Dear Friends,
Isaiah 60 heralds the dawn of a new era, the coming millennium when Messiah will reign from the throne of David—and beyond in the New Jerusalem.
Father, thank You for being a Strong Tower that we can run into and be safe. Thank You for being a Present Help in trouble. Thank You for being a City of Refuge we can flee to for safety. Give us understanding as we read thy word Father, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Isaiah 60
1 Arise [Israel], shine; for thy light [Messiah, the Light of the world] is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 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.
Thank God for that little coordinating conjunction, but. The great tribulation period will be a time when darkness covers the earth (cf Amos 5:18), but Jesus returns at the end of it to rule the world from Israel.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light [Yeshua], and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4 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.
5 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.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba [these three regions are all located on the Arabian peninsula] shall come: they shall bring gold and incense [no need for myrrh anymore]; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
7 All the flocks of Kedar [also in Arabia] shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth [modern Jordan] shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
Picture if you will the most glorious city on earth, the envy of the world. This city has the most iconic landmarks and the most glorious vistas imaginable. Picture a place that everyone wants to visit and where everyone is welcome. The gates are always open. For now, we have to imagine it because this city does not exist yet. I have not yet had the privilege of visiting Jerusalem, but from what I have heard it’s a far cry from what Isaiah is describing in this chapter. The day is coming, however, when Jerusalem will be the glorious city God intended it to be.
8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
It sounds to me like Isaiah is describing the airplanes. He is telling us about what he saw in his vision (Isa 1:1) and describing it as best he could. During the millennium people will fly from all over the earth to Jerusalem.
9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, [Tarshish was a city on the southern coast of Spain at world’s end. In a broader sense Tarshish could be the entire region at the end of the world, including Britain.] 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.
10 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.
11 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.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 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.
14 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.
Just as the time came when Joseph’s brothers bent their knees to him and begged his forgiveness, the time is coming when Jesus’ brethren will bow their knees to Him as well. Just as Joseph celebrated with his brothers and forgave them, so will Jesus. Likewise, the sons of many who were Israel’s enemy will come, bowing themselves down in humility.
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.
16 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.
17 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 [overseers] righteousness.
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.
19 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.
20 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.
Isaiah seems to be describing the New Jerusalem here. (Cf Rev 21:23; 22:5) The New Jerusalem is the real Elysium. While there will be unprecedented peace and prosperity on earth for those who are born into the millennium, the New Jerusalem will be an even better and more exclusive place reserved for those who receive Christ before his Second Coming. I believe the New Jerusalem will be a satellite city that orbits the earth. (Rev 21:2)
21 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.
22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
Isaiah 60
Isaiah 40 marked the first coming of Christ, which took place at the end of the fourth millennium, around 4000 years from creation. Chapter 60 marks the watershed turning-point event that will take place around the end of the sixth millennium, about 6000 years from creation. In our day and age, Jerusalem is a cup of trembling. In that day, however, Jerusalem will be the glory of all the earth. That day may be just around the corner.
Consider the way things are looking in the areas mentioned in the text above. Some of these areas are also mentioned in the Magog prophecy in Ezekiel 38, 39. Consider: Turkey, Iran, and Russia are all in Syria now, right on Israel’s doorstep. This is a perfect precursor for the Magog prophecy, which describes the invasion as coming from the north. (Ez 38:15) Sheba and Dedan (Saudi Arabia, see above as well as notes on Isaiah 21:13-17) do not participate in the Magog invasion and seem to verbally protest along with the UK (Tarshish) and America (the young lions of Tarshish, Ez 38:13). Saudi Arabia now has good relations with Israel, while the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Russia has never been worse because of the new oil price war. Another OPEC+ meeting is scheduled for June, so the situation is fluid, but the unlikely alliance of Saudi Arabia with Israel places Saudi Arabia in a perfect position for the Magog scenario. The back-and-forth relationship between Turkey and Russia is fluid. Turkey recently reversed course from their preference for Russian missile technology and asked Washington for Patriot Missiles as their conflict with Russia escalated in Syria. Then last week on Thursday, a ceasefire was reached as a humbled Erdogan agreed to Russia’s terms. Things are likewise fluid with Libya. The odd piece that still seems out of place is Cush (the region of Sudan and Ethiopia, Ez 38:5), but 2020 is shaping up to be a year that will reset the global chessboard. I will be watching Sudan, in particular, and Ethiopia to see what happens. Not just 2020, but the coming decade looks like a wildcard. We had a financial crisis in 2008 but this looks different. The hysteria surrounding the coronavirus together with the chaos created from the new oil price war plus the added effect of supply-chain disruptions from the world’s central manufacturing hub, China, are creating a perfect storm. We can pray that things change for the better, but if they don’t we will need to pull together and rise to the occasion, that we may show the world the Way, the Truth, and the Life by our actions as people look for answers. Maybe you are reading this and you still have not yet made the decision to receive Yeshua Messiah as your personal Saviour? It’s quite simple really, but it has to be on his terms. If you are serious, it’s only a prayer of faith away: Father, thank You for your Son. I receive Him as my personal Saviour. Lord Yeshua, please come into my heart. Please forgive me for my sins. Please take control of my life. Thank You for the precious blood You shed for me at Calvary. I pray this in your holy and precious name. Amen.
….And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:17
