The Restoration of the Kingdom of Israel
Book of Micah Chapters 3-5
How important is good leadership? Leadership is a matter of life and death to any nation and to any church.
What's wrong with America today?
1) America has walked away from God.
2) The leadership in America has done nothing to keep America secure, militarily or financially, nor to provide proper care for its people.
3) The politicians have forgotten that they are to serve the people and not themselves.
They act like a bunch of cackling hens, forgetting what they are in Washington to do, and it is not to play politician; it is to serve our nation that is going to the dogs.
The leadership in America has failed its people, and they do not care to change their ways, and foolish Americans keep them in office to do nothing. If they had a real job, most of them would be fired and replaced, yet we the people do not have that option, but we should.
To be honest, I do not believe there is an honest leader in any nation today who serves to benefit their people.
This was the case in Israel.
The government of Israel was divided into civil, judicial, and religious branches, and the leaders of all three branches had become corrupt.
Sounds familiar, does it not?
Every leader in every leadership position is to act fairly with integrity and fair dealing, while upholding the laws of the land they serve.
They are to administer justice.
If we as voters send someone into leadership positions in our government offices or our courts, many of them become corrupt before they do any good at all.
It is a well-known fact that much of the Church has become corrupt, and it is the same in the false religions.
We absolutely cannot attempt to rewrite the Word of God every time we see something we do not like.
Just as Israel will be judged by God, so will the Church and the leaders of every nation upon this world.
Justice will extend to every part of the societies of this world and every aspect of human behavior.
In the Church, justice goes far beyond the legal systems of this world.
The Ten Commandments are all about justice.
God's Law requires much more than avoiding wrongdoing toward others.
God's Law requires much more than not harming or hurting others.
God's Law requires much more than refraining from doing wrong.
True justice always seeks to do what is right and what is good.
True justice is the purpose of the Word of God, so we can be more like Christ Jesus.
Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
*****Mic 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.
Mic 4:2 And many nations 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 of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Many people throughout this world live in quiet desperation when they do not have to.
In Israel, the Temple was destroyed.
Today, we see the Church also falling apart.
The truth is that it is impossible that the Houses of God lie in waste forever!
The Bride of Christ is certain, and the Lord Jesus Christ will return to get His bride, and He will come just as soon as God the Father decides it is time.
Mar 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
This is a true statement because this was the procedure for all Jewish marriages. The bridegroom would build on to the Father’s House, and only the Father would know that everything was ready to accept the new Bride.
We know this entire world could collapse at any moment when one of the foolish leaders sets off an atomic bomb, and then all those weapons would be fired, and there are certainly some foolish leaders who could one day do this.
The fact is that the Temple of God will be rebuilt.
The Church will hang on till the end.
The Lord Jesus will return, first to get His Bride, the Church, then to remove sin from this world.
These are the facts.
Abraham, who is the father of faith, clearly understood this truth.
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
What is left of the world after the return of Jesus Christ will walk to please the Lord!
The Gospel will be located in Jerusalem, and the world that remains will want to know all about it!
Jesus Christ caused the Gospel to begin in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is the place where His ministry began, where He died, where He arose from that death, where He ascended back to Heaven, where He gave the Apostles their commission, and where the Church received the Holy Spirit.
It is only in Jerusalem that we can walk in the actual paths of the Lord.
All those who remain after the Lord has judged this world will remember what they had so easily forgotten.
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
The Gospel is the fulfillment of God's Law.
Why would any other city be chosen for Jesus to return to?
Why would we as Christians give up so easily? Where is our faith?
*****Mic 4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations 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 learn war any more.
Mic 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
Mic 4:5 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.
Our world has not been at peace since the sin of Adam and Eve, but the world will finally be at peace when the Lord Jesus returns, after He causes peace to happen.
As in every war, food will be scarce, so all military hardware that was used for war will be converted to farm equipment.
We may see tanks pulling plow equipment and building roads and repairing a broken world.
The word "war" will be totally forgotten and replaced with "love thy neighbor".
Many a believer has thought, how wonderful it would be to sit at the feet of Jesus, and this will finally be possible when King Jesus rules from Jerusalem.
King Jesus will also "Judge" all disputes between nations wherever they are located upon this earth.
I believe the task of those whom the Lord brought with Him, the wife He will no longer separate Himself from, will be to sit and judge the disputes of individuals.
1Co_6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
Can you just imagine the savings when there is no money spent on war, no money spent to combat drugs, no money spent to combat sin, no money spent on bad health, and no money spent on politicians, for none of these things will exist.
There will be no United Nations, which has never been what it set out to be.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
People will be changed: Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
People will enjoy life completely safe.
The Jewish people and the Jewish nation will be honored among all people.
Deu 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deu 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Jerusalem will then be the actual center of the world.
We should remember God's promise to Abraham.
Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
God never breaks a promise!
All the people of the world will walk to Jerusalem in the laws of their god, but they will leave Jerusalem walking in the laws of the Lord God of Israel, and now the Lord God of all His Creation.
It's like salvation. I walked in my own ways before I met Jesus. Now, I walk in His laws and will do so forever and ever!
All nations will recognize the Word of God as the Laws of God, which is much higher, much deeper, and more complete than anything previous.
All those who have had to hide their worship of the Lord because of their faith in Him can now walk openly.
All those who were outcasts because of their faith in Jesus Christ can walk with their heads held high.
All those whose walk was not perfect in the Lord will now walk in perfection.
All those who were afflicted because of their faith in Christ will no longer be afflicted.
There will be no power that can overcome the power of our Savior and our King, King Jesus!
Prophecy will be fulfilled: Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
King Jesus will sit on His throne in Jerusalem because all the prophecies of the Bible will have been fulfilled!
The Lord Jesus was born in a humble stable, to humble parents, and He served His life as a humble Shepherd, and He humbled Himself and died on a cruel cross, but this same Jesus is God Almighty and now sits as the eternal King of all His Creation.
This is how the true Judge of Israel began His life on earth.
*****Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Mic 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
Mic 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
The Prophet Micah begins to tell us about the true Judge of Israel in more detail.
It is easy to see that the future of the Church, the Bride of Christ, and the future of Israel lies in that Babe that was born in Bethlehem Ephratah some two thousand years ago.
The prophecy of Micah was some seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, our King.
We read all the time about the prophecies of men who may get one or two things right, but the prophets of God had to get every prophecy of God right, or we could not consider them true prophets of God and the Word of God could not be trusted.
We know that this prophecy of the birth of our Savior was true, so why should we doubt that the Lord Jesus will sit as King of this world for a thousand years?
It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our life because He is our future.
He was born of a virgin just as the Word of God, by the Prophet Isaiah, wrote.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
This Immanuel is the true food of His people: Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
It is this Jesus who will gather His Church to bear the fruit of God: Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
The world does not get excited about these things, but we who believe and have faith in the work that the Lord Jesus did for our salvation should be excited and should stay excited about the truth of the Word of God. It is time to look up, for our redemption is closer than it has ever been.
Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
It is Israel that has given us our Messiah and our soon-coming King.
Rev 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
When the Lord Jesus returns to this earth, He will come in His full power.
He will stand up for His people.
He will defeat the enemies of His people.
He will then be King but also a Shepherd and provide for the needs of His people.
He is God's ideal King.
The Church, His Bride, will be with Him.
1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The remnant of Israel will join with the Church; all will be the children of God.
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
*****Mic 5:7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
Mic 5:8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
Mic 5:9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
We should all know by now the promises made to Abraham, and here in the Book of Micah, we see Micah give us information about the fulfillment of that prophecy.
God will make true believers out of that remnant of Jacob.
We need to understand clearly the promises God made to Abraham.
Paul wrote: Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Rom 9:9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
Rom 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
It was Jacob who inherited his father's blessing, but Jacob was never a perfect man, and no patriarch of Israel can be seen as a perfect model of Christian morals.
We should also understand that it was the fear of his brother Esau that sent Jacob to find a Gentile bride. That Gentile bride is the Church.
The promise to Abraham was to be a blessing to all nations and not just to the Jews.
Micah describes a remnant that will be as fresh as the morning dew, sharing the water of life with the nations that remain after the Tribulation period.
Jer_30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
It is only at this time that the Jews become true believers.
After this remnant is noted as fresh as the morning dew, they will be to the Gentiles as a lion among the beasts.
At this time, all the animals will have become docile, and none of them will be against mankind nor mankind against the animals.
That remnant of the Jews will be associated with the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Israel will finally become a tool in the hand of God during the Tribulation period of seven years.
God will bring the Tribulation period to an end.
Mic 5:15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
Zep 3:8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
These things have already begun to take place.
Amen
