Font Size
After the gloom and doom of Micah’s diatribe against the wicked practices of cruel leaders appear beautiful promises of Jerusalem’s restoration. The picture is one of the brightest of Israel’s future glory to be found in the OT (Earle, 59).
Most authorities see Micah’s proclamation as a messianic prophecy, to which Christ himself may have been referring in Lk 24:47 when he declared that repentance and remission of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem (vv.1-2; Hailey, 205). Wesley wrote concerning the last days, “The expiring of the seventy years' captivity, nearly two hundred years from Micah’s time, a type of the days of the Messiah’s kingdom” (3:383).
The prophecy concerning many nations “was in part fulfilled when so many proselyted servants of several nations, out of love for their Jewish masters and more for the God of the Jews, came up with them from Jerusalem. So the Jews, released from captivity, encouraged each other; which was a fulfilling of this prophecy in part. The conversion of the multitude of the Gentiles to Christ was a more eminent fulfilling of it” (Wesley, 3:384).
Not only will many nations make their way to the Holy City in those last days, but the Lord will settle disputes among them (v.3) and they will possess their own possessions without fear (v.4). “The redeemed of the Lord, redeemed from Babylonian captivity, [are] the type of a greater redemption by Jesus Christ” (Wesley, 3:384). There will be no need of arms for war. Spears and swords will become tools for cultivation. The exiles and the remnant of those driven away into captivity in Babylon (4:6-10) will be redeemed and restored to Zion. “That is, they shall enjoy peace, security, and plenty. This was more fully made good in the gospel days” (Wesley, 3:384).
The cry of many nations around Judah and Zion was “Let her be defiled” (4:11). But God had not allowed the total destruction of Jerusalem. He meant only to afflict and discipline his people, not to reject them utterly. The enemies of his people would be gathered like sheaves for the threshing floor. There the Lord would give his people the ability to break many nations into pieces. What had been taken from them would be restored for his use (4:12-13).