of the age. He exits twice. Once in birth as Messiah, and again at the end of the age as King of kings and Lord of lords when he establishes his millennial kingdom. This is when he will be great unto the ends of the earth. Micah then explains that there will be a remnant. Remember, Moses and Jesus both said that when He brings them back into the land from the ends of heaven and earth that they will establish the millennial kingdom.
Matthew 2:1 NOW WHEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,
2 Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east at its rising and have come to worship Him. [Num. 24:17; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 9:9.]
We know that Daniel taught the western Magi to look for the signs in the heaven. When the Magi came it looked more like an invasion than an inquiry by three men. They brought their families, household servants, and flocks with them on this year long journey. Historians record that there were over one thousand people who came to Judah as part of this Magi trek.
Matthew 2:3 When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed and troubled, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.
4 So he called together all the chief priests and learned men (scribes) of the people and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They replied to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not in any way least or insignificant among the chief cities of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler (Leader) Who will govern and shepherd My people Israel. [Mic. 5:2.]
7 Then Herod sent for the wise men [astrologers] secretly, and accurately to the last point ascertained from them the time of the appearing of the star [that is, how long the star had made itself visible since its rising in the east].
8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search for the Child carefully and diligently, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.
The eastern Magi had lost the knowledge of the signs of the heavens. They became fortune tellers instead of students of the astro-logos.
Matthew 2:9 When they had listened to the king, they went their way, and behold, the star which had been seen in the east in its rising went before them until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy.
11 And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And receiving an answer to their asking, they were divinely instructed and warned in a dream not to go back to Herod; so they departed to their own country by a different way.
The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Mt 2:1–12). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Where was the young child? Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were back in Nazareth of Galilee. They were only in Bethlehem to pay their taxes as heirs of David. They went back to the community they were from and the Magi found them there. This is called the epiphany.
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus went to Egypt by boat, sailing to Alexandria and then living among the people of their same order, the Therapeutaes.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/02/apollos-spirit-filled-tongues-of-fire.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/02/therapeutaes-jesus-buddha-wild-worship.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/02/jesus-essene-therapeutaes-joseph-zedek.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/11/epiphany-jesus-above-appearing.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-deliverer-sign-apocalypse-and.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2017/08/prophecies-of-david-mega-epiphany.html
Matthew 2:13 Now after they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! [Tenderly] take unto you the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt; and remain there till I tell you [otherwise], for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.
14 And having risen, he took the Child and His mother by night and withdrew to Egypt
15 And remained there until Herod’s death. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called My Son. [Hos. 11:1.]
16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been misled by the wise men, was furiously enraged, and he sent and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that territory who were two years old and under, reckoning according to the date which he had investigated diligently and had learned exactly from the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they were no more. [Jer. 31:15.]
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20 And said, Rise, [tenderly] take unto you the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.
21 Then he awoke and arose and [tenderly] took the Child and His mother and came into the land of Israel.
The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Mt 2:13–21). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Why did Jesus have to come to earth? People needed to see him and tell the story of his birth. It is another step in our faith ladder. People who saw that he came the first time, recorded his ministry and crucifixion. We now wait for his return again. Why would the Jews want to erase their Messiah? They expected Jesus to overthrow Rome and then sit as leader over Israel. They shrunk their timing by at least two thousand years. Jesus will sit as a leader over Israel during the Millennial Kingdom. His coming the first time was to announce the Father in Heaven, and to show the future plan of the Kingdom of Heaven. Meanwhile, as Paul told us. we are waiting for the number of nations to enter into faith and redemption. Since the Day of Pentecost, all nations, tribes, and tongues, can be saved.
Another contention that the Jews had regarding Jesus was that he was an Essene, trained in Essene schooling until he was thirty, just as his cousin John had done. The Essenes were from the lineage of Shem and Eber, the Zadok priesthood, and the school of the prophets. The Jews in Jerusalem were of the Pharisees. The Pharisees stayed in works of service during the time of the Maccabean split, around 150 BCE. They adhered to Levites even though they had allowed defilement into the temple with a non-Levite as High Priest. The Pharisees disliked the Essenes/Nazarenes/Therapeutaes/Damascus Community/Zadok Priests and the Prophets because of their holiness. While the Pharisaical order became corrupt, the Essene order did not. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies, such as opening blind eyes and deaf ears, yet the religious leaders did not welcome him. Jesus called himself I AM, we will explore this next time.
