And this [man] shall be Peace. When the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight princes of men.
Micah has just pointed to the Ruler who comes out of Bethlehem. Now an invader is inside the land. The answer is not a strategy or a treaty but a Person — "he shall be their peace."
Peace in a person
The verse does not say He makes peace or keeps peace. It says He is their peace. Older translations read "this man shall be the peace." One writer contrasts what Christ is to believers now with what He will be to Israel then:
So the Jews, instead of being swept out of their land, will be settled in it once more; "for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth." All their strength depends on His greatness. "And he shall be their peace." The One who is our peace in heaven will be their peace on earth.
Other prophets say the same thing in their own words, and the title reaches back to the cross:
How beautiful is the opening sentence of the fifth verse! "This Man shall be peace (or our peace)." Isaiah also spoke of Him as "the Prince of Peace," and said that "of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end." He made peace by the blood of His cross, and for all who trust in Him He is peace: "for He is our peace."
Peace while the enemy is inside
The promise comes at the worst possible moment. The invader is treading in the palaces:
If the Messiah were not with them, their hearts would be full of dread as such mighty armies came down on them. But the prophet can say, "he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces" (verse 5). What confidence God's people will have when the Messiah is with them, providing for their defence in the "seven shepherds and eight princes of men." The rod of the Shepherd will protect them, and His staff will sustain them; and the wisdom of the Man of Peace will direct them.
Which enemy is "the Assyrian"
Commentators agree the invader here is still future, but they differ on how to name him. Some identify him with the king of the north:
He will be the peace for them when the Assyrian, the king of the north, enters their land, and by His power He will strike down the invader. Who are the seven shepherds and the eight princes? They are the ones who will be used in that day to hold back the invading armies. Who they are is unknown now, but it will be known when the day comes. Then Assyria, the land of Nimrod, and all opposing world powers will be brought to an end.
Others see the invader that Ezekiel describes:
"The Assyrian" points partly to the king of the North, and partly to the Gog of Ezekiel. Micah 5, in our judgement, refers to Gog. Christ, the true Judge of Israel, is then in the land. He who was once born in Bethlehem Ephrathah is then among His people, to feed, bless, and protect them. This makes the attack of Gog and his armies all the more serious.
Shepherds raised up, Nimrod's land wasted
The invaded people become the ones who strike back. One writer also ties the enemy's end to where his empire began:
Christ will have come, and because He is present Israel will be able to send their "seven shepherds and eight princes" to waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances. The Spirit of God links the end of the Assyrian power with its beginning in Nimrod.
The rejected Judge becomes the deliverer
The One who is now their peace was once rejected by His own people:
It is Christ Himself, the true "Judge of Israel," once struck down and rejected by them. But in that future day the prophet speaks of, He is their deliverer from the power of the Assyrian. … These mighty nations think they can carry out their own will and do as they like, "but they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand His plan."
The end of the indignation
This enemy's fall closes a long chapter of God's anger. God's blows against the invader are mercy toward His people:
The Assyrian is always presented here as the one whose destruction ends "the indignation." … You can see the aim of this judgment of God. He is full of patience and long-suffering. Meanwhile His people are alarmed at the power of the enemy. When God strikes the enemies, it is always the deliverance of His people.
Summary
- Peace is Someone. Not a state Israel reaches but a Person among them: the One who is our peace in heaven will be their peace on earth.
- Peace under siege. The promise comes while the enemy is treading the palaces. His presence, not the absence of danger, is the calm.
- Peace that arms. Because He is there, Israel raises seven shepherds and eight princes. Who they are stays hidden until that day.
- Peace that finishes the enemy. Assyria and the land of Nimrod are wasted; where the power began is where it ends.
- Peace through the rejected One. The Judge they rejected is their Deliverer. His blow against the invader ends God's indignation and frees His people.