The Two Attacks of the Assyrian and the Restoration of Israel
The book of Micah has its importance in that it shows that the restoration of Israel will take place between the two attacks on the land of Israel by the Assyrian. Joel has also shown this, but Micah gives further details of it. As mentioned already, the first attack by the Assyrian on the land of Israel (a foreshadow of the King of the North) will be successful, but the second attack of the Assyrian (a foreshadow of Gog) will not be.
Micah uses the Assyrian, who was a great northern threat to Israel in his day, to depict these coming attacks. He gives clear evidence that there will be two attacks by this enemy. This use of the Assyrian is in keeping with the prophecies of Isaiah who was Micah’s contemporary.
Daniel 8:2424And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. (Daniel 8:24) indicates that the King of the North and his confederates are linked in a larger coalition of confederated armies. It says that “his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power,” meaning that the King of the North will have the backing of another super-power. This could only be that of Gog, because the prophets speak of both of these confederacies as the Assyrian (Ezek. 38:1717Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? (Ezekiel 38:17)). It is not that the ancient nation of Assyria will literally rise up and be a dominant world power again; the Spirit of prophecy uses that enemy as a figurative foreshadow to denote the northeastern coalitions in a coming day. Babylon is used similarly as a figure of the western nations (the Beast).
The Inroads of the Assyrian Armies—a Foreshadow of the King of the North
Chapter 1
Micah begins his prophecy by announcing that the Lord was about to come in with judgment upon Israel. He would execute His judgment on them indirectly, using the Assyrians, who were His willing instrument. The chapter gives an animated account of the inroads of that ancient enemy. Micah speaks poetically of the Lord as though He were the personal Leader of these invading armies (Mic. 1:33For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. (Micah 1:3); Isa. 10:5-65O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (Isaiah 10:5‑6); Joel 2:1111And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:11) – “His army”). Though these things were historically accomplished by the Assyrian (first by Shalmaneser, then by Sargon), they are a foreshadow of the future invasion of the land of Israel by the King of the North (Dan. 11:40-4240And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (Daniel 11:40‑42)).
Samaria, which was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, would be desolated first, as the Assyrians came down from the north (vss. 1-7). This prefigures the Jews in the north end of the land being hit first by the King of the North. The armies would proceed southward to Judah and come against Jerusalem (vss. 8-9). Divine history indicates that the Assyrians did not take Jerusalem at that time, but that is not mentioned here, for in the future the city will be destroyed (Psa. 79:1-31<<A Psalm of Asaph.>> O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 2The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. 3Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. (Psalm 79:1‑3); Zech. 14:1-21Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 14:1‑2)). Other cities in the land along the way would also be devastated by the invasion (vss. 10-16).
The Moral Causes That Call For the Judgment by the Assyrians
Chapter 2
The next two chapters disclose the moral causes of God’s judgment on His people through the Assyrian. The people were engaged in wicked practices (vss. 1-6), and they had rejected the Word of God (vss. 7-11). In the latter part of chapter 2, Micah shows that even though the people had forsaken the Lord, His purpose to bless Israel was still going to be fulfilled. He will re-gather (“assemble”) the “remnant of Israel” (vs. 12). The Lord (“the breaker”) is seen as breaking open “the gate” that has held His people captive and delivering them. They will go out with the Lord (“their King”) leading them into their millennial rest (vs. 13).
Chapter 3
Micah goes on to expose an even more serious evil in the third chapter. “The princes” (the civil leaders of the nation) and “the prophets” (the spiritual leaders) were corrupt (vss. 1-7). God would not stand for this any longer; He would cause Zion (Jerusalem) to be “plowed like a field” so that it would “become heaps.” In history, the Assyrians never touched Jerusalem, much less did they plow it like a field—but the Babylonians did. This shows that the Spirit really had the future day in mind when the King of the North will come in and devastate the land.
Restored Israel Attacked Unsuccessfully by the Assyrian—a Type of Gog
Chapter 4
Micah then sees Israel in their “last days” restored and blessed of God. This is another proof that the foregoing prophecies were intended to portray more than just those immediate circumstances of the Assyrian inroads in history; for what we have in this chapter was not accomplished after the Assyrian passed through the land. The restoration of Israel will be consequent upon the Lord’s Appearing and His execution of judgment upon their enemies. Micah does not speak of that here, but rather, focuses on Israel’s millennial blessings when they are restored.
Micah sees Jerusalem as rebuilt and being the center of worship and of learning the knowledge of the Lord on earth (vss. 1-5). He also speaks of the ten tribes of Israel that were scattered far off, being gathered back into their land (vss. 6-10).
Then, when a remnant of all twelve tribes of Israel are found situated in their land under the blessing of the Lord, Micah tells us that there will be another confederacy of nations that will gather against them. “Now also many nations shall be gathered against thee” (vs. 11). This could only be the Russian confederacy under Gog who will come up against restored Israel (Ezek. 38). The Lord will cause them to come into the land at that time so that He may judge them (vs. 12). The armies of restored Israel are seen as participating in the clean-up of any remaining people after the judgment of the Lord on these assembled nations (vs. 13).
A Review of the Two Attacks of the Assyrian
Chapter 5
In this chapter, Micah enlarges on the two attacks of the Assyrian. At the time of the first attack on Jerusalem by the Assyrian (the King of the North – Daniel 11:40-4240And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (Daniel 11:40‑42)), the prophet portrays the work of the Spirit of God in the remnant, bringing the matter of the Jews' guilt of rejecting the Messiah to their consciences. Many years earlier (but still future from the time when the prophet spoke) the nation smote "the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek"—that is, they insulted and rejected Him (vs. 1). Verse 2 is a parenthesis identifying who this great Person is. He was born in the insignificant town of “Bethlehem,” but was destined to be "the Ruler in Israel." His "goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity," indicating that He is an eternal Person. This could be none other than the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Consequent upon His humiliation and rejection, the prophecy states: "Therefore will He give them up" (vs. 3). This means that God would break off His dealings with the nation. It would be a temporary thing, as indicated in the next phrase, "Until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth." The prophet does not state how long Israel would be given up, but he assures us that the Lord will re-establish His connections with the nation after it travails. Israel's time of travail is the "time of Jacob's trouble"—the Great Tribulation (Jer. 14:8; 30:78O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? (Jeremiah 14:8)
7Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7)). The bringing "forth" of the nation is its rebirth by the grace of God (Isa. 66:7-87Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. (Isaiah 66:7‑8)). The prophet states that at that time "a remnant of His brethren" (the Jews) will come forth out of the Great Tribulation and will be restored to the Lord. They will then be re-united to "the children of Israel" (a remnant of the ten tribes) who will be brought back into the land after the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:29-3129Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29‑31)). Hence, the two parts of the nation which have been separated for nearly 3000 years will be re-united in that day and will enter the millennial kingdom of Christ together as one people and one nation (Isa. 11:12-1312And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Isaiah 11:12‑13); Ezek. 37:1-281The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. 4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 7So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord. 15The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, 16Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? 19Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. 26Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. (Ezekiel 37:1‑28)).
Vss. 4-5
When they are united under the Lord, “the Assyrian shall come into the land” again with the intention of overthrowing newly restored Israel (Ezek. 38:10-1210Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 11And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, 12To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. (Ezekiel 38:10‑12)). But the Messiah, the great Shepherd of Israel, will defend the land and destroy this last enemy—Gog. The armies of Israel will also go out in a victorious campaign over their enemies after the Lord has destroyed the Assyrian. Their military power at that time will be as a lion devouring its prey (vss. 5-9).
The latter part of chapter 5 shows that all idolatry and corrupt human wisdom will be removed in Israel in that day, and the restored nation will wholly rely upon the Lord (vss. 10-15).
An Appendix
Chapters 6-7
These last two chapters are an appendix to the book, describing the moral side of Israel’s restoration. It contains the exercises the remnant will go through on their way to full restoration. In the troubles they will face in that coming day they will hear the Lord’s voice speaking to them. “Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it” (chap. 6:1-16). As a result of a deep exercise of soul, the remnant will pour out their hearts to the Lord in a penitential prayer (chap. 7:1-10). This is followed by the Lord’s gracious response to their humble confession. He promises restoration and blessing, forgiving their iniquities and casting their sins into the depths of the sea (chap. 7:11-20).