Micah 7:18

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in living kindness."

"Pardoneth iniquity ... passeth over the transgression ..." The great hallmark of the New Covenant lies in the promise of God to forgive the sins of his people, a promise that simply did not pertain to the old covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-35); and, therefore, in this we have a certain indication that the passage is Messianic. Note that the promise of forgiveness here is not to the whole of apostate Israel, but to the "righteous remnant," the true Israel to be revealed in Christ and from which no person, either Jew or Gentile is excluded. This identification of which Israel would be the recipient of the glorious promises appearing again and again in Micah is the key to understanding the whole prophecy.