The Jehovah's Witnesses deny that Jesus Christ existed eternally or everlastingly, how do they reconcile this with Micah 5:2?

Question

Micah 5:2, "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you one will go forth for Me to be the ruler of Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

This prophecy is quoted by Matthew at Matthew 2:6, "And you; Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a ruler, Who will Shepherd My people Israel." This is referring to Jesus Christ the Messiah.

The Jehovah's Witnesses agree with me.

There is no doubt that, from the prophecy of Micah 5:2, Satan the Devil knew where the birth was to take place.... 16. How did Micah 5:2 indicate where the Messiah was to be born?16 Micah 5:2 reads: “And you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, the one too little to get to be among the thousands of Judah, from you there will come out to me the one who is to become ruler in Israel, whose origin is from early times, from the days of time indefinite.

w81 7/15 pp. 11-16 - The Watchtower—1981"

The prophecy states in the last sentence, "His goings forth/Jesus Christ/Messiah goings forth from long ago, From the days of eternity." The following is from Strong's Lexicon on the word "eternity." Strong's word number 5769 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5769/kjv/wlc/0-1/

It's Bible usuage:

Outline of Biblical Usage [?] long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

ancient time, long time (of past)

(of future)

for ever, always

continuous existence, perpetual

everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

Notice the Jw's word "indefinite" is used with "everlasting, unending future, eternity."

https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/kdo/micah-5.html

shows the point of view of one who interprets Micah 5:2 as proof of the externality of Jesus

So again, how do Jehovah’s Witnesses reconcile this apparent contradiction when you say Jesus Christ did not exist eternally or everlastingly?

Answer 1

Micah 5:2 proves the opposite of what the OP assumes. Jesus had a beginning "and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity." Micah 5:2 Douay-Rheims Bible. This is in harmony with Revelation 3:14.

A further reading of Micah reveals, And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. Micah 5:4 ASV God Almighty does not have a God, thus there no reason to infer that Jesus is Jehovah after reading 5:2.

There is no record of Jesus' followers during his time who understood Micah 5:2, believed that Jesus was “God incarnate.”

Micah 5:2 says that this ruler will be born. The bible has no record of believers of the true God almighty believing that God almighty could be born.

What is clear from the verse is, the Messiah, Jesus Christ had an origin or beginning, the only true God does not have a beginning.

Answer 2

How do Jehovahs witnesses reconcile their belief that Jesus has not always existed with Micah 5:2 which says his going forth is from long ago, from the days of eternity?

First by pointing to the many different ways a variety of Bible translations render the wording of the final part of Vs2 The New World Translation renders it “Whose origin is from ancient times,from the days of long ago.”

ESV: whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

NIV: whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

GNT:whose family line goes back to ancient times.”

I encourage you to go to bible hub to see more

Strongs exhaustive concordance on the meaning of the word translated "eternity" in your opening quotation of Micah 5:2 gives a plethora of words that can express the meaning of ʿôlām.

long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

It seems important to state also that Jehovah's Witnesses do teach that Jesus existed untold eons of time before any creation of physical universe commenced. We teach that for an unknown amount of time only Jehovah and His Son existed before any creation of spiritual angelic hosts were created.

We also teach that Jehovah brought forth (created) His Son. So there is a moment of origin, a beginning for his life. This is not the case for Jehovah who alone has existed eternally as the uncreated Almighty God.

If Micah was referencing the pre existence of Jesus and said his origin was from the days of eternity would the fact that Jesus was created eons before any other angels, before any part of the universe exists, before man was created, qualify him as being from days of eternity? Yes of course it would.

But was Micah alluding to Jesus’ heavenly pre existence? No. Micah is declaring a prophecy regarding the town that would become the birth place of Messiah. Just two verses later we find Micah saying that This ruler whose origin is from ancient times will “stand and feed his flock in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God”. Micah 5:4 ASV

Jehovah does not have a God. Jehovah does not have origins. The eternality of the uncreated Almighty God cannot have days affixed to it.

Jesus does have a God. Jesus does have an origin, a beginning. His days could be numbered though only by his eternally existing Father.

The Messiah has ancestral roots going all the way back as far as one can go in the history of the city of Bethlehem. These are the days of long ago to which Micah 5:2 is alluding.