Micah 4:11

"And now many nations are assembled against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye see our desire upon Zion."

The rescue and redemption of God's people, whether from literal slavery in Babylon, or from the pursuit of sin and unrighteousness, is by no means the end of the world's hatred and opposition. The literal fulfillment occurred in the opposition of the surrounding nations to Israel's rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; and in the larger theater of world-history, the hatred and warfare of the world against the church are never for one moment abated.

"Many nations are assembled against thee ..." In this verse, the prophecy moves dramatically toward the final judgment of all the world, an event to be preceded by the hatred of the nations of the world against the truth, and against God's people. The ultimate and terminal alignment of the nations of mankind against God will be accomplished through the cunning manipulation of Satan, organizing all the world against God, a maneuver made possible by the choice, at that time, by the vast majority of humanity to walk in darkness rather than light, to serve evil and not righteousness. That such is prophesied for the future is certain. Micah indicated it here; and the prophecy of Revelation covers the same incredible event again and again in the parallelisms regarding the "battle" of Armageddon, the destruction of the beast, and of the false prophet, etc. (See my commentary on Romans, pp. 376-383,447-456,475-478 for extensive studies on the very event Micah prophesied here.) Of course, this interpretation applies this portion of the prophecy to events just prior to the Second Advent of Christ.