“But in the last days it shall come topass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in thetop of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shallflow unto it. ² And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and letus go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; andhe will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shallgo forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ³ And heshall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and theyshall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn warany more” (Micah 4:1-3).

The book of Micah containsthree sermons  (Mic 1-2; 3-5; 6-7) on thetheme of the justice and holiness of God. Each of these sermons begin with acall to hear:

·  Mic 1:2— “Hear, all ye people;hearken, O earth, and all that therein is…”

·  Mic 3:1—“Hear, I pray you, Oheads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel…”

·  Mic 6:1—“Hear ye now what theLORD saith…”

Each of these sermons has twoparts. The first part is mostly condemnatory. The second part contains amessage of hope in the form of prophecy or promise.

So really, we would be, as itwere, spoilt for choice, if we have to pick just one promise to represent thebook. In this book, for example, are the famous promises that Christ would beborn in Bethlehem(Mic 5:2); and that God will cast our sin into the depth of the sea (Mic 7:19).

However, after someconsiderations, I thought it best for us to consider the comforting promisethat begins the words of hope in Micah’s second sermon.

Micah’ssecond sermon is from chapter 3 to 5. In the first part of this sermon, Micahcondemns the leaders of the God’s people for lawlessness, men-pleasing andhypocrisy. Leaders who lead the people astray are like cannibals eating thepeople says Micah.

That first part of the sermonpaints a very bleak picture of the church in Micah’s days. What could be worstthan having cannibals for leaders?

Andthe days ahead looked very bleak. As a prophet of God, Micah was like awatchman standing on watchtower, looking towards the horizon to see what wascoming on.

What did Micah see? He saw whatGod allowed him to see. He saw judgement in the immediate future. He saw thedestruction of Samaria722 BC. He saw the destruction of the cities in Judah around the same time. He sawthe razing of Jerusalemin 586 BC. Hesaw that all these were because of the sin of the princes, the priests and thepeople. The future looked very bleak.

Butwait! That was not all that Micah saw. As he lifted up his eyes far beyond 586BC, he caught sight of beautiful scene.

This scene is hard to describebecause it is faraway and indistinct to Micah.

Haveyou ever been on top of a mountain? Can you see clearly what is a greatdistance away? Even if you can see clearly, it will be difficult for you todistinguish what is nearer and what is further away. A great distance away,everything becomes a blur. The things that are spread out over a few kilometresmay appear to close to one another. Two cities which are a few kilometres apartmay appear to merge into one city from a distance.

Thiswas the case with Micah’s vision. What was going to happen in the immediatefuture was quite clear. But what was going to happen in the distant future wasquite indistinct.

Micah was looking into thefuture. It was a glorious vision. He describes it for us in chapters 4 and 5.

Thethings that he sees would happen in the last days (Mic 4:1). The last days arethe days between the first and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We arein the last days. Micah was seeing the events in the last days. But do notexpect him to tell us step by step what would happen.

Wedo not know how long the last days will last. It has already lasted 2,000years. But Micah saw the whole period of the last days in one vision of 3parts. In this study we shall only have time to look at the first part of hisvision. What did Micah see? He saw 3 things:

·  First,he saw a mountain exalted (v. 1);

·   Secondly, he sawpeople flowing to the mountain (v. 2); and

·  Thirdly, he saw the peace andcomfort of the people who lived under the shadow of the mountain (v. 3-5)

1. The Mountain Exalted

¹But in the last days it shall come to pass, thatthe mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of themountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills;…

Whatis this mountain? Jerusalem is built upon amount, known as Mount Zion. This mount has twopeaks one on the east and one on the west. The eastern peak is known as Mount Moriah.The temple was built on Mount Moriah (2 Chr 3:1). Butas Mount Moriahis part of Mount Zion,the temple is also seen as being built upon Mount Zion.

Was Micah referring to thisliteral mount on which the temple of the LORD was built? No, no; that mount hasnot risen in height. It is still in Jerusalemburdened under two huge mosques (The Dome of the Rock and the al-Masjidal-Aqsa).

Inthe vision of Micah, the “mountain of thehouse of the LORD” rose above the other mountains. It stood out from therest of the mountains. This is not the case with the literal mount where thetemple was located and the two mosques now sit.

No,no, Mount Zion on which the temple of the LORD satduring Old Testament days was but a shadow of a New Testament reality. ‘Themountain of the house of the LORD,’ that Micah saw in his vision was thereality, not the shadows. What Micah saw was essentially the Church!

In the New Testament, Mount Zion andthe Temple ofthe LORD all point to the church. The writer of Hebrews seeking to encouragethe Jewish converts in the first century told them:

“But ye are come unto mountSion, and unto the city of the livingGod, the heavenly Jerusalem…”(Heb 12:22).

Micah was looking at thisspiritual Zionand Spiritual Jerusalem. Spiritual Zionand Spiritual Jerusalem is the Church. The House of God upon the mount is apicture of the Church.

The apostle Paul reminds us inEphesians 2 that the Church as a whole is the temple of God with Christ as the“chief corner stone” (Eph 2:20).

So Peter says:

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up aspiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 2:5; cf 1 Cor 3:16-17).

Itis clear isn’t it, that Micah must have been referring to the exaltation of theChurch of Christ in the last days. There is noreason whatsoever for us to believe the false interpretation that a literaltemple will be rebuilt.

Thereare many people who believe that. So they are looking forward to the day whenthe two mosques would be destroyed and the temple rebuilt.

Butto hold to that view would be to deny the teaching of the Holy Spirit in theNew Testament. The temple of stone and mortar is no more. The temple was aphoto of the Church for the church underage. The Church has matured. The photohas no more use.

Butwhat is the meaning of the Mountain of the House of the LORD rising above theother mountains?

Well,this simply means that the church of Christ would rise inprominence. It would rise in prominence in the world, unlike during OldTestament days. During Old Testament Days, the people of God were often mocked.

Theywere mocked not only by the people in the surrounding nations. They wereridiculed also by the Assyrians and the Babylonians who came to conquer them. But in the lastdays, the Church would be established in the world. She would not just be in Palestine. She would bein the world. Her members would be found in every nation.

The church would be well-knownand respected. The world will hate the church because it hates Christ. But theworld can no longer ignore the church. Though the number of true believers maybe small, yet the church is the body that has had the greatest positiveinfluence in the world throughout history.

Pausefor a moment to think: Which kingdom, body or movement in the world has mostgreatly shaped the contours of human history for good? Is it Hinduism? Is itBuddhism? Is it Islam? Is it the United Nations? Is it the scientific world?

Thinkagain. There is absolutely no doubt that the church and Christians had thegreatest contribution on the positive advancements of the modern world.

Thinkof the areas of education, medicine, science, social development, art… todaymany secular people are taking the lead in these areas. But the footprint andfingerprint of the church cannot be erased. The kingdom of Christhas been shining more brightly than any of the kingdoms, bodies or movement inthe world ever did. It is a city on a hill, which cannot be hid (Mt 5:14). Ithas risen above all the mountains in the world.

Butmore importantly, in the last days, the church would draw many unto herself.For Micah also saw…

2. The People Flowing into the Mountain of the Lord

^1b …and people shall flow unto it. ²And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain ofthe LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of hisways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, andthe word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Thechurch would be like a magnet drawing people from all nations, tribes andtongues. Christ has His sheep in all nations, for God so loved the world thatHe gave His only begotten Son that whoever believeth in Him shall not perish,but have everlasting life.

AndChrist himself says:

“And other sheep I have, which are not of thisfold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall beone fold, and one shepherd” (Jn 10:16).

Thesheep of Christ are the elect in Him. These will be drawn to the Church by theprovidential power of God, and they would be drawn to Christ irresistibly byHis Spirit.

Thousandswere drawn into the church and therefore unto Christ in the first few months afterChrist poured out His Spirit. And hundred of thousands have continued to flockinto the church for the last two millennium.

Theseare attracted to the church. Why would they be attracted to the church? Not forthe glamour. Not for the fellowship. Not only to worship the Lord, But to be instructed in the way of theLORD.

^2b Come, [they say] and let us go up tothe mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he willteach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths…

TheLord Jesus himself is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto theFather, but by [Him]” (Jn 14:6). He is the way because He laid down His lifefor His sheep. But our Lord would also teaches his sheep which way they shouldwalk in order that they may please their heavenly Father.

How would our Lord teach hissheep? He would teach them by giving them His Spirit to change their heart andto illuminate their minds so that they may receive the Word of Truth (1Jn2:27). But He would also teach them by appointingundershepherds to feed the flock. This is the reason why he appoints ministersand elders. Ministers and elders are Christ’s undershepherds. They must feedthe flock. If they fail in their duty, God will require the blood of the sheepupon their heads.

Thechurch must instruct and guide the flock of Christ on the truth. This is whythe apostle Paul calls the church, “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim3:15).

Thissame truth is reflected in the words of Micah (last part of verse 2):

 …for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Thechurch must instruct, or she is not doing what Christ appointed her to do.Preachers are not called to motivate by exciting the passions. Preachers oughtto persuade and ought to denounce the sin of the people. But they ought to doso only as the herald of Christ, preaching what the word of God teaches. Inother words, they must instruct the people with the Word of God.

ThankGod that in these last days, more than ever before in the history of the Churchfrom the days of Adam, God’s Word is being preach and Christ’s sheep and lambsare being fed. Christ’s sheep and lambs that are sincerely hungering andthirsting after God’s Word need not starve. There are sound churches they canattend if they are sincerely seeking. And if all else fails there are todaybooks and sermon audio!

Butwhat is the result of being instructed in the Word of God? One of the mostimportant results is peace and comfort in Christ!

3. The Peace Enjoyed by the People

 ³ And he [i.e. the LORD] shall judge among manypeople, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swordsinto plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up asword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

What does this mean? Some think that this meansthat there will in future be one thousand years when Christ will rule from Jerusalem and there willbe peace on earth. But no, this cannot be, for look at verse 5—

⁵ For all people will walk every one inthe name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for everand ever.

Thisdoes not seem to be a Millennium of peace with Christ ruling from Jerusalem. Will Christtolerate false religion while He is ruling over the world directly with a rodof iron?

Moreover,Micah speaks about the people of God walking in the name of the LORD foreverand ever. There will be peace forever and ever. Micah is not speaking about apeace that last 1,000 years, which will be ended by a massive rebellion againstthe rule of Christ!

No, no; Micah is speaking aboutspiritual realities. He is speaking about what would go on in the lives ofGod’s people through the power of the Gospel. These are things that would beginto happen in the lives of God’s people while they are on earth, but will beperfected when they are in heaven.

Micah’s vision, we mustremember, does not only span history, but span heaven and earth. That is Micahis not only seeing what was future upon the earth, but also what would happen inheaven. The church of Christ, after all comprise not only of believers on thisearth, but just man made perfect.

InHebrews 12:22, the apostle to the Hebrews is speaking to the Jewish convertsabout their new citizenship in the kingdom of Christ. Notice how heputs it:

“²²But ye are [or have] come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ²³To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written inheaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men madeperfect…” (Heb 12:22-23)

Notice how mount Zionincludes saints not yet perfected and saints already perfected.

This must be what Micah isseeing. He is seeing the church as a whole. Think of the church as a mountain.

The top of the mountain isabove the clouds. The base of the mountain is under the clouds. But themountain as a whole is rising. It is rising above the clouds.

Micah is seeing what happens atthe top of the mountain that has broken the cloud cover. But he is also seeingthat what is happening to the part of the mountain which remains under thecloud.

Heis seeing how the church is perfected in heaven. But he is also seeing how thechurch is advancing in grace while on earth. He is seeing how people are drawnto the church and lives are changed through the preaching of the Gospel.

TheGospel would be preached in all the world. Where the Gospel is preached, thenChrist judges among the people. “[theLORD] shall judge among many people” (v. 3), says Micah. Christ, after all,has been appointed to be the judge. And He himself says, “For judgment I amcome into this world” (Jn 9:39).

Hejudges, in the first instance, by the preaching of the Gospel which isaccompanied by the power of His Holy Spirit. He himself says: “And when he [theHoly Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness,and of judgment” (Jn 16:8)

Herebukes strong nations in the same way: by the Gospel. By the preaching of theGospel, Christ is galloping ahead on His white horse, conquering and toconquer.

Howwould his sheep respond to His Conquest? “theyshall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks”(v. 3).

Whatdoes this mean, but that the people of Christ shall enjoy peace? Where Christconquers with His word, He brings peace.

“PeaceI leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give Iunto you” (Jn 14:27). Says our Lord.

God’schildren are by nature children of wrath and enemies of God. We were enemies inour minds by wicked works (Col1:21). We hated God and were ready to do battle with Him from our birth.

But by the Gospel and the Spirit of Christ, wehave been transformed. Our enmity against God is erased. Our nature of angerand hatred have been replace with a spirit of meekness and love. Not only do weno longer war against God, we ceased to war against one another. As the apostlePaul puts it in Titus 3:3:

“For we ourselves alsowere sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts andpleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.”

But all these have changed. Where before we wouldnever suffer wrong, now for by God’s grace, we take no revenge even against ourenemies who wrong us. We forgive one another even as God has forgiven us inChrist. We have been enabled to dwell with one another in peace and love.

Wemay be of different nationalities. We may be traditional enemies with oneanother as Arab and Jews; or Pakistanis and Indians; or Tamils and Singhalese;or Serbs and Albanians. But when we are converted, we can dwell together withone another in love and unity. “they shall [as it were] beat their swords into plowshares, and theirspears into pruninghooks.”

Thishappens whenever the Gospel prevails. This was the case in the early churchwhen the people were all of one heart and of one soul (Acts 4:32). They sharedtheir possession with one another in such away that no want lacked anything.

There was peace within the church. Of course, due tothe remnant of corruption, there will not be perfect peace in the heart ofbelievers in this life. Perfect peace will come in heaven. But it will come!Micah was seeing that too.

Weshall in that day cease altogether to do battle. Today we still have to do spiritualbattle, but in that day, we will have perfect peace and perfect rest.

Conclusion

What do we say to these things?

What shall we say but to thankGod for the privilege of being the direct recipients of the blessings promisedthrough Micah? Thank God for the Gospel privileges and the peace that He hasgiven us in Christ Jesus. Thank God for peace with Him and peace with oneanother. Thank God for the assurance of perfect peace in heaven.

Theworld today is far from peaceful. Many people want to have peace but they donot have it. They do not have peace in Iraqor Afghanistan.But neither do Singaporeans without Christ have peace. There can be no peacewithout Christ.

ThankGod that He has given us peace, a peace that the world does not understand,even a peace that surpasses understanding.

Beloved brethren and children,are you still a stranger to this peace? You will be a stranger to this peace ifChrist is still a stranger to you. There can be no peace without Christ. Theworld will know no peace. Only those who know Christ will know peace.

Millions have already found rest and peace inChrist. Will you not join the multitude and say:

“Come, andlet 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.” Amen. Ω