CrossReads Weekly Devotional: Acharit-Hayamim (The Last Times) 3/7/2022

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by Precarious Yates

“But in the acharit-hayamim it will come about
that the mountain of Adonai’s house
will be established as the most important mountain.
It will be regarded more highly than the other hills,
and peoples will stream there.”
 Micah 4:1 (CJB)

Yes, there will be frightening things in the Last Days. The fear is palpable now. The pandemic never seems to end. Russia has invaded Ukraine, and will they stop there? Open threats of nuclear war. Impending invasion of Taiwan from China. Inflation around the word. Racial tensions threatening this and nearly every country.

The Hebrew term for the Last Days is Acharit-Hayamim. It’s quite likely that we’re not even there yet. Jesus said that in the Last Days things will be the most difficult ever for people.  “For there will be trouble then worse than there has ever been from the beginning of the world until now, and there will be nothing like it again! Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.” Matthew 24:21-22 (CJB)

But it is also in the last time that the mountain of the Lord’s house will be exalted. It will be visible and people from many nations will flow to it. This is in order for people to learn the way of the Lord.

“Many Gentiles will go and say,
‘Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Adonai,
to the house of the God of Ya‘akov!
He will teach us about his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.’” 
Micah 4:2 (CJB)

He will teach us both His ways and His laws. We will learn this by observing Him, as it goes on to say in the rest of verse 2 and the start of verse 3:

“For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah,
the word of Adonai from Yerushalayim.

He will judge between many peoples
and arbitrate for many nations far away.” 
Micah 4:2b-3a (CJB)

From observing the Lord, we will learn how to beat our swords into plowshares and how to beat our spears into pruning hooks.

“Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades
and their spears into pruning-knives;
nations will not raise swords at each other,
and they will no longer learn war.”
 Micah 4:3b (CJB)

We will learn from the Lord how to be a people of peace instead of a people of war. We have been learning war for so long that it has been ingrained in almost everything we do. But we will learn from God how to be gardeners instead of destroyers. We will learn peace enough that we will be able to sit in peace beneath our vine and our fig tree.

We will learn how to no longer make each other afraid. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

“…but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
and no one shall make them afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.” 
Micah 4:4. (ESV)

This is the end that God wants to bring about. Not distraction. Not mayhem. Peaceful repose. Productive gardening. Joyful worship of the Lord. And kind interaction with one another. Although so much of this seems obvious to us, during this time of great uncertainty, let us dive deep into these truths that seem so simple. Peace seems like such a simple concept, but it’s so elusive right now. Let us pray together for the lasting peace that God alone will bring.

God bless you!

Precarious Yates

About the Author:

Precarious YatesPrecarious Yates has lived in 8 different states of the Union and 3 different countries, but currently lives in Texas with her husband, her daughter and their big dogs. When she’s not writing, she enjoys music, teaching, playing on jungle gyms, praying and reading. She holds a Masters in the art of making tea and coffee and a PhD in Slinky® disentangling.

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