Chapter Four: The Good News of the Future Millennial Kingdom

4.1-5...But it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the top of the mountains and higher than all the hills, and peoples shall flow unto it. And many Gentiles 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 from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem…he shall judge among many peoples and correct strong nations even 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 train for war any more…each one shall sit under their vine and under their fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of the hosts has spoken it. Even if all the peoples should walk each one in the name of their gods; with all this we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and eternally.

Chapters four and five present an image of the future millennial kingdom. It is important to understand that Christian eschatology is fundamentally based on Jewish eschatology. Most, if not all, of our ideas of the end of the age are based on the Old Testament scriptures and Hebrew thinking. The Book of Revelation was written by a Jew and sums up all the writings of the prophets. Micah saw well into the future of this world!

In Micah’s portrait of the future kingdom, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are the center of the world. His view is nearly the same as found in Isaiah 2.2-4. The instruction the gentiles will receive and the law going forth from Zion is Torah. In Jewish liturgy verse 2 of Micah is read when the Torah is taken out of the ark to be read. The government will be on Yeshua's shoulders (Is 2.2-4).

The Messiah is the one who will be judging. He will be judging out of the book of the law: our code of conduct. Verse five in this chapter indicates that gentiles will accept the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and still maintain their own identities. The world will be learning of God during the Millennial Kingdom and His resurrected saints will be doing much of the teaching. Those who were rebellious and disobedient in this world will have missed a great chance to rule and reign. Our merciful Lord will have a place for them but they will spend the thousand years learning what they refused to learn in our present world. He will dry their tears and send them back to school!

The fact is many who were disobedient will repent and turn back to the Lord during the tribulation period. They will not be raptured out as they expect but will be purified and tried during this awful period. All who go through the tribulation will be purified, tested, and tried--some will have much more to overcome than others. The Bride will be made ready and when Yeshua returns in Rev 19.11-20 we will meet Him in the air and accompany Him to the battle of Armageddon.

4:6-10...In that day, saith the LORD, I will assemble her that is lame, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted, and I will make her that is lame to be heirs, and her that was cast off a strong nation, and the LORD shall reign over them in the mount of Zion from now, and for evermore. And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion shall come unto thee; and the dominion shall come first, the kingdom, to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now thou shalt go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

These verses reinforce the thought of Messiah as the shepherd of the flock gathering His sheep together in Jerusalem. Micah even saw as far as the Babylonian captivity. Why is she crying in travail? Because she is going through great tribulation. Here the Laodicean church will struggle to overcome their sins and turn back to the Lord. It will be a very difficult time for them but the Lord will redeem them from their enemies if they turn back to Him!


The Lord wants us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This is always difficult on us. A generation is coming who will have to work out their salvation during the tribulation. We take our tribulation(s) now little by little--but in the last days those who have been in apostasy will have a much higher price to pay for their salvation! God wants none to perish but we often must learn hard lessons. Now is the time of salvation--now is the time to seek the Lord and walk in His ways. Too
many are being held captive to Babylon in this day!

4.11-14...But now many nations are gathered against thee that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eyes see our desire carried out upon Zion…they did not know the thoughts of the LORD, neither did they understand his counsel by which he gathered them as sheaves onto the threshing floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs bronze; and thou shalt break in pieces many peoples; and thou shalt consecrate their spoil unto the LORD and their riches unto the Lord of the whole earth.

The Lord is saying, “Repent, follow me, and after the tribulation I will have you rule this world.” He is speaking to a Zion in trouble--not those who are hidden in the cave of Adullam. He is speaking to the disobedient Laodicean believers. They are told to arise and thresh--God is threshing His people in the tribulation. He is testing them and making them ready. They were rebellious and disobedient but they are given a chance now. They will be purified and made ready in this terrible time!

Do we want to obey the Lord now or must we be threshed later? Now is the time to allow God to thresh us and teach us His ways. We are all in a process of being changed into His image. Do we yield now or must we go through a much more difficult experience? We can be scourged now or scourged through tribulation. Hebrews 4 begins to explain this process. Then go to Hebrews 12.2-13 for further understanding. God is perfecting us for much greater things than we can imagine! Many are called--few are chosen--or choose--to move on!

Next: Chapter Five: The Coming Messiah and the Purification of His Saints