Isa 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Isa 60:2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Isa 60:3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Isa 60:4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.
Isa 60:5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.
Isa 60:6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.
Isa 60:7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.
Isa 60:8 “Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?
Isa 60:9 Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.
Isa 60:10 “Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion.
Isa 60:11 Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession.
Isa 60:12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined.
Isa 60:13 “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place for my feet.
Isa 60:14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 60:15 “Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.
Isa 60:16 You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Isa 60:17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler.
Isa 60:18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Isa 60:19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
Isa 60:20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.
Isa 60:21 Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.
Isa 60:22 The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”
1 The glory of the church in the abundant access of the Gentiles, 15 and the great blessings after a short affliction.
Isa 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Isaiah here proceeds to describe a glorious work to be accomplished by Israel, on the assumption that a reformation, in harmony with ch. 58:6–14, has taken place. Chapters 60–62 describe this great work.
Such was the divine plan for ancient Israel. But as a nation they failed in the work of reformation within, and God was unable, therefore, to deliver them from their enemies without or to make them His agents in bringing salvation to the Gentiles. Accordingly, the covenant privileges and responsibilities were transferred to spiritual Israel. Hence, the bright picture of the glorious triumph of the gospel outlined in chs. 60–62 clearly belongs to God’s people today.
Light was ever a symbol of the divine presence (DA 464; see on Gen. 3:24). Christ came to earth as the light of life (John 1:4, 5; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 46; see on Isa. 9:2). Those who received Him and believed on His name (John 1:9, 12) were, in turn, to let their light shine forth in glory to God (see on Matt. 5:14–16; 1 Peter 2:9).
Before the return of Christ, the gospel message is to be proclaimed with such power that the whole earth will be ablaze with the light of truth (Rev. 18:1).
Isa 60:2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
That is, spiritual darkness (see on ch. 9:2). Men have ever tended to love “darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). The world is dark with a misunderstanding of God and His love. Evil men cannot comprehend good in others. They fail to recognize the light of heaven when it shines upon them (John 1:5, 10, 11).
Glory appears over you.
It is the reflected light of God’s glory that is to “be seen” upon God’s people. When men seek honour for themselves they eclipse the glory of God. When they are willing to efface self and to let God have first place in their hearts and in their lives His glory can be seen in them. For the way in which the glory of God was to have been seen on ancient Israel.
Isa 60:3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
The reflection of the divine character through Israel, together with the manifest blessing of Heaven upon them as a nation, was to have attracted the Gentiles and convinced them of the superiority of the worship and service of God . In the providence of God this promise is to be fulfilled to the church in our day.
And kings. The glory of God revealed in His people and church will attract not only the humble but the great men of earth. Even kings will be drawn to the light streaming forth from Zion (see chs. 49:23; 52:15).
Isa 60:4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.
Lift up your eyes.
God summons Israel to behold the glorious prospect depicted in vs. 1–3. The church today should raise its eyes from its usual round of activity to catch a glimpse of the hour of destiny soon to come, and having done so, set earnestly about the task of preparing for it.
Your daughters.
The last clause of v. 4 reads literally, “your daughters shall be tended at [your] side.”
Isa 60:5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.
The abundance of the sea. An allusion to the international sea trade of Isaiah’s day, which brought wealth to those who engaged in it.
The forces. Heb. chel, “wealth.” Converted Gentiles would make generous contributions to advance and thus hasten the proclamation of the gospel.
Isa 60:6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.
The previous verse refers to “wealth” coming by sea. Here caravans, commerce by land, are pictured.
Isa 60:7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.
The gifts of the Gentiles would be accepted by the Lord in token of the fact that He also accepted them personally. Isaiah again pictures a great ingathering of souls from foreign lands (see on v. 1).
Isa 60:8 “Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?
The figure changes, and the Gentiles gathering to Jerusalem are pictured as great flocks of birds.
Isa 60:9 Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honour of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour.
9. The isles. That is, “the coastlands.” Distant peoples would acknowledge the message of God’s grace (see on ch. 42:4). Today multitudes in all parts of the earth wistfully look upward, anxiously longing for the hope and peace that only the gospel can bring to their troubled hearts.
Ships of Tarshish. Ships used in the metal trade (see on ch. 2:16). The psalmist foretold a time when “the kings of Tarshish and of the isles” would “bring presents” to Israel’s king (Ps. 72:10).
Their silver. In speaking of the coming of “the desire of all nations,” Haggai declared that all the silver and the gold belong to the Lord (Haggai 2:7, 8).
The psalmist foresaw kings bringing their presents to the Temple (Ps. 68:29–31). See on Isa. 60:5. Men who are truly converted bring to God their richest treasures.
Isa 60:10 “Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion.
Rebuild your walls.
In ancient times city walls afforded protection and represented the strength of the city. Thus, to “build up” the walls of Zion meant to increase the strength of the city. The Gentiles would assist the Jews in the proclamation of the gospel.
I struck you. A reference to the Babylonian captivity (see on ch. 54:7).
Isa 60:11 Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession.
City gates were closed at night as a safety measure. Gates open at night would thus imply peace and security. However, as here stated, the chief reason for leaving them open at night would be to accommodate the endless procession of Gentiles coming up to Jerusalem to present their gifts to the Lord in token of their love and devotion.
Forces. See on v. 5.
Triumphal procession. Gentile monarchs would approach Jerusalem in regal splendour, accompanied by their servants and courtiers (cf. Rev. 21:24).
Isa 60:12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined.
“Those nations that rejected the worship and service of the true God were to be dispossessed. … As the numbers of Israel increased, they were to enlarge their borders, until their kingdom should embrace the world” (COL 290).
The failure of Israel to cooperate with God’s plan for them as a nation made impossible the fulfillment of this picture. In principle, however, it will be realized by the church today, in the glorious triumph of the gospel and the return of Jesus to this earth. Eventually the God of heaven will “set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed” and which will “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms” (Dan. 2:44; cf. Dan. 7:27; Rev. 11:15).
Isa 60:13 “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place for my feet.
Lebanon was noted for its beauty, particularly for its tall cedars. Cedars of Lebanon had been used in Solomon’s Temple (Kings 5:6–10), but Isaiah foresaw a new temple that would surpass it in glory. Ezekiel was given detailed instructions for the erection of this new temple, which, however, was never built (see Eze. 40 to 44).
Isa 60:14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Bowing before you. That is, in voluntary submission the nations would acknowledge the infinite superiority of those who loved and served the true God. Compare ch. 62:4, 5, 7, 11.
Isa 60:15 “Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.
You have been forsaken. Like a forsaken wife, Zion has become an object of scorn and reproach to all her neighbours (see Lam. 2:15). She would, however, be restored to her former position and again become the delight of the Lord (Isa. 62:4). Had Israel proved faithful to God, Jerusalem would have stood forever, the glorious metropolis of the earth (DA 577; GC 19).
Isa 60:16 You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
The milk.
Isaiah introduces another figure for the wealth and resources of the Gentiles, which would flow to Jerusalem in a steady stream. Compare chs. 49:23; 61:6; 66:12. Upon leaving Egypt the children of Israel were to receive gifts from their erstwhile masters (see on Ex. 3:22).
Upon their return from Babylonian captivity the Jews received voluntary gifts of silver and gold from their neighbours and friends, and also from the royal treasury (Ezra 1:6; 7:15, 16, 21–23).
Isa 60:17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler.
As gold was of far greater value than brass, and silver more precious than iron, so the Lord would increase the wealth of Israel. Anything they gave up in sacrifice for Him would eventually be amply repaid. Whatever we devote to the service of God will be repaid beyond our fondest expectations (see on Eccl. 11:1; Matt. 19:29).
Isa 60:18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
The thought of v. 17 is continued. Instead of oppression, brutality, and strife (see ch. 59:3–15), principles of brotherly love, benevolence, and mutual consideration would rule.
Your walls Salvation. The presence and blessing of God will be Jerusalem’s best walls and bulwarks (see Zech. 2:5), and acclamations of praise and thanksgiving will replace gates and bars.
Isa 60:19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
The sun will not cease to exist when the earth is restored, but the city will no longer need it (Rev. 21:23; 22:5).
Isa 60:20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.
If man is in this world there is alternate sunshine and shadow, light and darkness, laughter and tears. But in the Holy City God will be the constant light and joy of His people.
Isa 60:21 Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendour.
Righteousness is the personal goal for each of God’s people. In the new earth the ideal of Ps. 15; 24:3–5 will be realized. It will be a world “wherein dwells righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13), because all its inhabitants are righteous. Sorrow will be no more, because there is no more sin (see Rev. 21:27). Compare also Isa. 52:1; Zech. 14:16.
Possess the land for ever. The promises made to the fathers will be fulfilled in due time (see Gen. 12:7; Dan. 7:18; Matt. 5:5; Rev. 21:3, 4, 7).
The shoot I have planted. The “men of Judah” were God’s “pleasant shoots” (Isa. 5:2, 7; cf. Isa. 29:23; Eph. 2:10). His likeness is imparted to His people, and His law is placed within their hearts (Jer. 31:33, 34). Gradually they are to grow up into His likeness and “be like him” (1 John 3:2; cf. Eph. 4:15).
Isa 60:22 The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”
Christ compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed that became a great tree (Mark 4:31, 32).