Saviors will come up on Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom will be Jehovah’s (v. 21).
These two items were fulfilled at the time of the Maccabees, and they will be further fulfilled in glory at the time of the restoration for the kingdom of God (Matt. 19:28; Rev. 11:15). The Maccabees took Mount Zion as their ground to judge Edom and gained a victory over Antiochus Epiphanes in about 165 B.C. The victory of the Maccabees is a type of the victory that Israel will gain immediately before the age of restoration.
The prophet Micah spoke of Jehovah’s promise to gather all of Jacob and assemble the remnant of Israel (2:12). Jehovah declares, “I will gather her that limps, / And her that has been driven out I will collect, / As well as her that I have afflicted; / And I will make her that limps a remnant, / And her that has been cast far away a mighty nation” (4:6-7). Jehovah’s comfort to Israel also includes His deliverance of Israel (vv. 9-13). This means that God will meet Israel’s every need and solve every problem.
At the restoration of Israel in the millennium (Matt. 19:28; Rev. 20:4, 6; Isa. 2:2-5), people will no longer learn war (Micah 4:3). Rather, enjoying life without disturbance, “they will each sit underneath his vine / And underneath his fig tree, / And no one will disturb them” (v. 4). Every person will eat and drink for his enjoyment in peace.
The thousand years of the millennium will be a continual feast. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were charged not to work during the yearly feasts (Lev. 23:7-8, 35). To work during those feasts would have been an insult to God. The people were only to rest, eat, drink, and enjoy their life before God. Their eating and drinking were their worship to God. At the time of the restoration, the life of the Israelites will be such a restful living for worship.
Micah 5:2 is a prophecy concerning Christ. This verse says that His “goings forth are from ancient times, / From the days of eternity.” This means that in eternity, before the creation of the earth, Christ was preparing to come forth. From the ancient times, from the days of eternity, the Triune God was preparing to come forth out of eternity into time, to come with His divinity into humanity.
Christ’s going forth, His appearing, is a continuous matter. From the time of His incarnation, He has been coming forth, and His coming forth is still taking place today. Christ’s coming forth will be consummated when He throws Antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:19-20), Satan is cast into the abyss (20:2-3), and Christ sets up His throne to reign as King (Matt. 25:31, 34, 40). At that time His appearing will be complete.
While Christ is on the way, He is taking care of the scattered Jews. On the one hand, Israel is under God’s chastisement. On the other hand, Israel is also under God’s shepherding care. This shepherding is His preservation of Israel. In the restoration Christ will be the Ruler, Shepherd, and peace to His elect, Israel (Micah 5:2-5). As their Ruler, He keeps Israel; as their Shepherd, He nourishes and cherishes them; and as their peace, He controls their environment so that they may enjoy Him.
After Christ deals with all the enemies, the remnant of Jacob will be blessed by Jehovah, and they also will be victorious among the nations. Concerning this, Micah prophesied that in the restoration the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from Jehovah, like abundant showers upon the herbage, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, and like a young lion among flocks of sheep. The small nation of Israel will be victorious among the nations, her hand will be raised up against her adversaries, and all her enemies will be cut off. Jehovah will clear up the armies, cities, strongholds, sorceries, idols, and idol worship from Israel. Furthermore, He will execute vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations (vv. 7-15).
Zechariah 8 reveals Jehovah’s desire to restore Israel. He will return to Zion, and He will dwell within Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, the Holy Mountain (v. 3). Old men and old women will dwell in Jerusalem with their staff in their hand due to the multitude of their days, and the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing (vv. 4-5). This indicates that the city will be peaceful and very pleasant. Men and women, young and old, will have the real enjoyment of life. The situation of Jerusalem in the restoration will be so pleasant that it will be wonderful both in the sight of the remnant of Israel and in the sight of Jehovah (v. 6). When the people see the pleasantness of Jerusalem, they may say, “This is wonderful!” and God will also say, “Yes, this is wonderful!”
Jehovah will save His people from the land of the east and from the land of the going down of the sun and bring them to Jerusalem so that they may dwell in it. They will be Jehovah’s people, and Jehovah will be their God in truth and in righteousness (vv. 7-8). The land of the east is Babylon and the land of the going down of the sun is Spain. At that time Spain was considered the uttermost part of the earth, the place of the sunset.
The vine will give forth its fruit, the land will give forth its produce, and the heavens will give their dew, that is, their rain. Jehovah will cause the remnant of Israel to inherit these blessings (v. 12). Because of these blessings, the entire country will be fruitful and productive for the enjoyment of the people. Once they were a curse among the nations, but Jehovah will save them, and they will be a blessing. Therefore, they should not fear; their hands should be strong. Just as Jehovah intended to do harm to them when their fathers provoked Him to anger, and He did not repent, so He intends in those days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah (vv. 13-15). God will be good to them in every way. Finally, “the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth month and the fast of the seventh month and the fast of the tenth month will become joy and rejoicing and cheerful feasts to the house of Judah” (v. 19). Instead of fasts, there will be feasts full of good food for the enjoyment of the people of Israel. This is a promise related to Israel’s restoration.