The Harvest of Unbelief

KEY VERSE: “Therefore I will look unto the LORD, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” —Micah 7:7

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Micah 7:1-7

THE Prophet Micah’s immediate view of the world was indeed depressing and discouraging, even as ours often can be when the problems of this present world seem large and overpowering. At times like this, we, like the prophet, can find much solace looking unto the Lord.

Micah could contrast the shameful condition then existing in Israel which he described in this chapter, with the preview of God’s kingdom given to him and recorded in chapter four. In his vision, God gave a beautiful and comprehensive description of the establishment and functioning of the kingdom of Christ, and the blessings it will assure to the people.

This prophecy symbolizes the Lord’s kingdom as a “mountain”—“The mountain of the house of the Lord.” The house of the Lord is his ruling family made up of his beloved Son, Christ Jesus, and those who through begettal and birth of his Spirit, are made sons, and in the first resurrection are exalted to glory, honor, and immortality, to reign with Christ. This spiritual ruling house, or government, will be established in the “top of the mountains”—that is, taking control over all nations of the earth. “And it shall be exalted above the hills.” (Mic. 4:1) The many political, economic, and social structures existing in our present fragmented world will also come under the authority of the millennial kingdom, and disappear eventually into the unified framework of the new aims and objectives of Christ’s rulership.

“And many nations [people] shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.” (Mic. 4:2) That kingdom will not employ the methods of this world, using conquering armies and physical force to establish its authority. “People shall flow: unto it” (vs. 1), because it will offer that which all desire—peace and prosperity and more, much more, eventually righteousness and life-everlasting.

“He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” (vs. 2) This expression indicates that the nations’ recognition of Christ’s kingdom will be sincere, and they will actually seek divine instruction and be glad to obey divine law. “The Law shall go forth from Zion,” the spiritual phase of the kingdom—“and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem”—the earthly or visible phase of the kingdom, which primarily will consist of the resurrected Ancient Worthies. Through them the Lord will “judge among many people and rebuke [instruct] strong nations afar off, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (vs. 3) What a change in the world that will be!

The security and prosperity that will come to all men is beautifully described in these words: “They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid.” The continued success of the policies of the kingdom and everlasting fidelity of the people to God is also prophesied: “All people will walk every one in the name of his god,” indicating that Jehovah God has become the God of all. “We will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.”—Mic. 4:5

This was the wonderful vision from God that Micah looked unto, trusted in, and was waiting for, as he viewed the terrible degradation of men around him. We, too, have seen this vision, and through it can put our trust in God and his wonderful future plan for the recovery of mankind, as we view the distorted wisdom of this world attempting to safeguard peace by preparation for war, causing men’s hearts to fail them for fear. As we see the starvation and poverty that haunts the lives of countless millions of our race, the crippling and distorting effects of sin and evil, and the specter of death which continues to relentlessly stalk its victims, we long in our hearts for the early establishment of the only kingdom that can alleviate these sufferings and put an end to the sting of death.

Yes, like Micah, we will have to look unto the Lord to accomplish this, and will have to wait for his due time. But we can have absolute confidence that all will be fulfilled, because, as the prophet recorded, “the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.”—Mic. 4:4

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