Chapter Five: The Coming Messiah and the Purification of His Saints

5:1-5...Now thou shalt be besieged by armies, O daughter of the army: he shall lay siege against us; they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 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 Lord in Israel; and his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of the ages…he will give them up until the time that she who travails has brought forth; then the remnant of his brethren shall return with the sons of Israel…he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide; for now he shall be great unto the ends of the earth…he shall be our peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then we shall raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men.

The reference is to Yeshua ben David, Jesus son of David from Bethlehem in Judea. Traditional Jewish interpretation of verse two focus on the birth pangs of a woman and the hardship of the nation of Israel prior to the coming of Messiah! Ancient rabbis said, “Let Messiah come, but let me not see him.” They said this because of fear of the birth pangs! They asked, “What shall a man do to be spared the pangs of the Messiah?” The answer was, “Let him engage in study and benevolence.”

There it is! Even the ancient Hebrews dread this day. Their solution was to engage in study and benevolence--to obey the Lord now! If we rebel now who knows how difficult it will be to obey in that day?

All of God’s people suffer trials and chastisement. The focus here is to be prepared. The Laodiceans have been sleeping like the five foolish virgins. They will have to travail in the Tribulation until they have been brought forth. The stakes are high--they are eternal. Judgment begins at the house of God--get right now!

5:6-8...And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the blade, and the land of Nimrod with their swords; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes against our land and when he treads within our borders…the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as the dew of the LORD, as the rains upon the grass, which did not expect a man, nor did they expect the sons of men…the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goes through and treads down and tears in pieces, there are none that can escape.

The Lord will deliver His people even as He chastises them. The Assyrian represents the nations of the earth coming against Israel and His true ekklesia. Many in the apostate church will be persecuting the true church during the tribulation.

Jacob represents God’s people as a light in the world--as dew of the Lord and rains upon the grass. The saints who go through the tribulation will bring blessing on many--just as falling rain is blessing and brings forth the crops for the harvest. A great harvest will be simultaneously taking place during the tribulation. God will be sifting the nations through his threshed people! This is difficult to understand because we don’t understand God’s ways. This is difficult to understand because many believe falsely that they are going to be "raptured" out.

Chastisement brings us closer to God and we become His sons. There is joy in tribulation once we understand His ways. Some are harder to reach, some of us are slow to learn, some of us are hardhearted. God knows what each of us need to learn. This seems very tough, but this is God’s love working out His eternal plan for us and the universe! So the Laodiceans will also have a chance to overcome! We have a God of love--but he is also a God of Justice who demands righteousness.

5:9-14...Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine enemies, and all thine adversaries shall be cut off…it shall come to pass in that day, said the LORD, that I will cause thy horses to be killed out of the midst of thee, and I will cause thy chariots to be destroyed: and I will cause all the cities of thy land to be destroyed, and I will cause all thy fortresses to be destroyed: and I will cause the witchcrafts to be destroyed by thy hand; and no more soothsayers shall be found in thee: and I will cause thy graven images and thy images to be destroyed out of the midst of thee; and never again shalt thou worship the work of thine hands…I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.

These verses historically describe the divine purge of God’s people and the nations. The message is to be obedient to the Lord. The destruction or judgment of Israel (God’s people) at the final moment becomes a retribution on the nations coming against God’s people.

Prophetically the Lord is telling His true ones that He will protect them from their (and His) enemies. The killing of horses and destroying of chariots is the point when we don’t trust in our flesh and our ways--but have yielded to the Lord and are following His instructions. His ways are above our ways--we no longer trust in ourselves. He chastises us because He loves us and wants us to turn to Him.

The Lord despises witchcraft (works of the flesh and Satan) and pagan mixture. We are to be sanctified by His word and made holy as He is holy. The works of the flesh must be crucified. This is the church being purified through difficulties (and in that day, the tribulation) as fire burns away the chaff--all that is self. No flesh will glory in His presence! We all have a lot to learn!

Next: Chapter Six: The Lord Takes His People to Court