Icon of Micah the Prophet – P86

Description

The Prophet Micah lived and prophesied in the eighth century before Christ was born, during the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (b.c. 737-690).  He was from a small town south of Jerusalem called Moresheth, and is the sixth of the minor twelve prophets of Israel.  A contemporary prophet to the Prophet Isaiah, Micah prophesied difficulties that would befall each of the separated kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and warned them both to return to God’s Commandments and ways.  As most of the Prophets in Israel, much of what he said in God’s Name was ignored and even angered those who did not wish to repent or even hear of it.

The name Micah in Hebrew (or its longer form, Micaiahu) means “Who is like God?” and is similar to the name Michael.  The Prophet prophesied that out of Bethlehem would come the Saviour and Ruler of Israel (Micah 5:2).  The Jews were afraid to kill Micah  and so he died a natural death.  His relics were discovered in Baraphsatia in the 4th century a.d.  This striking 15th-16th c. icon is from the Novgorod School, and resides on the prophets’ row of Saint Nicholas Church’s iconostasis in the Gostinopole Monastery.