Micah 4:1-2 (NIV): In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
I know that a lot of people try to push “the last days” out into the future somewhere. But the last days began when Jesus rose, ascended, and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell God’s people. These are the last days in the sense that all of God’s promises regarding the new and final covenant with His people have been fulfilled, and he is now working out the final consummation of all things.
Since the days of Jesus, people have been streaming into the Kingdom of God – not the earthly Jerusalem, but the new and heavenly Jerusalem that He established through the Holy Spirit. The new Jerusalem exists wherever God’s people exist, living in His presence, receiving His power and strength, living holy lives, and drawing even more people through the gates. And, just as God foretold, the people coming in are not just Jews, but people from all nations of the world. They are streaming into His new city, a city not built by human hands, a city without limits, a city where all mankind is welcome, as long as they come in through faith in Jesus.
When people come into God’s kingdom, they lay aside their old lives, their old ways of thinking and acting, and they learn from God His ways, so that they can walk in His paths. Entering into His kingdom, renouncing all other allegiances, and becoming a citizen of the new Jerusalem changes everything, making those once dead alive in Christ, opening blind eyes and deaf ears, making the lame walk once more, and cleansing the dreadful sores of the lepers.
The gates of God’s new Jerusalem are always open day and night, and the gates exist in every place on earth. All who want to come in through faith in Jesus are welcome, and they will ALL receive eternal life.
Father, thank You for making this new city to which anyone can come. I can testify to its reality in my own life, and I praise You and thank You that You brought me into it, and gave me a new life that I now live only for You. I love You, Lord. Amen.