There are many mysteries today, like the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, and the mystery of the many “wars and rumors of wars…famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places.” (Matthew 24:6) Nations are threatening other nations. We are concerned now about Russia in Crimea and how they are threatening to invade Ukraine. But, with all of this going on, and much more, we need to turn to the Bible to understand that God still has an amazing plan for the future!

The Prophet Micah, fully 710 years before the birth of Jesus Christ predicted God’s plan for the earth in the last days. Let’s look at what he said:

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And peoples shall flow to it. (Micah 4:1)

There is an entire end time scenario that the Bible clearly shows us.  A brief overview of the order of events will be:  Jesus will return in the clouds to call the Church up to Himself. This is called the Rapture. At this time the dead in Christ will rise first and then we, the living, will be caught away to meet the Lord in the air.  He will take us up to heaven to be with Him through the seven-year Tribulation Period that will take place on the Earth. (John 14:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 24:21; Daniel 9:27)

At the close of  the seven-year Great Tribulation Period, when all nations are gathered in the Valley of Megiddo (Armageddon) to destroy Israel, then Jesus will return to the earth.  He will return to the land of Israel with His glorified Saints. (Revelation 19:11-21; Zechariah 14:1-5) All enemies of God’s people will be destroyed by the Lord Himself. (Zechariah 14:12) Then He will establish Israel as the world capital for a thousand-year kingdom. He will elevate the mount of the temple and bring higher mountains down to make Jerusalem the highest place on the earth. The many earthquakes today are likely signals that this future geological phenomenon has already begun. (Luke 3:5) Micah goes on with his amazing prediction:

 Many nations shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion the law shall go forth, (Micah 4:2)

This will be the scene when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and rules over the Earth personally.  Micah then tells us how the Lord will administrate His Kingdom:

 He shall judge between many peoples,
And rebuke strong nations afar off;
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 anymore (Micah 4:3)

There will be no wars during this thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ upon the Earth. Satan will be bound away in the Bottomless Pit during this time. The Devil will not be able to “deceive the nations,” as he is doing in the world today, stirring up hatred and conflict. Micah tells us how people will live during this future time in the last days:

But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,
And no one shall make them afraid;
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
 For all people walk each in the name of his god,
But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
Forever and ever (Micah 4:4-5)

God’s purpose is to bring Israel back together into their land permanently.  The Jew has been returning there for decades and will continue to do so until the return of Jesus Christ.  The God of the Jew is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!  He is the one true God who created all things, and who sent the flood in Noah’s day because of the wickedness on the earth!  This is the same God who gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. He rose from the dead. He has gone back to the Father and will come again soon! (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4;Revelation 22:20) Meanwhile great evil is arising on the earth both in and among the nations.  The whole earth is going through birth pangs signaling the end days and the Lord’s soon coming! (Matthew 24:1-15; Luke 21:8-19; Matthew 25:13; Romans 8:22) Micah predicts the return of the Jews to Israel in the latter days:

“In that day,” says the Lord,
“I will assemble the lame,
I will gather the outcast
And those whom I have afflicted;
 I will make the lame a remnant,
And the outcast a strong nation;
So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
From now on, even forever.
And you, O tower of the flock,
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come,
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”  (Micah 4:6-8)

God will re-establish the weak and persecuted Jews, who are outcasts among the nations today.  All the nations of the world will be blessed in the latter days.  That is, those nations that will have helped the Jews to return to their land. (Matthew 25:31-46)  While there are many mysteries, conflicts and troubles today, there are glories in  the future for those who trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.  We can be confident that the Bible is true and so are the many prophecies and promises for the latter days!