Will there be gods in the Millenium?

Gods In The Millennium

Q. Your site remains one of my favorites. Keep up the good work and thank you for this excellent forum.

My family was reading the book of Micheas recently and I came across a passage I find confusing. For reference, the first five verses of chapter four are as follows:

4:1 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains, and high above the hills: and people shall flow to it.

4:2 And many nations shall come in haste, and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth out of Sion, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem.

4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into spades: nation shall not take sword against nation: neither shall they learn war anymore.

4:4 And every man shall sit under his vine, and under his fig tree, and there shall be none to make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken.

4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god: but we will walk in the name of the Lord, our God, for ever and ever.

Sounds like a prophecy of the millennium. But in verse 5 it says that all people will walk in the name of their god (small ‘g’) while we (Israel, presumably) will walk in the name of the Lord. Who are these other gods? This implies that there will still be other belief systems, other gods, or other paths to God in that time. This makes me wonder about Muslims, Hindus, etc. in our own present time. I believe that Jesus Christ is the ONLY path to God and salvation and that the other belief systems are myth and error; but this verse gives me pause - have I misunderstood something? What is your understanding of this verse? I appreciate your insights.

A. You’re correct in seeing Micah 4:1-5 as a Millennial passage. Verse 5 has been interpreted in various ways. Some say that it should be translated as follows. “For all people may now walk every one in the name of his god: but we will walk in the name of the Lord, our God, for ever and ever.” Others, and I’m inclined toward this view, say that at some point during the Millennium people from among the nations will begin to reject the God of Israel in favor of other gods, who they might be is not clear, but that Israel will remain faithful forever. This is consistent with scripture that tells us of a massive rebellion at the end of the Millennium, when Satan is freed for a time. (Rev 20:7-9).

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

Idolatory?

You Shall Not Make An Idol Of Anything

Q. Something I’ve been concerned about lately (to the point of severe distress) is the arguments I’ve heard against images of Christ, and how that is clearly in violation of the second commandment. Arguments I have heard include that Aaron and the Israelites created the golden calf to be representative of THE God, not a non-specific pagan one and that God was clearly against ANY representation of himself since in Deuteronomy it’s pointed out that no one saw the face of God on Mt. Horeb and that in the New Testament it says that the Godhead cannot be likened unto gold or stone. I’m familiar with the iconoclasts and am very much afraid for the people I care about who genuinely love God, but have images of Christ (although they do not worship the images) in their homes. Even my church has a drawing of Christ in the sanctuary. I don’t want to be idolatrous. (I’ve also heard that to represent the symbol of the cross is sinful –I’m talking about the empty cross as well as a crucifix.) What do you think about these issues?

A. I think the opinion you’ve been taught about images is a little extreme. The golden calf represented Mnevis, one of Egypt’s gods, not the God of Heaven. There have been efforts to suggest that the calf was really a depiction of God, but it think it’s a bit of revisionism.

God told His people not to construct an idol of anything and then bow down before it in worship. (Exodus 20:4-6) The question people ask is whether making the idol is wrong or whether it’s worshiping the idol that violates the commandment. In my understanding, both are forbidden.

That said, I don’t think putting a copy of a painting of Jesus in the church equates with making an idol, because people aren’t bowing down before the picture, or considering it an object of worship. (The same is true of the empty cross, but I do believe that some make the crucifix or a statue of a “saint” into an object of worship.)

If the very picture of Jesus violates the commandment then any painting or photograph of anything in all of creation would likewise be a violation. I believe the intent of the commandment is to prohibit making a tangible object of worship.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com