Isaiah 60:1

The last words of the previous chapter in Isaiah dealt with the fact that God makes certain eternal promises. Those words about eternity from Isaiah 59:21 are: “from henceforth and for ever.” Isaiah chapter 60 goes into some detail about what is going to happen in eternity for all those who believe in Jesus. It says in Isaiah 60:1-10, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.”

The nation of Israel had been suffering some very difficult times. Enemies as they had never seen before had come against them, defeated them in battle, killed many of their citizens, and taken many others captive. Those were not only difficult days, but in many ways that was the beginning of the end for Israel, if we are to look at things only from a human standpoint. But there is more going on in reality than just what we see from a human standpoint. There is the work of God and the kingdom of Christ marching to its completion and to its fulfillment. God promises that in spite of the “darkness” and in spite of the “gross darkness,” He will change all that. Because of what God will do, instead of darkness there will be “light,” and “glory,” and “brightness.” Instead of people being taken captive, and scattered abroad, and separated from each other, God promises: “thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.” It might take some time, but it will happen because God promised that it will happen. Some of us may have to wait until the Kingdom of Christ is ushered in to see an end to darkness and sorrows, but the coming of the Kingdom of Christ is the final and best fulfillment of God’s promises for this earth. What happens forever is much more important than what happens temporarily, and everything on this earth is temporary.

Israel had been suffering greatly at the hands of the other nations of the world. The nations were God’s instruments to punish the sinful Israelites, but this was only temporary. God would turn the tables. God promised to turn the tables and make things better because He loves His people even though He must sometimes chasten us. God’s promises are based upon His mercy, and not upon what we deserve. That is why God said in Isaiah 60:10, “for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 60:11-18, “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.”

Ancient cities almost always had walls built around them for defensive reasons. The truth about human nature is that some people become so evil that they will attack, rape, pillage, and murder the innocent; if the opportunity presents itself. Walls were built around the ancient cities to protect them from the pillagers and the attackers. Often the gates had to be closed, especially at night or during any dangerous time, to keep the bad guys out and to keep the citizens safe. The promise that God is making in this passage in Isaiah chapter 60 is that the dangers of this world are only temporary. Some day God will take them away. Some day God will create a city where there is no danger of violence, and where the gates can always be open. It says in Isaiah 60:11, “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night.” And it says in Isaiah 60:18, “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.”

The book of Revelation takes this same promise and shows us that it will be applied to the heavenly city itself. Speaking of the future Kingdom of God, the Apostle John wrote in Revelation 21:1-2, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” And then it says about the Kingdom of God in Revelation 21:21-27, “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

There is competition in this world between good and evil. And sometimes it does not go too well for the godly in this life. Jesus Himself was crucified. But God will change all of this because according to Isaiah 60:16 Jesus is “thy Savior and thy Redeemer.” In the final analysis the servants of God will come out on top in every contest with the wicked and in every point of contention. That is the promise of the Almighty. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” God promises in Isaiah 60:15, “Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 60:19-22, “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.” There is a struggle in the world: a struggle between good and evil. The difference between good and evil is symbolized by the difference between darkness and light. In the beginning darkness covered the face of the deep, and God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Darkness is the absence of spiritual truth. Light is centered around the Word of God and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Psalmist said, “Thy Word is a light unto my path, and a lamp unto my feet.” Jesus is the Light of the world. Darkness exists in this world. As a matter of fact it says in Isaiah 60:2, “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.” But when the Light shines as it has never shined before, that is, when Jesus appears, the darkness shall be done away with forever.

It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit led the Apostle John to once again use the book of Isaiah when writing Revelation chapter 21. In an obvious reference to this passage in Isaiah the Apostle John wrote in Revelation 21:23-25, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.” There is another very interesting point to make when comparing Isaiah chapter 60 to Revelation chapter 21. Isaiah chapter 60 says that the LORD is the light of the eternal city. The word “LORD” is translated from the Hebrew Word for Jehovah. Revelation chapter 21 says that the Lamb is the light of the eternal city. “The Lamb” is Jesus. Jehovah and Jesus are one and the same. Jesus was Jehovah of the Old Testament. Bow down before the God of the universe and worship Him. His name is Jesus.

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