Messianic Prophecy Pointing to Y’shua that is sometimes not recognized.
Micah 4:8. And you, Tower of the Flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, it will come to you, even the first dominion. The kingdom will come to the daughter of Jerusalem. 9. Now why do you cry out loud? Is there no king for you? Has your counsellor perished? For pangs have taken you as a woman in travail. 10. Be in pain and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail, for now you will go forth out of the city and you will dwell in the field and you will go even to Babylon. There you will be delivered. There the LORD* will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. 11. Now also many nations have gathered against you, who say, Let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Zion. 12. But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD*, nor do they understand His counsel, for He will gather them on the floor like the sheaves.
Tower of the Flock, Migdal Eder in Hebrew, refers to the Tower in Bethlehem where the Lambs were cared for that were to become the Lambs offered in the Temple. Those keeping the flocks were Levites who had the responsibility to protect each Lamb from becoming defiled. Miriam went into labor and delivered Messiah in the cave-barn where many sacrificial lambs had stayed. The Migdal Eder is named in Genesis 35:21 and was a place that offered shelter to the Shepherds as well as being a watchtower to observe the sheep. In Genesis these were ordinary sheep since this was long before the Temple sacrifice required faultless sheep. For the first Passover either a Lamb or young Goat was demanded, with Exodus 29 describing the sanctification of the priests being the first time Lambs were required.
Micah 5.1. But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you One will come forth to Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, (Matt. 2:5,6) Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. 2. Therefore He will give them up until the time that she who travails has brought forth, then the remnant of His brothers will return to the children of Israel. 3. And He will stand and feed in the strength of the LORD*, in the majesty of the name of the LORD* His God, and they will stay, for now He will be great to the ends of the earth.
Bethlehem Ephrata was a small city as fitting the description, “little among the thousands of Judah” with its gate being just a door, not the wide gate that most cities had. Bethlehem was the location of the Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, the place where the Lamb of God was to be born. Y’shua was born in one of the caves where the lambs for Temple sacrifice were kept when not on pasture.
Isaiah 60.1. Arise, and give Light! For your Light has come, and the Glory of the LORD* has shone like the sun upon you. 2. For, behold, the darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the people, but the LORD* will rise like the sun upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. (Rev. 21:11) 3. And nations (heathens) will come to your Light, and kings to the brightness of your rising like the sun. (Rev. 21:24)
The Light prophesies Y’shua.
Isaiah 60:4. Lift up your eyes all around and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar and your daughters will be trained at your side. 5. Then you will see and be brightened up, and your heart will tremble with joy and be enlarged, because the abundance of the sea will be converted for you, the wealth of nations will come to you.
The Shepherds keeping watch over the Flocks (Luke 2:8-20) were Levites who were responsible to care for the sacrificial Lambs to make sure the Lambs were ritually pure. The Shepherds were spoken to by the Angel, then led by the Angelic Hosts to the cave where they were able to see their Messiah.
Luke 2:8. And Shepherds were in this field, living out of doors and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9. And an Angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they feared a great fear. 10. Then the Angel said to them, “You must not be afraid, for behold I have good news for you, great joy which will be for all the people, 11. because this day in the city of David a Savior was born for you, Who is Messiah, Lord. 12. And this will be a sign to you, you will find an Infant wrapped and lying in a stall.” 13. Then suddenly there were with the angel a great number of the Heavenly Hosts Praising God and saying,
- “Glory to God in the Highest
and on Earth Peace and Good Will among men.”
The Angelic Host was an Army that had come to accompany the Shepherds to Worship and Praise the One Who has just been born!
Isaiah 60:6. The multitude of Camels will cover you, the Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and incense and they will Herald the Praises of the LORD*. 7. All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you. They will come up with acceptance on My altar, and I shall glorify the House of My glory.
Isaiah prophesies about the Sorcerers who brought the Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh to the toddler Y’shua, close to His second birthday. The Hebrew word translated Incense is L’vonah, referring specifically to Frankincense but L’vonah can also be translated in the general sense of any Spice, so Myrrh is also prophesied.
Matthew 2:7. Then Herod, having secretly called the Astrologers, ascertained from them the time of the revealing of the star, 8. and sending them into Bethlehem he said, “When you go you must inquire carefully concerning the Child: as soon as you would find Him, you must report to me right away, then when I come I shall pay homage to Him.” 9. And those who heard the king went. And lo! The star, which they saw in the east, led them forth, until it came and stood over where the child was. 10. And when they saw the star they rejoiced with extremely great joy. 11. Then when they came into the House they saw the child with Miriam His mother, and having fallen to their knees they paid homage to Him, then, having opened their treasure boxes, they brought gifts to Him, Gold and Frankincense and Myrrh. 12. And since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned to their country by another way.
The Astrologers were fortune tellers, occult mediums, the equivalent of present day witch doctors, not people to be revered. Y’shua is called a child, not an infant. This is quite some time after His birth, probably close to two years, with Joseph and Miriam living in a House (verse 11) when Herod sent to have all the boys two years old and younger killed.
Micah and Isaiah tell of the Shepherds of the Priestly flocks that were kept just outside Bethlehem for Temple sacrifices while the Lamb of God was being born in one of the cave-barns of the Lambs. Isaiah brings in the Sorcerers who brought the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh on Camels about two years after the birth of Y’shua.