How do you interpret Micah 4:1-5 (mirrored almost verbatim in the Book of Isaiah)? The verse “nation shall not lift up sword against nation” in its Isaiah variant is of course etched in stone on the Wall of Peace at the UN headquarters in New York. It presents a powerful image, especially for its time and place in the eighth century BCE Near East, of future peaceful arbitration between states and of the conversion of weapons of war into tools of agriculture.
Do you think it should be interpreted metaphorically as referring simply to the “world to come” and not actual world peace on earth? Is it merely pious hope? Or do you see it as a reality which will happen one day on earth as well as symbolically referring to the afterlife? If so, how?
If viewed from a purely secular perspective, what do you think of this ancient Israelite’s vision of a pacified world order given the context in which it was written down?
RSV
Micah 4:1-5 * It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations afar off; and 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 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 has spoken. For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.*
Isaiah 2:2-4 * It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and 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 any more. *
I don’t see it metaphorically. I see it as applying, in reality, to the full/entire kingdom of God as it came into being with Our Lord’s redemption of mankind through His passion, death and resurrection.
Specifically, I see it as applying to the entire Church:
the Church triumphant (all those now in heaven),
the Church militant (those in Our Lord’s kingdom/church on earth),
and even temporarily, the Church suffering (those in purgatory).
Thus, there may be some verses that seem to apply better to His “mountain” in it’s state here on earth; some that apply better to His “mountain” in it’s state in heaven; and some that apply to both. The “mountain of the house of the Lord” exists currently, in reality, in both places - both here on earth and in the hereafter.
That is how I love to contemplate those verses.
