One of my favorite books of the Bible happens to be the book of Isaiah. And lately I have heard some people misinterpreting this book, in order to excuse some things, that are not Biblical.
So first let us pray to God for His Holy Spirit to teach us & help us understand His Word. After that, please let us read this chapter or you can listen to it. This book was written by the prophet Isaiah around 739 B.C. & the Lord gave him this prophecy about a future time. See Isaiah 60
Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
3
The Nations shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4
“Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
5
Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6
The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come;
They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
7
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar,
And I will glorify the house of My glory.
8
“Who are these who fly like a cloud,
And like doves to their roosts?
9
Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar,
Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the Lord your God,
And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you.
10
“The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
And their kings shall minister to you;
For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
We read in Isaiah 59 that sin separates us from God, then vs. 20 says “The Redeemer shall come to Zion and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord”. Then vs. 21 mentions the covenant. “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.” So this prophecy in Chapter 59 was fulfilled when Jesus the Redeemer came to earth.
- Next chapter, Isaiah 60 is considered by many a prophecy that is being fulfilled by the Church. Some others consider it’s a prophecy about Jerusalem (Zion) or Israel been restored, that will happen later during the millennium kingdom. But in context it has to do with our Redeemer & a place.
Then chapter 61 continues in the same context of the Redeemer & the good news. Isaiah 61:1 says “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor” The same words that Jesus read at the synagogue in Nazareth on the beginning of His ministry on earth. “And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:20-21.
-The first verse of Isaiah 60 is talking about the ‘Light has come’ & either is talking to Jesus or about His earthly reign (since previous & former chapters are about the Redeemer), or is talking to believers in Him (Church= from all nations). In contrast the majority of the people of the earth are covered in deep darkness.
-In verse 2 we read “but the Lord shall rise upon you,” which remind us Jesus reading in the synagogue “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me” (now also the redeemed filled with the Spirit of God).
God is light, 1 John 1:5 & also the knowledge of Him in Jesus Christ is light : 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” 2 Cor.4:6.
Jesus said He is ‘the light of the world’. Only in Jesus do we find light.
Again Jesus spoke unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” John 8:12-30.
In accordance with all these we find in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” So this has been happening during the Church age.
–Verse 3. People from all nations (H1471=gentiles) are called to salvation and redemption through faith in Jesus Christ, the Light.
–Verse 4. Sons and daughter will come to Him. Many interpret this to be Israel, it is possible, but I just don’t think could be the actual secular Israel of today. But believers in Jesus are called sons or children of light. Jesus said: “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” Jn. 12:36, Jn.1:4-12, Eph.5:8-10, 13-17, 1 Thes. 5:5, etc.
Only the people that have a covenant with God through His son Jesus Christ (John 1:12) & receive His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:30), are the true sons of light, the rest are impostors, or counterfeits who call themselves sons of light, (see 1, 2, 3). The Bible tells us the deceitful workers of Satan disguise themselves as apostles of Christ, & even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:12-14.
Verses 5-10 talk about abundance, gifts & praises that are brought from other nations, but to whom? Some say to a race, but I believe to God. Vs. 9 Tarshish was a region close to the strait of Gibraltar. Also vs. 9. . “He has glorify you“.
In Isaiah 42:8 God states, “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images”. “I will not yield my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11). King Herod was struck & die because he appropriated the glory of God to Himself (Acts 12:21-:23). But Jesus was glorified. “And now, O Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.” John 17:5. For this & other reasons I think ‘you’ is referring to Jesus. I believe this is His place during His reign on earth, & is not Israel, nor about exalting humans.
Our God is eternal & He doesn’t care about the material wealth we have in this temporary world if we are spiritually lost. He knows riches & power will make us stumble. His main goal throughout the Scriptures is our salvation, for that reason Jesus came & died to pay for our sins.
Please continue to Part 2.