Micah 4:1
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Micah 4:1-8
We turn the corner in the book of Micah when we get to chapter 4. Micah transitions from a message of repentance and warnings of impending destruction to a promise of future blessings. He begins this chapter with the phrase, “In the last days”. You would think this means that this prophecy takes place in the final days of earth right before Jesus returns again. But many scholars claim we are currently living in the last days. So let’s see what this passage has in store for us.
Micah 4:1-3 is almost word for word exactly the same as Isaiah 2:2-4. We know that Isaiah and Micah lived at the same time. Did one copy the other or were they given the exact same prophecy? Our God is a mighty and powerful God. It certainly is within His ability to speak the same words to both Micah and Isaiah. I personally think this is the case.
So if God gives the exact same prophecy to both prophets, I’m thinking it’s important to God that this prophecy be heard. Micah 4:1-3 says:
“In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.’
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.”
Micah describes a mountain where the Lord’s temple is established. It’s the highest of mountains, not because it’s the tallest, but because God is there and He is exalted. People will stream to this mountain from all the nations. Hebrews speaks about a mountain that we come to when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior:
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Heb 12:22-24).
So is Micah’s mountain a future physical mountain with an actual temple where God is exalted and sends out his word? Or is Micah’s mountain the spiritual mountain where we receive the Word made flesh – Jesus – whose body is the new temple?
Micah’s prophecy also says that God will settle disputes and act as judge between many peoples or nations. They will no longer prepare for war because God will have forbidden it. They will spend their time and money on productive things like farming and making tools instead of training for war and making weapons.
Many scholars believe this is evidence of the millennium reign of Jesus. There will be a 1000 year period of peace after Jesus returns and establishes his authority over all the earth. This idea primarily comes from Revelation:
“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.” (Rev 20:1-5).
With Satan locked away for 1000 years, there will be peace on earth and all the believers in Jesus will be raised from the dead and reign with him during that time. So it’s possible this will happen and thus Micah’s prophecy would be telling us about this same period of time.
Or is Micah’s prophecy speaking of the spiritual peace that we have today amongst God’s people? Within the Church, we are not at war with each other. Fellow believers from different nations have no desire to make war with each other. We are on the same team even though we are from different countries. We also have peace with God because we are His children. We recognize His authority over us and allow Him to rightly judge our actions and settle our disputes.
I’m no prophet and I don’t have any idea who’s right in their interpretation of Micah’s prophecy. But one thing is for sure, we do have peace today through the blood of Jesus. And we are called to be peacemakers as his followers. Jesus said so many times:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt 5:9).
“Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other” (Mark 9:50).
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
If we are truly children of God, we will be peacemakers. But in order to be peacemakers, we have to be at peace ourselves. Jesus gave us his peace when he sent us the Holy Spirit. He lives within us and gives us the peace that passes understanding. Jesus has overcome the world. Our fate is sealed and we will be with him for all eternity. There is only true peace through Jesus. And the world will know that we follow Jesus when that peace is on display in the midst of the storm.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:4-7).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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