Isaiah 60:2 Comentariu

This whole chapter is all to the same purport, all in the same strain; it is a part of God's covenant with his church, which is spoken of in the last verse of the foregoing chapter, and the blessings here promised are the fruits of the word and Spirit there promised. The long continuance of the church, even unto the utmost ages of time, was there promised, and here the large extent of the church, even unto the utmost regions of the earth; and both these tend to the honour of the Redeemer. It is here promised, I. That the church shall be enlightened and shone upon (Isa 60:1, Isa 60:2). II. That it shall be enlarged and great additions made to it, to join in the service of God (Isa 60:3-8). III. That the new converts shall be greatly serviceable to the church and to the interests of it (Isa 60:9-13). IV. That the church shall be in great honour and reputation among men (Isa 60:14-16). V. That it shall enjoy a profound peace and tranquility (Isa 60:17, Isa 60:18). VI. That, the members of it being all righteous, the glory and joy of it shall be everlasting (Isa 60:19-22). Now this has some reference to the peaceable and prosperous condition which the Jews were sometimes in after their return out of captivity into their own land; but it certainly looks further, and was to have its full accomplishment in the kingdom of the Messiah, the enlargement of that kingdom by the bringing in of the Gentiles into it, and the spiritual blessings in heavenly things by Christ Jesus with which it should be enriched, and all these earnests of eternal joy and glory.

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 60. As, in the two preceding chapters, the hypocrisy and formality, the profaneness and immorality, that should abound in the latter day, and even among professors of religion, are prophesied of; so, in this, a very ample account is given of latter daylight and glory; of both the spiritual and personal reign of Christ, with the latter of which it concludes. The light and glory of the church, in the spiritual reign, are described, Isa 60:1 the numerous conversions of persons to it from all quarters, east and west particularly, are prophesied of, Isa 60:4, the great usefulness those should be of unto it, in enriching it, and building it up, and in glorifying it, is declared, Isa 60:9, as also the subjection of enemies to it; the favours it should receive from kings, and the fame and renown of it through all nations and ages, Isa 60:14, its riches, prosperity, peace, and safety, Isa 60:17 and the chapter is concluded with an account of the more perfect state of the church in the personal reign of Christ, when there will be a perfection of light and righteousness; and the number of God's elect will be complete, and they will be all together, Isa 60:19.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people,.... Like that which covered the land of Egypt, when there was light in Goshen: and this may be meant either of the darkness of ignorance, idolatry, superstition, false doctrine, and false worship, that should cover the far greater part of the nations of the world, before this light and glory should break out, as it does at this day; some parts of it being covered with Pagan darkness, others with Mahometan darkness, and others with Papal darkness; and a very small spot it is where the light of the Gospel is, and that clear, but among a very few; for the most part it is not clear nor dark, it is not day nor night; and this is the evening time, in which, ere long, it shall be light; see Zac 14:6 or else this may design the distress that the antichristian states will be in, when this light shall break forth; the kingdom of the beast will be full of darkness, distress, and confusion, Rev 16:10, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee: as on the tabernacle of old, Lev 9:23 to which the allusion is, Isa 4:5 this shows that the light and glory of the Lord, in the preceding verse, design the Lord himself, and his gracious purpose, and the display of his glory in the Gospel now preached; and that it will be visible in the church, and taken notice of by others, and induce them, and even great personages, to come unto it, as follows: or "he shall be seen", or "appear", in "his glory upon thee"; so Ben Melech renders it, supposing that "in", is wanting; and so the sense is, that Christ shall appear in the glory of his person and of his offices, and especially his kingly office; and in the glory of his grace and righteousness, in the ministration of his word among his people. The Jews (r) apply this to the first coming of Christ, which belongs to his spiritual reign. (r) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1.

(Chapter 60—Verse 1 and following) Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 70: Arise, arise, O Jerusalem, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But the Lord will appear great upon you, and His glory will be seen in you. And nations will walk in your light, and kings in the splendor of your light. Regarding what we think about the restoration of Zion and Jerusalem, and all that is promised to it by prophetic prediction, we have spoken more fully at the end of the previous book, where we have interpreted what that verse meant: Zion's Redeemer will come, and to those who turn away from wickedness in Jacob. Now we must briefly examine what most people think about this place, so that after understanding the mistake, we can more easily accept the truth. The Jews and our half-Jews, who expect a golden and gem-studded Jerusalem to descend from heaven, argue that these things will happen in the thousand-year reign, when all nations will be subject to Israel, and the camels of Midian and Ephah, coming from Sheba, will bring gold and frankincense, and all the flocks of Kedar will be gathered, and the rams of Nebaioth will come to be sacrificed on the altar of the Temple, which will have been built. Also, the daughters of that land, especially the ships of Tarshish, will fly like doves, bringing treasures of gold and silver. And the walls of Jerusalem will be built by foreigners, who will be ruled by kings from foreign nations. The gates of the city will always be open, day and night, to allow the wealth of Jerusalem and the offerings to be brought in. And everything that was once desolate will be rebuilt with cypress, pine, and cedar from Lebanon. The Temple of the Lord, in particular, will be constructed, where there will be eternal joy. It will draw in the milk of nations and consume the treasures of kings. There will be such abundance of all things that bronze will be valued like gold, iron like silver, and wood like bronze, and even stones like iron. Moreover, the princes will enjoy eternal peace, and the bishops will lead the people in righteousness, and the gates will be future symbols. And what is greater than this, the Lord Himself will shine with eternal light, replacing the sun and the moon. And for one man, it will be equal to a thousand mighty warriors, and for the little ones, it will be possessed by the strongest nations. These are the words of those who desire earthly pleasures and seek the beauty of wives and the number of children, for whom God is their belly, and their glory is in their shame (Philippians 3). Those who follow their error confess themselves to be similar to the Jews under the name of Christians. Others, however, assert that all these things were promised to the Jews in a carnal manner, if they had received him who says in the Gospel: I am the light of the world (John 8:12), which enlightens every person coming into the world, so that just as the sacrifices were granted to the people of Israel, not because they were good in themselves, but so that they would not be offered to demons, in the same way the Lord promises these things to the gluttonous Jews, who seek nothing else but bodily pleasures, so that at least for their carnal desires and their abundance of wealth, they would receive the Son of God. Because they did not receive him, the promises also became void. Finally, to the Canaanite woman begging for her daughter: 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matthew 15:24). And to his disciples: 'Do not go into the road of the Gentiles, and do not enter the cities of the Samaritans; instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matthew 10:5, 6). For this reason, the Apostles first preached the Lord in the synagogues, but when the people did not receive the Gospel, they said to them: 'It was necessary to preach the word to you, but since you did not accept salvation, behold, we turn to the Gentiles' (Acts 13:46). For the light indeed came into the world, but the Jews loved darkness more. Therefore, when the Lord wept over Jerusalem, He added: If you had known, even you, the things that are for your peace (Luke 19:42). Because they did not receive this, He brought upon them: But now the days will come upon you, and your enemies will surround you with a rampart, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground, and your children within you (Ibid., 43). However, according to the previous meaning, let us believe that all these things are said about the Church, which was first gathered from the Jewish people, and the light that had risen upon her was transmitted to the Gentiles through the Apostles. To whom it is said: Rise, shine; so that what has fallen among the unbelievers may rise among the Faithful: what has fallen in the synagogues may rise in the Churches: and once it has risen, may it be illuminated, so that they may have no darkness of error. For behold, your light comes, which all the Prophets promised, which you have awaited continually. And the glory of the Lord, which once was upon his tabernacle and his Temple, has risen upon you: of which it is said: Glorious things are spoken of you, City of God (Ps. 86:2). For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist 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. And the nations will walk in your light. We all will walk in the light of the Apostles, which shines in the world, and the darkness did not comprehend it. And the kings, he says, in the splendor of your birth: when you were first born in Christ. This is fulfilled both spiritually and carnally, as kings whose heart is in the hand of the Lord, and in whom sin does not reign in the mortal body (Prov. 21:1), walk in the splendor of the nascent Church, or in him who has risen in the Church, and submit to the yoke of the true king, the faith of Christ (Rom. 6:14). What we see fulfilled every day when the error of idolatry is removed, and the rage of persecution, Roman leaders pass to the faith and tranquility of Christ. There are those who await these things that we remember from the first coming of the Savior until the consummation of the world, both in part completed and fully to be fulfilled in the future, when the fullness of the Gentiles enters and all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11). The opinion of no one should be condemned, as long as it is spiritually fulfilled and not known carnally. Furthermore, the name Jerusalem and the nations, which are placed here by the Septuagint, are not found in Hebrew, and it should be noted with an obelus, against those who claim that everything that is said is said about Jerusalem.

And he sets out the judgment of discretion under the metaphor of perceiving by the light: for behold darkness, of tribulation; the peoples, of Babylon and their other enemies; but the Lord shall arise upon you, like the sun illuminating you: but over them only was spread a heavy night, an image of the darkness (Wis 17:20). Or darkness, of unbelief and sins, the people, the unbelievers; the Lord shall arise, like the sun of justice, or literally; his glory, his miracles.

The glorious prospect displayed in this chapter seems to have elevated the prophet even above his usual majesty. The subject is the very flourishing condition of the Church of Jesus Christ at that period of the Gospel dispensation when both Jews and Gentiles shall become one fold under one Shepherd. The imagery employed is of the most consolatory and magnificent description. This blessed state of the world shall follow a time of gross darkness, Isa 60:1, Isa 60:2. The universal diffusion of vital godliness beautifully set forth by a great variety of images, Isa 60:3-14. The everlasting duration and spotless purity of this kingdom of Christ, Isa 60:15-21. A time appointed in the counsels of Jehovah for the commencement of this happy period; and when this time arrives, the particulars of the prophecy shall have a speedy accomplishment, Isa 60:22. The subject of this chapter is the great increase and flourishing state of the Church of God by the conversion and accession of the heathen nations to it, 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. This subject is displayed in the most splendid colors under a great variety of images highly poetical, designed to give a general idea of the glories of that perfect state of the Church of God which we are taught to expect in the latter times; when the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in, and the Jews shall be converted and gathered from their dispersions, and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Of the use in prophecy of general or common poetical images, in setting forth the greatness and importance of a future event universally, without descending to particulars, or too minutely explaining circumstances, I have already pretty largely treated in the twentieth prelection on the Hebrew poetry; and have more than once observed in these notes that such images are not always to he applied particularly to persons and things, and were never intended to be minutely explained. I shall add here the opinion of a very learned and judicious person upon this subject: "It is, I think, a mark of right understanding in the language of prophecy, and in the design of prophecy too, to keep to what appears the design and meaning of the prophecy in general, and what the whole of it laid together points out to us, and not to suffer a warm imagination to mislead us from the real intention of the spirit of prophecy, by following uncertain applications of the parts of it." Lowman on the Revelation, note on Rev 19:21 (note). - L. To this testimony I must add my own. This is one of the most glorious chapters in the whole of the Old Testament. The splendor, glory, and excellence of the Church of Christ are here pointed out in language which the Spirit of God alone is capable of using. But when shall this state of blessedness take place? Lord, thou only knowest.

Darkness shall cover the earth - This is the state of the Gentile people.

ISRAEL'S GLORY AFTER HER AFFLICTION. (Isa. 60:1-22) Arise--from the dust in which thou hast been sitting as a mourning female captive (Isa 3:26; Isa 52:1-2). shine--or, "be enlightened; for thy light cometh"; impart to others the spiritual light now given thee (Isa 60:3). The Margin and GESENIUS translate, "Be enlightened"; be resplendent with posterity; imperative for the future indicative, "Thou shalt be enlightened" (Isa 58:8, Isa 58:10; Eph 5:8, Eph 5:14). glory of the Lord--not merely the Shekinah, or cloud of glory, such as rested above the ark in the old dispensation, but the glory of the Lord in person (Jer 3:16-17). is risen--as the sun (Mal 4:2; Luk 1:78, Margin).

darkness . . . earth--the rest of the earth: in contrast with "light . . . upon thee" (Isa 60:1). The earth will be afterwards enlightened through Israel (Isa 9:2). be seen--conspicuously: so the Hebrew.

It is still night. The inward and outward condition of the church is night; and if it is night followed by a morning, it is so only for those who "against hope believe in hope." The reality which strikes the senses is the night of sin, of punishment, of suffering, and of mourning - a long night of nearly seventy years. In this night, the prophet, according to the command of God, has bee prophesying of the coming light. In his inward penetration of the substance of his own preaching, he has come close to the time when faith is to be turned to sight. And now in the strength of God, who has made him the mouthpiece of His own creative fiat, he exclaims to the church, Isa 60:1 : "Arise, grow light; for thy light cometh, and the glory of Jehovah riseth upon thee." The appeal so addressed to Zion-Jerusalem, which is regarded (as in Isa 49:18; Isa 50:1; Isa 52:1-2; Isa 54:1) as a woman, and indeed as the mother of Israel. Here, however, it is regarded as the church redeemed from banishment, and settled once more in the holy city and the holy land, the church of salvation, which is now about to become the church of glory. Zion lies prostrate on the ground, smitten down by the judgment of God, brought down to the ground by inward prostration, and partly overcome by the sleep of self-security. She now hears the cry, "Arise" (qūmı̄). This is not a mere admonition, but a word of power which puts new life into her limbs, so that she is able to rise from the ground, on which she has lain, as it were, under the ban. The night, which has brought her to the ground mourning, and faint, and intoxicated with sleep, is now at an end. The mighty word qūmı̄, "arise," is supplemented by a second word: 'ōrı̄. What creative force there is in these two trochees, qūmı̄ 'ōrı̄, which hold on, as it were, till what they express is accomplished; and what force of consolation in the two iambi, ki-bhâ 'ōrēkh, which affix, as it were, to the acts of Zion the seal of the divine act, and add to the ἄρσις (or elevation) its θέσις (or foundation)! Zion is to become light; it is to, because it can. But it cannot of itself, for in itself it has no light, because it has so absolutely given itself up to sin; but there is a light which will communicate itself to her, viz., the light which radiates from the holy nature of God Himself. And this light is salvation, because the Holy One loves Zion: it is also glory, because it not only dispels the darkness, but sets itself, all glorious as it is, in the place of the darkness. Zârach is the word commonly applied to the rising of the sun (Mal 4:2). The sun of suns is Jehovah (Psa 84:12), the God who is coming (Isa 59:20).

It is now all darkness over mankind; but Zion is the east, in which this sun of suns will rise. Isa 60:2 "For, behold, the darkness covereth the earth, and deep darkness the nations; and Jehovah riseth over thee, and His glory becomes visible over thee." The night which settles upon the world of nations is not to be understood as meaning a night of ignorance and enmity against God. This prophecy no doubt stands in progressive connection with the previous one; but, according to Isa 59:19, the manifestation of judgment, through which Zion is redeemed, brings even the heathen from west to east, i.e., those who survive the judgment, to the fear of Jehovah. The idea is rather the following: After the judgments of God have passed, darkness in its greatest depth still covers the earth, and a night of clouds the nations. It is still night as on the first day, but a night which is to give place to light. Where, then, will the sun rise, by which this darkness is to be lighted up? The answer is, "Over Zion, the redeemed church of Israel." But whilst darkness still covers the nations, it is getting light in the Holy Land, for a sun is rising over Zion, viz., Jehovah in His unveiled glory. The consequence of this is, that Zion itself becomes thoroughly light, and that not for itself only, but for all mankind. When Jehovah has transformed Zion into the likeness of His own glory, Zion transforms all nations into the likeness of her own. Isa 60:3 "And nations walk to thy light, and kings to the shining of thy rays." Zion exerts such an attractive force, that nations move towards her light (ל הלך as in לביתו ni sa הלך and other similar expressions), and kings to the splendour of her rays, to share in them for themselves, and enjoy them with her. All earthly might and majesty station themselves in the light of the divine glory, which is reflected by the church.