B E1 4:1-5. General. The end. E2 4:6-5:16. Particular. The means.
632-603 B.C.
Micah 4)
1 But at the end of the days (here we are carried to a yet future day. Ref. Gen. 49:1. Num. 24:14. Cp. Isa. 2:2,&c. Ezek. 38:8,16. Hos. 3:5) it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD (the Millennial Temple on earth) shall be established (abidingly: not merely for a time) in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. (Cp. 3:12; and see Isa. 2:2-4. Both prophecies are independent, and complementary [see Ps. 24:3. Ezek. 28:16].)
2 And many nations shall go, and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob (see Ps. 20:1); and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths:" for the law (as contained in the Pentateuch) shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Both Old and New. See Rev. 20:5,6; 21:20-24.)
3 And He shall rule among many people (Pss. 2:5,9; 72:8,11; 82:8; 96:13; 98:9; 110:5,6. Isa. 11:3-5; 51:5. Matt. 25:31,32), and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares (or scythes), and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Do you think this has happened yet? Of course not. This is in the Millennium.)
4 But they shall dwell every man under his vine and under his fig tree (cp. 2:1. 1 Kings 4:25. Zech. 3:10); and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts (see 2 Sam. 1:3) has spoken it.
5 For 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.
E2 F 4:6-5:8. Good supplied.
G 5:9. Enemies cut off.
F 5:10-14. Evil removed.
G 5:15. Enemies cut off.
F H 4:6,7. The Remnant gathered out.
J d 4:8. The Kingdom. "But you".
e 4:9,10. Travail.
f 4:-10-. Departure.
g 4:-10. Deliverance.
K 4:11. Hostility.
L 4:12,13. Victory.
K 5:1. Hostility.
J d 5:2. The King. "But you".
e 5:3-. Travail.
f 5:-3-6-. Return.
g 5:-6. Deliverance.
H 5:7,8. The Remnant gathered in.
6 In that day (i.e. the day of v.1), says the LORD, will I assemble her that is lame and I will gather out her that is driven out (Cp. Ps. 147:2. Ezek. 34:13; 37:21), and her that I have afflicted; (He corrects those He loves. See Rom. 11:8-10.)
7 And I will make her that was lame a remnant (cp. 2:12; 5:3,7,8; 7:18), and her that was cast far off a strong nation (cp. Deut. 32:11): and the LORD shall reign (cp. Isa. 9:6; 24:23. Dan. 7:14,27. Obad. 21. Luke 1:35. Rev. 11:15) over them in mount Zion (contrast 3:12. Ps. 2:2;6. Isa. 24:23) from henceforth, even for ever.
8 And you, O tower of the flock (part of the "key of David". Ref. Gen. 35:21. Used here of Bethlehem [Bethlehem, from which came the best ever, Christ. Cp. Gen. 35:19 with Mic. 5:2]; coupled here with "Ophel" in next clause "David's birth-place" and "David's city"), the strong hold ("Ophel". See 2 Chron. 27:3) of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion (for this rendering see Ex. 34:1. Num. 21:26. Deut. 4:32; 10:10,&c.. 2 Chron. 9:29; 16:11; 20:24. Ezra 3:12. Ps. 89:49. Isa. 9:1. Hag. 2:3,9. Zech. 1:4; 7:7,12); the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. (What happened in Bethlehem? `Eder, the flock as it’s called there. Well let’s see… Rachel, she didn’t have the strength to bring forth, did she? She died in childbirth to the last patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. Named him Ben-oni, son of my sorrow. His father re-named him Benjamin, son of my right hand. Let’s see, who else was born in Bethlehem? David! Was he not? Oh, and a 1000 yards within the place that Rachel gave birth to Benjamin. And who else was born? Messiah. He is the chief Shepherd)
9 Now 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. (This refers to the birth-pangs of the new earth age and the new nation which will be brought forth in that day and at that time. Cp. Isa. 13:8; 21:3; 26:17; 41:14. Jer. 22:23; 30:6; 50:43. Hos. 13:13. Matt. 24:8)
10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail:
for meanwhile (i.e. before that day. Cp. v.11 and 5:1) shall you go forth out of the city, and you shall dwell in the field, and you shall go as far as Babylon (= confusion [spiritually]. May not have been on Micah's political horizon, but it was on Yahaveh's. Cp. Amos 5:25-27. Acts 7:42,45. Isn't it sad it has to go this far?);
there shall you be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem [as a kinsman] (see Ex. 6:6) you from the hand of your enemies. (Referring to a future day.)
11 Meanwhile (as in v.10; 5:1. Referring to the then immediately pending hostility) also many nations are gathered against you (cp. Isa. 33:3. Lam. 2:16. Obad. 11-13), that say, "Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion." (Destruction will come from ignorance and deception, not war.)
12 But they know not (cp. Isa. 55:8. Jer. 29:13) the purposes (or plans: i.e. for Israel in purging him of idolatry by his tribulation) of the LORD, neither understand they His counsel: for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor (Tough love. Oh let’s see, isn’t there a wonderful gospel song about "bringing in the sheaves"… Now doesn’t that sound wonderful? They’re bringing in the sheaves onto the floor… Do you know what floor we’re talking about here beloved? The threshing floor. Do you know what happens to the sheaves on the threshing floor? They get the whey knocked out of them. Some of the sheaves need the whey knocked out of them to bring about some sense into their heads. Do you have something to do with that?)
13 Arise and tread as oxen, O daughter of Zion: for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass (referring to the strength of the oxen, and to the completeness of the destruction. Ref. Deut. 25:4. Cp. Isa. 41:15. Jer. 51:33): and you shall beat in pieces many people (the symbology is that they will be threshed with the truth. What does threshing do? It separates the wheat from the chaff. It separates those that can amount to something, something that was worth something, from wicked and evil that’s worth nothing but to go into the fire): and I will devote their gain to the LORD (Heb. 'Adon. The Divine title, relating to dominion in the earth), and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth (Boy that sounds awful rough. Beat those people? What do we beat them with beloved? Truth! That’s what we beat them with. How do we thresh today? What is this talking about? You thresh by planting seeds. Every time you have an opportunity to plant a seed you’re threshing, you’re sharing God’s truth. That’s what knocks the whey out of those sheaves and separates the wheat from the chaff. You can thresh by being an example to people. You can thresh by standing for something. And by that I mean willing to stand against the antichrist. Oh there’s a blast going to be sent against this last Assyrian siege).