Micah 7:13

"Yet shall the land be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings."

This verse looks back to the literal land of Israel, the earthly Jerusalem, literally to be downtrodden and desolated for millenniums of time "for the fruit of their doings." This is a bold contrast with the prosperity and excellence of the kingdom of Christ. We deny that this could be a reference to Babylon in any exclusive sense. Nor can we accept the view that the passage refers to "the tribulation and the last days."[23] Deane pointed out that "very many commentators refer this passage to the land of Canaan."[24] and we agree that, as the words stand, they could hardly mean anything else. Although, due to the very nature of prophecy, there could be many things foreshadowed here, it appears to this student that the destruction of Jerusalem and subjugation of Palestine for long centuries concurrent with the rise of the kingdom of Christ must be accepted as the primary meaning of the place. Barnes' discerning comment is:

"This sounds almost like a riddle and contradiction: `the walls built up,' `the people gathered in,' `the land desolate.' Yet it was all fulfilled to the letter. Jerusalem was restored, the people were gathered in, first from captivity, then to Christ; and yet the land was again desolate through the "fruit of their doings" who rejected Christ."[25]