Micah 4: 4,5. Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid

Today I want to focus on Micah 4:4. However, I quickly realized that I needed to keep this verse in context, and since some people only stumble onto one blog post, I need to bring them up to speed as well. If I could tell you to study the previous two verses as it would probably take less time, but I know the casual reader won't do that. How do I know that? I sit by you in church, and when I try to talk to you about spiritual things or the Word of God, things that excite me, you turn your back to me or come back with standard religious answers.

There is entirely no doubt in my mind that the days are going to get darker because of this apostasy we have talked about, and the fear and dread will become overwhelming to some. I feel so strongly that we, as the church, need to get skillful in the Word of God. In light of that, So let's look at Micah 4:2-4 and see if I can show you what is going to happen during the millennial kingdom.

Micah 4:2-5 NASB Many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (3) And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war. (4) Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. (5) Though all the peoples walk Each in the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

At this point in time:

• Jesus has returned to earth as the warring Messiah Israel has longed and called for.

This idea of Israel calling for the Messiah to come should not surprise us. Having studied eschatology for some time, I primarily see Israel as the one who rejects God. But I have recently learned that Israel still longs for Him, but only in one form, as the warring Messiah.

Having been aware for some time that Islam believes that their Mahdi will come in the midst of chaos, the idea that other nations such as Israel are also genuinely motivated by a similar end times eschatology. In the case of Israel, they too believe that the Messiah, in this case, will come in the midst of chaos. It makes sense when you start putting the pieces of the scriptural puzzle together. I watched a video where the elder Rabbi has an Israeli government official brought to him. The official is wearing a Yarmulke and begins saying all the standard niceties appropriate for such a meeting. The Rabbi cuts the man's words short and says, We are expecting the Messiah any moment now, and we know that He will come amid chaos. You have not done enough to create this chaos, and you need to do more, quickly.

• The battles have ended; the Jews have returned to the flock and taken their place as teachers of the law; the Father's true nature and character being taught, and now the nations are coming to the New Jerusalem.
• These people who are coming have one purpose, to be taught of the Lord and to learn His ways.
• And, there is one other thing to keep in mind. This stream of nations, all started with the catching away of the church – which is the body of Christ. Caught up we are instantly changed, but into what? An immortal body with no physical constraints, like the one Jesus has, and he walked through walls to enter a building, could be touched and felt, and ate fish with the disciples. If, we are interacting with the people on the earth, can they, in any manner, harm us? Not a chance, and therefore no fear. Now, how about those who have migrated into the millennial reign of Jesus, what kind of bodies will they have? They will come with the same mortal bodies that are subject to death. I know, it's a weird conversation, but it is a reality. Do these mortals have the possibility of a change into immortality? It certainly seems so, for the tree of life grows in abundance along the river that flows from the throne of God, and we have the opportunity to take that life (those leaves bring about the change and give the immortality) to those that come and receive the life of Christ in them.

As I sit here thinking about the inequalities of life I have experienced, I have a difficult time picturing heaven being any different than what I have found here on earth. Scripture can also give that impression when it says,

Micah 4:5 CJB  For all the peoples will walk, each in the name of its god;

If some are merely doing their own thing, then what keeps people from being bullies? The obvious answer is a swift, silencing judgment, that stops the problem before it starts.

1 Chronicles 28:9 NASB "... for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every intent of the thoughts...

Since there have always been bullies, why not now? The answer comes out of verses two and three.
"for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.  (3)  And he will judge between many peoples and will arbitrate for strong nations far away, and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up a sword against a nation, and they will no longer learn war.”

Peace will reign because Jesus now sits as a judge and dispenses law. I am not sure what that looks like, but it will be swift.

The word judge, as used in Micah 4:3 is the Hebrew word shâphaṭ. It is a primitive root meaning; to judge, that is, pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication to vindicate or punish; by extension to govern.

Other verses that speak to His judgment during this time are:

1 Samuel 2:10 NASB "Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth, And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed."

Psalms 2:5 NASB Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying,

Psalms 110:6 NASB He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.

Isaiah 11:3-4 NASB And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; (4) But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.

So the “He” we see in Micah 4:3 is Jesus? A similar picture is painted for us in Revelation, and there any word picture you see of God, is defined as Jesus. So this is Jesus sitting in judgment. Is that so unusual? Not according to John's gospel.

Look at what else Micah 4:4 tells us.
“Everyone will live in peace among their own vineyards and fig trees, and no one will make them afraid. .. Micah 4:4 GNB

Again the question, how is this possible? The answer is found in Micah 4:3 where it says,
"and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up a sword against a nation, and they will no longer learn war.”

Having learned a bit, I know that when the Messiah comes back to earth, He comes to the battle against those who are willing to fight. (Zechariah 14:16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem ...) So, naturally, there will be some who are left, and those who did not fight. I know that hatred and fighting skills are taught to Muslim children as soon as they are capable of responding intelligently. Does that mean mama and her five-year-old son are arbitrarily killed when Jesus returns? Not unless they were physically fighting against Him. That means they can carry their anger and hatred with them into the millennial reign? Apparently, but as we have seen, if these mortals act out in any manner that demonstrates that violent nature, they will be swiftly silenced. And weapons are no longer allowed as you don't need them.

Perhaps for some this entire scenario is hard to grasp; I know it is for me. What I see is the garden that Adam walked in. A vegetarian with no complaints, and here the “mortals” are at peace, sitting in the shade of their gardens. Weapons were turned into gardening tools and perhaps a pocket knife as there will be apples to peel, but no one has the thought of killing the neighbor who doesn't control his pets. Wild beasts, there are none, for human dominion over animals has returned. And, for a thousand years, with no tempter, there will be peace.


 At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released for a short time, and he will deceive the nations. Does that mean that some continue to live outside of a relationship with God? Apparently, but as I said, there will be peace. A final judgment comes. It is the only judgment, and it is reserved for “the dead.”
What of those alive? Again, it is logical to assume that those alive have been brought into the kingdom of peace. All the dead will be brought before the great white throne and judged. Matthew 25 shows us an image of this, and a portion of those summoned before the throne are given mercy and entrance into the kingdom. Why? Because they operated in a manner consistent with God's nature and showed kindness.

Micah 4: 2,3. Come let us go to the Mountain that He may teach us His ways.

A quick google search and you find that there are 195 countries and roughly 6,500 languages spoken; and yet, God will see to it that they all come to the mountain of the Lord, the house of the God of Jacob. There, they will all be taught His ways, so that they may walk in His paths.

Micah 4:2 NASB Many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

What will they learn?
Some would say, now they will learn to fear God! Is that a valid hypothesis? While it is true that the Bible translators used the word fear as they tried to convey a verbal image of people in relationship with God; however, the word fear is a poor choice especially when the phrase reverence would be better. An example of this can be found in Job 28:28.

God said to us humans, "To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord. To understand, you must turn from evil." GNB

Most of the translations put it this way, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.”

If I have reverence, then you would think I also had a deep respect, perhaps even a love for the Lord. If I understand this “fear” in terms of being wisdom, maybe then I can better comprehend this unusual relationship with someone I cannot see.

But I must tell you, having lived in an atmosphere of fear all my life, I don't even like the word.

Now, if fear is the way I perceived the father figure in my life, how then would I see God?

Can you understand some of the difficulties many of us go through as we “come to the Lord.” I am sure some have had to set aside great fears to accept such a vast, ominous God coming close to them. The point is, these people in Micah 4:2, regardless of emotional distress or circumstances, are coming before Him.

We assume these that come before God knowing nothing about God.

What do we do when think like that? We forget that every human has the knowledge of good and evil in them, NO MATTER where they come from or what language they speak. Why do you suppose, in the midst of chaos, that some people will do the right thing and help others, even though there is no apparent religious motivation to push them.

What have all these nations, that are coming to the house of the Lord, just witnessed,?
God's wrath being poured out upon the earth, alongside the wrath of humans. Revelation 6 describes seven seals, each of which wreaks havoc on the planet in the form of death; starvation; the waters being made undrinkable; the stars falling from the sky; earthquakes; volcanic activity; and the wrath of humanity against others. While Revelation 7 speaks specifically to beheadings in uncountable numbers.

After all this chaos there is no doubt they need to find out what God's true nature and character are because wrath makes a lousy calling card.

Micah 4:2 MKJV  And many nations shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, 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 out of Zion, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.

“And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.”

This idea of teaching people His way is not a new one.

Deuteronomy 6:1-2 MSG This is the commandment, the rules, and regulations, that GOD, your God, commanded me to teach you to live out in the land you're about to cross into to possess. (2) This is so that you'll live in deep reverence before GOD lifelong, observing all his rules and regulations that I'm commanding you, you and your children and your grandchildren, living good long lives.

And though this passage from Deuteronomy sounds somewhat oppressive, you must remember that we, as followers of Christ, live in the age of grace. A time where our sins are forgiven and our lives are hidden in Christ. No, this life of grace does not give us the right to do as we please, because we are not to cause others to stumble. This grace provides us with the freedom and desire to worship the Father freely.

I am told that I was laid on a blanket at the church my mother attended while my father was in the military during the Korean conflict. So effectively, I was raised in the church. But, that did not make my experience personal. Even without an adult comprehension, I still had this deep reverence for God. I suppose you could say I feared Him, and I would have to agree.

When I gained the freedom and right to drink alcohol I did, and a lot of it. However, there came a time when dad, invited me to a camp with him. There was a speaker there by the name of Jerry Savelle, and God used him to get my attention. In a sense, I began to consume the word in a way I had never experienced before. I could not get enough, and, a short time later, I was accepted into a Bible college. Unfortunately, I got married, and I allowed that woman to destroy all my hopes and dreams. I went through nine years of hell because of her and the enemies schemes against me. Brother Savelle taught faith, and still, to this day, I feel strongly that God desires I walk in faith, but it is not my job to school people in faith; but it is my job to teach you the Bible and allow the faith to grow inside of you.

Once again, several years later, life came to a screeching halt once again, and I lost everything, including my family. The judgmental among us would say, you got what you deserved and maybe so; but out of the chaos I once again began to study my Bible, and I did so with one purpose, to find out what the nature and character of God was. In this way, the deep reverence for God has become a lifelong goal.

Now, when it comes to observing all his rules and regulations I have not been so successful at that, but then, God knew that would happen, and that is why Jesus went to the cross as the sacrificial lamb, to resolve that issue. He died once for all.

Moses's father-in-law, was a smart man because he noticed that Moses was taking all the responsibility and weight upon himself, and paying the price for it. The following is the conversation the man had with Moses.

When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?" Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God. When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions." Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you-you can't do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. (Exodus 18:14-20 MSG)

Due to some of the teaching the false teachers have instilled, we have not grasped whom Moses was dealing with. These people he brought of Egypt, had been there long enough to effectively be Egyptians in every respect, including the gods they served; and they had to be retrained to serve God. An example I always lean on shows “God's people” dancing and screaming, as they willingly roasted some of their children to the god Molech, an idol that they encouraged Aaron, Moses' brother, to make. If someone would have understood God's ways, then Aaron would have been it. He was there as Moses was brought back to his mother to be nursed until he was old enough to go be the adopted son of some Egyptian princess. When you follow that story, you conclude that Moses was taught who he was by family members, for when Moses rose against the Egyptian for beating one of his people, he claimed their heritage. You don't just absorb this information at birth; it has to be taught. Now he is teaching it to over a million people.

“for the Law shall go forth out of Zion, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.”

Here we go again, as some will say, laws are restrictive. Not to those who live quiet lives in peace, they aren't. Laws are only tough on those who choose to live willful lives of opposition.

Isaiah 26:9 MSG Through the night my soul longs for you. Deep from within me, my spirit reaches out to you. When your decisions are on public display, everyone learns how to live right.

Since Micah tells us that Law will go forth, a public display of God's wrath, incurred upon those who have chosen to ignore God's laws, they have seven years of public display to learn how to live right.

I like how Eugene Peterson's Message puts it.
Romans 10:11-15 MSG Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this--heart and soul--will ever regret it." (12) It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. (13) "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help." (14) But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? (15) And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!

One of the things my heart cries for is peace. I am surrounded, just as you are, with violence. Micah 4:3 finally tells us there will be peace, and why.

Micah 4:3 MSG He'll establish justice in the rabble of nations and settle disputes in faraway places. They'll trade in their swords for shovels, their spears for rakes and hoes. Nations will quit fighting each other, quit learning how to kill one another.

• “ He'll establish justice in the rabble of nations and settle disputes in faraway places.”

Again, many assume that means that most people will just be killed off and that is not true. Revelation 22:15 proves that.

Revelation 22:14-15 KJV  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  (15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.

If God were to kill off all those who choose to live by their own god's standards instead of His, then these people certainly would not be here.

The general attitude is of most leans toward horrific punishment, like this.
1 Samuel 2:10 KJV  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

But in reality, this is what will happen.
Psalms 67:4 MKJV  O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You shall judge the peoples righteously and govern the nations on earth. Selah.

Instead of weeping because God is bringing further harsh judgments, we see the nations rejoicing and singing for joy.

Why do you suppose that is? Could it be that we, just like those rocks Jesus said would cry out, also long for the day of our redemption.

What does redemption mean to a person who has never heard such a message before? Try to picture those people living in what used to be the quiet of a Venezuelan jungle, who has become painfully aware of the encroachment of industrial farming; using a technique that requires that you slash and burn the jungle away so that the wealthy landowner can have it, and thereby obtain more wealth. These people are painfully aware that destructive forces have taken away the beauty they once lived in; and, it seems that everyone, although they may not call Him Jehovah, is well aware of a creator and some form of redemptive plan.

One “brother-in-Christ,” angrily unleashed his voice at me, saying, Jesus can't come back because these people have not received a printed Bible as yet! As though that was mandatory.

What did I just show you from the Message? I showed you Isaiah's words where it says, your decisions (will be) on public display. Do not think that the public display will be reserved for some final day, at the end of the seven years.

Revelation 14:6-7 AMPC  Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with an eternal Gospel (good news) to tell to the inhabitants of the earth, to every race and tribe and language and people.  (7)  And he cried with a mighty voice, Revere God and give Him glory (honor and praise in worship), for the hour of His judgment has arrived. Fall down before Him; pay Him homage and adoration and worship Him Who created heaven and earth, the sea and the springs (fountains) of water.

I have made you aware of the seals that John saw, and how each one brings terrible destruction with it. Each of these is wrath from God upon those who rejected Him (this is a big group which includes the nations and the Jews); those who harmed His people, and those who damaged the earth; and, all will see this wrath. And, every one of these angels announces their actions with a tremendous blast of a ram's horn – a shofar or, as some call it, a trumpet.

When this process begins, there will be no mistaking what has happened.
Revelation 1:7 AMPC  Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him. Even so [must it be]. Amen (so be it). [Dan 7:13; Zec 12:10]

Only moments ago I spoke of the nations rejoicing, and yet here in Revelation I see them mourning and lamenting; which is it?

Maybe Zechariah answers the question best.
Zechariah 12:10 AMPC  And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor and supplication. And they shall look [earnestly] upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn. [John 19:37; Rev 1:7]

I have heard this regrettable statement come from the mouths of Bible teachers, “the Holy Spirit will be lifted with the Church!” That concept is far from the truth, as you can see the Spirit of grace and unmerited favor still being poured out on the earth. Zechariah 12:10 and Revelation 1:7 both tell us that every eye will see Him, and shall mourn. Perhaps that mourning is the recognition that our sin put Jesus on the cross. Maybe, it is our sudden understanding that we could have had a relationship with the Father, and we have lost precious years.

I understand lost time because I lost two daughters to foolishness, and, I can tell you that I mourned with tears for some time. A day comes when you have to stop weeping and return to productive life once again, but you never forget.


Jesus wasted no time, and did not stay dead, neither could a tomb hold Him. He exploded from the grave three days later, with life; the promise of the Holy Spirit; empowerment, and the guarantee that He would come back and gather those that long for Him. We like to call that gathering the rapture. But, the story doesn't stop there, as this unmerited favor Zechariah speaks continues to flow toward all people. The prophecies of old, talking to those who would listen, told of what Jesus would do, and then He did it, just as He said. Therefore, we have verifiable testimony that this hope of a life with the Father, we cling to, is real. He is coming back, and my heart cries out for that day.