Mic 4:1-3 | KingComments | STEP | From the deepest humiliation, shown in the last verse of the previous chapter ( ), Zion will be raised to the highest glory in the future. God’s last word is not judgment. In fact, glory can only come after the judgment of sin. That is the miracle of the cross. Every blessing is based on the work of Christ on the cross, including the future blessing of Israel. It is striking that the three opening verses ( ) are almost word-for-word similar to some of the verses in the beginning of Isaiah 2 ( ). A discussion about who has copied from the other is useless. Both have written by the Holy Spirit. And He has found it good that both have included the same scene in the same words in their prophecy. The expression “in the last days” or “in latter days” is used more often by the prophets ( ; ; ). They refer to the time when the Messiah takes over the government of (the restored) Israel and the world. Then the time of blessing for Israel will come. Also the nations will share in the blessing by coming to the center of this blessing, the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. In the present time the messengers of the Lord go out to the nations, but then the nations will come from everywhere to Zion. The mountain of the house of the LORD is the temple mountain, Mount Moriah. If we look at that mountain now, it is not literally “the chief of the mountains”. Spiritually seen, that mountain will be the chief. What makes it the chief or most valued mountain is the temple that stands there. It cannot be excluded that in the future the temple mountain will also literally be the highest mountain. This can be God’s work. In the time of the great tribulation there will be enormous natural disasters ( ). It is possible that because of this the landscapes will undergo great changes and for example the temple mountain will be raised above the hills. There is also a spiritual significance for the church today. The church is now the house of God ( ). God has placed the church on earth to hold and uphold the truth as the pillar and support of the truth. When believers faithfully serve the Lord Jesus in obedience to His Word, they fulfill God’s purpose with the church. Their lives then stand out morally far above the lives of people who do not take God into account. The result may be that unbelievers are attracted to get to know that God.

‏ Micah 4:1-3

The House of the LORD Is Raised

From the deepest humiliation, shown in the last verse of the previous chapter (Mic 3:12), Zion will be raised to the highest glory in the future. God’s last word is not judgment. In fact, glory can only come after the judgment of sin. That is the miracle of the cross. Every blessing is based on the work of Christ on the cross, including the future blessing of Israel.

It is striking that the three opening verses (Mic 4:1-3) are almost word-for-word similar to some of the verses in the beginning of Isaiah 2 (Isa 2:2-4). A discussion about who has copied from the other is useless. Both have written by the Holy Spirit. And He has found it good that both have included the same scene in the same words in their prophecy.

The expression “in the last days” or “in latter days” is used more often by the prophets (Jer 49:39; Dan 2:28 ; Dan 10:14; Hos 3:5). They refer to the time when the Messiah takes over the government of (the restored) Israel and the world. Then the time of blessing for Israel will come. Also the nations will share in the blessing by coming to the center of this blessing, the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. In the present time the messengers of the Lord go out to the nations, but then the nations will come from everywhere to Zion.

The mountain of the house of the LORD is the temple mountain, Mount Moriah. If we look at that mountain now, it is not literally “the chief of the mountains”. Spiritually seen, that mountain will be the chief. What makes it the chief or most valued mountain is the temple that stands there. It cannot be excluded that in the future the temple mountain will also literally be the highest mountain. This can be God’s work. In the time of the great tribulation there will be enormous natural disasters (Rev 16:18). It is possible that because of this the landscapes will undergo great changes and for example the temple mountain will be raised above the hills.

There is also a spiritual significance for the church today. The church is now the house of God (1Tim 3:15). God has placed the church on earth to hold and uphold the truth as the pillar and support of the truth. When believers faithfully serve the Lord Jesus in obedience to His Word, they fulfill God’s purpose with the church. Their lives then stand out morally far above the lives of people who do not take God into account. The result may be that unbelievers are attracted to get to know that God.

From Zion Will Go Forth the Law

Because on that chief of the mountains stands the house of the God of Jacob, the nations will go there. Then they will come from Washington, Brussels and Moscow and all the other cities where now the policy of the world is being made, to learn from “the God of Jacob”. Instead of going up to fight against Jerusalem (Mic 4:11), they come because they want to learn from God how He wants them to walk (cf. Zec 8:20-23).

The teaching is “about His ways”, the ways of the LORD, how He does things. Studying them will teach them how to walk themselves. These paths are ways that God has gone and is going in His relation to people and on which He leads them. With the exhortation “come” they will encourage each other to follow this teaching.

The words “for from Zion” and so on are again words of the prophet and not of the nations. They indicate the reason why the nations are so zealous for the mountain of the LORD. Zion is the source of the law, the constitution of the kingdom. From it the nations derive education for a walk in the ways of God. With the knowledge of the law they have gained and accepted there, they go back to their homeland. There they pass on the received teaching of the law, so that their people will walk in accordance with it.

The order is important: first teaching, then practice. Only when we have learned from the Lord can we walk in His way. The Christian who lives in peace with God will have the same longing in his heart as the nations of the future. With him there is no contradiction between practice and the teaching of Scripture. There will be no contempt for studying Scripture as if it comes down only to practical Christendom. How can there be practice if we have not learned what to practice?

No More War

Coming to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to be taught by Him, is not without result. If mutual disputes are resolved, it is the fruit of listening to the law and the words of the LORD.

Now the nations are still marching against Israel, but then the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, will rule Himself. He will be King and Teacher (Joel 2:23), but also Judge in all disputes between nations to the farthest corners of the earth. In that time it will not be necessary to take up arms, for the LORD will reign in peace. All weapons made to destroy will be forged into tools that promote the common good. This is the opposite of the situation where the nations gather against Israel for the last great battle (Joel 3:9-10), to be defeated by Christ.

Military academies are closed, they have had their time. This time of peace is not the result of the efforts of human organizations such as the United Nations or alliances. They hardly ever agree among themselves because they always pursue their own interests. How, then, could they create a situation of general peace? Never will a human being or an alliance, however benevolent, achieve this result. The foolish pursuit of a world without war is the same as striving to collect water in a sieve. Only through the Lord Jesus, the Prince of peace, will war be abolished and lasting peace will come.

Where peace is not yet present on earth as a whole, it is found already in the hearts and lives of believers (Rom 14:17). People who first hated each other become people who love each other through conversion to God and faith in the Lord Jesus (Tit 3:2-3). Fierce, passionate people, who are wild and rough in their sinful nature, become meek and humble. Those who before their conversion offended everyone and could not endure anyone, can endure every insult after their conversion and do no harm to anyone.