THE

PROPHECY

Ò F

MICAH

Chap. 7.

EXPLAINED.

S

HEWS, he was a Morafhite, and prophefied in the Days of Forbam, Abaz, and Hezekiah. The Subjects of this Prophecy, are the Sins of Sa maria and Ferufalem; for which they are to be deftroyed,' and to go into Captivity. Lachi will also fuffer. These were the Effects of Tiglab Pilefer's Invafion' upon Galilee, and all Refin's Kingdom, and Peka's, except Samaria, was seized by him, and the Captives carried into Media. Then he Philiftins had feized fome Cities of Judab.

Ch. 2. Gives the Reasons of this Panifhment, viz. Cove zousness, Violence and Oppreffion.

Ch. 3. The Governors or Heads judge for Reward, the Priefts for Gifts, and the Prophets prophefie for Money. For this reafon Sion fhall be plowed as a Field, and Ferufalem become Heaps, and the Mountain of the Temple as the high Places of the Foreft.

Ch. 4. and 5. I will give the Hiftorical Sense of these two Chapters, to thew how much they agree with Zachary's and other Prophecies,

The Beginning of the 4th of Micab is the fame we read in Ijaiah. He lived 753 Years before the Birth of our Saviour, tho' he names the Place of his Birth. After he had defcribed the Return of the Two Tribes from Babylon; and after he had intimated the Wars of the Maccabees, and the Siege of Jerufalem by Pompey, then a Governour is to come out of Bethlehem. And Micab alfo prophefies of a second Captivity, and the Return of all the Tribes, and their Perfecution by Gog, and his Subverfion, and of all the Gentiles : And these things agree with all the other Prophecies.

Ch. 4. v. 1. The Mountain of the Lord fhall become glorious in the laft Days. This may be interpreted Hiftori cally of the building of the Second Temple, and at laft, of Ezekiel's. Thither the People fall flock, and from thence the Law go out; (but this may also relate to Chrift ;) he will teach us of his Ways, and we will walk in his Paths. The Law fhall go forth of Zion; he fhall judge among many People. (But fince his Birth is mentioned but in the Beginning of the next Chapter, this feems not well to relate to Chrift, He that fhould rebuke many Nations, muft be Cy be Co rus; and the peaceable Times after his Wars, are defcribed by beating their Swords into Plow-fhares)

V. 4. Every one fhall fit fecurely under his Vine; that is, live fecurely in Peace and Plenty.

V. In that Day God will gather her that is trod down, or driven out, and make her a ftrong Nation, and the Lord hall reign over them in Mount Sion.

V.8. ThisKingdom fhall come to the Daughter of Ferusalem; (and this is called in the Septuagint, the firft Kingdom from Babylon; that is, Fofhua had it, by Zachary's Meffage to him; but there will be a Second Kingdom after the Deftruction of Antichrift.) e lo a!.

V. 10. The Jews fhall go to Babylon, and return, and Sion fhall be fruitful in bringing forth many Children.

V. 11. Many Nations were then gathered againft Sion, faying, Let us rejoyce and despise her.

V. 12. But they knew not the Thought of the Lord, nei ther understood his Counsel, that he gathered them together as the Sheaves into the Floor.

V. 13. Arife and threfh them, O Daughter of Sion; be cause I will make thy Horns as Iron, and Armour as Brafs; and thou fhalt deftroy many People, and thou fhalt lay up or confecrate their Wealth and Strength unto the Lord of the whole Earth.

This is a Prophecy, that the Syrian Princes fhould invade Fudea, after the Return of the Two Tribes from Babylon; and they were conquer'd by the Maccabees, who took their Cities and Riches out of their Hands.

Ch. 5. v. 1. And now the Daughter of Sion is compaffed with an Intrenchment, and a Siege; and the Tribes of Ifrael fhall be smote on the Check-Bone.

This is a Defcription of Pompey's taking Ferufalem after the Wars of the Maccabees with the Syrian Kings was ended; and after this Conqueft, our Saviour was born.

V. 2. And thou Bethlehem, the Houfe of Ephrata, tho' thou be little amongst the Thousands of Fudah, out of thee he fhall come forth to me to be the Ruler of Ifrael; and his Goings forth, for powerful Works) were from the Beginning, or Days of Eternity (or his Power is derived from God, who is called, the 'Ax)

V. 3. Wherefore he will give them up (to Captivity) till the time that the (Sion) travails; and the fhall bring forth them, and the reft of their Brethren fhall return to the Sons of Ifrael.

Note, This intimates a Second Caprivity of the Jews, after Chrift's Birth, till the time appointed for their Reftoration, which is of all Ifrael; and 'tis compared to a Woman's bringing forth of her Children.

V. 4. And the Lord fhall ftand, overfee, and feed his Sheepfold with Power, and they fhall abide in the Glory of the Name of the Lord their God; wherefore they fhall be magpified to the End of the Earth.

Note, This glorious Government of Chrift must be after the Jews laft Return into Fudea, in the Beginning of the Millennium, and by the Conqueft of Gog.

V. 5. And this fhall be the Peace, when Assur invades your Land, and when he ascends into your Countrey, seven Shepherds fhall be raised againft him, and eight Deftroyers of Men.

Note, This Invafion is that of Gog in Ezekiel, after the Two Tribes are returned to Jerufalem. Revel. 15. defcribes the feven Angels with their Vials full of Wrath, coming out of the Temple; and Efdras, Ch. 1. describes the Ten Tribes returning from the Eaft, with their Leaders Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with the Twelve Minor Prophets.

V. 6. And they fhall feed Affur with the Sword, and the Land of Nimrod with its Graves, and deliver from Affur when he cometh into your Lands, and ascends into your Borders.

4.7. And the Remnant of Jacob amongft the Gentiles; in the midft of many People, fhall be as a Dew falling from the Lord, and as Lambs in the Grafs, fo as none is gathered together, neither fubfifts amongst the Sons of Men.

Note, When the Affyrian Gog, who now poffeffes Nimrod's Countrey, fhall invade Judea, the Jews Priests and Warriors of the Two Tribes, fhall conquer thofe Asy rians, viz. the Turks and Perfians; but at that time the Ten Tribes, called the Remnant of Jacob, fhall re main among the Heathen, without being gathered together, as if there were none of them left; and they are in fome Places unknown to us at this Day; and this agrees with Efdras, That the Jews on the Borders fhall build Sion, before the Ten Tribes return.

V. 8. And the Remnant of Facob fhall be amongst the many People of the Gentiles, as a Lion amongst the Beafts in the Forests, and as a young Lion in the Folds of the Sheep: After fuch manner he paffes thro', and separates, and tears them, and none can deliver.

V. 9. Thy Hand fhall be lift up upon those that afflict thee, and all thy Enemies fhall be destroyed.

Note, This refpects the Enemies of the Ten Tribes; they will deftroy the Mahometans, when they return into their Countrey; they will fight like Lions; but at first are much dispersed.

V. to. In that Day I will, faith the Lord, deftroy the Horfes and Chariots out of thee; that is, the Turkish or Mas bomet an Army of Horses.

V. 11. I will deftroy the Cities of thy Land, and take a way thy Strong Holds from the Enemy.

V. 12. And I will cut off. Witchcrafts out of thine hand, and thou shalt have no more Soothsayers.

V. 13. Thy graven Images and Statues fhall be deftroyed, and thou shalt no more worship the Works of thy Hands.

V. 14. I will cut down the Groves from the midst of thee, and will utterly deftroy thy Cities.

...V. 15. And I will execute Vengeance in Anger and Fury upon the Heathen, fuch as they have not heard.

Note, This is defcribed in Zachary 13. o. 2. I will cut off the Names of the Idols, and I will caufe the Prophets and unclean Spirit to pals out of the Land. V. 8. In all the Land, two Parts fhall be cut off, and die. This is the Perfecution of the Ten Tribes by Gog, after their Return into Judea. Upon his Second Coming to befiege Ferufalem, then Gog's Horfes and Chariots, and the Chriftians Images, who dwell in that Land, fhall be deftroyed; and then Chrift will execute his

Fury

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