Isaiah 60:1

This chapter begins a discussion of the glorious state of the New Israel, that is, the Church of Jesus Christ, during the reign of Christ upon this earth, a reign that began on the first Pentecost after the Resurrection of the Son of God. For ages, this has been the accepted position of Christian commentators on this prophecy. As Lowth expressed it:

"The subject of this chapter is the great increase and flourishing state of the church of God, by the conversion and accession to it of the heathen nations; which is set forth in such ample and exalted terms as plainly show that, the full completion of this prophecy is reserved for future times."[1]

Barnes agreed with this, and called it, "A description of the Golden Age under the Messiah," stating also that, "The description continues to the end of the next chapter."[2]

Some scholars, of course, disagree. Payne applied it to the nation of Israel, calling it, "Jerusalem's future glory."[3] Henderson identified the chapter, "Mainly, with the future glory of the Jews."[4] All such interpreters have completely overlooked the "judicial hardening" of Israel (the literal nation) pronounced, not only by Isaiah, but by Christ himself, and quoted no less than four times in the New Testament.

Difficult as some of the questions that arise here may be, the traditional interpretation appears to be absolutely correct.

The light which suddenly bursts upon mankind in this chapter, "Will appear at a time when the nations dwell in darkness; and, in the midst of that distressing condition, Jehovah will arise upon Zion in the person of His Son; in Christ, the glory of God will be revealed."[5]

We agree with Jamieson who declared that, "The language is too glorious to apply to anything that has yet happened;"[6] and this surely fits the application of some of the things related here to heaven itself. However, there are actually no words too glorious to apply to the Church of our Lord which was purchased with his own blood, and in which alone, men of Adam's condemned descendants may be fully restored to fellowship with their Creator, and attain, at last, to eternal life in heaven. No words are too wonderful for that!

The division of the chapter naturally fails into five parts, very nearly the same length each, and which Rawlinson entitled: "(1) Zion's brightness and increased numbers (Isaiah 60:1-4); (2) Zion's immense wealth (Isaiah 60:5-9); (3) Zion's reconstruction (Isaiah 60:10-14); (4) Zion's prosperity (Isaiah 60:15-18); and (5) Zion's crowning glories (Isaiah 60:19-22)."[7]

The "Zion" of this chapter is by no stretch of imagination the hardened, blinded, and deluded Israel of the flesh. "Zion" here refers to the New Israel, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is our mother, and especially to the church of God in Christ.

Isaiah 60:1-3

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah hath risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come ..." (Isaiah 60:1). "This prophecy received its highest fulfillment at the coming of Christ, the true Light of the World, which was followed by a great ingathering of the nations to the church of God."[8]

We must not be deceived by the literal language of this chapter, "Which is that of the Old Testament ordinances and of the literal Jerusalem; it will need translating into the terms of the `Jerusalem above' (Galatians 4:26) ... and also of the radiant city of heaven (Revelation 21)."[9]

"Darkness shall cover the earth ..." (Isaiah 60:2). The birth of Christ did indeed occur at a time of universal spiritual darkness of the human race. (1) The Gentile nations were sunk in the grossest and most shameful idolatry. (2) The Jewish nation was in no better position, despite their possession of God's Law, which they had formalized and perverted; and by their transgression of it dishonored God, leading to the blasphemy of God on their account by the whole Gentile world (Romans 2:23-24). (3) The vain philosophy of the Greeks and Romans provided no relief from the awful darkness of that era.

"Nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising ..." (Isaiah 60:3). The religion of Jesus Christ dispersed the darkness that lay over the minds of men; and all nations turned to it. From that near-universal acceptance of Christ, the whole world was divided into B.C. and A.D.; and the holy light that came from the face of Christ was the "Star" that created what men call civilization; and when that Light is obscured, (Which may God prohibit), what is called "civilization" will disappear from the earth!

The mention of "kings" coming to the brightness of the rising of that Light received a token fulfillment at the birth of Christ, when the "wise men" from the East (the "three Kings of Orient") came with gifts of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh; but the ultimate fulfillment came when the wisest and greatest of earth believed on Him and received his word.

It should be noted, as Douglas observed, that the vocabulary of this passage is practically identical with Isaiah 9:2.[10] As we shall see, this is a recurring phenomenon in this chapter, indicating the correctness of the title that author gave his book, "Isaiah One, and His Book One."