Micah 4:8
And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
The stronghold of God's people to whom the promise is made is Christ, in whom the lost kingdom is regained. The first rule spoken of is the rule over the earth first given to Adam at creation with Eden as his home. By yielding to temptation humanity forfeited that rule, and both mankind and the earth itself passed under the power of Satan the conqueror. By paying the penalty for sin Christ as the second Adam recovers all that was lost by the first, and the kingdom comes again to the redeemed daughters of Zion and Jerusalem. That gift is pardon full and complete, restoration to the Eden home, crowning as joint-heirs with Christ to share His glory and His throne, when the earth is made new and freed from sin to be the eternal dwelling of the righteous, with Adam himself restored to his first place.
Dominion Lost and Restored
The first dominion is the kingdom first given to man over the earth at creation, when Adam was placed in dominion over the earth and given the Eden home.
Through sin that dominion was forfeited and betrayed into the hands of Satan, for by yielding to temptation man was brought under the power of Satan and the dominion he held passed to his conqueror. Not only man but the earth itself came under the power of the wicked one, and was long held by the foe.
The verse points to the recovery of that forfeited dominion through redemption, brought back by the great plan of redemption to the people of God. This restoration comes through Christ, the stronghold of Zion, who by paying the penalty of sin redeems humanity and recovers the dominion that was lost. All that was lost by sin is thus restored, all that was lost by the first Adam is restored by the second, for Christ has regained the kingdom.
Inheritance of the Redeemed
The first dominion and the kingdom shall come to the people of God, to the daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem. It shall come to those redeemed from Satan's power and brought back into harmony with God. Christ has regained the kingdom, and the redeemed shall possess it with Him as their everlasting home on the new earth.
Christ as divine Intercessor claims this inheritance for His people when the names written in the book of life come up in review before the Judge of all the earth. He asks that God's original purpose for humanity be carried out as though humanity had never fallen. This is set against Satan's effort to frustrate that plan by deceiving and tempting the race.
For all who from among fallen men have overcome through faith in His blood, it means pardon and justification, full and complete. It means restoration to their Eden home. It means crowning as joint-heirs with Christ Himself, a share in His glory and a seat with Him upon His throne.
The promise is fulfilled when the earth is renewed, freed from sin and sorrow, and made the eternal abode and home of the redeemed. Formed to be inhabited, it fulfills God's original purpose in creating it, when the righteous inherit the land and dwell therein forever. This is the time longed for since the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden, the redemption of the purchased possession.
Through the atonement Adam himself is restored to his first dominion and to his original place. Redeemed through faith in the promised Saviour, he is welcomed back to Eden restored, to the home from which he was exiled. He receives this restoration from the loss caused by sin after dying in the hope of the resurrection. Returning, he sees his redeemed family sharing in the kingdom.