ISAIAH LESSON 69

     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for thy
light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee."

     Where there seemed to be no hope, suddenly hope arrives in the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ, {Messiah to the Jews}. He is the
Light of the world. This is a call to action. Don't sit and fret, rise
up.  The word "shine" is explained more fully in the following verse.
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."
Christians have the Light of Jesus within them. Galatians 2:20 "I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." His
Light shines from us. We cannot produce light. The light that shines
from us, is the Light of Jesus dwelling within us. We are a container
for the Light of the LORD. This is the same Light that is in each of
the seven churches of Revelation. This light is not just to do away
with darkness, but to light our spirit, as well.

     Isaiah 60:2 "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."

     Darkness symbolizes evil. This darkness was both spiritual and
physical. The darkness, here, is similar to the darkness that was over
Egypt. It was so dark, you could actually feel the darkness. The
darkness was not in the homes of God's people, even though the land
was covered in darkness. God's people will have the Light of the Lord
Jesus shining upon them in the midst of the great darkness. Sometimes
the only light there is, is the Light of Jesus that the Christian
shines forth. Luke 2:9 "And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore
afraid."  This is speaking of the appearance of Jesus into the world.

     Isaiah 60:3 "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising."

     The Gentiles were in the greatest darkness at the time of the
appearing of Jesus Christ. They had never had any portion with God up
until this time. The law of Moses had lightened the Jews somewhat.
They had not understood the law, and had not received full benefit of
the light the law had brought. The great Light, the source of all
Light, is Jesus. We discussed in a previous lesson, that the Gentiles
accepted Jesus more readily than the Jews did. On a large scale, the
Jews rejected Jesus. The wise men came and recognized Jesus at His
birth. All mankind was affected by the Light. John 1:9 "[That] was the
true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

     Isaiah 60:4 "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."

     All, who accept Jesus as their Saviour and Lord, are adopted into
the family of God. We become sons of God. I John 3:1 "Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not."  I John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
Jesus had a great following of men and women, when He ministered on
the earth. Today, He has an even greater following.

     Isaiah 60:5 "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."

     The heart shall fear, means it will beat rapidly with excitement.
The "sea" indicates large numbers of people. We see that large numbers
of people will be converted to Christianity. The early church was
founded by the converted Jews, but as the church grew, it was mostly
comprised of Gentiles.

     Isaiah 60:6 "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."

     There are two ways to look at this Scripture. In the literal
sense, there were caravans of camels which brought great wealth into
Jerusalem. This could, also, be speaking of the wise men bringing
gifts to the baby Jesus. We do not know exactly how much of the gold,
frankincense, and myrrh they brought. They came a great distance, so
they could have had camels to carry themselves and their gifts.
Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judaea in the
days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem," They came to praise and worship this King of the Jews.

     Isaiah 60:7 "All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together
unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall
come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of
my glory."

     The house, spoken of here, is the temple in Jerusalem. It was
restored, and people from everywhere brought cattle, rams, etc. as
gifts to the temple.

     Isaiah 60:8 "Who [are] these [that] fly as a cloud, and as the
doves to their windows?"

     "Doves" are messenger carriers. When they have delivered their
message, they go back to their nests. It appears, there were windows
they could go into to get to their nests. Israel had wandered away,
but they always came back home like these doves did.
     Isaiah 60:9 "Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of
Tarshish first, 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."

     There have always been people who desired to go to the promised
land. People today take guided tours of the holy city Jerusalem. The
fact that they came by ship, indicates a long way from Jerusalem. Jews
made a pilgrimage three times a year to Jerusalem to keep the feast
days. This is more than that. This is speaking of people from around
the world flowing to Jerusalem.  Revelation 15:4 "Who shall not fear
thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [thou] only [art] holy: for
all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are
made manifest."

     Isaiah 60:10 "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."

     Foreign rulers did send help to rebuild Jerusalem after it had
been taken by Babylon. Cyrus actually was one of them who helped.
God's anger had been kindled against them, but they had repented, and
God forgave them. God is full of mercy and grace. Titus 3:5 "Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;"

     Isaiah 60:11 "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."

     The door to heaven is never closed. Jesus opened the way for us
to the Father, when He shed His blood on the cross. Salvation is open
to whosoever will. The door had never been open for the Gentile, until
Jesus opened the way. It matters not whether you are a king, or a
slave, all come to Jesus through faith in Him.

     Isaiah 60:12 "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee
shall perish; yea, [those] nations shall be utterly wasted."

     There were blessings abundant to those who choose {of their own
free will} to follow Jesus. On the other hand, those who reject Him
will have the wrath of God poured out upon them.

     Isaiah 60:13 "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."

     The cedars of Lebanon were known for their unusual beauty. God's
children will come from all nations and bring their offerings to God.
The main beauty of the city, spoken of here, is it is the dwelling
place of God. This is, possibly, speaking of the beauty of the temple,
but it could, also, speak of the believers in Christ. How beautiful
are the feet of him that bring good news. God' real tabernacle is with
His people. Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven
saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, [and be] their God."

     Isaiah 60:14 "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."

     This is speaking of the time when Jesus and His followers will
reign. We know there will come a time, when every knee will bow to the
name of Jesus. Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things]
under the earth;" Philippians 2:11 "And [that] every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Revelation 1:7 "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." The city of the Lord could
be Jerusalem, or the believers in Christ. In this instance, it is
calling Jesus that, as well. The Zion is, probably, speaking of the
church. It would read the church of the Holy One of Israel. The Holy
One is Jesus.

     Isaiah 60:15 "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."

     This is speaking of Zion in the Scripture above, a city and a
wife.  Hosea calls her the adulterous wife, unfaithful to God. You can
see why this would make God angry. God will restore her to the way it
was at first, through His Son Jesus.

     Isaiah 60:16 "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."

     The Gentiles are very prominent in the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It matters not if a person is a king, or a pauper, salvation
is the same for all. Jesus Christ {Messiah} is Redeemer and LORD.
LORD, here, is speaking of Jehovah. Jesus, in its extended form, means
Jehovah Saviour.

     Isaiah 60:17 "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 righteousness."

     "Brass" symbolizes judgement and "gold" symbolizes God. This,
then, is saying, instead of judgement, we will receive God. Iron is
cold and hard, but "silver" means redemption. The world is cold and
hard, but Jesus brought us redemption. Jesus is peace and
righteousness. He establishes peace in His church. All believers in
Christ receive the righteousness of Christ as a free gift when we are
saved.

     Isaiah 60:18 "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."

     We know there will be a time when men will beat their swords into
plowshares. There will be perfect peace, because the King of peace
will reign. Jesus is our wall of protection. His blood protects us
from the enemy. He is Salvation and Praise. The worst enemies of men
were sin and death. Jesus defeated both of them. He defeated sin on
the cross, and brought salvation to all mankind. All of the praise
goes to Jesus.

     Isaiah 60:19 "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."

     We know that in New Jerusalem there will be no need for the sun,
or the moon to give light. Revelation 21:23 "And the city had no need
of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God
did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof." This everlasting
Light gives more than just physical light. His Light illuminates our
thoughts and our minds. Jesus is the Light of the church. He is the
Light of the world. He is the source of all Light giving everything
the power to exist. To Him be glory, and honor, and praise.

     Isaiah 60:20 "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."

     This is the time when God wipes all the tears from our eyes.
There will be no need to mourn. It is time to receive the victory that
Jesus purchased for us on the cross. Revelation 21:4 "And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for
the former things are passed away."  Revelation 22:5 "And there shall
be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun;
for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and
ever."

     Isaiah 60:21 "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."

     The covenant God made with Abraham was an everlasting covenant.
God's people are washed in the blood of the Lamb. They are righteous,
because they have taken on the righteousness of Christ.

     Isaiah 60:22 "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small
one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time."

     There was a very small number of people who followed Jesus in the
beginning, but now, they have grown into the millions. They are spoken
of as the multitude that is beyond number. the LORD is the central
focus of Christianity. He brings this about, when He wishes. He will
do a quick work, when the time comes.
                          Isaiah 69 Questions


1.  Quote Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1.
2.  Hope arrived in the person of _________ ________.
3.  Quote Matthew chapter 5 verse 16.
4.  Quote Galations chapter 2 verse 20.
5.  We are a container for the _________ of Jesus.
6.  Quote Isaiah chapter 60 verse 2.
7.  Darkness symbolizes ________.
8.  What kind of darkness is verse 2 speaking of?
9.  Quote Luke chapter 2 verse 9.
10. Who does verse 3 say comes to the Light?
11. Quote John chapter 1 verse 9.
12. Who are adopted into the family of God?
13. What are the Scriptures {mentioned here}, that say we are sons of
    God?
14. What is the abundance of the "sea" speaking of?
15. Who founded the early church?
16. What are the two lessons in verse 6?
17. Why had the wise men come to see Jesus?
18. What is the house in verse 7?
19. What are "doves"?
20. Why is a window mentioned in connection with the doves?
21. What does the fact that these people came by ship to Jerusalem
    show?
22. Who helped rebuild Jerusalem after their bondage in Babylon?
23. Quote Titus chapter 3 verse 5.
24. In verse 11, when are the gates closed?
25. Who opened the way to the Father for believers?
26. What happens to nations and people who will not serve God?
27. How beautiful are the feet of him that bring ________ _______.
28. Quote Revelation chapter 21 verse 3.
29. What time is verse 14 speaking of?
30. Quote Revelation chapter 1 verse 7.
31. "Brass" symbolizes ________________.
32. "Gold" symbolizes _________.
33. "Silver" symbolizes ___________.
34. What are the walls called in verse 18?
35. Quote Revelation chapter 21 verse 23.
36. Who is the Light of the church?
37. What time is verse 20 describing?
38. The covenant that God made with Abraham was for how long?