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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Manual and the Garden, continued
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. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. (Micah 5:2,3—NIV)
We know Jesus Christ came from Bethlehem, was of the tribe of Judah, and will be Ruler over Israel.
But now we are being told (above) that the rest of Christ's brothers will return to join the Israelites after "she who is in labor gives birth."
We think this means Israel will be abandoned until the time the Church (Zion) enters the travail that will form Christ in His brothers. In that day the brothers of Christ will return to the land and people of Israel.
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:22,23—NIV)
When we come to the Christian Church we are coming to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem.
The victorious saints of today, the brothers of the Lord Jesus, those being born through the travail of the Church, have an unprecedented desire to return to the land and people of Israel, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Micah.
Again, in the Book of Isaiah:
Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve. Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the LORD. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? says your God. (Isaiah 66:6-9—NIV)
Before Zion, the Church, travailed, Jesus Christ was delivered.
When Zion does go into labor she will give birth to children. Who are these children but the brothers of Jesus Christ, mentioned in Micah?
Then we find in the Book of Revelation:
A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. (Revelation 12:1-5—NIV)
To be continued.