"But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of The LORD of Hosts hath spoken it." [Mic 4:4]
During the Millennium, Jesus Christ will reign bodily and literally upon David’s throne in Jerusalem. He will rule the entirety of the earth, and we, as kings and priests in His kingdom, will help Him administer His kingdom, as it is written,
“And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to pieces: even as I received of my Father.” [Rev 2:26-27]
And again,
“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto The LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is The LORD’s: and He is the governor among the nations.” [Psa 22:27-28]
There is a time coming when “the God of heaven [shall] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed;” [Dan 2:44] a time when Jesus Christ shall return to earth with the saints and set up His kingdom, and the words shall be fulfilled, “The LORD shall be king over all the earth.” [Zech 14:9] The LORD’s government “shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and all people shall flow unto it.” [Mic 4:1] That is, His government/kingdom shall excel all other kingdoms, it shall be above all, superior to all; it shall be the single and sole source of government upon earth, and all men, small and great alike, shall look to it. For Jesus Christ, who is The LORD, “shall have dominion…from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” [Psa 72:8]
It is in this context that we read our verse for today,
“And [The LORD] shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of The LORD of Hosts hath spoken it.” [Mic 4:3-4]
The phrase, “every man under his vine and under his fig tree,” is an idiom for peace, prosperity, and safety. When Christ rules there shall not be disease, there shall not be war, there shall not be poverty, nor anything else broken or corrupt. The Lord Jesus, “[the] righteous Branch…The LORD our Righteousness,” [Jer 23:5, 6] will rule with a righteous scepter. And His kingdom will bring peace, for “the work of righteousness shall be peace,” and His name is “The Prince of Peace.” [Isa 32:17; 9:6] There is a great connection between peace and righteousness. Jesus’ kingdom shall administer and supply both. “In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.” [Psa 72:7] Let us think upon and ponder just what the character of Christ is, that He could effect such a drastic, worldwide change.
The rule of Jesus is so effective, so powerful, so potent, so all-encompassing, so broad and wide and deep, that all people, from all nations, from all tongues, and from all places – near or far, great or little; young or old, man or woman – yes, even all people and all places, shall experience a deep, lasting, profound, and eternal peace. Throughout the millennia of earth’s existence there has no doubt been a few good leaders. There have even been leaders who have given a measure of peace, enacted change, or had a lasting effect on the betterment of mankind. But praise be to God, for there has never been a king like Jesus Christ. There has never been such a powerful king, such a pervasive and perfect rule, that he could ensure and promise – no strings attached – that the entire world under His singular rule would experience peace, prosperity, and safety, and then frankly deliver on that promise.
Imagine for a moment the enormity of the earth. As it relates to the universe, earth is small. But as it relates to us, it is fairly large. Think upon all the various nooks and crannies of earth; of all the backwoods and lowlands and islands; of all the mountains and forests and places where one could be. And yet, for all its length, height, and breadth, Jesus Christ’s rule promises, on the merits and glories of Jesus’ person alone, that all people, all places, shall equally experience this unending and perfect peace. This reveals to us, if only but in part, the magnificent glory of Christ’s power. What authority, what power, what incredible wisdom it takes to rule the entirety of earth, with a promise so unlike the crooked and weak politicians and nobilities of our present age, that Jesus Christ could matter-of-factly promise an all-encompassing peace.
And think of this, dear Christian: is your life so big and so complicated, so lavish and so great, that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, God’s Only Begotten Son, cannot step into it and set things right? That He cannot execute His blessed peace therein? Let us look to Jesus and be glad. Let us look to Him and rejoice. Let us look to Jesus and submit to Him, allowing Him to have full, unrestricted access into our lives, being the king of all. For through Him, we can experience true peace.
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