SUMMARY
Micah makes the startling prediction that Jerusalem, the holy city where the Davidic king resides, and the Temple, where God has promised to be present, will be wiped off the face of the earth.
ANALYSIS
In 2 Samuel 7, the prophet Nathan discourages David from building a templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... for the Lord, but God promises that David’s son will build a temple. Further, David’s dynasty and kingdom will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16). The people of Judah held on to that promise through many tumultuous times, including the breaking off of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the death of Solomon. By the time of Micah, Nathan’s promise had held true for about three centuries. It was an anchor for the people. Despite threats from smaller nations and mighty empires like Assyria, the people remained secure in their trust that God would keep this promise. For Micah to declare that even Jerusalem would be destroyed was almost like a word of heresy, a refutation of God’s promises, and a denial of the people’s most tangible hope against all enemies. Micah’s prophecy was not fulfilled in Micah’s day but did have its effect in a later time.
More than one hundred years after Micah, the prophet Jeremiah also predicted the destruction of the Temple and the city (Jeremiah 26:6). This so disturbed the priests and prophets that they wanted to put JeremiahProphet who condemned Judah's infidelity to God, warned of Babylonian conquest, and promised a new covenant. to death. Cooler heads prevailed, however. This verse from Micah was quoted, and the point was made that the king at that time, Hezekiah, did not put Micah to death. Rather, HezekiahJudean king noted for his reforms in time of Isaiah. took it as a warning and fervently turned toward the Lord. Then the Lord changed his mind and did not carry out Micah’s prophecyProphecy is the gift, inspired by God, of speaking and interpreting the divine will. Prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel spoke words of judgment and comfort to the people of Israel on behalf of God. (Jeremiah 26:16-19). Perhaps Jeremiah’s words should be regarded in a similar way, some said.
Later, when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, the people were forced to face this question first raised by Micah. How do we continue to believe in a God who protects and keeps promises when God’s special people are treated this way?
These passages in Micah and Jeremiah raise some interesting questions about fulfillment of prophecies. One of the criteria for distinguishing a true prophet from a false one is whether or not the prophecy comes true. Micah’s prophecy did not happen in his day. It was partially fulfilled in Jeremiah’s day, though the total destruction poetically envisioned by Micah only fully occurred with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE. A great fire swept the city and destroyed every building and all walls except the western wall of the city, so that “there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it [Jerusalem] had ever been inhabited.” (Josephus Jewish Wars 7.1.1.). Limestone buildings were burnt into lime, and the destruction was almost complete. Trees did begin to grow, turning Jerusalem into “a wooded height” before the Romans rebuilt the city almost six decades later as Aelia Capitolina.
The Jeremiah passage says that, although Micah’s prophecy may have been true, Jerusalem was spared because the king turned to God and “God changed his mind.” The Book of Jonah is another example of a prophecy of doom (against Nineveh) that is nullified because the people repent and God holds back the punishment.
