"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (NASB)
Micah 5:2
http://bible.cc/micah/5-2.htm
How can someone's origins be from "the days of eternity"? Doesn't this point to someone being born who is not merely human? I wonder how the Jewish people interpret this verse?
2007-12-04 03:02:16 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Let me summarize the contexual explanation of that passage in case you missed it from the excellent answers already given.
From the tribe of Judah will arise a king of Israel whose ancestry goes back to ancient Bethlehem. In that time war shall cease. It says witchcraft and divination will cease. No more Psychic Friends Network and Sylvia on the Montel show. No more bowing down before crucifixes and statues. No more Christmas trees. Wow, this verse even says all antisemites will be destroyed by a very ticked off God. And this very angry God will show his wrath on the nations because they did not listen to God and stop being such hateful people.
In plainspoken language, this is what Micah is telling people. Has that happened yet?
Nope. So it's very clear it couldn't have applied to Jesus. He never ruled anything and none of those events happened in his lifetime.
Thumbs up to both Snarky and Gershon for your honesty.
When ANY author writes a passage or story, they put the words together to say something specific. The entire story is important to tell if you're going to ask if it happened or if it applies to a specific individual.
2007-12-04 04:30:37 · answer #1 · answered by ✡mama pajama✡ 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you should read the rest of the prophesy.
5:9-14
It will be on that day - the word of Hashem - I will eliminate your horses from your midst and I will destroy your chariots. I will eliminate witchcraft from your doman, and there will be no diviners among you. I will eliminate your graven idols and your pillars from your midst, and you will no longer prostate yourselves to your own handiwork. I will uproot your Asherah trees from your midst, and I will destroy those who hate you. And with anger and wrath I will carry out revenge against the nations because they did not listen.
This hasn't happened yet, so I guess it doesn't apply to the person the christians worship.
If you were to study Micah from the start, you may just find the prophesy is directed against the nations.
I'd be happy to go verse by verse with you over the next year or two and we can research what each verse means. That way we know the prophesy from the start.
It is a common christian ploy to snatch a verse from the middle of a passage and apply it to what they believe. To thoroughly study Micah, you will have to do better than that, as Jewish writtings are a big puzzle. Much of Micah refers to passages in Isaiah and Jeremiah who were contemporaries.
Now, it doesn't actually day "from days of eternity" It says from early times in the Hebrew, and it's merely pointing out that the person's genealogy can be traced back to early times.
Shalom,
Gershon
2007-12-04 03:43:34 · answer #2 · answered by Gershon b 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are trying, as many do, to place a Christian interpretation on the Jewish bible - it doesn't work.
The Tanakh ('old' testament) is very specific in its' description of the messiah. There are detailed instructions for how we are to recognise him/her. And there are certain conditions he/she must fulfill, such as peace on earth.
Only when all these conditions are met, will we know it is the real messiah. If even one fails to happen, then it is a false messiah.
Clearly, peace on earth did not happen when Jesus was alive.
Christians who claim that Jesus is mentioned in the Tanakh are overlooking the crucial point: they are using incorrectly translated Hebrew. It happens over and over, yet no Christian ever seems to care! Instead, they simply insist that THEY understand the Tanakh better than we Jews do - a view that is stunning in its' sheer arrogance, frankly.
The person who answers above me is totally right. The term for 'virgin' in hebrew is an entirely different word. I really think that Christians should have a bit of respect for the fact that we understand our own bible and also hebrew, better than they do.
2007-12-04 03:41:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The New Testament fulfills the Old Testament. The Lord God promised to send His Chosen One (the Messiah) as the ultimate sacrifice for sin, and as the One who would be the Eternal King. Jesus fulfills all of this. He is the Messiah. He is the King. If you lay yourself aside and let Him consume you with His Spirit, He will rule over you NOW within your heart. Live by His Word. He IS from Eternity. Genesis 1:26 is a great example: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness'..." God the FATHER, God the SON, and God the HOLY SPIRIT. Reference John 1:2 - "He was with God in the beginning." If people would read the Bible for what it actually says, instead of trying to turn it around into something different, then all would understand, because all would see what God's Word says about submitting to Him and letting Him speak to us. Praise God for this question! God bless you, faithful one. In Jesus' name, that Name above all names.
2007-12-04 07:24:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Quran Chapter 3
183
They also claim: "Allah has commanded us to believe in no Rasool unless he shows us a sacrifice consumed by a fire
from the Heaven." Ask them: "Other prophets before me have come to you with clear arguments and showed this
miracle you are asking for. Why did you kill them if what you say is true?"
Quran chapter 3 Al I'Imran
45
When the angels said "O Maryem! Allah gives you the good news with a Word from Him that you will be given a son: his name will be Messiah, Isa (Jesus Christ) the son of Maryem. He will be noble in this world and the Hereafter; and he will be from those who are very close to Allah.
Quran Chapter 4 . An Nisaa.
157
They even say: "We have killed the Messiah, Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam, the Rasool of Allah." Whereas in fact, neither
did they kill him nor did they crucify him but they thought they did because the matter was made dubious for them. Those who differ therein are only in doubt. They have no real knowledge, they follow nothing but merely a conjecture, certainly they did not kill him (Jesus).
171
O People of the Book! Do not transgress the limits of your religion. Speak nothing but the Truth about Allah. The Messiah, Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary) was no more than a Rasool of Allah and His Word "Be" which He bestowed on Maryam and a Spirit from Him which took the shape of a child in her womb. So believe in Allah and His
Rasools and do not say: "Trinity"." Stop saying that, it is better for you. Allah is only One Deity. He is far above from the need of having a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the Earth. Allah Alone is sufficient for protection.
172
The Messiah (Jesus) never disdained to be the worshipper of Allah nor do the angels who are nearest to Allah.Whosoever disdains His worship and is arrogant will be brought before Him all together.
Quran 9. chapter At Tauba.
31
They (Jews and Christians) have taken their rabbis and priests to be their Lords beside Allah and so they did
with Messiah (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary), although they were commanded in the Torah and the Gospel to worship none but One Ilah (Allah); besides Whom there is none worthy of worship. Exalted be He above those whom they associate with Him.
2007-12-04 04:17:56 · answer #5 · answered by jafar sheikh 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jewish evolutionary man prophecy fulfillment is not a requirement of the first cause, and as such does not necessarily have to live up to expectations not necessarily stated by the divine, but rather the will of the finite material man.
2007-12-04 03:07:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
This is because "days of eternity" is a mistranslation.
See http://www.messiahtruth.com/micah.html for a full length discussion that includes side by side translation comparisons.
2007-12-04 15:53:52 · answer #7 · answered by BMCR 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
when was jesus a 'ruler in israel'?
the jewish messiah has not arrived yet (and jesus fails to meet the stipulation on lots of different counts).
your prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.
2007-12-04 03:10:33 · answer #8 · answered by synopsis 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Stop taking the Bible out of context.
2007-12-04 03:08:29 · answer #9 · answered by 雅威的烤面包机 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
And, did he become king of Israel?
2007-12-04 03:04:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋