CHAPTER 4

(710 B.C.)

MILLENNIAL RESTORATION; MESSIAHS KINGDOM

¹But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the House of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. (Verses 1 through 3 are quoted virtually verbatim in Isa. 2:1-4; however, which Prophet gave them first is not actually known. Micah also prophesied during the time of Isaiah, at least in Isaiahs early years. This Verse speaks of the coming Kingdom Age!)

²And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the House of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of His Ways, and we will walk in His Paths: for the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (And many nations shall come, and say, Come, presents the new revelation of Righteousness, which shall be so conspicuous and so attractive that all men shall hear and desire to become partakers of it.

And let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the House of the God of Jacob, presents the Gentiles coming to the Temple from all over the world. Then they will do what the Lord intended for them to do all along [Mk. 11:17].

For the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem, does not really pertain to the Mosaic Law, but instead a rule for life [Prov. 6:23]. This is the reason given by the Prophet for the eagerness of the nations to resort to Christ in Jerusalem.)

UNIVERSAL PEACE

³And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (And He shall judge among many people, means to arbitrate between. The result of His arbitration and reproving will be the abolition of war and the establishment of universal peace and prosperity.

And rebuke strong nations afar off, actually means to act as umpire for disputes and differences. The arbitration of the sword shall no more be used.

The last three phrases of the Verse speak of the fact that the economy of the world, which, to a certain degree, has always been geared for war, will now be geared for peace.)

UNIVERSAL PROSPERITY

⁴But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the Mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken it. (The phrase taken from the midst of this Verse, And none shall make them afraid, is undoubtedly one of the greatest statements ever made. Fear will be a thing of the past, because that which brings about fear is now gone, for the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken it.)

SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT

⁵For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the Name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. (The first phrase, For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, has reference to the time in which Micah lived, as well as before and after. It refers to idol worship by the nations, or their rejection of the Lord of Glory, etc., as most have done for all these many centuries.

However, Micah says, And we will walk in the Name of the LORD our God forever and ever, meaning that Israels God is the only True God; despite Israels failings, this must never be lost.

The idea is: Israels God, The LORD our God, will ultimately lead the nations of the world out of idolatry into true worship. This will be during the coming Kingdom Age!)

RESTORATION OF ISRAEL: AN ETERNAL NATION UNDER THE MESSIAH

⁶In that day, says the LORD, will I assemble her who halts, and I will gather her who is driven out, and her whom I have afflicted (the first phrase refers to Jacob, who did not become Israel till he was maimed. So, Jacob, as a nation, will not be restored and blessed until she is spiritually maimed by affliction, hence fulfilling the last phrase, And her whom I have afflicted. This Verse speaks of Israels restoration. Israel, which was driven out, will now be brought back);

⁷And I will make her who halted a remnant, and her who was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. (And I will make her who halted a remnant, refers to the portion of Israel which will come out of the Great Tribulation [Zech. 13:8]. And her who was cast far off a strong nation, refers to them being cast far off after their Crucifixion of Christ, but now being regathered. As well, of this small remnant, the Lord will make a strong nation. The last phrase proclaims the certitude of these Prophecies.)

⁸And you, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto you shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. (And you, O tower of the flock, refers to Jerusalem. The stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto you shall it come, is wrapped up in the phrase, Even the first dominion, which speaks of the former dominion under Solomon.

To assure the doubting heart, the Spirit adds: The Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem, i.e., the second dominion, which is not named, but implied, referring to the coming restoration. Hence, it is called the daughter of.... Micah is predicting the restoration of that Kingdom, which will take place in the Kingdom Age.)

BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY FIRST

⁹Now why do you cry out aloud? is there no king in you? is your counselor perished? for pangs have taken you as a woman in travail. (The Now of Verses 9, 11, and 5:1 should instead read, Meanwhile. That is, during the long period preceding restoration, the Hebrew people shall suffer extreme affliction. That affliction has now lasted for about 2,500 years.)

¹⁰Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shall you go forth out of the city, and you shall dwell in the field, and you shall go even to Babylon; there shall you be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem you from the hand of your enemies. (The first phrase was partially fulfilled with Babylonian captivity, but will be totally fulfilled in the coming Great Tribulation. And you shall go even to Babylon, was fulfilled approximately 150 years from the time of this Prophecy. The phrase, There shall you be delivered, refers to the conclusion of their seventy years of captivity, with a remnant being brought back to Judah and Jerusalem.)

ISRAEL TO BE REESTABLISHED; THE KINGDOM TO BE SET UP

¹¹Now also many nations are gathered against you, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. (The Holy Spirit now jumps from the coming servitude to Babylon to the distant Great Tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon, which is described in the phrase, Now also many nations are gathered against you [Zech. 14:14-15].)

¹²But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they His Counsel: for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. (The nations of the world at that time will not understand that it is the Lord Who is gathering them to the Battle of Armageddon [Rev. 16:14-16]. Neither understand they His Counsel, refers to His employing Israel as His Instrument to judge them there, as is outlined in the next Verse.)

¹³Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass: and you shall beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole Earth. (Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, refers to Israel being given supernatural strength and ability at the Second Coming. As such, she will throw off the Antichrist and his armies, but with the help of the Lord. At that time, the wealth of the nations will be gathered from the battlefield of Armageddon and divided in the midst of victorious Judah.)