Micah 4:1

Micah 4:1

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

a. ASV: But in the latter days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it.

b. YLT: But in the latter days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it.

c. Classic Amplified: But in the latter days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills, and peoples shall flow to it.

d. Septuagint: And at the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest, established on the tops of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and the peoples shall hasten to it. 

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: It will be in the end of days that the mountain of the Temple of HASHEM will be firmly established as the most prominent of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.

1. “But in the last days it shall come to pass…”

a. [But in the] last [Strong: 319 'achariyth akh-ar-eeth' from 310; the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity:--(last, latter) end (time), hinder (utter) -most, length, posterity, remnant, residue, reward.]

b. days [Strong: 3117 yowm yome from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.]

c. [it shall] come to pass [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

1). 1). The last days began with the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. They include not only the 2000 plus years of the church age, but also the Second Coming of Christ and the Millennial Reign of Christ. This can be seen in the use of the term by different writers in Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments.

a). Genesis 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

b). Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

c). Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

d). The other occurrences of this are James 5:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3. The other Old Testament citations are the text in Isaiah 2:2 and Micah 4:1

2). The last days began with the birth of Christ Jesus. They include not only the 2000 plus years of the church age, but also the Second Coming of Christ and the Millennial Reign of Christ. This can be seen in Peter’s use of the term and also of Isaiah’s use of the term “last days”.  

a). Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 

2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 

2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 

2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(1) We must be aware that along with the perilous times there will be also glorious times. An outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the midst of tremendous evil and geologic upheaval (signs under the earth that produce blood, fire and smoke). 

b). Isaiah 2:1-4 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

(1). The particular events that Isaiah writes about above clearly take place during the Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus. Also the passage in Isaiah 2:1-4 are very similar to Micah 4:1-5.

2. “...that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains…”

a. [that the] mountain [Strong: 2022 har har a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X promotion.]

b. [of the] house [Strong: 1004 bayith bah'-yith probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

c. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

d. [shall] be [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

e. [shall be] established [Strong: 3559 kuwn koon a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very deed.]

f. [in the] top [Strong: 7218 ro'sh roshe from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.]

g. [of the] mountains [Strong: 2022 har har a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X promotion.]

3.  “...and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.”

a. [and] it [Strong: 1931 huw' hoo of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.

b. [shall be] exalted [Strong: 5375 nasa' naw-saw' or nacah (Psalm 4 : 6 (7)) {naw-saw'}; a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.]

c. [above the] hills [Strong: 1389 gib`ah ghib-aw' feminine from the same as 1387; a hillock:--hill, little hill.]

d. [and the] people [Strong: 5971 `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

e. [shall] flow [Strong: 5102 nahar naw-har' a primitive root; to sparkle, i.e. (figuratively) be cheerful; hence (from the sheen of a running stream) to flow, i.e. (figuratively) assemble:--flow (together), be lightened.

f. into [it] [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

1). After Jesus returns and begins to set up his kingdom, at the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ, the whole geographical area surrounding Jerusalem will be changed, this fact is mentioned in Micah.

a). Micah 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow into it.

2). When Jesus ascended into heaven, he did so from the mount of Olives. Notice in the passage what the angels told his disciples concerning his return.

a). Acts 1:9-12 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

1:10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is take up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days journey. 

3). This prophetic promise will be fulfilled at the beginning of the second coming of Christ. A good description of this geographical change accompanying the second coming is found in Zechariah. 

a). Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and the half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

4). The rest of the change is mentioned a few verses in the chapter.

a). Zechariah 14:10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from to tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.

5). According to Zondervan Atlas of the Bible, by Carl G. Rasmussen, Zondervan, 2010,  p.121. Geba and Rimmon were separated by about 45 miles. 

a). Zechariah, by David Baron, Kregel Press, p. 511. “All this district from Geba to Rimmon is to be changed and become “as the Arabah”. This word, translated “plain” in the A.V., is the proper name of the Jordan valley “that remarkable depression which runs from the slopes of Hermon to the Red Sea, known as the deepest depression on the face of the globe”; the sea of Galilee situated within it being 652 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, while the Dead Sea, which is also included in its course, is 1316 feet below that level, or the level of the Red Sea. Parts of this valley were distinguished for their luxurious vegetation, but the reference here is not to its fertility nor to its deep depression, which probably will itself undergo modification in that day of great physical as well as moral upheavals, but to the fact of its being a plain. The whole hill country specified shall be leveled or become a plain, and she (i.e. Jerusalem) “shall be lifted up” (or “exalted”) “and shall dwell” (or “become settled”) “in her place”…”