Please explain Micah 4:4&5, Zech 14& 4 what was the time line it was written?

Question

I have heard it was written 500 years before Christ.Serious answers only please.

Answer 1

Date of Writing: The Book of Micah was likely written between 735 and 700 B.C.

Purpose of Writing: The message of the Book of Micah is a complex mixture of judgment and hope. On the one hand, the prophecies announce judgment upon Israel for social evils, corrupt leadership and idolatry. This judgment was expected to culminate in the destruction of Samaria and Jerusalem. On the other hand, the book proclaims not merely the restoration of the nation, but the transformation and exaltation of Israel and Jerusalem. The messages of hope and doom are not necessarily contradictory, however, since restoration and transformation take place only after judgment.

Key Verses: Micah 1:2, "Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth and all who are in it, that the Sovereign LORD may witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple."

Micah 5:2, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Micah 6:8, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 7:18-19, "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Brief Summary: The prophet condemns the rulers, priest and prophets of Israel who exploit and mislead the people. It is because of their deeds that Jerusalem will be destroyed. The prophet Micah proclaims the deliverance of the people who will go from Jerusalem to Babylon and concludes with an exhortation for Jerusalem to destroy the nations who have gathered against her. The ideal ruler would come from Bethlehem to defend the nation and the prophet proclaims the triumph of the remnant of Jacob and foresees a day when Yahweh will purge the nation of idolatry and reliance on military might. The prophet sets forth a powerful and concise summary of Yahweh's requirement for justice and loyalty and announces judgment upon those who have followed the ways of Omri and Ahab. The book closes with a prophetic liturgy comprising elements of a lament. Israel confesses its sin and is assured of deliverance through Yahweh's mighty acts.

Practical Application: Expect sinners to sin. Do not be offended when someone sins against you. Extend a caring arm to people whose sin makes them unbearable. Pray that your fellow Christians will stand strong in their difficult circumstances.

Recommended Resources: NIV Application Commentary Hosea, Amos, and Micah by Gary Smith.


The Book of Zechariah was likely written in two primary segments, between 520 and 470 B.C.

Purpose of Writing: Zechariah emphasized that God has used His prophets to teach, warn and correct His people. Unfortunately, they refused to listen. Their sin brought God's punishment. The book also bears evidence that even prophecy could be corrupted. History shows that in this period prophecy fell into disfavor among the Jews, leading to the period between the Testaments when no lasting prophetic voice spoke to God's people.

Key Verses: Zechariah 1:3, "Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty."

Zechariah 7:13, "'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty."

Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Zechariah 13:9, "This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

Brief Summary: The book of Zechariah teaches that salvation may be obtained by all. The last chapter depicts peoples from all over the world coming to worship God, who desires that all people follow Him. This is not the doctrine of universalism, i.e., that all people would be saved because it is God's nature to save. Rather, the book teaches that God desires that all people worship Him and accepts those who do, regardless of their national or political expressions, as in the freeing of Judah and Jerusalem from their political enemies. Finally, Zechariah preached that God is sovereign over this world, any appearance to the contrary notwithstanding. His visions of the future indicate that God sees all that will happen. The depictions of God's intervention in the world teach that ultimately He will bring human events to the end He chooses. He does not eliminate the individual's freedom to follow God or rebel, but holds people responsible for the choices they make. In the last chapter, even the forces of nature respond to God's control.

Practical Application: God expects sincere worship and moral living of us today. Zechariah's example of breaking through national prejudice reminds us to reach out into all areas of our society. We must extent God's invitation to salvation to people of all national origins, languages, races and cultures.

Recommended Resources: Nahum-Malachi, Holman Old Testament Commentary by Stephen Miller

Answer 2

Both these prophecies portend to the "End Times".

Both describe conditions that will exist for humanity after the "day of the Lord", when all evil is forever removed from life, when man is at peace with himself, with each other and with God.

Neither is specifically concerned with Jesus, except insofar that Jesus is Lord and therefore it will be He who does these things.

Both these prophets came from times of turmoil in Judea. National interests were stirring, neighboring nations were looking enviously at Judea as potential new real estate for themselves. And Judea was weak. Being so strategically located at the confluence of many trade routes of the time, it was imperative that the Jews be kept optimistic about their future. People who think they can't lose are likely to be better prepared to fight like furies should the need arise. It's called morale boosting. Believe it or not, the 20th century did not invent this concept.

Micah dates from about 730BC.
Zechariah from a century and a half earlier.

Hope this helped.

Answer 3

The conclusions that trinitarians have drawn about these verses are in error. Since Jesus was our one God manifest in the flesh, it is not unreasonable for the prophecy to say that He would be pierced. Jesus Christ had two natures: the human and the divine. We know this because He speaks from one to the other in the same manner as Christians pray. And, since He was God manifest in the flesh, He was the express image of God and God indwelled Him. Therefore, anyone who saw Him, saw the Father. These verses more accurately describe Oneness theology than trinitarian.