But Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah

2021-10-10

One of many prophecies concerning Jesus is Micah 5:2:

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

Bethlehem is where Jesus was born, and the Scripture is fulfilled in Matthew 2:6. We can clearly see this is Jesus if we read the whole context. The prophecy includes:

1. Jesus’ passion (Micah 5:1)
2. His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
3. His kingship (Micah 5:2)
4. His eternality, and therefore, His deity (Micah 5:2)
5. His role in returning the remnant of His people to Jerusalem (in a truly eschatological sense, Micah 5:3)
6. He gets His strength from the Father, and therefore, is distinct from the Father (Micah 5:4)
7. His power will be to the ends of the earth (Micah 5:4)
8. He shall be the land’s peace (Micah 5:5; cf. Romans 5:1)
9. He shall deliver His people from their enemies (Micah 5:6)

Many of these prophecies have yet to be fulfilled, while some of them have been fulfilled or partially fulfilled.