from of old

Although most people are familiar with the prophet Micah’s foretelling where the Messiah would be born, the same prophecy also has something important to say about the temporal nature of the new king. The fifth chapter in the Book of Micah (NABRE) contains a powerful prophecy about the coming Messiah that strongly suggests that the Messiah will be both God and human. As is often the case with such prophecies, its meaning works on multiple levels, and one word in particular works to shape this double meaning.

The Hebrew word קֶדֶם (qedem) is translated in the Mass readings as from ancient times. This word literally means “east” but also has a temporal sense meaning “before.” Taken in its extreme, this temporal sense also comes to mean “ancient” or even “beginning.”

Micah’s prophecy about Bethlehem works on two levels. The new king will be like the ancient king, David, who was from Bethlehem. More than that, however, the new king will be like the people’s original king who is from the beginning—God himself. This Messiah, as we know in hindsight, is both a descendant in David’s line and God.

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Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering is a five-lesson Catholic Bible study offering an in-depth look at the biblical foundations of the movie The Passion of the Christ. This revised study, which has been granted an imprimatur, contains all of the original material of the 2004 edition as well as many new features in an improved, reader-friendly format. Free digital lessons of Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering are available on our website during Lent. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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