The end but not the end

Often in the Bible there's this tension between the end times having already begun but yet this knowledge that we're not really at the full end of it all yet, after all Jesus has not returned. The prophet Micah gives us a view of this and we see this tension really at play.

Micah writes:
In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.

2 Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple 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. (Micah 4:1-2 NIV)
This is the part we already see, I don't think that this is a literal picture, like Zionists would have us believe. Rather this is an image of what we now see, inaugurated by Jesus we see what Micah referred to as "the last days". "The mountain of the LORD" is almost used the way we use "Canberra" or "the Whitehouse" when referring to executive office, it's not the physical place, but it's people from all nations, coming to God in worship. That's what we see now, the fastest growing church is the African church and the biggest church in the world is in Korea, we are truly coming to the Mountain of the LORD from many nations.

But then Micah continues:
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the LORD Almighty has spoken.
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,
but we will walk in the name of the LORD
our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:3-5 NIV)
This is the part we don't see, we don't see a global peace with everybody living in safety. The peace spoken about here is a true peace, not just the absence of war, but the absence of fear, war is so distant that it doesn't even seem a possibility. God stands as the judge and the head of all, and this all happens at his word. Now while it is true that God is the king of kings, what is on the table here is that being acknowledged by all people. This is what will occur at THE end, when God brings forth the new heavens and the new earth.

For us this should be a comfort, every day is a day closer to this perfect peace and perfect place where there will be no more war and God will be with us forever.