#DailyDevotion Jesus & His Church Judge The Nations

Micah 4 ¹¹But now many nations gather against you, Zion. They say, “Let her be defiled, and we’ll watch her.” ¹²They don’t know what the LORD wants to do or understand that He’s planning to gather them like cut grain on the threshing-floor: ¹³“Get up and thresh, Zion’s daughter, because I will make your horns iron and your hoofs bronze, and you will crush many people.” I will devote their spoils to the LORD and their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

This may appear at first the nations who have gathered against Israel by the Assyrians, Judah by the Babylonians, or Jerusalem by Rome. It may indeed include these. Its greater and final fulfillment is in the Church. The nations were raised up against ancient Israel because of her sins against the LORD. The nations did not realize they were the hand of the Almighty. Even now, the nations do not realize they are in the hand of Jesus Christ who is using their programs against the Church to build the Church and to purify the Church.

The LORD Jesus Christ is planning on gathering them together like cut grain on the threshing floor. We can see this a few times in the book of Revelation. Rev. 14, ¹⁸ “And another angel came from the altar with power over fire. He called out with a loud voice to the one with the sharp sickle: ‘Swing your sharp sickle and gather the bunches of grapes from the vine of the earth,because the grapes on it are ripe.’” Rev. 16, ¹³ “Then I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. ^e14 They were spirits of demons who were doing miracles. They went out to the kings of the whole world to gather them for war on the great day of the Almighty God.” Rev. 19, ¹⁹ “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to fight against the Rider on the horse and His army. ²⁰And the beast was captured and with it the false prophet who had done miracles for the beast by which he deceived those who had received the beast’s brand and worshiped its statue. Both were thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ And the sword that came out of the mouth of the Rider on the horse killed the rest, and all the birds gorged themselves on their bodies.” On the Last Day, Christ Jesus will fulfill this passage from Micah and destroy the nations who have come against His Church.

The Church is not left out of this judgment. Micah says Zion’s horns will be iron and her hoofs bronze to crush the people. So Paul says in 1 Cor. 6, ² “Or don’t you know these holy people will judge the world? And if you judge the world, aren’t you able to judge trifles? ³ Don’t you know we’ll judge angels?” In Rev. 2 Jesus says, ²⁶ “Be victorious and continue to observe My works until the end, and I will give you power over the nations, ²⁷ just as I received it from My Father, and you will rule them with an iron rod, shattering them like pottery. ²⁸And I will give you the Morning Star.” In Rev. 3 Jesus tells the Church, ²¹ “Be victorious, and I will have you sit with Me on My throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Finally, while the rich and powerful think they are lords of the earth, we shall see on that day Jesus is Lord over all creation. Everything will be dedicated to Him and He will dedicate everything to the LORD who is the Father. (1 Cor. 15:24) May we dedicate everything we are and have to our LORD Jesus Christ and the Father of Lights, now and always.

LORD Jesus Christ, You shall gather the nations and with Your Church judge them and all creation. May this knowledge of this plan encourage us when it seems the world and the devil seem to have the upper hand so we do not give up hope. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.